During #Blogher15 @Staples took us all #BacktoSchool #StaplesBTS - Are YOU ready?

Blogging Conferences come with their share of private events (and in some cases have VIP badges that offer a very difference experience than the standard conference badge) and this year during BlogHer15, Staples organized an invite only Breakfast to help Bloggers get ready for Back-to-School with special appearances by TV Personality Leeza Gibbons and Jamie Primak Sullivan of #cawfeetawk and Bravo TV's Jersey Belle.

Check out this video!

Some of the 'Trends' & Initiatives by Staples for 2015 include:

Designed by Students - Who knows what students need better than students right? (Well maybe Teachers!), but this line of products and tools designed by students to help address common classroom needs include The Big Pen (a pencil case and writing instrument all-in-one), the Big Props Pencil Case (doubles as a tablet stand) and the Super Folder which includes storage areas, a zipper pouch, clear pockets for class schedules, a pencil sharpener, sticky notes and a writing pad!

Positive Impact/Me to We - Staples and Me to We (a social enterprise that provides people with better choices for a better world) have joined forces to make socially conscious shopping easy with a line of eco-friendly school supplies. Each product provides a life-changing impact in a developing community where Me to We's partner, Free the Children works and the Me to We Collection includes notebooks, composition books, binders, portfolios, backpacks, pencil pouches and more with a price range from $1.99 - $29.99

Want to know HOW your purchase makes a SPECIFIC Impact?

✔Me to We Core Notebook provides MEDICINE
✔Me to We 10.5" Notebook provides FARM SEEDS
✔Me to We Journal provides MEDICINE
✔Me to We Composition Book provides MEDICINE
✔Me to We Casemade Binder provides ONE TREE
✔Me to We Portfolio provides CLEAN WATER
✔Me to We Water Bottle provides CLEAN WATER FOR ONE WEEK
✔Me to We Rafiki provides ONE YEAR OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO ONE CHILD

Camouflage - an 'army' of backpacks and accessories (no pun intended)! The OGIO Evader and Stellar Backpacks feature a large main compartment, padded laptop sleeve and ergonomic shoulder straps for comfort and there are coordinating Camouflage Composition Books and a Maze Calculator to match.

Tech Pop Design - Exclusive Teen Vogue products which are only available at Staples (we have featured the collection before HERE), look for Teen Vogue BETTER Binders, Staplers, Patterned Folders and Staples Tech Pop Folders in stores.

Graphic Design - Look for Continental Into the Wild and Continental Vibrance Notebooks and Composition Books and Tie-dye, inspirational sayings and fun graphics (including glasses and mustaches) from Gartner Studios.

Fun for School - with favorite characters including The Avengers, Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Disney Frozen and more!

Metallic - If your DD loves glitter, diamonds and sassy sayings in combos of pink, silver, purple and bold/sparkly hues this is the collection for her! (or him, just saying, no judgement!)

Technology - From Scientific Calculators to Tablets including my particular fave the Microsoft Surface Pro, you can find the tech that your student needs at Staples as well!

Tech Accessories - Staples Flat Charge & Sync USB Cables, for a 'cool factor' the Light Pulse Electroluminescent Charge and Sync Cable or even iPhone Cases, there are tech accessories to suit a wide variety of tastes.

Organizational Supplies - Mom, Teacher and Students can benefit from desktop organization from Staples Desk Accessories Collection, Sky Planners, Calendars and more! (As a former Special Ed Teacher I can tell you a gift card to Staples is WAY more useful than an Apple! Teachers often fund their classrooms from their own salary, particularly in public schools so a gift card to Staples as a gift to Teacher can really go a LONG way!)

Above: Left: Jaime Primak Sullivan of #cawfeetawk and Bravo TV's Jersey Belle, Center: ME!, Right: TV Personality Leeza Gibbons!

MY TAKE:

With Staples 110% Price Match Guarantee (through 9/15) and Super Wide Selection you can definitely consider them 'your one-stop shop' for Back-to-School this year! I have always admired Leeza Gibbons and it was neat to finally meet her in person! She is super down to earth. The photo above is the pro-shot that was taken, someone accidentally cut off their heads in the personal photo I had someone take with my camera and they were nice enough to take another photo. I didn't notice until I got home and saw the second photo on screen that my eyes were completely closed so I opted to use the pro shot instead for this post!

and what is a Blogging Conference Event without an awesome gift bag right?

Can't get mad at this big bag of 'swaggu'!

Have you done all your Back-To-School Shopping yet? Even if you don't have to shop for BTS (I get ya, I don't have children either!), many of the items above are just as perfect for a Home Office, which item referenced appeals to you MOST?

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FTC Disclosure: This is a NON -compensated post in conjunction with Staples, this is an event recap (a gift bag was received) and all my opinions are 100% MY OWN. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

@Staples Back-to-School 2014 + check out @TeenVogue Collection for Staples! #StaplesBTS

Did you just realize you forgot a few things for Back-to-School? Never fear our friends at Staples are here to save the day! With their 20 deals under $20, last minute shopping doesn't have to cost you a fortune!

Staples always offers fun exclusive collections and when I got to check out a press preview in advance of Back-to-School, Amy Astley, Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue Magazine introduced us to the Teen Vogue Collection for Staples.

Amy Astley, Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue Magazine introduces us to the Teen Vogue Collection for Staples

Staplers from the Teen Vogue Collection for Staples

Teen Vogue Collection for Staples, Super Fashion Forward!

Amy Astley, Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue Magazine introduced us to the Teen Vogue Collection for Staples

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Folders? Check, #Whatevs Notebook? Check Ladybug Binders? Check!

My Take:

The Fashion-inspired binders, notebooks, pens and more are all affordably  priced between 65 cents and $8.99 - your kids can still be cool, and you can totally adhere to your budget!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post, Ascending Butterfly was invited to a Back-to-School Preview Press Event. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

Back to School with Staples - Deals for YOU and a way to give back!

Last week I attended a Staples Back-to-school event hosted by Moms And the City, Melissa Gerstein, Denise Albert and Raina Seitel. A midtown Manhattan Staples store played host to a group of mom and dad bloggers who were divided into groups and taken to three different learning stations around the store.

The first station was for learning all about the ways that Staples is giving back. You know I love featuring 'Shopping with a Conscience' opportunities! If you can do something good for you, at a good price AND give back, that's shopping nirvana as far as I'm concerned.  Staples partnered with the organization, Dosomething.org,  to design new products and also for their 4^th Annual Staple for Students School Supply Drive where Students are encouraged to collect school supplies for children in need and drop them off at Staples.

The second station is where we got to learn about the laptops, service plans and easy comparison checker that you can use to compare and contrast features from different laptops at the display just by pulling them up on one without having to walk all around and read all those cards. Me being in the market for a new laptop after the back to back lemon experiences I have had with HP, made this demo one of the highlights for me! I'll be going back to Staples soon and checking out the laptops, although I'm kind of leaning toward an iPad 2 instead of a standard laptop this time around.

The third station is where we learned all about the Staples Savings Pass, a $10 discount card where you can get everything for back to school every day through September 17th at 15% off. (Think about the savings if you have to buy a laptop or other electronic items! And for larger families, this savings pass certainly pays for itself!).

Melissa, Denise and Raina then showed us all their favorite new back to school items. That's where I noticed this cute notebook!

I didn't realize it until I got home, but this cute Butterfly Notebook is by our friends at Carolina Pad, how butterfly perfect was that? Everywhere I go I ALWAYS have a butterfly sighting!

You know how I feel about new notebooks right? They are like perfect blank slates, and I'm dying to grab my colored pencils and draw on the first page! I have so far managed restraint, but I'm sure it won't be long before I start drawing butterflies all over the first and last page!

We also had the opportunity to make fun photo bookmarks with the folks at Photo Op NYC

It was fun posing for these pictures, the results are a way hipper, way cooler photo booth type picture! PhotoOp was recently named the Best Children's Family Photo Studio in New York by New York Magazine in their "Best of New York" issue and I could see why by the looks of my own and other bookmarks I got to see, they are very easy to work with and have a way of bringing out the best in their subjects! I'd highly recommend them. I hope my scan is doing it justice!

Our Staples visit ended with a 'Staples Bingo' Game with fun prizes and we left with goodie bags (but shh, let's keep that our secret, unlike last year, I didn't tell my niece and nephew about this one, I am NOT giving up my butterfly notebook! But I'm definitely not called the 'cool aunt' for nothing, I'll end up taking them to Staples to buy some fun Back-to-School supplies of their own very soon).

Check out your local Staples weekly ads for sales, don't forget the 1 cent specials to help you REALLY stock up, sign up for your Staples Rewards card for great rebates, and up your cool factor by sharing the fun videos made by Modern Family's television show co-star, Rico Rodriguez, who shares what kids need for Back-to-School in a series of funny videos HERE.

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post. No monetary compensation has been received. I attended a local event and was under no obligation to write about it. I did receive a gift bag after the event, and lunch was provided during the event however the opinions expressed are solely my own. I really do beleive in featuring corporations with a conscience that give back to the community and world at large!