I kissed @Pitbull at @Perfumania but promise you won't tell anyone! #PitbullMiami {#SillySunday}

Welcome to a first edition of #SillySunday!

Before you ask this is NOT sponsored, I was walking by my local Perfumania store and saw this huge Pitbull cutout through the window, being the inquisitive butterfly that I am I went in to investigate, and saw that he was there as part of an instagram contest and despite the fact I had on no makeup and was not quite feeling my most 'photo ready' I decided to enter anyway!

I am under NO obligation to blog about it, nor does doing so give me any extra entries, I just thought it would be fun to do it, and share it, here is my entry photo:

Pitbull Miami for Woman Fragrance

"Miami has inspired me on every level. The culturally diverse city has taught me that although people may be different, we are a lot more similar than we think, especially when we come together to play. I wanted to capture that energy and spirit into scents for every man and women to wear," ~ Pitbull. 

Pitbull Miami for Man Fragrance

WIN:

This is part of an instagram contest hosted by Perfumania to win a 4 Night "Pitbull Inspired" trip to Miami and 5 'runner-ups' will receive a $100 Perfumania Gift Card!

How to enter:

1. Visit a Perfumania Store

2. Take a Photo with the Pitbull Cutout

3. Log into your Instagram Account and post the photo with the hashtag #PitbullMiami

4. Visit Perfumania.com/pitbull and login and upload your photo from Instagram to be entered to win (you can 'login' with any of your social accounts to make it faster, it will scan them looking for the photo, when it finds the one with the hashtag, PRESS on it until you see a check mark on the photo, THEN hit submit) - It really is EASY PEASY!

MY TAKE:

This Latina Lifestyle Blogger would love to win a trip to Miami to meet Pitbull! If I win I am going to tweet that #TheOfficialTwitterPartyDJ finally met #Mr305, #MrWorldwide in person and definitely will post a side-by-side instagram of me with the cutout and then me with the real Pitbull! I'm already packing my bags, I have never been to Miami and can't wait to see all the cool things Miami has to offer. I have been suffering from a severe case of Wanderlust lately as I didn't get to travel anywhere this summer and am thinking this trip would be a great belated summer getaway for me.

Can you tell I really want to win?  Are you going to visit your nearest Perfumania and take a photo with the Pitbull Cutout? HURRY! You have until 11:59 AM on Saturday, October 3rd to get your entry in! What is your favorite Pitbull Song?

If you win, take me with you for giving you the heads up! 



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FTC Disclosure: This is a NON -compensated post, no monetary compensation has been received. 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.

Find out how my #Travel Wanderlust could mean a trip to #Paris for YOU! #trafalgarinsider

This post is sponsored by:

I have battled both Snowmageddon 2015 and the Flu this brutal winter here in the North East and the only thing they have both stirred up in me is my never-ending battle with Travel Wander Lust! I want to escape, and I want to escape BAD! Having worked in the airline industry in the past my passion for travel has never waned.

With my birthday coming up in April I really want to go big, but quite frankly I'm not sure I am up for the planning involved in an Epic adventure you know - that 'once-in-a-lifetime' trip that you never forget! (My first trip to Vegas was one of those Epic trips that's for sure! Thankfully what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!) The only thing I'm sure of at this point is that I want it to be an international trip, Europe, Asia or somewhere Down Under are my top choices right now.

While stuck at home with the flu I have done some preliminary research, and come across some real contenders both in terms of destination AND who should plan it - with the same attention to detail that I would if I did it myself.  One of the forerunners is a family owned company who is one of the innovators in "Insider Experiences' - allowing travelers to dine with locals in their homes and more! I have always been an 'off-the-beaten-path' type of traveler, and like me, the folks at Trafalgar share a passion for all things travel.

I need a personal travel director/concierge for this upcoming birthday trip and with Trafalgar they arrange for every detail - think luxury coach transportation, hand-picked four-star accommodations, all baggage, hotel and restaurant gratuties! Now that's what I'm talking about!

I personally was snowed in with the Flu on Valentine's Day, but my research for one thing (my upcoming birthday trip) led to another that I just couldn't keep to myself and just had to share! How does an eight-night romantic trip to France - you know THE CITY OF LOVE - sound to you?

Photo Credit: Mayors & Cities - The Worldwide Municipalities Magazine

Not yet sold? The Wonderful France Trip Includes:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Visiting famous landmarks including: Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, Palace of Versailles

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - St. Tropez and Monaco - the playground of the rich and famous

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pristine Cote d'Azur Coastline

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Trafalgar unique insider experiences including a Be My Guest dinner in Provence cooked in a wood-fired oven in a family run restaurant

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Visit the world-renowned vineyards of Cote du Rhone and Burgundy Wine Regions

But HURRY! The contest runs until February 26th, that is also the deadline date for the Early Payment Discount allowing couples to save up to $1,200 on trips to Europe! Enter HERE for the contest, and if you can't wait to find out if you won and want to lock in that discount, call Trafalgar Travel Experts at 866-544-4434!

MY TAKE: 

You know just how much brands that give back mean to me and I am happy to share that Trafalgar is a founder and active supporter of The TreadRight Foundation, a not-for-profit that works to ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant and well preserved, TreadRight has donated $2.5 million to sustainable tourism projects worldwide!

If you are like me and like to 'lurk' a bit and get to know a brand before you commit, you can hang out with Trafalgar on Facebook and Twitter! And as a blogger I am literally bursting at the seams to share that if you fill out the form HERE and share your best photo taken during a Trafalgar Vacation, they will PAY YOU for it! And it is easy as one, two, three - (1) Enter your Details, (2) Upload your images and (3) Submit, note they will only accept hi-res images 710 x 710 pixels or larger!

Where is your next adventure? Where would you like Trafalgar to help you plan an epic adventure for? Did you enter the Wonderful France Competition Butterflies?

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, however all 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.

Want to spend more time enjoying your vacation than you do planning it? Want to win $1,000 USD? #TravelOnUs

Take it from someone who used to work for an airline, at one time travel was my living, I assisted key agencies in their vacation bookings for a major airline, and let me tell you when it comes to Travel you want to shop smarter and not harder.

I had to live and breathe air fares and hotel rates for top resorts, this was a bit before the dot-com boom turned anyone with a computer into a travel agent, and agencies relied very heavily on our team to get them the best fares possible.

Being on the inside helped me to become a much savvier consumer when it came time to book my own flights and vacations. The one thing that ruled then, still very much applies now: bundles are cheaper. Booking your air and hotel together is not only a time saver, but when done right, it's also a tremendous money saver also. With entertainment being super expensive these days, it is invaluable to me to be able to save money when booking my vacation so I'll have some money to spend on the things that matter while on vacation, eating out, tickets and entertainment, museums, ground and local travel at my destination and hopefully a little ching ching for some shopping too! (and depending on my destination a little 'pulse-pounding' gaming fun!)

One site I have frequented since its inception is Expedia. Did you know that their parent company owns upwards of 140 dot-com travel sites? I won't list them all here (it's actually a top result if you google them), and with that many travel sites under their umbrella, they are serious about getting their customers the best possible fare!

What are the advantages of booking your trip online (like with Expedia) vs an agency? One of the top ones butterflies is accountability. And I can tell you first hand after having trips go wrong that I booked with agencies, it's hard to get them on the phone after their business hours end in their time zone. Expedia will assist you if you run into a problem. They offer 24 hour Customer Support. They also offer a Best Price Guarantee (which I have yet to receive via a traditional brick and mortar agency). And if that wasn't enough to sway you, you can also download their Fare Alert tool which will email YOU about the prices of flight destinations you are tracking. That's a great tool not only for business travelers who tend to frequent the same cities, but destination and resort travelers who also like to regularly visit a particular location.

Letting Expedia do the leg work for you to find fares and hotel deals or a bundle that does BOTH in one shot, is not only smart, it's a time saver. (With those minutes you save, you could start packing!)

GREAT GIVEAWAY ALERT:

Expedia has partnered with Savings.com to host a giveaway where Three (3) winners will each receive $1,000 Visa Gift Cards! You can enter the giveaway by heading to the Expedia Page on Savings.com and submitting your email address on the form at the top of the page! But ACT FAST dear butterfly as this giveaway runs from Tuesday, July 15th (TODAY) at 9:00 AM ET to Thursday, July 17th at 9:00 PM ET. Winners will be chosen via a Lottery drawing on Friday 07/18/14 and will be notified via the email address they used to enter!

TWITTER PARTY ALERT:

You know just how much #TheOfficialTwitterPartyDJ loves her twitter parties right? Well there is going to be a Twitter Party using the hashtag #TravelOnUs on Wednesday, July 16th at 1:00 PM ET with THREE (3) $100 Visa Gift Card Prizes! RSVP HERE! - Just note butterflies, I am neither a host or co-host for this party so please direct questions directly to the hosts. I, like you will be there for the great conversation, because when it comes to combining my two passions travel and twitter, I'm in it to WIN it! Feel free to tweet me a hello, I'll be tweeting from my personal handle @Tracy_Iglesias and will only use the @Ascending1 handle if I get thrown in twitter jail for oversharing!

MY TAKE:

I love that Expedia offers 24/7 Customer Service Support! I learned the hard way on the very last trip I ever booked via an agency that accountability and being able to reach an actual human being is important. I booked an international trip (pre-Expedia of course!) via a Brick and Mortar Travel Agency and when I arrived at my Resort there was confusion about my confirmed room type and even my printed itinerary from the Agency wasn't enough to solve the problem. The hotel manager wasn't helpful and when I got back the agency attitude was 'well did you get a room?, then everything is OK right?' - UM NO!!!!

Take it from an airline industry insider, leave the fare finding to a pro, in this case Expedia and have more time to sit back, relax and enjoy the view. They say it's not the destination but it's the journey right? Well as for me, I want that journey to be smooth and that destination to be five star!

If you win that $1,000 Visa Giftcard, where will you travel to Butterfly?

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FTC Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Savings.com. 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.

Whether you chose to #DOAC by day or enjoy #DOACNightlife, you can't go wrong at #AtlanticCity this summer!

#DOACNightlife Bus

I have spent a lot of time the last two weeks visiting one of my favorite places, Atlantic City. Both by night, on an Atlantic City bound Party Bus enjoying the City's Nightlife, and then again by day, exploring great eats, the boardwalk, beach, casinos, pools and more!

And of course when I find something I love I just have to share it!

My visits out there were actually so extensive I am going to split this into multiple posts, and the pictures that didn't make this post you will be able to find on our Pinterest Page on our 'Travel' Pinterest Board. I was trying to make separate boards for each place I visit, but I think it's easier to drop them all in Travel and then just label where each picture was taken!

DJ Nigel Richards keeps tunes & fun flowing on the AC Party Bus!

I boarded the Party Bus above a bit skeptical about how fun Atlantic City Nightlife would be on a Monday night, and I can tell you they don't call it a 'party bus' for nothing my friends, we actually had not one, but three DJ's on board (I would say four technically, but no one knew they had #TheOfficialTwitterPartyDJ on board and I kept that one to myself!), and the 45-foot 'Nightclub-on-Wheels' provided us a curated experience,our own bartender, and a guide to keep the group organized and show us around the city.

Steve kept the Beverages coming! :)

Below: The bus can carry up to 30 passengers and we definitely had a full house and a great atmosphere!

Below: Our first stop was the Hard Rock at Taj Mahal in Atlantic City to have some drinks and a bite to eat!

The picture above was actually taken during my day trip the following week (just thought you'd like to see it from the outside)

Below: Here are some more photos taken at The Hard Rock in Atlantic City:

Above: Couldn't resist getting a shot of this fun neon sign which reads: No Drugs or Nuclear Weapons Allowed Inside

Below: I always like to remind folks, to 'look up', here is the view up above our heads, it reads "Love All Serve All"

Below: Check out the cool guitar above the bar:

Below: Keith Richards Memorabilia at The Hard Rock Atlantic City

Below: Loved the look of the cool stained glass:

We also got to visit the popular night spot Mur Mur at Borgata! But before our group had to depart we had to leave our mark:

I got to return for what was supposed to be an overnight trip, there was a few of us up there and we were assigned to different Casinos, we got Trump Plaza, and I extended my trip and added on a night at Tropicana Hotel and Casino!

On the way to Trump Plaza on the Boardwalk, Atlantic City

Below: View from our room's window:

Below: After getting settled, it was off on a private jitney as a cocktail reception at the Pool awaited us at Golden Nugget Atlantic City:

Above: Trying to re-create the magic of my shot from 2012, not bad right? This is the view when you look up while sitting poolside, pretty sweet right?

Above: Look up! Check out the chandeliers in the lobby while on my way up the escalator!

Above: The H2O Bar, Poolside at Golden Nugget Atlantic City

Above: DO AC welcomes bloggers

Above: Crowdtap welcomes bloggers

Above: The Ascending Butterfly Editorial Team enjoying the View at the Cocktail Reception at Golden Nugget Atlantic City!

Above: I snapped this shot while I was seated, look at the cool reflection in the clouds of this shot (see the people's reflection on the upper right? And a Way to Go to Golden Nugget, that's how clear the glass I was sitting behind actually was!)

My Take:

I had an amazing time on both the DO AC Nightlife Party Bus and my CrowdTap Atlantic City Experience Sampling, so much so that I extended my stay and stayed at Trump Plaza courtesy of CrowdTap, then at Tropicana the next day on my own, there was so much to see and do both by day and by night! I have been visiting Atlantic City pretty much monthly since I turned 21 as there is always something to see and do and it's literally super easy to get there by bus from the City, it has always been one of my favorite 'staycation' destinations and one I always enjoy especially during Summer. If it's been awhile since you've been there, you should definitely check it out, and visit the Do Atlantic City website to check out events and happenings so you can  plan your trip!

There is so much more I got to see and do that I will have to recap this adventure in multiple posts, so consider this an overview, and know there is more to come!

What is your favorite Vacation Spot Butterflies?

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FTC Disclosure:  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. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Crowdtap and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Wordless Wednesday: The see what #Christmas in #AtlanticCity looks like edition!

Tropicana Holiday Laser Light Show 2013, Twinkle Tree using Google Plus #AutoAwesome

Above: The Tropicana Casino Atlantic City Holiday Laser Light Show every half hour in the Quarter!

Below: The Tropicana Casino Atlantic City Holiday Extravaganza Show. I caught the last night of this show and thought I'd include some of my photo highlights!

Tropicana Casino Atlantic City Holiday Extravaganza

Tropicana Casino Atlantic City Holiday Extravaganza

Tropicana Casino Atlantic City Holiday Extravaganza

Tropicana Casino Atlantic City Holiday Extravaganza

An Appearance by the 'Big Buy' himself, SANTA!! Tropicana Casino Atlantic City Holiday Extravaganza

Left: Mama Butterfly, Center: Snowman, Right: ME! Ascending Butterfly

I'll make a pinterest board for this trip and that board will have more photos. Since my blog template won't let me make all the photos extra large, you can at least see them at full size on pinterest!

Happy Wordless Wednesday! Bloggers feel free to post a link to your Wordless Wednesday Photos so we can go take a look. (NO GIVEAWAY LINKS PLEASE)

MERRY CHRISTMAS BUTTERFLIES! I hope you are all having as much fun as I am!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No compensation has been received to share my photos from my Atlantic City Experience, this was a personal trip, NOT a Press Junket, and all opinions are 100% my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Take me out to the ballgame - Check out my photos from the @Yankees Game and find out how to win a trip to #Florida! #SummerSequel

Alas butterflies, summer is winding down and Back-to-School is upon us again. (As a commuter in NYC I'm not looking forward to the teens back on the trains again, but that's a story for another day). 

Are you ready for summer to end? I for one, am NOT ready to let go of summer!

As you may remember I co-hosted the #SummerSequel Twitter Party (I saw a ton of butterflies on the party, so thanks so much for your support butterflies), Kiss News Wire, the team that is helping to drum attention to Kissimee, Florida as a fun vacation destination for families, hit baseball stadiums in addition to the twitter party to help draw attention to their super fun 'Summer Sequel Sweepstakes'.

The Grand Prize winner will win a 5 day/4 night vacation for FOUR to Kissimmee, Florida that includes accomodations at Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista South, four 2-day theme park passes, dinner at Capone's Dinner & Show, an air boat ride at Ultimate Airboat Ride and a coach tour with Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida, and if that's not enough a Rental Car also! (Round trip economy air is also included for the winner and four guests!). There are two ways to enter, you can text KISS to 55155 or you can enter online at www.summersequel.com, and if you live in Atlanta the team will be at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia on August 31st. But hurry butterflies, the sweepstakes ends on September 9th!

The Kiss News Wire Team wanted to thank Ascending Butterfly for her help with the tweet up and twitter party and sent family Butterfly to a local baseball game. And no ordinary seats, but in the Delta Skybox at Yankee Stadium no less! Who could pass that up?

On August 20th, the home team pulled a double header and the Yankees swept a twin bill versus the Jays, it was a super exciting game to watch under the light of a beautiful full moon! (By the way Jayson Nix really did it big that night!)

Since this is Wordless Wednesday, I thought I'd share my pictures from the game:

Left: Mama Butterfly, Right: ME! Ascending Butterfly

Left: Mama Butterfly, Center: Debi from the Blog, The Spring Mount 6 Pack, Right: ME! Ascending Butterfly

Left: Mama Butterfly, Center: Debi from the Blog, The Spring Mount 6 Pack, Right: ME! Ascending Butterfly

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies! Bloggers feel free to link us to your Photos leave the link as a comment to this post we'd love to see them and show you some support too! (NO Giveaway links please!)

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Compensated Post however our Game Tickets were provided to us by Kiss News Wire. We have not been compensated to share our recap coverage of the game!

Wordless Wednesday: I was a Lucky Dog in New Orleans #NOLA

Lucky Dogs Hot Dog Street Vendor in New Orleans, Louisiana

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies! Bloggers be sure to comment here with a link to your Wordless Wednesday Post so we can check out your photos too!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Wordless Wednesday: Harrahs Casino in New Orleans!

Isn't this is a great shot of the Harrahs sign? I'm pretty please with myself on this shot, this is NOT a PR shot, it's mine!

During my trip to the Niche Mommy Blogging Conference in New Orleans, I got to sneak in some time to visit the Harrahs Casino in New Orleans which is within walking distance of The Roosevelt Hotel, (the conference was held at this hotel and this is where I stayed, amazing hotel with so much within walking distance!) here are some pictures:

Harrahs NOLA,  New Orleans Casino - I took this shot while on my way to the Insectarium!

Harrahs NOLA,  New Orleans Casino at night!

Harrahs NOLA,  New Orleans Casino (Left: Ascending Butterfly!)

Harrahs NOLA,  New Orleans Casino, (Left: Ascending Butterfly!)

Get Social With It:

I got to visit the Casino with a great blogger pal Maria from http://bloggingbabiesandthebayou.com we visited during the evening and then I got a day shot of the exterior the day we went to the Insectarium, but the cool part is that we Tweeted the Casino to tell them we had a great time, and they tweeted us right back! Don't you love when brands use their Social Media to truly 'engage'? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet with @harrahsnola on twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 'Like' them on Facebook too (and of course don't forget to tell them you saw them featured on Ascending Butterfly!)

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I have NOT been compensated to share my experiences at The Harrah's New Orleans Casino. Please Gamble Responsibly! ;-)