Are you ready for World Heart Day? Sharing ways I'm Falling into Health! + a chance for YOU to win a year's worth of supplements!

If you are connected to this blog on our social channels you may be aware that my Mama Butterfly was rushed to the hospital the day after my birthday in cardiac arrest. This year has been a blur of hospitalizations and stress/worry.

While I have had a ton to say, the stress in my life right now has prevented from me writing much. I usually liked to write in the late night hours when the world was still and as quiet as any neighborhood in New York City can be...

But this year by the time things were 'still/quiet' I would just shut down and mostly stare at the ceiling (you all know by now I am an insomniac)...'Paralyzed from Exhaustion' would be a great title to describe my nights lately.

This year, World Heart Day - observed on September 29th, hits home for me a bit more. While there is no cookie cutter solution to heart health, I am trying out a new supplement and I wanted to put it on your radar:

Wakunaga of America sent me some of their supplements and I am sharing them in the order I started testing them! First up is Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract.

What it does NOT do: There is NO pizza breath here! This supplement will not repeat on you! - I mention this because I tried a Garlic Supplement in my teens for thinning hair and it made my breath so foul I refused to stay the course. So that was my first concern when starting with this supplement and I am happy to report that there are no bad breath issues here at all.

Instructions: Take two vegan capsules with food, preferably during or right after a meal. With food, the pH of the stomach is less acidic which allows the AGE (Aged Garlic Extracts) and its constituents to survive and go into the intestinal tract for absorption. (absorption my friends is the key with any supplement, how well it is absorbed determines how effective it will be so if your supplement bottle tells you to take it with or right after a meal, it is very important to follow those instructions).

Benefits: Aged Garlic Extracts have demonstrated in numerous clinical studies to support overall cardiovascular health by reducing many risk factors for heart disease (e.g., maintaining healthy coronary arteries, supports healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels already within normal ranges, enhance circulation, etc.). Wakunaga's Aged Garlic Extracts have also been shown in clinical studies to show favorable impact in areas of immune function, gingivitis, stress and gut microbiota.

Where it is grown: The garlic used to make their Aged Garlic Extracts is organically grown in California, USA, under strictly controlled conditions without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.

Multiple benefits of Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract include:

•         Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels
•         Slowing the progression of coronary artery calcification
•         Inhibiting the accumulation of “soft” unstable plaque
•         Decreasing blood platelet adhesion and aggregation
•         Enhancing circulation
•         Supporting immune function
•         Reducing the risk of gingivitis
•         Easing stress
•         Improving gut microbiota

I have been taking this supplement for a little under one month now and plan to add it to my routine as I oddly had to cancel my visit to my cardiologist which fell while Mama Butterfly was in the hospital. But her experience definitely has me taking my heart health more seriously and I plan to re-schedule all my appointments soon.

Ten Ways to Improve Hearth Health (suggestions from the American Heart Association):

1. Balance calories with physical activity.
2. Reach for a variety of fruits and vegetables.
3. Choose whole grains.
4. Include healthy protein sources, mostly plants and seafood.
5. Use liquid non-tropical plant oils.
6. Choose minimally processed foods.
7. Subtract added sugars
8. Cut down on salt.
9. Limit alcohol.
10. Do all this wherever you eat!

Register to win a year’s supply of your favorite Wakunaga supplement during Wakunaga’s 50th anniversary celebration (no purchase necessary; one winner per month during the year 2022): https://kyolic.com/promotion/woa50th-sweepstakes/

My Take:

Mama Butterfly's harrowing experience this year, brought hearth health to the forefront at Casa Butterfly. I have a pretty regular supplement routine and I take quite a few supplements daily, but until now I had never taken one purely for heart health and now I can't imagine not taking one!

Readers Sound Off: Do you take Vitamins and Supplements daily? If so, which ones? Which have you found the most useful/helpful so far?

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FTC Disclosure: No monetary compensation has been received. Supplements were provided for Editorial Consideration. 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. Like this article? Buy your Editor a coffee to say thanks for the read: paypal.me/TracyIglesias or https://cash.app/$ascendingbutterfly or Venmo: Ascending1

Glass Slippers are SO Back! Cinderella on Broadway is a MUST see! @CinderellaBway #Cinderella

Theatre sign for The Broadway Theatre where Cinderella on Broadway is currently running

My mom has always been a huge theater buff, and through her I developed the same love of Broadway. I think it is one of the best parts about being a Native New Yorker. The first two plays I saw spoiled me, Peter Pan with Sandy Duncan and the original King and I starring Yul Brynner, both of those plays were amazing from every standpoint and gave the theatre a sort of magic that had been missing for me for quite awhile until Ghost on Broadway last year, this year Cinderella on Broadway brought back that magic for me, and I wanted to make sure I got my recap posted because I don't want you to miss this one!

Playbill for Rodger's + Hammerstein's Cinderella at Broadway Theatre

The Moms put together a totally fun night on Broadway for New York City Bloggers and their families and seeing the little girls dressed up in the lobby of The Broadway Theatre many in their little Cinderella dresses was so cute! Many of them admiring the touches and details of the other's outfits, we arrived to a lovely reception where we had time to talk and take a few photos before the Play began.

Ascending Butterfly at Broadway Theatre for Cinderella on Broadway Mamarazzi Event

Rodger's + Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway starts with an overture that truly sets the pace for the show, it's a hint to the magic that is to come! With a nod to the tradition of musical theatre. There was already so much excitement and energy in the air that the overture just added to the strong energy you could feel in the crowd.

Ascending Butterfly at Broadway Theatre for Cinderella on Broadway Mamarazzi Event

About The Show:

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA has arrived on Broadway for the first time ever! Four-time Tony Award® nominee Douglas Carter Beane’s (Sister Act, Xanadu) delightfully romantic and hilarious take on the ultimate makeover story features all the classic elements you remember—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more—plus some surprising new twists! Rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago” in this outrageously fun Broadway musical for dreamers of all ages.

Right before the overture you are asked 'kindly turn off your phones and leave your worries and cares at the door', and for 2 hours and 20 minutes you get to do just that, leave your cares at the door and be immersed in a magical, musical, wondrous fairy tale come to life right before your eyes!

The Cast:

Cinderella is played by Laura Osnes, The Prince by Santino Fontana, Marie/The Fairy Godmother was played by Victoria Clark, Harriet Harris plays Madame/Cinderella's Stepmother, Ann Harada plays Cinderella's Step-Sister Charlotte, and Marla Mindelle plays Step-Sister Gabrielle, and Peter Bartlett plays Sebastian (yes my fellow One to Live lovers THAT Peter Bartlett, our beloved Nigel!), Greg Hildreth plays Jean-Michel and Phumzile Sojola plays Lord Pinkleton and is also the understudy for Sebastian.

After the performance a Questions and Answers Session was arranged with some of the members of the cast, here are my photos from the Q&A:

Questions and Answers Session with Cast members of Cinderella on Broadway

The Cast really had a great dynamic and rapport amongst each other!

Questions and Answers Session with Cast members of Cinderella on Broadway

The cast as well as the audience enjoying Harriet Harris answering one of the question asked by a child at the Q&A "How did it feel to have to be so mean to Cinderella?"

Harriet Harris plays Madame, Cinderella's Stepmother, she was a very good sport during the Questions and Answers!

You may remember Harriet from her television role on the hit TV series Frasier!

Left: Santino Fontana who plays The Prince and Right: Laura Osnes who plays the title role of Cinderella

We asked Santino who plays the Prince about his background with his musical training and he mentioned that he was a bit embarassed when he was younger and starting out but outgrew it and fully began to embrace his training.

Victoria Clark plays villager Marie as well as The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella on Broadway

And of course The Moms always put together thoughtful gift bags so you can have a fun memory of your experience! Here are the bags on display:

Gift Bags at Cinderella on Broadway Mamarazzi Event

Here is a close up shot of the bags (apparently people liked my vignette, because before I could get my camera out of my bag people took photos of my gift bags before I could! LOL)

The bags contained light snacks from Andean Dream (Gluten-Free and Vegan Quinoa Cookies), a foaming facial wash from Willa and something fun for the moms too, a cosmetic bag from Trish McEvoy with a wonderfully thoughtful note enclosed, that contained a lash treatment, long-wearing, upper-eye brightener/shadow primer, intense gel eye liner pencil and under-eye brightener/line filler - products that will keep your eyes shining after the clock strikes twelve! :-)

Super thoughtful, thanks to The Moms, Andean Dream, Willa, and Trish McEvoy to making an already magical experience that much more memorable!

I got to nab a photo of the family of one half of the dynamic duo! Here is Melissa Gerstein and her family:

Melissa Gerstein of The Moms and her family at the Cinderella on Broadway Mamarazzi Event

Aren't these his and hers souvenir tshirts cute?

His and Hers Souvenir Tshirts from Rogers + Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre

My Take:

Left: Mama Butterfly Right: Ascending Butterfly enjoying a Magical  Night at the Cinderella on Broadway New York City Mamarazzi Event! 

Cinderella on Broadway is a truly magical theatrical event, it brings back the roots of what made theatre magical for me right from the begining. They pull of costume changes right before your very eyes that are truly amazing, when the pumpkin turns into the coach I'll bet you could watch it literally a hundred times and not see how it is really pulled off. It's magical for the adults as well as the children! 

This is a MUST see!

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @CinderellaBway on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Cinderella The Musical on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @andeandream on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Andean Dream on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @WillaSkincare on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Willa Skin Care on Facebook

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Trish McEvoy on Facebook

And don't forget to tell them you saw them Featured on Ascending Butterfly! Of course we will also be putting these photos on our Pinterest page as well.

Fan of the Week:

If you get picked as Fan of the Week, don't forget to come back here and let us know! 

Do you have a magical Theatre moment that you'd like to Share? Tell us About it!

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FTC Disclosure: Our tickets to the show and gift bags were provided courtesy of The Moms, however NO monetary compensation has been received for our recap coverage and all opinions are 100% my own.