Comment for a chance to win 1 of 10 Cottonelle gift baskets!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. This giveaway was hosted by Cottonelle via the Mom Blogger's Club, not directly by Ascending Butterfly, as soon as a winner's list is made available to us, we will post it here. Remember to check on the upper right hand side of the page where it says 'Win Here - Today's Butterfly Featured Sites of the Day' to enter our current giveaways!
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I am a member of the Mom Blogers Club and I just couldn't resist participating in this contest because it's just so much fun. And because I thought you'd enjoy it too, I'm letting you know I'm officially on 'Team Over'.

'Over' reminds me of vacation. It reminds me the bathroom has been cleaned (thankfully by someone other than me, except when I'm at home of course!) And because my  favorite type of vacation includes warm, sandy beaches, 'Over' always brings up happy memories.... (OK boys, we know you are all chuckling like children right now!)

So tell us here, when it comes to Toilet Paper, are you team 'over' or are you team 'under' and why?

This is similar to the HP mini Netbook contest, I am a participant in this contest, (but I am not the administrator of it.) and all people who comment across all the blogs that participate will have a chance to win!

How to Win: (1) You must be a follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differ from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2) when it comes to Toilet Paper, are you team 'over' or are you team 'under' and why? (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older. Winners will be randomly chosen on January 29, 2010 from all entries.

Note: Because Ascending Butterfly is NOT the administrator there will be NO extra credit for this contest.

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This is NOT a Paid Insertion all opinions expressed are solely my own!

Thursday, January 14, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration, a review and great giveaways!

Find Inspiration in Nature

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - We often Seek to find inspiration in Nature in the Spring or the Summer time, while entirely understandable, it doesn't always have to be this way. You can bring the outside in and surround yourself with constant sources of inspiration and wonder.

Butterflies are one of my favorite forms of inspiration found in nature and I bring them indoors or carry them with me year round, in fabrics, jewelry, dinnerware, art, pottery and more.

Another way many people bring their favorites 'right to their lap' is with coffee table books. And at first, I have to say I never understood them. A big book that takes up your entire coffee table, and most of the time everyone is afraid to touch it and mess up the cover so I thought to myself 'what's the point'?

In anticipation of the 2010 return of our Monthly Book Club, I wanted to start with a review of an amazing book titled 'One Hundred Butterflies' By Harold Feinstein, Fred Gagnon. This is the definitive coffee table book for Butterfly lovers. For Spring Lovers. For Nature Lovers.  For ME!!!

One Hundred Butterflies - By Harold Feinstein, Fred Gagnon - Full Description

In One Hundred Butterflies, photographer Harold Feinstein showcases butterfly varieties from around the world, turning exquisite details into mesmerizing works of art. Feinstein's breathtaking photographs capture the color, vibrancy, and infinite variety of patterns that occur on the wings of these ornate insects. One hundred impeccably reproduced, oversized photographs allow viewers to appreciate the Blue Morpho of Central America, the African Birdwing, and the Asian Swallowtail at a scale and depth impossible to experience in nature.

I am in love ♥ with this book, and find I reach for it every time I'm near my coffee table! I don't have a copy to giveaway today but if you want to pick up one for yourself you can find this Hardcover at a great price at Amazon. Try using the link below to order:

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I will bring inspirational sources from nature indoors!'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE! Don't forget to use the share button below any inspiration to stumble, digg, tweet or share with your friends on facebook and twitter! And if you want to share inspiration with other members, Ascending Butterfly has a NING group with real time chat HERE

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NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will not accept your entry. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

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Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration! - Help, Hope and Prayer!

Help, Hope and Prayer!

In the aftermath of the devastation in Haiti, The Red Cross estimated that 3 million people will require aid, ranging from shelter to food and clean water, and said many Haitians could need relief for a full year. The U.S. Department of State has set up a page online where you can go for news, developments and information, as well as up to the minute coverage on MSNBC. Social Media, including Twitter, have constant posts from members about various relief efforts, Huffington Post also has a Twitter page about the Haiti earthquake and crisis, that can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Ascending Butterfly sends our prayers to all the people of Haiti during this difficult time. I ask you all to stop and do the same, in addition to any other relief efforts or initiatives you are participating in, please stop, and take a moment to pray for Haiti, for it's people, for it's mothers, fathers, children, for all the faces behind the actual devastation.

And our prayers go out to all readers and followers of haitian descent and to your friends and families as well.

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I send prayers of healing to the people of Haiti.'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will not accept your entry. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

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One Meaning Couture Signature Butterfly Pendant Review and Giveaway!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor One Meaning Couture, We look forward to working with you again! The winner has been notified and upon confirmation his/her follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are still some great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!
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Ascending Butterfly Editor's Pick brought to you by:

I think it's safe to say that we all know by now I am very much butterfly obsessed. I love them for many reasons. They represent change and growth. They also represent loved ones who have departed. And for me a specific color butterfly sighting has always foretold a major change or a stroke of good luck (sometimes BOTH).

I am blessed to have family and friends who indulge me in my guilty pleasure of collecting 'butterfly stuff', and  jewelry is thankfully included! YAY! :-)

I've begun to amass quite a collection of butterfly pendants and a favorite has emerged from what is a very varied, unique and impressive collection! And that's no easy feat! I have a way of knowing when a new piece of jewelry is 'mine', I can't stop rubbing it! Even if it has no specific gemstone, I find that I can't stop rubbing or pressing it between my fingers!

I have found my latest 'touchstone' pendant, it's One Meaning Couture's Signature Butterfly Pendant!

Unique meaning behind the Signature Butterfly Pendant: It is made inscribed with the numbers 813, which stands for 8 letters, 3 words, 1 meaning..."I love you" -  the numbers were formed into a butterfly so that love can take flight. On the wings of love! It will remind you love is eternal and you can carry it with you always. This beautiful pendant is made by a talented artisan on the West Coast just for One Meaning Couture. It is truly a unique and beautiful necklace that will garner compliments every time you wear it. The dimensions are 1.50” wide by 1.25” high, cast in highly polished 950 Sterling Silver. Comes on a 30” sterling silver curb chain.

And what truly sets One Meaning Couture apart from the rest, is that they donate 8.13% of all sales to a different charitable organization each month! It really is couture with a conscience! Isn't that awesome? How many times do you get to actually make a difference by shopping?

The Charity of the Month for January 2010 is AHRC of Suffolk County, AHRC Suffolk provides programs and services for over 2,500 men, women, and children with intellectual challenges and developmental disabilities. The goal of AHRC is to create a better life for children and adults with developmental disabilities, one with opportunities for independence, integration and productivity. (And as a former Special Education teacher myself, I couldn't be more honored to work with One Meaning Couture THIS month!)

I also wanted to point out that One Meaning Couture also accepts recommendations for which charity to feature! You can send One Meaning Couture the name of the charity you’d like to see featured by sending an email to Barbara@OneMeaningCouture.com.

WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at One Meaning Couture want to help you carry love with you everywhere you go this year! One incredibly lucky 'Ascending Butterfly' follower will have the chance to win One Meaning Couture Signature Butterfly Pendant of their own!

Can't wait to see if you won? You can get your own Signature Butterfly Pendant (or any other design that tickles your fancy) with a special coupon code! Because One Meaning Couture uses Paypal, which does not support coupons, please put in "Ascending Butterfly" in the notes of your order at check out and you will be refunded a 10% discount via rebate. This would make an amazing Valentine's Day gift for your special someone, your BFF, your mom, your sister, your niece, your daughter, (or your favorite butterfly loving blogger!) With a super discount AND a charitable donation on top of it all,  now folks THIS is truly POWER shopping!

How to Win: (1) You must be a follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differ from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2) Visit One Meaning Couture and pick another piece you like and post the direct link to your selection here (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this or I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Tuesday, January 12, 2010 until Tuesday, February 02, 2010 at 11:59 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you already have our button, just let us know, you will still get extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow me @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this: Follow and RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly & @OneMeaning Signature Butterfly Pendant Review and Giveaway!! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - http://tinyurl.com/yk47dpw

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry (click on the time your tweet was sent to get the direct URL and then copy and paste it here). You can Tweet ONCE A DAY. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow One Meaning Couture on Twitter HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow One Meaning - Couture with a Conscience on Facebook HERE (Don't forget to leave a comment on their facebook page and tell them Ascending Butterfly sent you!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to receive Ascending Butterfly emails using our Feedburner widget on the upper right hand side of the page below the follower thumbnail pictures!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW METHOD OF EXTRA CREDIT: Enter One Meaning's Valentines Day Poetry Contest!

First prize is a custom piece of couture glass jewelry made of the winning poem.  The runner up will receive a gift certificate for $31.80. You can enter as many poems as you like. Just follow these rules:

Send your entry to Mia@OneMeaningCouture.com by midnight on February 14, 2010. To get your extra credit on Ascending Butterfly you must CC us in your entry tiglesias625 (AT) gmail (DOT) com (this is formatted for security purposes please fix before you submit your actual poem. Remember to comment here that you have submitted a poem, in addition to your CC to us on the email.

Poem MUST be cut and pasted into an email - NO ATTACHMENTS please.

There is no limit to length of poem, but keep in mind that if your poem is long, only a portion will fit on the jewelry being given in first prize.

All submissions will be treated with respect to the author; however by submitting your poem, you give One Meaning permission to print and distribute via our website, blog and social networks

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This is NOT a paid endorsement/insertion. All opinions are expressly my own!

One Meaning Couture provided a Signature Butterfly Pendant for Review and will be providing a pendant for the Giveaway.

Monday, January 11, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!

Feed your soul, Feed your life!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I was watching 'Celebration of Gospel 2010' on the BET television network last night, and it just filled me with positive energy, it was so uplifting! The music, the faith, the praise, the outpouring of emotion just fueled my enthusiasm for 'the greatness of 2010' and what I want for it, even more!

We all need food for the soul, find what feeds your spirit! To say we are in troubled economic times is an under-statement, and when people feel hopeless and lost and their spirits are just plain hungry, it is easy to want to run, to escape, to not face it all head on. But ultimately, the problems are still there, the fears, the emptiness. And when you return to reality, you have many times compounded upon your problems by trying to escape them.

Feed your soul, feed your life! Sometimes 're-fueling' comes with mixing things up a bit, attend some conferences on spirituality, attend some concerts, visit a different church (especially when traveling!), make a  concerted effort to fuel your spirit in new, exciting and ever-changing ways!

What are you watching? Fill your TV time with 'positive' viewing, especially right before bed. Listen to your preferred 'up-lifting' music while taking a shower or in the car. I bet the positive energy will begin to carry over in other areas of your life.

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I will actively feed my soul today.'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE! ENDING SOON ALERT: Win a set of 6 Custom Notecards from Pretty & Personal Papers! Ends Tonight at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time, enter NOW!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will not accept your entry. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

Sunday, January 10, 2010 - This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and great giveaways!

On Sunday's, 'Today's Moment of Inspiration' becomes the weekly 'Moment of Gratitude'. While I do still live in Gratitude each and everyday, I decided to change this feature to a weekly to allow a full week of Inspirational messages and focused breathing meditations. New Year/New Gratitude! Can't wait for all the new opportunities that 2010 will present to me to be grateful for!

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - We are 10 days into a new month of a New Year of a new decade and I am grateful to say my enthusiam hasn't waned one bit for my expectations of this year! I don't make resolutions, I haven't really done that in years. But I do make life goals for myself that I re-visit periodically. I let those change, grow, and evolve as I do. For those of you who did make resolutions, where do you stand? are you keeping them? Do you need motivation? Ascending Butterfly is happy to be your sounding board, you can post here, or you can visit our NING group, we have real-time chat there and you can reach out to fellow members to help you keep your resolutions and act as a sounding board!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I am grateful for Ascending Butterfly's wonderful sponsors who are helping to ring in this New Year with GREAT giveaways! We have four great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page, and there will be 8 winners in total! Ending soon Alert: Our giveaway for 6 custom notecards by Etsy Artist, Tricia Richner of  Pretty & Personal Papers ends on 1/11, act fast and get your entries in today HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I'm also grateful for Ascending Butterfly's wonderful readers. Many readers missed the gratitude feature, and we are happy to say it's back! I also wanted to personally thank each and every reader who has taken the time to vote for Ascending Butterfly in the Downy contest (the widget to vote with just one click is located at the bottom of this page). Thank You!

What are you grateful for today? I'd love for you to write in and share what you are grateful for this week. The more you say it, the more you speak it, and the more you live in gratitude, the more you will find reasons to be grateful for. So join me on this journey of gratitude and inspiration. And you can post here daily (even though my list will be posted weekly).

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field at Twitter:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and Great giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! We will be offering multiple giveaways all throughout 2010! It's just our way of saying Thank You! for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE!

For those of you who are interested in keeping a gratitude journal this year, here is my recommendation and a direct link to purchase it:

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will have no way of informing you if you win, and we will have to select another winner. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

Friday, January 08, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!

Who Can it Be Knocking at my Door?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - New Year/New You continues! I've often heard that 'Opportunities multiply as they are seized', but I think opportunity can't be seized if it can't be embraced. If you are not ready for change, it will not come. Think of change like a job interview, you need to prepare. You need to put yourself in 'that' place physically, emotionally and mentally.

Change can be scary on a good day. Change can be scary even if you know it's coming (which albeit doesn't happen often). But it doesn't have to be. Each year offers up new opportunities, but how many of them do you actually seize? Why? Why Not?

The change that leads to growth often times comes from seizing new opportunity. This year we just can't let old fears take hold.

Seize opportunities as they arise. What's the worse that can happen? That it won't be right for you? That's OK, it's a chance at learning. It's just as important to learn what we are not capable of sometimes.

Any opportunity you seize changes you, it will help you grow, it will help you discover new facets of your personality, of your capabilities,  it is to be embraced, enjoyed and appreciated, never feared!

Sometimes Opportunity doesn't always knock and allow itself to be seized, sometimes opportunity needs to be pursed or created. You are more than capable of doing so!

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I actively seek out new opportunities. I appreciate all chances the Universe sends me to grow and change.'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page!  It's just our way of saying Thank You for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will have no way of informing you if you win, and we will have to select another winner. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

Pür Perfection Starter Kit Review and Giveaway - 5 WINNERS!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Pur Minerals, We look forward to working with you again! The winners have been notified and upon confirmation all follower names will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are still some great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

Ascending Butterfly Editor's Pick brought to you by:

In keeping with our January 2010 'New Year/New You' theme, today I would like to introduce the Pür Perfection Starter Kit!

One of the many ways I like to start the New Year is to toss out old Makeup and start anew! This is the perfect way to do it!

Here is an idea of when to toss what:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Concealer -  Up to 12 months

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Powder - 2 years

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Cream & gel cleansers - 1 year

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Pencil eye liner Should be sharpened regularly. Will last up to 3 years

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Eyeshadow Will also last up to 3 years. Extra tip: A dark eyeshadow can double as eyeliner, in fact, most makeup artists swear by eyeshadow used as eyeliner. You'll need a super-flat eyeliner brush for this. Get the brush a little damp and dab in dark eyeshadow (black, brown or deep jewel-tones work great). Wiggle the brush into your lash line focusing on the space between your lashes, then sweep the color just above your lash line.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Brushes - Wash every 2-3 months in a mild detergent

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sponges Wash weekly and discard monthly

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Foundation Check the ingredients: A water-based foundation will last up to 12 months, oil-based will last up to 18 months. You may find you need two different shades of foundation each year: One for summer when your skin is naturally darker and one for winter when you're lighter. Extra tip: If your water-based foundation dries out before it's expiration date, simply add a few drops of alcohol-free toner and shake to mix it in. No need to do this to oil-based foundations. Because they contain oil, they will tend to separate. You have to shake anyway

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Lip liner Up to 3 years

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Lipstick Some experts say 1-2 years. Others say up to 4 years. What everyone agrees on is that if it smells rancid, throw it out, it's spoiled. Extra tip: If you store lipstick in the refrigerator, it will last longer. Bonus tip: Want your lipstick to last longer during the day? Shade in lips with lip liner before applying lipstick

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Mascara This product expires the fastest: Throw out after 4 months. Extra tip: If you don't want your mascara to expire faster than its fresh date, don't pump the wand in and out -- you're only exposing the product to drying air

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Nail Polish Up to 12 months, depending on the quality and how many times you take it on a plane

I have always been a big fan of liquid foundations as well as tinted mouisturizers, and didn't immediately jump on the 'mineral bandwagon'. But I'd say being slow to adopt turned out to be a very good thing! Over the holidays I tried out the Pür Perfection Starter Kit and I can now say with confidence 'I get it'. The convenience, the fact that it is so much more light-weight, and that mineral makeup is actually good for your skin!

This kit was my staple as I travelled during the holidays, it was portable enough to keep in my purse and have handy to go from day to night. I was pleasantly surprised that I rarely felt any additional 'touch-ups' were necessary!

Pür Perfection Starter Kit Highlights:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup: The cornerstone of Pür Minerals, this one-minute mineral makeup miracle is your mineral foundation, powder, concealer and SPF protection all in one neat makeup compact. Completely free of oil, alcohol, talc, fragrances, preservatives and chemical dyes, this mineral foundation is actually good for your skin!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Mineral Glow: A touch of sun in a makeup compact, this mineral powder will impart a natural, sun-kissed glow to your skin.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Universal Marble Powder in Pink: Give your skin back that rosy glow you were born with. Universal Marble Powder corrects, brightens and imparts antioxidants into the skin. This multi-purpose mineral makeup can be worn on your eyes, lips and cheeks.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Chisel Makeup Brush: The magic behind the mineral makeup look! The only makeup brush to use for application of your 4-in-1 Mineral Makeup, it provides maximum coverage and an amazingly smooth finish.

I absolutely love that Pür Minerals does NOT test its products on animals!

WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Pür Minerals wants to help you enjoy a 'New Year/New You'! FIVE lucky 'Ascending Butterfly' followers will have the chance to win a Pür Minerals Pür Perfection Starter Kit of their own!

How to Win: (1) You must be a follower of Ascending Butterfly to be eligible for this and all giveaways. Indicate in your entry that you follow (if your 'comment name/user id' differ from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2) Visit Pür Minerals and pick your kit color preference for your Pür Perfection Starter Kit and post in your comment what color you would want if you win, please choose carefully,  this will be the kit you receive if you win! (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning! This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this or I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Thursday, January 07, 2010 until Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 11:59 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

EXTRA CREDIT:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blog about this giveaway, linking to this giveaway post. Leave the URL in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Grab our Button and put it on your Blog. Leave the URL where we can see it in a comment (if you already have our button, just let us know, you will still get extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow me @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this: Follow and RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly Pür Perfection Starter Kit #Giveaways! FIVE winners! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - http://tinyurl.com/yfz8lm5

(Leave a comment with the tweet’s url so you can get a valid entry (click on the time your tweet was sent to get the direct URL and then copy and paste it here). You can Tweet ONCE A DAY. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Digg about this giveaway and leave your digg username in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fave this blog on Technorati and leave your Technorati user name in your comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's Ning Group HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Subscribe to receive Ascending Butterfly emails using our Feedburner widget on the upper right hand side of the page below the follower thumbnail pictures!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

This is NOT a paid endorsement/insertion. All opinions are expressly my own! Pür Minerals provided the kits for review and for the giveaway.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!

Feed the 'Inner Beastie'!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - New Year/New You continues! Whether or not you have chosen to set resolutions or New Years 'Intentions' for yourself, Ascending Butterfly wants to help you get AND stay on track!

Today I thought we should confront head on the resolution of many, to shed pounds! Like any bad habit, weight gain has a source. It is as individual as we are. There is nervous eating, blind grazing (picking throughout the day without even thinking about it), and mommy eating (eating a little of everything or eating what the kids leave behind). There are various types of emotional eating and nervous eating or eating to fill a void or for boredom fall into this category.

Now we should always check in with our doctor before starting any diet, and we should also rule out  medical reasons for weight gain, including thyroid issues on the physical side and of course depression on the emotional side (depression symptoms include lethargy, weight loss/gain etc). Let's be sure we are clearly identifying our own unique reason for weight gain.

A healthy LIFESTYLE both physically and emotionally is preferable to being on a perpetual New Year's Diet. Start with what you can control. If you are a nervous eater, replace the habit. If you are heading off to the fridge to graze between meals, ask yourself why? Am I bored? Am I angry? Am I Lonely? Stop yourself, call a friend, take a walk, do something else. Remember that 8 glasses of water per day, keep you well hydrated, and our bodies sometimes mistake de-hydration for hunger. Your body also really needs it's 8 hours of rest, and some people actually require way more than 8 hours.

Un-met emotional desires manifest in the strangest ways. Sometimes giving the soul what it wants can also help you avoid temptations. So feed your inner 'beastie' (within reason!) and your outer 'beastie' will take care of itself!

There is no magic diet or magic cure! Treat your body with respect, it is the only way it can continue to serve you well. 2010 should be the year you actively choose to live well, honor your body and spirit by eating well and by taking time to enjoy stillness in the ways that resonate best with you (meditation, prayer, journaling, walking in nature, creative pursuits, etc)

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I actively seek ways to be more respectful of my body and how I care for it.'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! We will be offering multiple giveaways all throughout the season! It's just our way of saying Thank You! for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will have no way of informing you if you win, and we will have to select another winner. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

Tuesday, January 05, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!

Love What You Do, Do What You Love!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - New Year/New You continues today. But first some more good news!  Ascending Butterfly was featured in Tiki Tiki's 'New For the Blogroll: Latinas You Should Meet in 2010' - it is such an honor being featured among such creative blogs! And it is also an honor to be considered a Latina to watch in 2010! Congratulations to all the blogs nominated. Please take a moment to read the entire article HERE

Yesterday's 'Bloggy Angel Award' and the news of being featured as a 'Latina Blogger to watch in 2010' has made me all the more connected to the power of 'doing what I love, and loving what I do'. I LOVE to write. I always have. Poems, stories, even my essays while in school. The pen (or now the keyboard) is my paintbrush. I can spend hours writing and get completely absorbed in it. What do you connect with so fully, so deeply, that you don't even notice the passing of time? What do you LOVE? And are you being paid to do what you truly LOVE? If not, why not? You should be!

I also love to travel, but still haven't figured out how to get paid to do it! (Do you think Samantha Brown or Anthony Bourdain are ready to retire??? LOL)

We feel 'robbed' and depleted on a daily basis when we do work we don't enjoy. When our efforts are 'under-appreciated' or appear to go entirely un-noticed, minutes can feel like an eternity. We are not destined to feel this way! Enjoy the journey! Vow to do what you love this year! Do the research and take the steps necessary to be fully aligned to a 'career' and not just a 'job'. You absolutely owe it to yourself to do what you love and love what you do!

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'Today I will do what I Love and Love what I do'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! We will be offering multiple giveaways all throughout the season! It's just our way of saying Thank You! for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will have no way of informing you if you win, and we will have to select another winner. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

I'm not just a butterfy, I'm an Angel too!

I'm not just a butterfly, I'm an Angel  too!

I have had the honor of being nominated for my second bloggy award today. (The first was the Lemonade Stand in October 2009). This is my first blog award of 2010, I am absolutely honored! Somehow all things 'winged' are very much a strong influence in my life!

I have always made it a point to 'pay it forward' in life; and as I've had some amazing bloggers help me when I've been stuck with something I've always tried to do the same.

I was nominated for this award by Richele from Under the Golden Apple Tree, not only is her blog amazing, she truly puts the super in 'super mom'. She is the administrator of Friends following Friends at the Mom Bloggers Club, and she also, in her 'spare time', whenever that is, hosts a weekly round up of articles from various blogs that span what you would call a 'best of' or 'must read' posts from various blogs each week. It's called the "Mom Link Round Up", the direct link to the 5th Edition can be found HERE.

As far as I'm concerned her endless patience and generosity of spirit makes her an angel in my book!

The Rules:

1. Thank the one who gave it to you by linking back to her blog.

2. Pass it out to five bloggy angels.

3. Let your angels know they have been selected for the award.

My five Cyber Angels: (in no particular order!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Richele from Under the Golden Apple Tree. Her tremendous dedication to other bloggers is a constant source of  inspiration to me. And she truly has time management down to a science!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Aly from A Little Bit of AlyTude, while most see her love of fashion and all things fab, I also see her patience with my endless questions, particularly when I first started, which makes her my 'cyber angel'.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Krissy from Barefoot Mommies is one of the most welcoming people I  met when I started off on this crazy rollercoaster ride of blogging!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tricia from I've Got My Hands Full - not only do we share a love of paper, all things crafty, family and blogging but Tricia is also very open to helping other bloggers and moms succeed. She is also an etsy artist and everyone should check out her shop HERE Tricia is also hosting a giveaway on Ascending Butterfly for custom notecards, you can enter directly HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Last but certainly not least, I also nominate Lisa from New York Chica for an Angel Award!  We are both sassy NYC based Latinas with something to say, and Lisa always delivers with the humor that can only come from being a part of the city that never sleeps! I'm also happy to say we have met in person, she's an on and offline Angel in my book!

Being recognized by other bloggers in such a HUGE space is incredibly inspiring to me, and I am just proud to share in this space with such savvy, creative, helpful and joy filled women!

Today I ask YOU, who is your Angel? Who is that person in your life who makes it a better place to be? Have you thanked them yet today?

While she is not a blogger, my Mom is my Angel! (And she deserves an award too!)

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•

Sunday, January 03, 2010 - This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and THREE giveaways!

Living in Gratitude

On Sunday's, 'Today's Moment of Inspiration' becomes the weekly 'Moment of Gratitude'. While I do still live in Gratitude each and everyday, I decided to change this feature to a weekly to allow a full week of Inspirational messages and focused breathing meditations. New Year/New Gratitude! Can't wait for all the new opportunities that 2010 will present to me to be grateful for!

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - For being blessed with the health to usher in a New Year with the ones I love by my side! Casa de Butterfly was filled with gratitude to be able to ring in 2010 with hope, laughter, music and optimism! I hope you all had a safe New Years Eve, a happy New Year's Day and that each and every one of you are blessed with the best that 2010 has to offer! How did you ring in the New Year? What, if any, are your resolutions this year?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I am grateful for Ascending Butterfly's wonderful sponsors who are helping to ring in this New Year with GREAT giveaways!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I'm also grateful for Ascending Butterfly's wonderful readers. Many readers missed the gratitude feature, and we are happy to say it's back! And even more tickled that you all noticed! :-)

What are you grateful for today? I'd love for you to write in and share what you are grateful for this week. The more you say it, the more you speak it, and the more you live in gratitude, the more you will find reasons to be grateful for. So join me on this journey of gratitude and inspiration. And you can post here daily (even though my list will be posted weekly).

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! Twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field at Twitter:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias This Week's 'Moment of Gratitude' and THREE giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!
 

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! We will be offering multiple giveaways all throughout 2010! It's just our way of saying Thank You! for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE!

 

For those of you who are interested in keeping a gratitude journal this year, here is my recommendation and a direct link to purchase it:

 

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will have no way of informing you if you win, and we will have to select another winner. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

Saturday, January 02, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!

Not a 'Resolution' but an 'Evolution'

I wanted  to make yesterday an easy one so those who 'over-celebrated' could get back in the swing of things!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - This is the second day of our 'New Year/New You!' feature. Our focus is a bit different than most. I don't specifically want us to get hung up in 'New Year's Resolutions', let's focus on evolution, on transformation, on gaining control of our thoughts, our emotions and our behaviors so we can then go on to create the goals that most people call resolutions. You can write a list of intentions for yourself until the cows come home, but if you are not vibrationally aligned with those intentions emotionally you cannot make them manifest physically.

How do we 'align' ourselves with our intentions? We have already started along that path with our daily inspirations, these focused breathing excercises you participate in daily are a strong start! Many of you are also keeping gratitude journals, I keep one myself. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude will manifest major change in your life, both emotionally, spiritually and in turn physically! Starting your day with focused breathing and meditations and then affirming a positive intention out loud helps to set the stage for your day. Words are powerful tools. They are the first tool you should reach for in your arsenal of change for 2010. They can also be weapons. Devious ones if you are not careful. Sometimes you can easily ignore the hurtful words that others direct toward you, but your internal dialogue with yourself can be even worse than the insults hurled at you by someone else. Do your words set you up for failure? Do you say things to yourself that you would never even dream of saying to family or friends? We all do it sometimes in the heat of a moment. But some of us do it daily, and that needs to be nipped in the bud.

When you find negative 'self-speak' thoughts creeping in, don't give them power! Never speak them out loud (ex. I am just so stupid,  I can never get things right etc) Instantly speak positive words over yourself. We remember to praise our spouses, our children, our family, our friends, our co-workers, employees, but often-times we forget to give ourselves some of that much needed praise.

You can't be more orgaanized this year if your dialogue about yourself always says I'm so disorganized. You won't lose weight this year if you put yourself down in the mirror each morning. I know this seems laughingly obvious reading it. But it's in the not applying it that most people end up giving up on these goals before the month is over.

Ascending Butterfly won't let you do that! You will find affirmations here and moments of focused breathing meditations to both start and close your day. We want you to recommend affirmations to US! We all want to manifest something uniquely meaningful to us! So write in an affirmation for us to include in the focused breathing section of the daily inspirations and  why that affirmation is so important to you.

Today lets focus on our inner voice, let's respect it's power and learn to hone it. Let's make it work FOR us. If words appear from  deep within today like 'stupid', 'clumsy', 'lazy', 'disorganized', 'ugly', 'fat',  or words like 'Never',  'Can't' or 'won't' you must instantly change them.  I Can, I am Capable, I am creative, etc...

Once you master the inner voice, you will already see major changes in yourself. And you can run with that new found confidence and self esteem and turn your energy to doing it again in another area,  your patterns of behavior. The marriage of the two, changing your internal dialogue to reflect an 'I Can' or an 'I Will' thought set coupled with changing defeatist habits and patterns of behaviors is the start. Mastery in these two  areas allow you the freedom  of extra energy that can NOW be used to work on that list of intentions/resolutions/goals.

A friend recently reminded me that 'The universe doesn't know the difference between a fear and a wish, when you focus on your fears, you make them come true...Change your mindset and not only will 2010 be better, your life on the whole in every area will be better!

Share your resolutions with us. When Resolutions and goal setting takes place in a group, it easier to find others who will become your 'resolution buddy', a source of additional information and motivation who will encourage you  to stay  on track. (The Ascending Butterfly NING Group is a great place to open up these discussions - http://ascendingbutterfly.ning.com/)

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I speak well over myself! My internal dialogue reflects the person I  wish  to put forward today and everyday, I am smart, savvy, organized, and kind; I make powerful decisions for myself'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about amazing, profound and powerful changes in your life.

Visualize yourself manifesting something unique, guided by universal forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Do this at least twice today and see how by taking a moment away from the hectic pace and breathing in positive energy and affirming what you wish to create, your thinking will become different.

Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

It is OK to *Re-Tweet* the link to this post and You can find me (@Tracy_Iglesias) on Twitter here! twitter love: re*tweet by copying and pasting the following into your update field:

OK to RT: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly - Today's Words of #Inspiration and Great #Giveaways! - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

Make this your best day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

Don't forget to enter the great giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page! We will be offering multiple giveaways all throughout the season! It's just our way of saying Thank You! for choosing to spend part of your day with us. We are really happy you landed HERE!

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

NOTE: Readers have asked us to make entering the contests and giveaways, faster and easier. Your wish is our command! We have moved our 'Today's Butterfly - Featured Site(s) of the day, which is where we host our giveaways, to the upper right hand side of the page. It will be located here from now on to make entering the giveaways faster and easier. Keep the suggestions coming, remember we also have a NING group with real time chat, you can give us your comments and suggestions in REAL time, how cool is that?

NOTE 2: Twitter followers: please remember you must also follow Ascending Butterfly using Google friends connect on the upper right hand side of the page for your entries to be processed. And remember if your profile does not have an email and you don't leave your email in your entry, we will have no way of informing you if you win, and we will have to select another winner. Make sure your entry or your profile have your email address!

Just a helpful Reminder: How to Follow Using Google Friends Connect:

Please look to the upper right hand side, where the follower pictures are. (Note the number of followers before you start this process)

1) press the follow button - the google pop up wizard will open, this is not an ad and your pop up blocker will not block it

2) tick the option that reads 'follow this blog publicly' once that button is selected, hit follow again - it should now read 'you are now following'

3) if the follower count went up you know you did it succesfully, if your profile has a picture, that picture will be the first one on the left side. If your profile doesn't have one, it should still be searchable on the members list. (Remember, following a blog, does NOT subscribe you to receive emails, you have to subscribe separately to do that, you will not receive emails for following)

˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙