Monday, March 15, 2010

'Spring Into Renovation' Giveaway featuring Mythic Paint and Accubrush!

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


This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsors ‘Mythic Paint’ and ‘Accubrush’! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is "~dab". We post winner usernames instead of full  names. Official Winner Announcement can be seen HERE. 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 'Spring Into Renovation' Special Feature 'Today's Butterfly' Sponsored by:


ACCUBRUSH
+


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - We are a few days shy of the official first day of Spring. And you know what that means, Spring Cleaning! After getting rid of clutter and clearing out closets and drawers of stuff you haven't touched in 12 months (some even say 6 months), it's time to think of the rest of the rooms. It's time to paint and re-decorate! My favorite part of the whole process, is finally seeing a room transformed!

My birthday is coming up soon (it falls on Easter Sunday this year), and as a result, I am taking the whole process of  spring cleaning and renewal seriously. I am also trying to work quicky because I want to see it all completed BEFORE my big day.

I like to start with high traffic rooms first, and for 'casa de butterfly' it's the kitchen! It gets the most visitors daily and the most foot traffic. It was also begining to remind me of a sanitarium. There had been a massive leak in my apartment and the landlord repaired the walls and white washed them. Meaning, All white paint all over, UGH!

I couldn't take it! I decided I couldn't continue creating my culinary masterpieces in an all white kitchen! It was time for a change, an immediate change!

Maybe it's the Aries in me, but I'm a strong personality type and I definitely like color. If I'm going to use color I want it to make a statement, I want it to inspire me. My favorite place to be inspired is by the ocean, and it's also a popular spring color this year!

I like to accesorize my kitchen in blue and yellow so picking a paint color was a total no brainer for me.  I chose Mythic Paint's 'Comfortable Blue' for my kitchen. (Now if only Le Creuset would send me their new 'caribbean blue' cookware set to test, it would put the perfect final touch on my new kitchen!)

I am asthmatic and one of my biggest criteria for paint is low odor. I'm also very picky about how I want the room done, I want the paint color on the walls but the borders and ceiling white, which requires precision 'cutting' and is the most time consuming part of the whole process. I knew I wanted low odor paint, and I knew I would need to be able to 'cut' to get the look I wanted. Thankfully I found a way to get everything on my checklist!

About the Paint:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Mythic® paint is a non-toxic, ultra low odor paint that provides the durability and coverage you expect from a premium paint without the off-gassing VOC’s and cancer-causing toxins that emit years after drying. Stronger, safer, smarter paint®. Now that’s a breath of fresh air!

About the Brush:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Paint Edger has brush which cuts in precisely to the edge
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Rollers are washable and reusable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Patented Roller-brush combination - speed of a roller and the accuracy of a brush!

I was supposed to film myself painting, but in all the excitement I forgot, but I did get some before and after photos of the kitchen to show you!

Below is a picture of my 'Before' - the all white sanitarium Kitchen - (see the tin ceiling?)


Now peep the new blue kitchen! (Don't you just love my chefs?)


My new blue walls are just what I need to get into a 'Spring' mind frame! I am a much happier cook now! I was pleasantly surprised by just how fast I was able to get this done with the Accubrush! It paints around crown moulding quickly and easily and it handled the tin ceilings with ease! I was also amazingly surprised that I did not have to open every window. When Mythic says, 'very low odor' I can tell you with confidence that they mean it, and it's accurate advertising! I am incredibly pleased with both the paint and the brushes!

Check out the booty you could win:



AND



WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Mythic Paint and Accubrush would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to complete a Spring Renovation Project of their own! The Grand Prize winner will receive a color book (to help you pick the right color with accuracy!), 2 gallons of Mythic Paint in winner's choice of color as well as 2 Accubrush MX Jumbo Kits with Video to get the job done quicky, easily and efficiently! (This is a $180 retail value!) - Not to mention the time savings of having the paint and brushes delivered directly to your door...priceless!

Don't you just ♥ Mythic Paint and Accubrush?

How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC 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' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2) Tell us what room you will be painting and Visit Mythic Paint and select your Paint Color Preference and leave the LINK to that color in your comment entry! (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, If it is visible in your profile, just say so, that's OK!). 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 Monday, March 15, 2010 until Thursday, April 15, 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: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - #ascendingbutterfly Spring Into Renovation #Giveaways! #win 2 gallons of paint + 2 Accubrush MX kits - http://tinyurl.com/yhz2l2m

(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).

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @safepaint  on Twitter HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - View the Accubrush in Action on You Tube by pressing 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 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! (If you are already a subscriber you will still receive extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW METHOD OF EXTRA CREDIT, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ Where it reads total votes, there is a yellow box that reads 'Vote' Press there to vote, you must be logged in to see the number increase/vote registered. You can also vote directly using the button located on our home page and below:

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW METHOD OF EXTRA CREDIT, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the '2010 Blogs by Latinas Awards'! Please vote using the below (This is a ONE time vote only):




˙·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)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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

FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the products are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and the sponsors are also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Sunday, March 14, 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.

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I am filled with gratitude to see Ascending Butterfly reach a milestone I never expected us to reach before our one year 'blog-a-versary', the 1,000 google follower mark! We now have over 1,000 inspiration seekers in our community, and over 1,100 email subscribers! I  wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for being here and making this momentous milestone possible! It's great to know that there are so many other inspiration seekers out there who want to make positive change in their own lives and the lives of others!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The opportunity to enjoy some 'Simple Indulgences' this week at an event hosted by iVillage in conjunction with Dove Chocolates and Gallo Wines, and most importantly, for the great connections I made with fellow attendees! (A special hello to Lisa, Issa (and her sister!), Ofelia (and her mom!) and Hasani!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I am grateful to report that Ascending Butterfly is a nominee in the Blogger's Choice Awards '10 in the 'Best Blog About Stuff' Category, Please vote for us!

Where it reads total votes, there is a yellow box that reads 'Vote' Press there to vote, you must be logged in to see the number increase/vote registered. You can also vote directly using the button located on our home page and below:

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

Your vote is appreciated, winning this category will bring Ascending Butterfly the recognition that will help us attract more sponsors and offer more prizes to our loyal readers! This is not a daily, it's a one time vote only. If every Ascending Butterfly follower votes just once, we would sweep the category for sure!

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 on Twitter here (@Tracy_Iglesias) 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

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!

ENDING SOON ALERT: Ends Monday 03/15/10 at 11:59pm EST - Spring Into Bags Special Feature - Enter to win an Elliott Lucca Designer Bag! enter 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:
















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

˙·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)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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

Friday, March 12, 2010

Friday, March 12, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration, THE BIG 1,000 and Great Giveaways!


THE BIG 1,000!

Today, Ascending Butterfly reached a milestone we most certainly never expected to reach so far before  our one year 'blog-a-versary', we have reached the 1,000 follower mark on google friends connect! We now have 1,000 followers and over 1,100 email subscribers. And it's all thanks to each and every one of you! THANK YOU!

Lucky 1,000, is follower Jaclyn Rubly, she is also a blogger! Her blog, 'This Mama Says' can be found HERE -  Please stop by her blog and say Hi, tell her  Ascending Butterfly sent you; and while you are there check out her giveaways too! (Jaclyn, I sure hope you  are reading this, please reach out to me as soon as possible!)

This is quite a mile-stone! I fully intend to celebrate! It reminds me that very often we forget to celebrate our victories, our triumphs, our success.  Be it big or small, don't wait for someone else to celebrate your achievements. The external confirmations you want may not always come. It is sometimes up to you to 'toot your own horn'

This weekend, take a moment to savor and celebrate YOUR victories!

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 am  proud of all I have achieved!'

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!

ENDING SOON ALERT: Don't forget your chance to win an Elliott Lucca designer bag, closes Monday, March 15, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST so enter HERE!

Vote Butterfly Below: (This is a one time vote, if all our followers voted just once, Ascending Butterfly would sweep the category!)

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

˙·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)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Thursday, March 11, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!


Would You Really Say That To A Friend?

Ask yourself this question today, Would you say that to a friend? Before saying anything to yourself ask that question!

Our self talk, the words that play in our heads as we react to people and situations in our day to day to life are very powerful. Somehow those non-verbal words that you never speak aloud, and say only to yourself are even more powerful than those spoken aloud.

Sometimes we are way more critical with ourselves than we are with others. Sometimes we are our own worse enemies, and say meaner things to ourselves than we would ever dream of saying to a friend! Why can't we be as supportive of ourselves as we are to our friends?

Today focus on being as kind to YOURSELF as you are to everyone in your life. If someone drops something would you yell at them? Then don't yell at yourself. If someone forgot something at the store, would the world end? Then don't berate yourself if something on your 'to-do' list goes undone!

Be as supportive of yourself and your own needs and initiatives as you are with everyone else. Making an active point and a concerted effort to do this daily will entirely change your outlook regardless of your circumstances!

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 words of kindness toward myself at all times!'

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!

ENDING SOON ALERT: Don't forget your chance to win an Elliott Lucca designer bag, closes Monday, March 15, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST so enter HERE!

Other RemindersAscending Butterfly is on Kindle! Check it out!

Vote Butterfly Below:

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!


˙·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)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

I am an official General Hospital Brand Ambassador! GH Wednesday!


General Hospital Wednesday

As most of you know by now, I am an official General Hospital Brand Ambassador! In an effort to connect with others who share my obsession for all things GH, I thought I'd make this 'GH Wednesday'.  Too excited to go 'wordless' today!

Please forgive the no post yesterday, but I can assure you it was very much Ascending Butterfly related! We will go back to our normal motivations and affirmations very soon!

I'm actually watching right now on Soapnet as I type this, (yes it's 3am eastern standard time), I love being able to work in my stories on my timetable. Sometimes being an insomniac pays off! It's pretty quiet except for the rythmic clicking of my keystrokes. No phones, no noisy neighbors!

This Week's Juicy Storyline Topic of Discussion: This week, Sonny (played by Maurice Bernard) is already suspected of a murder he didn’t commit, but wants his son’s approval. Sonny is driven to tell the truth about Claudia’s real killer. If Dante finds out the truth, what will he do now? - I can't wait to hear what YOU think is going to happen! - Do you think vocation or family will win out for Dante? What would YOU do if you found yourself in Dante's shoes?

And since Jason (played brilliantly by Steve Burton, ok so I might have a little crush so what? LOL) is not the topic of the discussion (although he should always be in my book), I will play nice and post a picture of Dante (portrayed by Dominic Zamprogna)! Dante Fans, here is a little eye candy for you this week:


Did anyone else laugh when him and Lulu got interrupted by Maxie??? Hee Hee, insert evil laugh here!!!

Here is a 'Cool Find' for you - ever wonder where to get the music of GH? Try below:



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I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review.

Monday, March 8, 2010

March 2010: The Ascending Butterfly Book Club review & GIVEAWAY - 'The Shift' by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer - Win the Featured Book in the Spotlight!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. We are NOT accepting new entries. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Dr. Wayne Dyer & Hay House Radio. We look forward to working with you again! The winner is Trish! Remember: There are still some great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!
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Ascending Butterfly Book Club, March 2010

New book 'The Shift - Taking Your Life From Ambition to Meaning' by Dr. Wayne Dyer is a companion book to the movie of the same name - it illustrates how and why to make the move from ambition to meaning. The Shift, Dr. Dyer’s first feature film, is now on DVD.

Introduction

What is The Shift? It’s the story of the most important moment of your life—when you stop striving and start arriving! It’s the choice you make to move toward a life that gathers up the pieces of your best, most fulfilled, most loving self. It’s the moment when you start living a life rich with meaning and begin playing the music you came here to play!

Are you ready to make the shift that changes everything? When will you find the joy, the peace, and the love that you came here to give and to receive?

As we contemplate leaving the morning of our life, where ego has played a commanding role, and entering the afternoon (and evening), where meaning and purpose replace ambition and struggle, we may encounter unexpected occurrences that accompany this new direction. It’s almost a universal law that we’ll experience a fall of some kind. Yet these falls or low points provide the energy we need to move away from ego and into a life of meaning and purpose.

The Shift doesn’t mean that we lose our drive and ambition; it signifies that we become ambitious about something new. We make a commitment to living a life based on experiencing meaning and feeling purposeful, rather than a life based on never-ending demands and false promises that are the trademark of the ego’s agenda.

About the Author


Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D., is an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He’s the author of 30 books, has created many audio programs and videos, and has appeared on thousands of television and radio shows. His books Manifest Your Destiny, Wisdom of the Ages, There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, and The New York Times bestsellers 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace, The Power of Intention, Inspiration, and Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life have all been featured as National Public Television specials.

Dr. Dyer holds a doctorate in educational counseling from Wayne State University and was an associate professor at St. John’s University in New York.

Visit his Website: www.DrWayneDyer.com

Daily Affirmations

Just like Ascending Butterfly strives to share inspiration and how that inspiration applies to daily living, one of my favorite sources of daily inspiration is Dr. Dyer's 'Daily Affirmations' which I have visited daily since they went live. I strongly believe that how you choose to start your day is what will greatly shape it!

The Shift and Me

I have always devoured Dr. Wayne Dyer's books and teachings for the way they speak to me personally, and because plain and simple, he has an amazing story. Dr. Dyer transcended the kinds of setbacks most us would feel justified to use as an excuse not to move forward in life. He hasn't done that. And he's generous enough to share not only the 'what's' of his life, but the 'how'. It never ceases to amaze me how open and available Dr. Dyer makes himself and his life to his fans.

I know that we all have our journey, our paths intersect, they fork, they cross and bend and twist, but ultimately, we all ask  ourselves the eternal questions 'Why am I here?'; 'What is my purpose?'; and the infamous 'Is this all there is?'

There comes a point in life where 'more' doesn't fill the need, where 'more' will no longer satiate the hunger. And that is YOUR 'shift'.

Are you experiencing your shift now? Have you begun 'The Shift' in your own life?

For me, I began 'The Shift' way earlier than I expected. I was working a job with outrageous hours, and making my employer obscene amounts of money based on my sales savvy and a genuine love of the industry I was in at the time; but I was burning out. The hours were killing me, the demands were abnormal, both those placed upon me, and those I placed upon myself. I left for work when there was still no sun in the sky, and returned home in the dark, ate lunch at my desk, if I even remembered or had time to take it, and began to wonder, 'is this all there is?'

That's when everything within me 'shifted'. I needed to stop. I needed to make the rollercoaster ride of ambition come to a crashing halt before it killed me!

I began seeking meaning instead of paychecks. I began seeking fulfillment both personally/spiritually and then professionally and things began to slowly fall into place. I'm not going to say I'm exactly where I want to be right now, but I'm a lot closer than I was before.

Reading this book reminded me that I still have quite a ways to go. That my 'shift' isn't exactly complete yet. But that's good, it shouldn't be!

I can't say what 'The Shift' will do for you, but I do know what it has done for me. It has forced me to evaluate the track I am on and project forward to where I want to be. I hope that is what you get from 'The Shift'. Are you ready to 'shift'?

How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC 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' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2) Share a time in your life when you experienced a 'shift'. A shift in your thinking or a shift in your desires or even a shift in your circumstances. Or talk about what was going on in your life the first time you asked yourself, 'what am I here for?' or 'Is this all there is'? (no word minimums or maximums, you can share as much as you'd like!) (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). (If your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) 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 Monday, March 08, 2010 until Thursday, April 08, 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 Ascending butterfly’s Editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this: @Tracy_Iglesias #ascendingbutterfly monthly Book Club #Giveaways! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Shift @DrWayneWDyer #win here: http://tinyurl.com/yhtqpv2

(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 @HayHouseRadio on Twitter

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Hay House (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Dr. Wayne Dyer (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow the author, Dr. Wayne Dyer, 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 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, (You can vote daily for extra credit): Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ -You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW METHOD OF EXTRA CREDIT, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the '2010 Blogs by Latinas Awards'! Please vote using the below (This is a ONE time vote only):



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FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding this book are expressly my own experiences. I was provided with a book to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling to prize winner.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's Tommee Tippee® Giveaway!



Congratulations to * 'GabbyLowe' confirmed winner of Ascending Butterfly's Tommee Tippee® Giveaway! I know her little one will enjoy the clear shield Pacifiers, and a first sips weaning cup! Join me in congratulating our winner!

We would like to thank our sponsor Tommee Tippee® for this great giveaway. We look forward to working with you again soon!

Thank You for choosing to spend a part of your day with Ascending Butterfly; and Remember to enter our active giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page!

For those that didn't win who would like to purchase Tommee Tippee®, please see below:



--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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*We post our winner's username/comment name instead of full name

Friday, March 5, 2010

Friday, March 05, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration, A Special Announcement and Great Giveaways!


See you in August!

Ascending Butterfly has a very special announcment! We will be attending our very first Blogger Conference! BlogHer '10 which is being held in August in the fast paced City of New York (Ascending  Butterfly's very back yard!), is the largest convention for bloggers and brands to network, interface; and build stronger online communities in addition to forming lasting relationships. Ascending Butterfly is being sponsored by StickyLife.com and to kick things off, Stickylife.com is offering you 25% off your entire first order! How awesome is that? Use the cool button on the upper right hand side of the page to place your order! Use code:"AscendingButterfly" to take 25% off your entire first order!

Stay tuned for a review/giveaway coming soon. (And you didn't hear it HERE first, but stay tuned for a special 'Twitter Party' hosted by Ascending Butterfly and StickyLife.com! There will be prizes, and oh did I mention there will be prizes? :-) But as a reminder to fellow bloggers attending, it is NEVER too early to begin planning what you intend you to pass out to those you meet at the event. Are you hoping to stand out with PR reps? You may want to be more creative than a business card so you can truly be remembered (How about your URL on a customized Dog Tag or Keychain?). And what about thank you gifts for your sponsors? Have you thought about those yet? (How about a customizable license plate with their logo and URL on it? It fits nicely with the limits most corporations will allow for gifts, AND it offers a personal touch!) And with the exclusive 25% off discount from Ascending Butterfly you can get as creative as you want to be for less! Who says we can't plan and be 'recessionistas' too?

There are a myriad of details to consider, and I would love to interface with other bloggers who will be attending. For those who have attended since the begining do you have any tips for this 'BlogHer Virgin'? Anyone adding a few extra days to their trip to tour the city?

I can't begin to express how excited I am! About this amazing new partnership, about attending my first BlogHer and about meeting so many of you that I have connected with virtually. BlogHer '10 is also shortly after Ascending Butterfly's one year 'blog-a-versary', so it's an all around celebration!

It's funny how the inspirations this week have been focused on 'Making Connections'. This week I had the opportunity to make a very powerful one of my own.

So let's keep on the topic we started this week, today let's continue making real 'off-line' connections. Start by re-kindling your connections to friends, not by updating your facebook status, or twitter feeds, but by calling, meeting for lunch or dinner, or head off to a movie this weekend with the gang! Don't forget to say hello to the stranger on line in front of you. Ask the clerk 'How are you?' before asking for what you need from them. You'll be surprised how you alter the day, not just theirs, but your own.

Congratulations again to our February 2010 Book Club confirmed winner Cynthia, read full winner announcement HERE, our March title will  be posted shortly!

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 embrace new connections!'

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)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's Book Club Giveaway Winner!


Congratulations to *'Cynthia' confirmed winner of Ascending Butterfly's Book Club Featured Book in the Spotlight, February 2010 Giveaway! I know Cynthia will enjoy reading 'Dancing With Butterflies' as much as I did. Join me in congratulating our winner! We would like to thank our sponsor for this great giveaway. We look forward to working with you again soon!

Thank You for choosing to spend a part of your day with Ascending Butterfly; and Remember to enter our active giveaways on the upper right hand side of the page!

For those that didn't win who would like to purchase a copy, get it at a great price here:



--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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*We post our winner's username/comment name instead of full name

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Kettle Cuisine Review and Giveaway!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Kettle Cuisine, We look forward to working with you again! The winners have been notified and upon confirmation his/her follower name(s) 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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Today's Butterfly Sponsored By:


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The North East has been pelted with snow this winter. And the weatherman is saying there will be more snow this week! I'm getting pretty snowed out and a bit stir crazy to be honest with you, but one thing still holds true for me, nothing is better when it's cold outside than a warm bowl of soup! Nothing says comforting to me more, and there is definitely nothing that I want to eat more when I have a cold or the flu.

I recently had the opportunity to try what I'd like to call a 'hot bowl of comfort' from Kettle Cuisine. Two hot bowls of comfort actually!

I sampled the 'Angus Beef Steak Chili with Beans' and the 'New England Clam Chowder' and they were absolutely perfect on a cold winter's Day. There are ten chef-inspired varieties that are all natural and all gluten free. The savory soups, hearty chilis, and rich chowders are available in convenient, single serving bowls and can be found in your grocer's natural food freezer. They arrived in an insulated box packed with dry ice, these are in no way like the canned soups you are used to.



New England Clam Chowder

Equal parts rich and satisfying, Kettle Cuisine's New England Clam Chowder starts with fresh light cream from local New England dairies, then we add hand-shucked clams, perfectly sautéed onions, and potatoes peeled just moments before cooking.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - High in Iron
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Good Source of Vitamin A
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 15g Protein


Angus Beef Steak Chili with Beans

Kettle Cuisine's slow-simmered Angus beef with a blend of Southwestern spices, red beans, ripe tomatoes, hand-chopped peppers and spicy green chilies for a chili as hearty as it is wholesome.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - High Fiber
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Good Source of Vitamin C
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Good Source of Iron
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 22g Protein

They were both fresh and very tasty. The chowder wasn't as thick as I am used to in a traditional clam chowder, but I expected that as these are specially prepared with gluten free, dairy free diets in mind. The clams were fresh and there was tons of potato in it, it was hearty even though it wasn't thick. The Angus Beef Steak Chili with Beans was my favorite of the two. It was amazingly hearty and very satisfying!

WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Kettle Cuisine would like to provide 3 winners with the opportunity to become official Taste Testers! The Grand Prize winner will receive their choice of soup shipped directly to their home and two runners up will each receive one free coupon AND a $1.00 off coupon as well . (Don't you just ♥ Kettle Cuisine?)

How to Win: (1) You must be a PUBLIC 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' differs from your profile id, please let me know what name you follow under) and (2) Visit Kettle Cuisine and pick another soup (other than the two being reviewed!) that you like and leave the LINK to that soup in your comment entry! (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, If it is visible in your profile, just say so, that's OK!). 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 Wednesday, March 03, 2010 until Thursday, March 18, 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: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - #ascendingbutterfly + @kettlecuisine Soup #Giveaways! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #win here - http://tinyurl.com/ygogz2g

(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).

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Kettle Cuisine (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @kettlecuisine 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 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! (If you are already a subscriber you will still receive extra credit!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW METHOD OF EXTRA CREDIT, Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ Where it reads total votes, there is a yellow box that reads 'Vote' Press there to vote, you must be logged in to see the number increase/vote registered. You can also vote directly using the button located on our home page and below:

My site was nominated for Best Blog About Stuff!

˙·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)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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

FTC Disclosure Info for this Giveaway: This is not a paid insertion. This is a non-compensated post and all opinions regarding the product are expressly my own experiences. I was provided product to review and the sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product. All product provided by Kohnstamm Communications on behalf of Kettle Cuisine.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Tuesday, March 02, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!


Set the Day to Music

I've spent most of the day singing along to music, a playlist with all my favorites has been the soundtrack to most of my day today.

I'm not saying it made my work any easier, but I certainly enjoyed doing it more. But even more fun was having others sing along with me! Most experiences are just that much better and more fun when shared. Doesn't it seem to go by faster when you are talking to someone in the line at the Bank or the Post Office?

Today I encourage you to reach out. Make a connection, and I don't mean a virtual one. Talk to someone. I can guarantee it will make your day 'lighter', better somehow; and theirs 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 embrace new connections!'

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

ENDING SOON ALERT: February 2010: The Ascending Butterfly Book Club review & GIVEAWAY - Featured Book in the Spotlight! Dancing With Butterflies, closes Tuesday, March 02, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST enter HERE! Stay tuned for March's title which will be posted this week!

˙·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)

Are you getting the dreaded 'Your Entry Can't Be Processed' message when leaving an entry or comment? Before hitting enter, highlight your comment and COPY it. If you get that message after hitting enter and your comment is still there, just ignore the message and hit enter again, then you will get a screen with a captcha code, enter the captcha code, then submit and VOILA. If after you hit the submit button the first time, you get the dreaded message and the comment 'disappeared' no worries, that's why I asked you to copy it in the first step. Paste it back in and submit again. This has worked for me when comment boxes have glitched on me, and I hope it helps you too!

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