Monday, April 19, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's 'Spring Into Renovation' featuring Mythic Paint and Accubrush Giveaway Winner!




*Congratulations to '~dab' confirmed winner of Ascending Butterfly's 'Spring Into Renovation' featuring Mythic Paint and Accubrush Giveaway! We hope you will send in photos of your room 'before' and 'after' using your Mythic Paint and Accubrush win! I hope you enjoy your room makeover as much I enjoyed using these products to make over my  kitchen! 

Join me in congratulating our winner!

We would like to thank our sponsors, Mythic Paint and Accubrush for this great giveaway! We look forward to working with you both again soon! (and based on the enthusiastic response in your entries it seems like you all feel the same way!). Maybe we can revisit another room makeover giveaway for the holidays! Feel free to post here if you have any thoughts on the idea.

I wanted to remind you all that recently we hosted our very first guest Blogger! Dr. Lee contributed the first article in our new monthly feature 'Mid-Month Moment of Health'. We want to make sure our Butterflies are happy and healthy;  both in  'body', 'mind' and 'soul'. If you missed the article, you can go straight to it HERE (remember to post a comment and welcome Dr. Lee). Let him know how well the excercises are working for you!

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!

NOTE:

(1) The latest bag in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature ends soon so please enter to win the 'Sierra' Cross Body Leather Bag (ARV $196) HERE! Remember to get in your entries by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday 04/21/10 

(2) Our Mother's Day Buying Guide has kicked off with the gift of 'Clean Rest', Win the Gift of CleanRest® - 2 pillows, 2 pillow encasements and 1 mattress encasement in your choice of bedding size! HERE!

(3) The Second Gift in our First Annual Mother's Day Buying Guide is 3 winners will win their choice of gift from The Cream Perfume Company! Including the eco chic packaged cream perfurmes in a wide array of wonderful scents, and even scented body lotions that match the cream perfumes are among the choices you can select from to find mom a perfect gift!

Stay tuned, the next gifts in our Mother's Day Buying Guide will launch soon. Plus the next book in our monthly book club will also be launching soon so please stay tuned!

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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*Out of respect for privacy, We post our winner(s) username/comment name(s) instead of full names.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Win Perfume for Mom! - 3 winners will win their choice of gift from The Cream Perfume Company!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor The Cream Perfume Company! We look forward to working with you again! The winners are: Amber, Marlena, & lmurley2000!

Congrats to our three winners! Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! This was gift #2 in our first annual Mother’s Day Buying Guide!
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Ascending Butterfly's Mothers Day Buying Guide Pick Sponsored by:



Better Scents, Naturally!

We are now launching our second gift in our first annual Mothers Day Buying Guide! We started with the gift of CleanRest (giveaway ends on 04/28), and now we are moving on to what many consider a Mother's Day gift 'staple', fragrance.

Our mom's are unique and selecting a fragrance to match your mom's spirit is part of the fun! Is your mom youthful and playful? Is she untamed and energetic? Is she spicy and exotic?

Let's avoid fragrance for mother's day becoming what ties have become for father's day, generic and impersonal, because neither gift should be! Fragrance should be as fun to shop for as it is well received by the recipient. It's just a matter of matching the fragrance to the spirit of it's recipient.

My mom is outgoing, she is strong, brave, compassionate and fun! So we tested out these products together! First let me introduce the company!

About The Cream Perfume Company

They work with internationally renowned perfumers and the local artisans of Grasse to develop premium nature identical oil blends, ECOCERT certified organic essentials, absolutes and pure plant and fruit extracts.Their perfumes are all phthalate free and contain no sulfates, petro-chemicals, synthetic dyes, triclosan, GMO, PPG, MEA, DEA, TEA or formaldehyde donors. Products are cruelty free.

The perfumed body moisturizers are 100% vegan, wheat and gluten free, contain no glycol, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, synthetic additives or synthetic fragrances.

The world's best ingredients are used to luxuriously hydrate and repair your skin combined with unique fragrances to simply delight your senses. They focus on environmentally friendly packaging and overall eco-value.

The perfumes are made sans alcohol, which eliminates the need for glass packaging. And that's a good thing, the solid perfumes are housed in the most adorable environmentally friendly residual wood containers! The wood is from small mills that meet the criteria set out by the Forest Stewardship Council, whose mandate is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially responsible, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.
 
We started with CleanRest and now have 'Clean & Green' perfume! Ah, mom really will be proud of us!
 
We tested a variety of both perfumes and body lotions including:
 
ORGANIC Lavender écume
 
 


A premium organic, 100% natural perfume for true lavender lovers. Exceptionally clean notes of lavender from top to base with a touch of lavendin for the heart notes.
 
Notes from the Testers:
 
Ascending Butterfly: Goes on smooth, the perfume is a solid, so I placed it in the palm of my hand and warmed it up a little with my finger and then applied to pulse points on my neck, wrist and temples. It goes on strong and mellows quickly into a soft 'clean' scent.
 
Mom: I also found that the scent is strong and noticeable when I first put it on, and then does 'die down' after a short period of time, I applied directly to pulse points except my temples.
 
Both: Thumbs Up. Additionally we both prefer lavendar for the evenings and enjoyed the subtle lingering scent it left behind on pillowcases and sheets. (it only left the scent, it did NOT stain anything)
 
We also tested the Mimosa Bouquet (it's bubbly with soft floral notes) , Mango Poudré (it's fresh and powdery), and Ylang Ylang d'amore (it's exotic, it's warm and like wearing your favorite incense!) in addition to the lavendar écume (this one goes on a bit more noticeable than the others for some reason, but I am a lavendar lover so I was happy with that!). It's difficult to pick a favorite among the four I tried. They are very different, and match very different moods. We enjoyed them all and both agreed that the packaging really is hard to resist, it's just so esthetically pleasing! And the fact that's it's also 'green' makes it that much better!
 
We also had the chance to test a variety of the body lotions as well.
 
Lavender Body Moisturizer
 
6oz. Premium and naturally derived oils and extracts from nature combined with premium French certified organic essential oils to combat dehydrated, sore, inflamed and damaged skin.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) seed oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Fruit Extract, Fragrance, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B-5), Corn Starch, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

This was the perfect companion to the solid perfume, it goes on silky smooth, it is not greasy, nor is it overly thick! I found it very soothing. My hands were particularly dry when I tried this lotion out. My skin did drink it in, and I was pleasantly surprised that a little went a long way and also lasted a long time.
 
We also had the opportunity to try out the Rose de Rosée, and the Coconut Vanille scented body lotions. Again we both agreed that these go on silky smooth, not greasy or thin, nor overly thick. They also lasted well between hand washings. I appreciated the opportunity to be able to  layer the lavendar lotion with it's matching cream perfume!
 
The Cream Perfume Company is now butterfly tested and mom approved!
 
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at The Cream Perfume Company would like to provide THREE lucky winners with the opportunity to win the product of YOUR choice!

Don't you just ♥ The Cream Perfume Company?

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 The Cream Perfume Company and post the URL of  the product that you will select if you win as your comment entry! Please post the LINK, not the name! You can select the item of your choice,  either a solid perfume or a body lotion. (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 BOTH  USA and Canada 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 Sunday, April 18, 2010 until Saturday, May 01, 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 address 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

Tweet this: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - #ascendingbutterfly + Cream Perfume Company Mothers  Day #giveaways - 3 Winners! - http://tinyurl.com/y43mbsq

(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 - 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 - Please Vote, 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 - Please vote for my outfit 'springtime nyc' @ Macy's Fashion director Giveaway. You can vote for me and also enter to win a $500 Macys Gift Certificate too by creating a styleboard of your own here

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my mom in ICE.com's 'Beautiful Moms' Contest on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Enter another giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered.

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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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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 sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's UGLee Pen Giveaway Winner!


* Congratulations to 'suebabe0704' confirmed winner of Ascending Butterfly's UGLee Pen Giveaway! I know you will really enjoy using these pens Sue!

Join me in congratulating our winner.

We would like to thank our sponsor, Dr. Lee inventor of 'UGLee Pen' for this great giveaway! We look forward to working with you again soon! (and based on the enthusiastic response in your entries it seems like you all feel the same way!).

Dr. Lee also contributed the first article in our new monthly feature 'Mid-Month Moment of Health'. We want to make sure our Butterflies are happy and healthy 'body', 'mind' and 'soul'. If you missed the article, you can go straight to it HERE (remember to post a comment and welcome Dr. Lee).

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!

NOTE: (1) The latest bag in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature has launched, enter to win the Sierra Cross Body Leather Bag (ARV $196) HERE! Ending SOON so get in your entries ASAP (2) Our Mother's Day Buying Guide has kicked off with the gift of  'Clean Rest', Win the Gift of CleanRest® - 2 pillows, 2 pillow encasements and 1 mattress encasement in your choice of bedding size! HERE!

Stay tuned, the next gift in our Mother's Day Buying Guide will launch soon. The next book in our monthly book club will also be launching soon so stay tuned!

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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

*Out of respect for privacy, We post our winner username/comment names instead of full names.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

New Feature! : "Mid-Month Moment of Health"

We are launching a new feature on Ascending Butterfly called 'Mid-Month Moment of Health'. We are going to have guest bloggers post articles related to health. The health of our bodies. Our daily inspirational posts are very much 'mind' and 'soul' oriented, but the health of the body is equally important. Helping you get BOTH in sync makes for a better you. We aim to offer something for the 'body', 'mind' and 'soul' and this feature helps us to do just that! We thought this article would be a great place to start considering the tension that builds up on 'Tax Day'.

This is one of several new regular features we will be offering. Stay tuned, we are soon going to launch a new feature that YOU will play a part of!

Without furthur ado, here is our first "Mid-Month Moment of Health", this feature will appear here each month on the 15th!

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Comfort is Key

by guest blogger, Dr. James Lee, inventor of the UGLee Pen, who writes about ergonomics

Have you ever noticed that when you don’t feel well, it’s hard to be happy? When you have an ache or a pain it’s just constantly on your mind, so, not only is your body feeling poorly, your mind follows suit encountering challenges with focus and happy thoughts. There are so many things that can cause dis-ease in the body and create pain and discomfort. I love to enlighten people to the joys of ergonomic living because it can help alleviate stress and strain to the body which provides comfort. And, comfort can definitely be the key to happiness!

Why Ergonomic Stretching is Important

The body was not designed to stay in one position all day. Sitting or standing at a desk, computer or work station can cause muscular tension. Ergonomic stretching is important to ease the stiffness of your major muscle groups. Taking short stretch breaks, at least once per hour, can ease stiffness and muscle strain in the hands, wrists, arms, neck, back, and legs. If you notice pain or tension in any area of the body, just give it a quick stretch to reduce and stress on your muscles.

Here’s 5 easy-to-do ergonomic stretching routines for the hands and forearms


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Wrist Bend

Open the palm of your hand and face it downward. Gently bend the wrist from side to side. Hold for 3 – 5 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Forearm Rotate

Stretch your arm out, palms facing up. Slowly rotate your palm facing down. Hold 3 – 5 seconds. Rotate palms back up. Hold 3 – 5 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Wrist Stretch with Fingertips

Hold one arm out straight. Hold the hand up, like motioning someone to stop. Grasp and hold the fingers with the other hand and pull towards you. Hold 3 – 5 seconds. Relax. Repeat 3 times. Then bend your wrist down and with the other hand, pull the back of the hand toward you. Hold and relax as before.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Palms Together

While sitting at your desk, place your arms on the table with your palms together. Move your elbows outward as you slide your wrists down, attempting to touch the table. Stop when you feel a good stretch. You do not have to rest your hands on the table, just keep your palms pressed together and get a good stretch for 5 – 7 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Finger Roll

Start by opening your hand. Then, make a fist but keep the thumb out. Slide your fingertips up your palm so the tips of your fingers are now near the base of your fingers. Keep the fingers curled tightly for a good 5 second stretch.

In addition to ergonomic stretching, you can also consider using an ergonomic pen. This will ease muscular tension when writing for long periods of time at work because a properly designed ergonomic pen will almost grip you, so you don’t have to expend muscular energy to tightly grip it. A more relaxed hand grip will ease tension in the fingers, hands and arm.

---

Dr. Lee,
Inventor of the UGLee Pen

Remember to show our guest blogger some love and make him feel welcome, leave your comments and questions for Dr. Lee HERE!

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Win the Gift of CleanRest® - 2 pillows, 2 pillow encasements and 1 mattress encasement!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor CleanRest! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is 'BatChicky'. Congrats! Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! This was gift #1 in our first annual Mother’s Day Buying Guide!

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Ascending Butterfly's Mothers Day Buying Guide Pick Sponsored by:

Sweet dreams start with healthy sleep!

Pollen season has all my friends and family feeling sluggish, and the thing that would help the most, is the one thing that eludes them with all the sneezing due to their allergies, REST. Sleep is elusive when you are sneezing incessantly and tossing  and turning! I myself have allergies and am asthmatic; dust, pollen, mold spores are big triggers for me and throughout the years the season that is supposed to be the happiest for me,  Spring, (because it's my birthday season), usually ended up being the time of year when I rested the least. Up sneezing and wheezing with allergies.

This year I sympathize with friends and family (and colleagues) who are suffering with their allergies and not getting enough rest. Notice I said 'Sympathize' because this year thankfully I can no longer 'empathize' at least while I'm indoors. The late night sneeze fest has ended for me thanks to my new pillows, pillow encasements and mattress encasement from the very nice (and patient) folks at CleanRest®.com.

As many of you remember I asked for your votes last year in the Simmon's Beautyrest contest. I am super happy to FINALLY be able to share officially that I won! Thank you dear readers, friends and family for your votes and your support. There was a delay in delivery and this resulted in a delay in me being able to review the CleanRest® items that I received.

I'm happy to say everything has been resolved and I have finally had the opportunity to test out what have now become a 'must have' item for me. Because I was receiving a new bed,  I knew it was time for a room makeover, (and I don't just mean the esthetics!); I wanted to sweep out all my old stuff including old pillows. We all know that pillows absorb germs from our skin and the air, they become a breeding ground for mold, bacteria and dust mites, but what many people don't know is that pillows can be a hotbed for germs, even more so than the bathroom! Join me in a collective 'Yuck' and an 'Ewww!'

I don't want to scare you or keep you at night, but the very brave and intrepid among you who really want to be grossed out with more in depth stats about whats crawling around on your bed and pillows can check out  sources which include: www.fabrictech.com, www.allergycontrol.com as well as the National Institutes of Health.

We are kicking off our Mother's day Buying Guide, a list of lovely gifts to tell that special mom in your life just how much you appreciate her! No worries for all of you that have sent us emails, We haven't given up on our daily words of inspiration & motivation at all. We are just putting extra effort into our First Annual Mother's Day Gift Buying Guide. It's been taking up more time than anticipated to put the review & giveaways together, but it's defiintely going to be worth it! We thank CleanRest® for starting us off! And needless to say any of the Spring Bags featured in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature would make a special gift for that special mom in your life.

About CleanRest®

CleanRest® is Chemical Free. Not only will CleanRest® products protect you from all known allergens, they are 100% chemical free as well. Their products are free of BPA and Lead and contain No VOCs or Phthalates.

How it happened...

As a concerned parent whose child suffered from nighttime breathing difficulties, Gary Goldberg, the inventor of CleanRest®, used three generations of his family’s textile manufacturing background to develop the solution. The result is a fabric with a weave so tiny no allergen or liquid can penetrate it—and so comfortable and breathable, you virtually don’t know it’s there. Even more important, CleanRest® is why Gary and his wife can now rest easy, knowing that their child is sleeping safely!


About CleanRest® Allergy Free Pillows:

CleanRest® allergy free pillows completely block any form of micro-toxins and dust mite infestation from ever entering the interior stuffing of the pillow. This luxurious, infestation-proof pillow is the only pillow available that provides this level of protection, ensuring you receive the best night’s sleep possible.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - MicronOne™ allergy blocking technology
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Doctor recommended
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Water Resistant
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Breathable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Comfortable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Machine washable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Lifetime warranty


About the CleanRest® Ultra Allergy Blocking Pillow Encasements:

CleanRest® Ultra Allergy Blocking Pillow Encasements are softer, cooler and quieter. While still completely blocking micro-toxins and dust mite infestation, these new pillow encasements have a softer hand and feel. Our new, ultra soft fabric still offers the highest level of allergen protection and best night's sleep possible.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -MicronOne® Allergy Blocking Technology
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Doctor Recommended
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -BPA Free, Phthalate Free and No VOCs
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Water Resistant
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Breathable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Comfortable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Machine Washable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Includes Warranty


About the Mattress Encasement:

CleanRest® mattress covers and pillow covers are the first and most important control for those who have dust mite, pet dander, pollen, and mold spore allergies. These doctor recommended mattress covers are made with MicronOne® allergy blocking fabric technology which uses 100% micro denier polyester fabric that is so tightly woven that it has a maximum pore size of 1 micron. This zippered encasement provides the user with the healthiest sleep possible. Wake up free of allergy and asthma symptoms today with CleanRest®

Made with MicronOne® allergy blocking technology

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Doctor recommended
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Maximum pore size of 1 micron
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Blocks all dust mites and their waste, pet dander, pollen, mold spore, and even bed bugs
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Water Resistant
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Breathable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Comfortable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Machine washable
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Lifetime Warranty
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Fully-encased, provides complete coverage
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Fits extra deep and pillow top mattresses

WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at CleanRest® would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to win:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -2 pillows
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -1 mattress encasement
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -2 pillow encasements

All  in the bedding size of YOUR choice. (I absolutely love the King Size Pillows, they are like body pillows because of the generous size!)

Don't you just ♥ CleanRest®? I know I do!

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 CleanRest® and post the URL of any other product that is not listed in this review & giveaway as your comment entry! Please post the LINK, entries must post a Clean Rest product link to be accepted. (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, April 14, 2010 until Wednesday, April 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

Tweet this: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - #ascendingbutterfly + @CleanRest #win the Gift of CleanRest #giveaway - http://tinyurl.com/y4s3rqm

(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 @CleanRest 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 Protect Your Sleep on Facebook (and don't forget to tell them Ascending Butterfly sent you) 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 - Please Vote, 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 - Please vote for my outfit 'springtime nyc' @ Macy's Fashion director Giveaway. You can vote for me & enter to win a $500 Macys Gift Certificate too by creating a styleboard of your own here

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my mom in ICE.com's 'Beautiful Moms' Contest on Facebook HERE


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Enter another giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered.

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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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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 sponsor is also fulfilling product to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of my experiences with this product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Is Your Mom a Beautiful Mom? - 'Beautiful Moms Contest'


'Beautiful Moms Contest'

We are currently getting ready to assemble great giveaways in honor of Mom. Not to sound biased or anything, but I am sure that my 'Mama Butterfly' is the best! So sure in fact that I entered her to win the 'Beautiful Moms Contest' on ICE.com's Facebook Page!

You can submit a picture of a beautiful mom in your life (your own mom, grandmother, a friend, your wife, etc.) and be entered to win one of over 30 great jewelry prizes, valued at over $10,000! Now that's how you celebrate Mom!

Grand Prize

1 Carat Diamond 14K Tri-Gold Pendant with Chain (Retail Value: $2,395)

2nd Prize

One “ICE.com Deal of the Day” prize awarded daily until May 7, 2010

Enter for a chance to win by uploading a photo of a beautiful mom you know whose heart and spirit shine as brightly as the Diamond Pendant Grand Prize! Daily Prizes will be distributed to randomly chosen winners and the Grand Prize will be awarded to the photo that receives the most votes by May 07, 2010.

My mom is absolutely amazing and it's needless to say that I have nominated her, I hope you will consider voting for her. Here is a direct link to my entry, my entry is called 'Cookie', that's my mom's nickname! This is a daily vote. Remember to become an Ice.com Facebook Follower before putting in your own entry or voting. You can post your vote requests as a comment in this thread, Remember to include the URL link so we can vote for your mom! If you have any questions before entering, you can always check out the Official Rules HERE

Ice.com has chosen a select group of bloggers to help them introduce this contest to their readers by offering a tremendous discount to help 'Ice' out your mom this mother's day. This code is valid starting April 10, 2010 and will expire on Mother’s Day, May 9th, 2010. If you would like to get your mom something super special, use this code to get 25% off your purchase:  MTH25 (Please note that this offer excludes watches, engagement rings, and sales items, but trust me that still leaves a wide variety of merchandise!) My personal recommendation on a great piece to apply that discount code, would be the '1/3 Carat Diamond 14K White Gold Butterfly Pendant w/ Chain' for obvious reasons! You can go to it directly HERE

I couldn't resist posting a picture of it here:


Isn't it breath-taking? And Diamonds are not only a girl's (or a mom's) best friend, they are also my birthstone too. I am such a lucky butterfly!

What are you still doing here, go nominate your MOM right now!!!

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

FTC Disclosure Information: I was offered an incentive (in product, not cash) for helping Ice.com to promote it's 'Beautiful Moms Contest' on Facebook. However, my own personal participation in the contest itself is solely my own and this write up has no bearing whatsoever on my standing/ranking in the contest. My mom really is a beautiful mom

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sunday, April 11, 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 - For ending my proscrastination and finally getting my taxes done! YAY! It's been a working weekend, but I feel grateful nonetheless.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - For all the amazing bag designers who have come on board for our 'Spring Into Bags' Feature, we now have so many for this feature, I think we will be overlapping into summer!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I am also 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!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my styleboard 'Springtime NYC' @ Macy's Fashion director Giveaway. You can vote for me & enter to win a $500 Macys Gift Certificate too by creating a styleboard of your own here:

http://social.macys.com/fashiondirector/#/the-daily-fashion-challenge/497354?ga=blog.twitter&cm_mmc=FrPS-_-tw-_-n-_-n&time=1269650230010

If you enter, please feel free to post the link to your styleboard here and I will return the vote!

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 Tuesday 04/13/10 at 11:59pm EST - UGLee Pen Giveaway! Win my favorite set of ergonomic pens 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!

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Friday, April 9, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's March Book Club Title 'The Shift' by Dr. Wayne Dyer


* Congratulations to 'Trish' confirmed winner of Ascending Butterfly's March Book Club Title 'The Shift' by Dr. Wayne Dyer! (And I know we have multiple members named 'Trish', so to confirm, Trish has already confirmed her win and sent us her contact information). Join me in congratulating our winner!

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for sharing their individual and very personal 'shifts'! Reading your entries is a constant reminder of how we are all in transition, and sometimes we all think we are so different, but we all have so much more in common with one another than we realize or readily care to admit.

We would like to thank our sponsor, Dr. Wayne Dyer and Hay House Radio, for this great giveaway! We look forward to working with you again soon! You can always follow new updates from Hay House on the buttons on our side bar, and Dr. Dyer's appearances are also listed on the right hand side of the page as well.

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!

NOTE:  (1) The latest bag in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature has launched, enter to win the Sierra Cross Body Leather Bag (ARV $196) HERE! (2) If there is a room in your home that could use a Spring Makeover, enter our 'Spring Into Renovation' Giveaway of two gallons of Mythic safe paint in your choice of color (and a color book to help you select your ideal paint shade) along with 2 Accubrush Kits w/video (these are no ordinary brushes, and Mythic is no ordinary paint, ARV $180) click HERE! (3) Enter to win a set of my favorite ergonomic pens, the 'UGLee pen' HERE

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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*Out of respect for privacy, We post our winner username/comment names instead of full names.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's Linea Pelle Dylan Disco Clutch Designer Bag Winner!


Congratulations to * 'Amber' confirmed winner of Ascending Butterfly's Linea Pelle Dylan Disco Clutch Designer Bag Giveaway! (And I know we have multiple 'Amber's' as members, so to confirm, Amber has already confirmed her win and sent us her contact information). Join me in congratulating our winner!

We would like to thank our sponsor, Linea Pelle, for this great giveaway! We look forward to working with you again soon! Check out Linea Pelle's item of the week HERE!

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! NOTE: The Shift (Hardcover) by Dr. Wayne Dyer, our March book club selection closes TONIGHT at 11:59pm EST so please get your entries in HERE) And of course the latest bag in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature has launched, enter to win the Sierra Cross Body Leather Bag HERE! And if there is a room in your home that could use a Spring Makeover, enter our 'Spring Into Renovation' Giveaway HERE!

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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

*Out of respect for privacy, We post our winner username/comment names instead of full names.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Spring Into Bags Special Feature - Enter to win a Marissa Del Rosario Sierra Cross Body Bag! (ARV $196)

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Marissa Del Rosario! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is Deb F. Remember: There are still some great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page!
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Ascending Butterfly's 'Spring Into Bags' Special Feature sponsored by:


For Spring 2010, Ascending Butterfly has been hosting a special feature called 'Spring Into Bags' we are going to be reviewing and giving away hot handbags from 'IT' bag designers! Fasten your seatbelts fellow bag lovers you are in for an awesome ride! Can you believe we are already featuring the THIRD bag in the feature? Is it me, or is 2010 just flying by super fast? (In case you missed them, the first bag was by Elliot Lucca, it was a convertible leather crossbody in a 'poppy' color, and the second bag was by Linea Pelle, it was also a leather convertible clutch in a very spring 'kelly green' color).

This time around I had the opportunity to ask the designer, Marissa Del Rosario, questions about the line, her inspirations and her life!

Here is our Questions & Answers session:

Q. How long have you been a handbag designer?

A. My DBA was started in 2007 but I did not really start designing until 2008. That would put me on a 2-year group but I have taken some classes in apparel designing in 2001. I've been designing ever since.

Q. What did you do before designing bags?

A. I worked as operating room nurse and still am. I had a bout of career burn out and thought this would be a great time to do a 180 (degree) turn by doing something that I'd always wanted to do: design.

Q. What are some of your design inspirations? in terms of both designs and color -

A. My designs are inspired by ready to wear collections, jewelry, architectural designs, flowers and anything that triggers an emotion. What we do, hear, see, feel and even smell are all connected. A good example of this is when you emailed me about your preference for the red color instead of beige because of your latina heritage. The color red evokes feelings of fearlessness in self-expression, of being bold and it definitely demands attention. (AB: Thanks Marissa, readers I did receive the 'cherry red' color and it does command attention, in a GOOD way.)

Q. What were the biggest obstacles you had to surmount when you launched your first collection?

A. Everything. But that did not faze me because I have this strong passion for creating & designing that I was willing to step outside my comfort zone. From finding the right manufacturers (I've searched in N.Y. & L.A.; overseas is out of the question), leather vendors, pattern makers to meeting people to network with and learning to 'photoshop' my handbags were all a big adventure.

Q. What will be big this spring?

A. I see a lot of black & whites, army greens, and tribal and/or ethnic colors, both in jewelries, clothes and accessories. This trend is influenced, I think, to our current economic climate. I'd call this our 'let's get back to basics' response--colors of black & white, greens (nature), and tribal colors (again, earth tones of browns, greens, greys).

Q. What inspired the Zip Line?

A. Zippers are usually for utilitarian purposes. But I got a kick out of using them as a 'jewelry' for the handbags, especially when they are two-toned such as that of the cross body & hobo in which I used silvers encompassing the gold. This zipper combination make the bags unique; so far, I have not seen this application in any handbags out there. I'm quite proud of coming up with this design. (AB: Readers this really is a stunning juxtaposition!)

Q. Looking ahead, what are the trends for Fall 2010 bags in terms of shape and color?

A. There is definitely a move towards structured bags. But it's a tough act to give up soft, conforming, unstructured handbags. They are here to stay. Women are also into big bags with lots of pockets, multi-length handles, and versatile designs (one that can be used for day and evening).

Q. What retail locations carry Marissa Designs?

A. I've changed my brand name to Marissa Del Rosario. Although my company is still in its infancy, my collection is already in a N.Y. showroom and is in a few stores in California.

Q. Will you be solely focusing on bags, or do you intend to pursue other accessories such as jewelry, sunglasses etc?

A. As for now, I'm focusing on bags. But I have toyed with the idea of designing shoes... but that's another chapter :) (AB: If there are shoes coming down the line, I for one, can't wait to see them, and hopefully feature them here FIRST!)

I am eternally grateful to Marissa for not only the opportunity to review & giveaway a bag from her line, but for the time and consideration of our Q&A Session.  It's not very often you get the chance to look behind the designs straight to the person behind the brand. I find it amazing that Marissa is an Operating Room Nurse that is also pursuing her creative desires via design. Maybe I can relate because for many years I was seriously pursuing becoming a Cardiologist!

So to all my butterflies who think switching gears in this economy is virtually impossible, here is a designer who is proving to you it can be done! Marissa is a designer to watch!

Now back to the bag at hand (no pun intended!). I have been 'field testing' the Somerset Hobo in 'cherry red', and I absolutely love it. Somehow it feels like a bag I have always had, it's roomy without being oversized, and the multi color in the zip detail is a true stand out, it runs along the front and handle of the bag. It's very much on trend with the 'rocker' inspired styles I saw on the runway this Spring. It manages to be trendy while not being overdone so you can carry it with you throughout more than one season!

Somerset Hobo Details - ARV $332 (Shown in Latte Beige, I however received the Cherry Red):


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Triple zipper detail in front only (silver/gold/silver) - Truly unique, allows you to wear either/or when it comes to your jewelry!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Soft matte leather

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - East west zipper closure - It's very well done on this bag, eye catching but not overdone. It's do-able in the day which I can't say about all the 'rocker' style inspired bags.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Handles with zipper detail

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 14” shoulder drop

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Inside large double slip pockets & zipper pocket

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Turquoise fabric lining (Very pretty color, it's not often I find myself raving about a bag's lining!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -15” l x 13” h x 4” w

WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Marissa Del Rosario would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to have a Marissa Del Rosario 'Sierra Cross Body' bag in the 'Latte Beige' color from her 2010 Collection! (This is a $196 retail value!) - Don't you just ♥ Marissa Del Rosario?


Sierra Cross Body Details (Remember you will receive this bag in 'Latte Beige' not black):

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - matte leather with triple (silver/gold/silver) zipper detail; front only

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - top zipper closure

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - adjustable shoulder strap

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 25" shoulder drop at maximum length

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - inside slip pocket for cell phone

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - turquoise fabric lining

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 8" (l) x 9" (h)

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 Marissa Del Rosario and Tell us what other bag ASIDE from the Somerset Hobo and the Sierra Crossbody that catches your eye and leave the LINK to that bag 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, April 07, 2010 until Wednesday, April 21, 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 @Tracy_Iglesias + @MarissaDRosario Sierra Crossbody Bag #Giveaways (ARV $196) - http://tinyurl.com/yj4v7g9

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 @MarissaDRosario on Twitter HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Marissa Del Rosario Designs on Facebook, (and don't forget to tell her Ascending Butterfly sent you) 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 (real time chat, expanded forums!) 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 - 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 (This is a ONE time vote only):

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 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.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tuesday, April 06, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!


On This Day in History

One of my favorite daily reads is the NY times 'On This Day in History' page. (See today's HERE). Something that stood out for today was 'On April 6, 1909, explorers Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson became the first men to reach the North Pole.' That's a pretty big milestone on what was otherwise an ordinary day.

Not all milestones and achievements make headlines.Which is why Calpurnia's quote from Shakespeare hits home for most of us. "When beggars die there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes."

But today you can be a hero to someone. And you can conquer a fear or overcome an obstacle. Take your biggest obstacle and break it into tiny pieces and the take it on, one step at a time.

You can do a good deed for someone. You can make today 'On This Day in History' for yourself!

What is your North Pole?  Where can you plant a flag today? What first step can you take to achieving a long sought after goal?

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 plant my flag!'

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!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 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·˙


ENDS TONIGHT ALERT: Enter to win a Linea Pelle Dylan Disco Clutch Designer Bag HERE!  This giveaway ends tonight, Tuesday, April 06, 2010 at 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) so get your entries in NOW!! And stay tuned tomorrow when the next bag in the 'Spring Into Bags' feature is posted!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's Becca Jewel Dust Giveaway Winners!


Congratulations to *'Janette', 'Elphie' and 'Deb K' confirmed winners of Ascending Butterfly's Becca Jewel Dust Giveaway! Join me in congratulating our winners!

We would like to thank our sponsor, Becca Cosmetics, for this great giveaway, as well as giving us the opportunity to have not just one, but three winners. We look forward to working with you again soon! Check out the new 'Boudoir Skin Collection' by Becca!

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!

--Ascending Butterfly's Editorial Team

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

*Out of respect for privacy, We post our winner username/comment names instead of full names.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Friday, April 02, 2010 - Weekend Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!


Funscrape.Com


Double the Blessings!

This weekend I get to celebrate both my birthday and Easter Sunday on the same day! Oddly enough I was born on a Palm Sunday, and now this year Easter Sunday falls on my birthday! They say our birthday is a much better time to set goals, it's considered to be our "personal new year". I plan to do some reflection and revisions to get my "personal new year" off to the best start possible!

I've already begun some outward changes in anticipation of my birthday, starting with a much needed  hair cut. I've also tossed out old makeup and switched out to a more Spring Friendly color Palette. While I still have some Spring  Cleaning to go after I type my last sentence, I am off for the weekend! No new posts until Monday!  And certainly no manual labor!

I plan to take all my own advice you see, being in the moment, slowing down, enjoying the company of friends and family and getting in some much needed 'me' time!

I hope you will do the same!

What are your Easter Dinner Plans? What are your favorite Easter Traditions and memories? (I loved decorating Easter Eggs!)

I have received some lovely birthday goodies early (Thank You, you know who you are!), and you will soon have the chance to win many of the same items, so I won't list them all now!

Thank You Baskin Robbins for the SUPER delicious birthday 'Raspberry Fudge Truffle Ice Cream Cake' (and free birthday scoop - remember to sign up for the newsletter for a free birthday scoop. Readers please note the cake was not from the newsletter) - I HIGHLY recommend this new flavor!  Check it out HERE

And if someone sees the Easter Bunny, tell him I get TWO baskets this year since my birthday falls on Easter Sunday!

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 spend more time with loved ones this weekend and way less time on work related projects!' (I mean it everyone, absolutely NO work this weekend!)

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!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please 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·˙