Win A Dozen Long Stemmed Roses and Godiva Chocolates for Mom from 1800flowers.com!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor 1-800flowers.com! We look forward to working with you again! The winner has been notified and upon confirmation, follower name will be posted both here and on our homepage. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! This was gift #3 in our first annual Mother’s Day Buying Guide!

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

We are now launching our third gift in our first annual Mothers Day Buying Guide! We started with the gift of CleanRest (giveaway ends on 04/28), followed by the gift of perfume (giveaway ends on 05/01) and now we are moving on to a classic gift for Mother's Day, Long Stemmed Roses, one dozen to be exact, and to accompany the most breathtaking bouquet of roses ever? An elegant box of Godiva Truffles! An amazing way to say 'Thank You' to your mom!

(And while it's not an official part of the Mother's Day Buying Guide, the current bag being featured in our 'Spring Into Bags' 2010 Special Feature would be perfect for mom, check out the Lexie Butterfly Tote giveaway HERE.)

If you are apprenhensive about the idea of 'Mail Order' flowers, let me put your mind at ease, 1800flowers takes special care in packaging and shipping, the flowers are attached securely to the box to prevent damage to the flowers while the box is in transit. When mom opens this box, the 'wow' factor is guaranteed!

Remember that long stemmed roses do have thorns, so take special care when removing them from the box and while arranging the bouquet. They are a very rich deep red color and will begin to bloom more fully 2-3 days after arrival. I didn't experience this, but if any petals are 'burned' in transit, just pull them off, this will not harm the flower at all, and will preserve it's beauty when it does fully bloom.

While they are Shipped overnight to ensure freshness and arrive ready to arrange, I would still suggest that when you remove them from the box you remember to cut the stem just a little bit with flower shears under running water before putting them in the vase. 800flowers also includes the 'preservative' packets which helps the bouquet 'live' longer.

This gift also comes with an 18-piece assortment of heavenly Godiva® truffles! This is definitely a gift for the 'sophisticated mama'. and by the way the Chocolates are Kosher OU-D! (For over 80 years, the Orthodox Union has maintained the highest standard of kosher certification. Today, the OU supervises more than 400,000 products, making it the world’s most recognized and most trusted kosher symbol. The OU-D communicates the presence of dairy components through the OUD symbol.)

The site even offers a guide that helps you choose the best way to send flowers, which I've included here:

How To Choose the Best Way To Send Flowers on Howcast

And remember to customize the message to go along with your flowers, telling your mom how much you appreciate her!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at 1800flowers.com would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to win One Dozen Long Stem Red Roses & Godiva® Truffles! (ARV $74.99)

Don't you just ♥ 1800flowers.com? I know I do!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 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 1800flowers Mother's Day Gifts - and post the URL of another bouquet you like aside from the giveaway bouquet of course, as your comment entry! Please post the LINK, not the name! (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.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 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 Saturday, April 24, 2010 until Monday, May 03, 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 + @1800flowers Dozen Long Stem Red Roses + Godiva Truffles #Giveaways (ARV $74.99) - http://tinyurl.com/2aceerh

(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 per day.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @1800flowers on Twitter

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 1800flowers 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:

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 active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Make a purchase from 1800flowers anytime between 4/24 - 5/02 and receive 10 extra entries. (you will need to email us a copy of your invoice as proof. Yes, you can cross off method of payment information!)

˙·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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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.

Winner Announcement - Ascending Butterfly's ‘Spring Into Bags’ Marissa Del Rosario ‘Sierra’ Leather Cross Body Bag Giveaway Winner!

*Congratulations to 'deb' confirmed winner of Ascending Butterfly's ‘Spring Into Bags’ Marissa Del Rosario ‘Sierra’ Leather Cross Body Bag Giveaway! I know you are going to love this bag, may you wear it for many years in good health, ENJOY! (I know we have multiple 'Deb's', please note this Deb has already confirmed her win!)

Join me in congratulating our winner!

We would like to thank our sponsor Marissa Del Rosario 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!). We hope Marissa will come back to join us again in the fall!

I wanted to remind you 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;  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 has launched! Enter to win the Layla Grayce Fleurville Lexie Butterfly Tote in Teal (ARV $165) HERE! (We are already on bag FOUR in the series!)

(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 offers 3 winners 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! Enter to win HERE!

Stay tuned, the next gifts in our Mother's Day Buying Guide will launch VERY 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

'Spring Into Bags' Special Feature - Win the Teal Butterfly Fleurville Lexie Tote!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Layla Grayce! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is ZoeHunter!  Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! Watch for the next bag in the ‘Spring Into Bags’ series to launch SOON.

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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 have been reviewing and giving away hot handbags from both established and emerging hand bag designers! We are already featuring the FOURTH bag in the feature! (In case you missed them, the first bag was by Elliot Lucca, it was a convertible leather crossbody in a cheery 'poppy' color, the second bag was by Linea Pelle, it was also a leather convertible clutch in a very spring 'kelly green' color, the third bag was a leather crossbody called 'Sierra' in a popular neutral color 'latte beige' from handbag designer by night, Nurse by day, Marissa Del Rosario!).

We have partnered with Layla Grayce to give away our first 'green' bag in this feature! And 'green' is both literal and figurative in this case! We wanted to offer a bag for moms this time. We also wanted to make sure that this was an earth friendly bag in honor of Earth Day!

We have quite a special partnership working together here, Layla Grayce whose tagline is 'Love Your Life, Express Your Style' and Fleurville whose tagline is 'Essential Designs for Modern Parenting'; together this culminates into 'Parenting with Style' and this giveaway will allow one lucky 'earth mama' the chance to do just that!

I am sure by now you all know just how much I love butterflies,  and by the Spring Feature itself just how much I adore handbags. I am absolutely delighted with this tote! It is as stylish as it is functional, and it's astoundingly functional and also durable. It can take whatever you dish out and still retain it's stylish figure!

I love reading Layla Grayce's blog and visiting their site often, particularly for ideas on home decor. They have an amazing assortment of Home and Bedding items, baby, toddler and childrens gear and furniture as well as fun stuff for mom including Jewelry and  Handbags!

Speaking of handbags,  I was sent the Lexie Tote in the butterfly style and teal color, and I just love this bag! It doesn't skip any of the details important in a daily use bag, it has 5 feet at the base (most bags give you four, but if the bulk of the weight in your bag is in the center, then the center will touch the bottom of the table or floor where you set it, picking up tons of germs, YUCK!) That is why I especially appreciate the bag having '5 feet'. There are enough organizational compartments both inside and outside to carry your cell phone, mp3 player, wallet, bottles and find them all with ease. And the SlipNot™ universal stroller attachment is pure genius, it allows you to attach your tote easily to your stroller (and to your luggage when you are traveling! Bonus!)

Lexie Tote

The Lexie Tote from Fleurville® takes functional luxury to a new level. Built out of  PVC-Free™ Green-LAM™, the Lexie has many of the standard features of our best selling MotherShip® and Sling Tote, plus more. This elegant shoulder tote has custom hardware, "Green" Leather trim, a seam sealed, water-proof main compartment, multiple pockets and comes complete with our new universal stroller attachment, the Slip Not™. It can be worn as a shoulder tote, stroller bag or even messenger style with the included messenger strap, the Lexie Tote is ready for whatever your day dishes out. Classic styling makes it great for after diapers as a go anywhere, durable handbag.

Features:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - PU faux "Green" leather trim
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Non-skid tote handles
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Spacious end pockets
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fleece lined pockets
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 5 feet on the bottom of bag
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Changing pad
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Fleurville® see-thru wipe case included
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Carabiner/Key-clip
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Green-LAM Water-resistant exterior
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - SlipNot™ universal stroller attachment
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Messenger strap included

Special Features:

Dimensions:

L 11.75" x H 12.25" x W 6.5"

They call the technology behind it 'Green Lam' and I call it Green Glam!

While searching for the perfect Mother’s Day gift, I found Layla Grayce’s Mother’s Day boutique that has categorized their fabulous gifts by type of mom! They have gifts for moms on the go, moms who love to cook, new moms, romantic moms, moms who love to read, moms who love to entertain, and trend-setting moms. If you happen to find something that you’d love to receive as a Mother’s Day gift, there’s also a function to create an account and add items to your wishlist that you may then send to your husband or children—I love it! I’m also excited to offer an exclusive discount that can’t be found anywhere else  —  15% off jewelry purchases with the code MOM15. Happy Mother’s Day!

  

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Layla Grayce would like to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to win the butterfly Lexie Tote! (ARV $164.95)

Don't you just ♥ Layla Grayce?

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 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 Layla Grayce - and post the URL of another product you like aside from the Lexie Tote of course, as your comment entry! Please post the LINK, not the name! (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.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Thursday, April 22, 2010 until Thursday, May 06, 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:  (NOTE: Followers Please Remember Extra Credit is NOT Required, the only required entry is to pick another item you like from Layla Grayce and list it's URL as your comment entry)

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 + @LaylaGrayce Fleurville Lexie Butterfly Tote #Giveaways (ARV $164.95) - http://tinyurl.com/29dwb2r

(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:

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 active giveaway on Ascending Butterfly and earn extra credit, leave a comment letting me know which giveaway you entered.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Make a purchase (using the link on the right)  from Layla Grayce anytime between 4/22 - 5/06 and receive 10 extra entries. (you will need to email us a copy of your invoice as proof. Yes, you can cross off method of payment information!)

˙·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 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.

Even A Nice Butterfly Can Get Pushed Too Far!

Even A Nice Butterfly Can Get Pushed Too Far!

Shame on you iVillage! There was supposed to be a Review of Letters To Juliet here today, but there won't be. And I was pretty much dared to tell you why and so I will.

My first dealings with iVillage was years ago. I worked in Staffing and I was a Talent Manager who placed IT professionals with various companies. At the time, they were one of my favorite accounts. My talent liked being placed there, I liked my contacts there and it was happy times all around. Well NOT anymore! That was then, and apparently this is now!

My first dealings with iVillage as a blogger did not go very well. The event they held awhile back in conjunction with Dove and Gallo wines did not start or end well in my opinion. Now I exclude Dove, Gallo and the beauty brands that were there and I also exclude the folks working the venue they were all very nice.

Going in there were two tables, those who had invites and were on the guest list and one for those who were walk ins. I wish I had said I was walk in sans invite. That line ran smoothly. When I get to the front of the 'invites line' I was asked my name. I attend enough events that I do the following on auto pilot. I say my first name and automatically spell out my last name. Pronouncing my name phonetically some people will automaticlly begin looking under the wrong letter so that is why I spell it. My last name does not begin with an 'A' to find it you invariably have to flip pages on your guest list to get to it. The exasperated rep didn't even flip one page and declared 'You are not on the list' NEXT! I informed her I was, but my name could only be found by flipping the first few pages. I kept my patience and handed her a business card, 'perhaps this will help'. She pocketed the card and did not look for my name and said 'You are not on the list.' thankfully, someone else came around her, and asked me for another card which I produced and she flipped the pages and Lo and behold my name was there. Not a great begining.

Then I asked for my gift bag and was told not until the end. I was OK with that. Then I noticed tons of people milling about the event at it's mid point with the gift bags. I went up and asked for it again, I was told no on the way out. On the way out, (which was before the end of the event by the way) I smiled and said I am on the way out, may I have a bag? and was told 'There are none left' and I asked directly why I was not given a bag when I requested it a half hour ago when there are clearly tons of people milling about the event with a bag in their hand. A shrugged shoulder a dissmissive click of the tongue and eye rolling was her response.

Why on earth would they invite bloggers to events and be so rude?

I tried to shirk this off as an isolated incident until yesterday. I arrived way earlier than necessary (5:30 pm for a 7:30 pm screening) to make the line for the 'Letters to Juliet' screening that iVillage sent me an email asking me to post on my blog. (I will gladly produce that email upon request, I've kept it just in case!) The confusion there was outrageous, no one knew what was going on. Even the staff in the venue/theater said they didn't know what 'the deal with the ticketing' is. And they touted this as a fun night out for my readers, HAH! I'm so glad I didn't waste my readers time. (While the staff of the theater weren't informative, they were not rude, I can't say the same for the event/screening organizers).

After waiting on that long line, even going inside and asking several times, I finally get inside and get told I needed to have a different ticket! I  noticed that the people closer to the front went up to the desk and by the time I got up there I witnessed many leaving in disgust. And with good reason. If you are inviting bloggers to attend an event and invite their readers, keep track of the readership of each blog, my blog has over 1,000 and that is not counting the other bloggers and their reader count, if you invited over 4,000 people and only had 400 seats, why didn't you have someone out with there a clicker like most screenings. Once you hit your seat count you put up the cones and END THE LINE. Not too difficult, logical even. But iVillage proved that the golden rule and logic both seem to elude their staff. But I digress. So I get to the front, and have this (bottle) blonde woman in a skirt shouting at me "well too bad you should have been here earlier!" I told her I was there early, two hours in advance is more than sufficient, then she shouts again "well I doubt you were here this early or I would have seen you" (calling me a liar!) and then she shouts this gem 'Well too bad!'. I said what did you just say to me? and she repeated that and some other stuff too, and I shouted back "oh I am definitely going to write about this", and other people chimed in that they were too (I sure hope they do!), and she looked at us all and said "Well go ahead then!" Write it all up I don't care!' But when asked her name by ALL of us at the desk at that moment, she refused to give it. What a coward! I wanted to snatch her from behind that counter by her hair and beat her to a pulp! She's lucky I have learned to live by what I write!

I am a motivational writer and I enjoy sharing tips with others on how to live their best lives. But sometimes people mistake kindness for weakness; and nice for stupidity; sometimes people can push even the most patient and nicest person too far. And yesterday was it.

I am absolutely disgusted with iVillage! Do they think being part of NBC Universal gives them the right to treat people that way?

I hope the other bloggers she did this to write about it too. How dare she? Shame on iVillage!

They certainly are friendly enough when they send the invites and want attention and write ups, too bad they are not capable of following through at the actual event.

I came home last night fuming at the way I was treated and by having my time wasted. I waited a full 24 hours before putting fingers to keyboard. Hoping the angry immediate emotional response to the situation would mellow by the time I began to write, but it hasn't. I am still fuming at the way I was treated, especially since it wasn't necessary, especially since it was preventable.

And if her response to me is going to be that by the time I got up to her she had been yelled at by so many other people she was exasperated, well my answer to her is the one she gave me originally 'TOO BAD'. Just because others had been angry toward you gave you no right to be so *Witchy (substitute the 'W' with a 'B') to me.  My time was wasted, I was treated with a level of rudeness I don't find acceptable in the least.

Everyone is used to my raves, because when I like something I can't help but shout it from the rooftops. I  live the by the motto you are taught when you are young 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'. Well you know what? Not this time. This time my RANT is being shouted from the digital rooftops. Enough is enough iVillage, I for one, am NOT going to take it! Bloggers time should be held as valuable as you hold your own. That simple. And as your rude employee dared me to go ahead and tell the world because she didn't care (and trust me she used other wording), well then HERE IT IS, enjoy it, this one is for you! My first RANT!

I doubt I'll even bother renting this movie thanks to iVillage.

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Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways!

Have No Fear Inspiration is Still Here

I have received a ton of emails lately because the words of inspiration have been Missing in Action! While they appear to have been M.I.A., I want to assure you they are not going anywhere. We are still body, mind, and soul focused. We are still 'Better Life today through Inspiration' focused, and we still want to share daily breathing meditations with you!

A ton of new stuff has been going on, and I will admit I haven't been as good at 'stopping to smell the roses' as I should have! But on the positive side, we have had a plethora of winner announcements and a ton more to come.  Our Mother's Day Buying Guide is going to move at a much faster pace than you are used to. So pay very close attention to happenings and new giveaways this month! We are going to be celebrating Mom  in a big way!

Tonight I will be attending the New York screening of Letters to Juliet. I will give you guys a review tomorrow! Oddly enough, it's a little known fact that I was a film critic for ''The Bronx Observer" many years ago. (No, it's not affiliated with the New York Observer) It was one of many part time jobs that I held as I worked my way through College. One of the highlights of the gig was interviewing the celebs during Press Junkets. I miss those days! Too bad TV wasn't ready to add a Latina to the Siskel and Ebert show!  Maybe I should pitch them now, prime time could use the diversity right?

Springtime Allergies have been adversely affecting my family and friends, and if it's getting you down too, you may not even be aware of how your very house can be playing a part in your seasonal allergies.  There are some great Household Tips you can read HERE.

Spring does have it's good sides. There is waking up to the sounds of birds chirping, all the flowers blooming, trading in the Quilted Parka (with hoodie) for a much lighter rain and shine coat. And better still, that smell in the air, you know, the one that conjures up images of starting anew and smells like hope!

Since April is my birthday month, I am still celebrating the joys of spring! Maybe too much celebrating, I still haven't finished my Spring Cleaning yet. (How are you doing with it? - better than me I hope!)

Let's make our moment of inspiration today a Spring Celebration of  'Self'. As weird as it may sound, you need to slow down to speed up. Let go, to make room for more.

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 remember to slow down and enjoy this day!'

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!)

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ENDS SOON ALERT: Spring Into Bags Special Feature - Enter to win a Marissa Del Rosario Leather "Sierra" Cross Body Designer Bag! (ARV $196) HERE! This giveaway ends Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 11:59 pm (Eastern Standard Time) so get your entries in NOW!! And stay tuned Thursday when the next bag in the 'Spring Into Bags' feature is posted! Hint: Moms are going to be super stoked! This bag will be launching on Earth Day for a reason!

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.

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:

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.

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

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

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.

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Dr. Lee,

Inventor of the UGLee Pen

ugleepen@gmail.com

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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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:

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.