Typing as fast as I can!

Butterflies, sorry for the delay today, but trust me it will be worth the wait, our 'Slip Into Summer Feature' has something really fantastic coming up SOON! (and there will be THREE winners for this one!) In the meantime, don't forget we have three active giveaways posted and the Carolina Pad giveaway ends THIS saturday, don't forget to enter!

For those with Kids, the Carolina Pad giveaway is a perfect way to get a heads up on your back to school shopping!

Wordless Wednesday! Be A Butterfly!

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                     Be A Butterfly

 Spread Your Wings,

 and whatever life brings,

 be true to you - be YOU-nique!

 Let the Lord Guide You,

 to the beauty inside you,

and you'll find the Joy that you seek

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Win a turquoise hamsa pendant necklace from Satya Jewelry! (ARV $118.00)

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Satya Jewelry! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is singermagic1. 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 Editor Pick Sponsored By:

The demand for our Mother's Day Buying Guide exceeded what one person could possibly post, so I want to open by expressing my gratitude to Satya Jewelry for their patience!  I have been on Satya Jewelry's mailing list for quite awhile now, and admired their pieces from afar for sometime.

As you may know by now, I have a strong affinity for shopping with a purpose and prefer to give my time and hard earned dollars to a company who cares. To a company that gives back, and Satya Jewelry fits the bill perfectly!

Beautiful, Abundant, Graceful Yoga-Inspired Jewelry is what Satya is known for. I could probably spend an entire day highlighting their vast collection of treasures, but we all know I must begin with the Butterflies!

Co-designed by husband and wife partners Courteney Cox and David Arquette along with Satya Jewelry, the butterfly is the symbol of hope and freedom. This bracelet was created to benefit the EB Medical Research Foundation, a charity that is close to both of their hearts. EB is a rare skin disease affecting someone near and dear to both David & Courteney. “We are committed to raising awareness and money to help find a cure for EB so these wonderful children can live a healthy and normal life.”  The Satya Foundation donates 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this necklace to the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation, aiming to find a cure for a rare childhood skin disease. For More information please visit http://www.ebkids.org/ (There is a butterfly in their logo!)

There is another piece I want to bring to your attention, The Satya Jewelry Hope, Love, and Healing Necklace was designed with to raise money for the children and families of Haiti. With the help of Patricia Arquette, GiveLove and you, we can all be a part of the healing.

“The Hope, Love & Healing necklace is the perfect embodiment of what we are trying to bring to Haiti through safe and sustainable housing, sanitation solutions, and water filtration devices.”


-Patricia Arquette

The Satya Foundation donates 100% of the proceeds from this necklace to GiveLove. Please help them reach their goal to donate $10,000 each month. Together we can help rebuild Haiti. Satya Jewelry and Patricia Arquette are excited to offer this sterling silver necklace, an $88 value, for only $38. Find out more at http://www.givelove.org/

While you all know I absolutely adore butterflies, there is a lot more to me! But alas many companies want to sadly put me in a butterfly box and not allow me to 'stretch my wings' no pun intended. Really, no pun intended! LOL

I am very grateful to Satya Jewelry for NOT putting me in the butterfly only box and allowing me to select a piece that truly spoke to ME. I have always wanted but have never owned a Hamsa. Hamsa, (the open hand symbol) is a sacred gesture symbolizing receipt of blessings from the universe. I have oddly enough always been attracted to them, but somehow never acquired one.

I am very much a Turquoise person and while I probably could have spent an eternity browsing (or what I call virtual window shopping); I found a piece that truly spoke to me very quickly, the turquoise hamsa pendant necklace from Satya Jewelry!

A piece for protection and health. Long known for its healing and spiritual qualities, turquoise uplifts, heals and cleanses the spiritual energy center and the physical body. The protector against negative energies, Hamsa, is a sacred gesture symbolizing receipt of blessings from the universe.

I have studied the benefits of crystals and their healing effects for many years now. And I find it interesting that Native Americans consider turquoise to be sacred and scatter chips or the powdered stone during special prayers and about their shrines.

Navajo Turquoise

The ones with the black lines in them are called Navajo turquoise and helps you to stay in a place of love and connectedness with others. By doing this it can make you feel at "home" no matter where you are. It is a combination of turquoise and sard (sard being the lines). turquoise by itself keeps one in the feeling of unconditional love and connection to all that is while sard by itself keeps one in the state of emotional attachments to family, home, their roots (the good memories of childhood) it also assists in digestion of proteins both animal and vegetable.

 
Draws out Negativity

One of the main compounds of the Turquoise stone is copper. This is what gives it the blue, green, blueish-green colors. It also is often combined with the Azurite stone as well. Turquoise is wonderful for drawing out negative vibrations from a person. It is best to place it at the feet or worn inside the sock for this. It dissipates negativity as it draws from the body. It allows the negativity to go back into the ground. A good stone for helping one to bond with the spiritual. It offers much uplifting. Also helps open the heart chakra for giving and receiving.

 

The Skinny: I don't think it's possible for me to have selected a more meaningful or perfectly aligned piece to my spirit, I love that it allows you to feel connected to unconditional spirtual love via the Turquoise and at the same time via the Hamsa receive 'blessings from the universe'. To say I absolutely cherish this necklace on so many levels is an understatement, and I have received numerous compliments on it!

 

 

 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Satya Jewelry would like 1 Ascending Butterfly Follower to win a turquoise hamsa pendant necklace of your very own!

 
Don't you just ♥ Satya Jewelry? 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 SatyaJewelry.com and pick a piece that speaks to you and leave the URL LINK to that product in your comment entry! If you'd like to share the reason that piece speaks to you, you'll get an extra entry (leave two comments, one with the URL of the product and a second with the reason why you chose it!) (3) You must also leave your email address somewhere in your comment. (You can format it this way for security, example: ascendingbutterfly AT mail host DOT com). (If your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

 

Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Tuesday, July 13, 2010 until Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

 

Extra Credit:

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

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

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #ascendingbutterfly + @SatyaJewelry #Win a turquoise hamsa pendant necklace ARV $118.00! #Giveaways http://tinyurl.com/2auk4xx

(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 TWICE per DAY. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – Follow, now called ‘Like’ (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) Satya Jewelry on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @SatyaJewelry 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/Like Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, 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 - Review this blog on Alexa HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW! Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)

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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 community group page 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 A Blog Publicly 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 facilitate my review and for the giveaway. The sponsor is fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Energizer: Recharge Smart™ Please Re-Charge Ascending Butterfly at BlogHer '10 - HELP, I NEED YOU!

Energizer® Recharge Smart™ is offering (2) $2,000 BlogHer’10 sponsorship opportunities through An Island Life and Barefoot Mommies blogs and I really want the job! That's where YOU come in dear reader, I need YOUR help!

Keeping it Green! - I love living greener and cleaner each and everyday and I love finding new ways to keep things OUT of our landfills. What we throw in landfills leaches in to the ground, into the water and ultimately into our bodies. A great way to reduce landfill waste is with re-chargeable batteries. But you don't just want any rechargeable battery, you want the new and improved Energizer® Recharge NiMH AA batteries. These 2300 mAh batteries can now be charged up to 250 MORE** times, and will last up to 4X longer* in digital cameras. Meaning LESS waste in our landfills! Which = greener! The ENERGY STAR®-certified Energizer® Recharge Smart™ Charger also features a slow charge rate, which extends the number of battery life cycles, and a bad battery alert that automatically indicates if the batteries are no longer useful or if a disposable battery has been inserted by mistake. I have been trying over the course of the past two years to change all appliances and gadgets to Energy Star certified ones, so I'm super excited about this new Charger! Making sure all our appliances are Energy Star Certified is a goal I set out for myself in terms of living green and making a positive environmental impact.

As many of you already know I am registered for BlogHer 2010, it will be held this year in New York City which I am incrediby excited about! I live in New York City, and I can't wait to show everyone that it's radically different than those scary and negative stereotypes! New Yorkers are helpful by nature! There is no better city than the 'City that Never Sleeps' for BlogHer 2010, and partnered with the Battery that keeps going, and going, and going, it's a win/win all around!

One of the things I really want to be able to do at BlogHer 2010 is live blog and live tweet about the event so that the bloggers and readers who can't be there will really feel like they are there, but that's going to be a bit difficult to do with a desktop computer that weighs more than a toddler! I'd love to use a portion of this Energizer Smart ChargHER sponsorship to purchase a laptop (one with a powerful battery life of course!) so I can live blog and live tweet! I've become a master at relaying pertinent information in 140 characters or less! And I'm sure BlogHer will really put that expertise to the test!

The job in a nutshell entails handing out USB drives that contain information about the Energizer® Recharge Smart™ Charger and better still on ONE of the chargers is a $500 gift certificate to Target! As you all know Ascending Butterfly is a Social Butterfly by nature and I will get a kick out of having so many people trying to find me at BlogHer! I have a funny feeling this would give me the chance to meet absolutely everyone in attendance!

Now you know Ascending Butterfly always wants to be sure there is something cool and unique in everything I propose to my readers, anyone who writes a blog post about the Energizer Smart Charger between Aug. 6 – Aug. 27,  will receive a $10 gift card to Target and an Energizer Smart Charger of their very own! There will be contact info on the USB drive for you to submit the link to Your post!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - How YOU can help - Tell BareFootMomma 'Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ascending Butterfly should be the Smart ChargHer at BlogHer 2010 in NYC' by posting it on her Facebook wall HERE (if you are not already liking her, you need to 'Like' her first, then you can post your vote!). You can also send a shout out on Twitter by copying and pasting @BarefootMomma + @kailani Ascending Butterfly aka @Tracy_Iglesias should be the Smart ChargeHer at #BlogHer 2010 in NYC #energizer' into your twitter feed! I can't begin to express what your vote would mean to me. And know that by voting for me you are helping me to find a way to virtually 'take you with me' so you won't miss a thing at BlogHer 2010!

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Disclaimer: This post is my entry into Energizer’s Smart ChargHer contest. I am in no way being compensated for this post and have shared my honest opinion about their product(s).

Sunday, July 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.

Oh My! It's been a quite a few Sundays where this feature has gone missing, and no one has missed it more than me. My heart is literally filled to over-flowing this weekend with Gratitude and Joy, and I just can't wait to share!

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - To Disney for inviting Ascending Butterfly (and fam) to the World Premiere of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, if you missed our red carpet coverage you can read it HERE. I also greatly enjoyed the free concert in Bryant Park after the Premiere where Alpha Rev took the stage and so did some of the cast  and the director of Sorcerer's Apprentice. The city just felt especially alive that night, and I'm grateful to have been part of it! I got to see the stars up close as they walked the carpet and was genuinely touched to see just how many times Nicolas Gage stopped to sign posters for his fans, he was down to earth and very generous of spirit. I never imagined being that close! (One of my early jobs was a film critic and I've interviewed a few celebs during Press Junkets, but this was my first actual Red Carpet World Premiere, being held in the city that is a backdrop to the film, and it really blew my mind! And the details were just fantastic from assigned seating at the Theater (the Theater turning into a character of it's own with so much for the eyes to take in at once.), choice of beverages water, cola, diet and big white tubs of popcorn were just many of the details that made the movie experience an especially fun one!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - For being able to re-connect and fall in love with my city all over again! I've been taking advantage of all New York has to offer in the summertime including Central Park (where I spent a very relaxing, lazy afternoon) and the Summertime Concert Series at El Musel Del Barrio where I caught a rooftop concert and got to see Pacha Massive and King Chango (who are back strong after a seven year hiatus from the scene) and it was awesome. I even got a picture with Pacha Massive. I have to find the cord that connects my phone to my computer so I can post it! They will be hosting live concerts at the museum every Thursday night. For more information (concerts are free, but you have to RSVP and print your ticket and bring it with you) you can visit their website HERE Arrive a little early so you can enjoy the exhibits while you are there too! And if you visit the exhibits and find yourself hungry afterwards, then hit the 'Cafe' and grab a quick bite before the concert.The next concert in the series is 'YeraSon Charanga Orquestra' A New York-based Cuban charanga orchestra that plays old-school Cuban music with a distinctly modern New York twist. YeraSon's sound is reminiscent of the great Cuban charanga orchestras of the 1950’s. The group features musicians from Africa, Cuba, England, Japan, Puerto Rico, and U.S.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
El Teatro
Admission: Free

RSVP required. A printed RSVP confirmation is required to check-in

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - It's been a very busy, but also a very blessed week, one that I am very grateful for. Thanks to all my friends both old and new who gave me encouragement and support this week!
 

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, and the more reasons that the universe will send you 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

Active Giveaways:

1) Take a “Road Trip” and win with Carolina Pad! Enter to win lovely butterfly adorned products from Carolina Pad HERE

2) Make the Lancer Method YOUR Method - Win the LancerRX daily 3-step program! Spoil your Face and enter to win HERE

Keep your eyes on the homepage's 'Win Here - Today's Butterfly' section we have some great giveaways still to come! (ahem.....bling lovers may really want to pay attention this week!)

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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Help America Scores and The Sak Brand Group Prevent Childhood Obesity!

For the 8th year in a row, The Sak Brand Group is working in partnership with America Scores, using the power of soccer and poetry to help urban youth learn valuable skills on and off the field. A cause that is an important one to Mark Talucci, co-founder, who at a very young age growing up overseas in places like Brazil, began his charitable work helping the underprivileged kids in his neighborhood.

In light of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, childhood obesity has become a national priority. Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” is also helping shine a spotlight on the epidemic. Scores coaches take it one step further teaching participants and their families about nutrition and healthy living while inspiring youth to lead healthy lifestyles, be engaged students, and to give back to their communities. Scores reaches over 6,000 children in underprivileged schools all over the country, including San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago and New York.

On July 11th, The Sak Brand Group and Bay Area Scores will team up to host The Bolinas World Cup Party at the Jefferson Airplane House in Bolinas, CA (outside of San Francisco). The Bay Area Scores organization has a goal of raising more than 100K for its programs nationwide from the event, live auction and online auction to add 200 kids to the program next year.

Here’s how you can help support upcoming America Scores programs:

The Bolinas World Cup Party kicks off with an online auction (LIVE NOW) allowing supporters nationwide to bid on featured items such as:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A week at the Desa Seni resort

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A stylist session with Jess Neff of the NBC today show

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Sak and Elliott Lucca handbags

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Jewelry

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Original art work inspired by the poems of SCORES poet-athletes

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Best Selling Products from Bliss Spa (Bliss San Francisco)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Private Tour of the California Academy of Science

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Photographs from Thomson Reuters of World Cup soccer action

For more information on the event and to bid you can log on to www.bolinasworldcupparty.com/ and click on Auction.

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Make the Lancer Method YOUR Method - Win the LancerRX daily 3-step program!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Lancer RX! We look forward to working with you again! The winner has been notified and upon confirmation, follower name will be posted here. Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page! Watch for the next bag in the ‘Slip Into Summer' series to launch SOON.

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Ascending Butterfly Editor's Pick, Sponsored By:

This summer has been hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk, and it has just begun. I don't know about you, but the heat and the excessive sweating it produces, leaves my skin particularly my face, feeling less than pretty. The sweat causes product to run and tends to clog my pores. And while I don't suffer from sensitive skin in any way, I do find that my skin is more reactive in summer than any other season. I try to combat it every year with the 'less is more theory' of summer product usage, but let's face it, life usually speeds up in the summer, it certainly does NOT slow down.

I have been attending MORE events this summer than ever somehow, which means that tinted mouisturizer alone was NOT going to cut it for me. I've had to constantly put my best 'skin forward' from day into night all week long (and quite a few concurrent weekends) and in doing so, it's required more effort on my part.

There are one of two types of ladies out there, the ones that HAVE to wash off every last trace of makeup before bed and the ones whose heads hit the pillow even if they have make up on. I am lady number one. I can't go straight to bed without getting the make up off. And when I clean my face, I want it to feel clean and not every product leaves me with that feeling after I use it. And my litmus test with facial products has always been the same. If I feel the need to use an astringent after I've cleansed my face, that product did NOT do the job in my book.

I'm happy to say that I found my 'squeaky clean feeling' solution! And it's as easy as 1, 2, and 3! I have been using the Lancer Method and will admit my face is becoming quite spoiled! I've had the opportunity to try quite a few products since I've started on this roller-coaster ride called 'blogging', but I very rarely get nervous about what is going to happen about when I run out. This time, I am.

With a simple, daily 3-step program, the LancerRX products bring improvements in fine lines, texture, discoloration and pore size in about a week. I want to be sure that I relay  'The Method' completely and in it's entirety, so the following is from the website and I will follow with my opinions of each product:

Step 1: Polish/Exfoliate

The Lancer RX Polish is an advanced exfoliator, removing dull, dead skin cells and leaving the skin noticeably smoother and more radiant. The Natural Sea Minerals immediately energize the skin without causing redness (even for people with roacea) and prepare it for effective cleansing.

Step 2: Cleanse

Once the skin is rid of debris, it is ready to be cleansed. The Lancer RX Cleanser washes away impurities & environmental toxins while bringing a uniform freshness to the skin.

Step 3: Repair

After the skin has been polished and prepped it is time for repair. The Lancer RX AM/PM Nourishing Treatment increases firmness, diminishes the appearance of lines and wrinkles and nourishes the skin with essential botanical extracts and powerful antioxidants.

For acne prone/oily skin types like me, I just wanted to pointed out that I also tried the Polish - Blemish Control, it is a gentle resurfacing polish containing natural exfoliating minerals from the Dead Sea and antibacterial Tea Tree Oil. This product removes surface skin cells while natural tea tree oil provides antibacterial action.  This product preps skin for the Repair Treatments (the third step). It leaves skin smoother, refined and with improved clarity. I am a long time believer in the power of tea tree oil for acne prone skin, and was delighted to know that Dr. Lancer's Polish Blemish Control contains this ingredient already, because I have been adding tea tree oil to other products for years!

The Skinny: I really love this system, Step 1 is by far my favorite, it gives me instant gratification, I can literally feel a huge difference in my skin after using it. My face just feels truly clean there is no other way to describe it. It's a deep clean feeling, that does NOT strip my skin of it's own mouisture or leave it dry. Most products, especially for acne/oily prone skin has a tendency to dry out my face even when I follow the instructions to the letter, these products don't do that. I have certainly noticed the improved clarity that is promised as well. I find my skin is clearer, and more radiant and I'm not going to be a happy camper when I run out, which as far as I'm concerned, says it all! When I tell you I would buy it even though I have access to a variety of skin care products, trust me, it's high praise indeed.

These products are paraben and cruelty-free! And please don't think this is Ladies only, I will have you know that a November 2008 issue of People declared that the 'Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman, swears by Lancer RX Repair' - now guys if that's not a ringing endorsement of being serious about your skincare, and about trying out these products, I don't know what is!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Lancer Dermatology and ID-PR would like 1 Ascending Butterfly Follower to put their best skin forward this summer by winning a Lancer RX Method of their very own!

Don't you just ♥ Lancer Dermatology? 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 lancerdermatology.com and pick a product you like and leave the URL LINK to that product 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 your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Friday, July 09, 2010 until Monday, July 19, 2010 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

Extra Credit:

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

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

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #ascendingbutterfly + @LancerRx #Win The Lancer RX Method, Spoil your skin! #Giveaways http://tinyurl.com/23ytlhj

(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 TWICE per DAY. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – Follow, now called ‘Like’ (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) Carolina Pad on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @LancerRx 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/Like Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, 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 - Review this blog on Alexa HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW! Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)

˙·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 community group page 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 A Blog Publicly 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 facilitate my review and for the giveaway. The sponsor is fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

Ascending Butterfly walks the Red Carpet at The World Premiere of The Sorcerer's Apprentice!

Ascending Butterfly was blessed to be invited to THE Red Carpet World Premiere of Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice! On what has to be one of the hottest days of the month, we set out to the Red Carpet Premiere of what will no doubt be one of the hottest releases of summer!

The World Premiere was held in the New Amsterdam Theater in the heart of Times Square in Manhattan. And no detail was left out, they even included popcorn and beverages! Most appreciated!

While we were watching the Red Carpet Arrivals up close, a butterfly actually flew right past us, and no spoilers here, but there is a great butterfly sighting in this movie! And you all know I love my butterflies!

The Premiere was followed by a concert in Bryant Park, emceed by Z100’s JJ, with Alpha Rev taking the stage! Their song "Phoenix Burn" was featured in the film. One Republic was on the bill as their song "Secrets" is featured prominently in the film also, but the lead singer had laryngitis and they were unable to perform. There were also appearances and a Question & Answers session with  the movie’s stars and filmmakers, including Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Toby Kebbell, Teresa Palmer, director Jon Turteltaub and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. And oddly enough another butterfly flew past us while in Bryant Park, how cool is that?

The mayor even declared July 6th as ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice Day’ in New York City!

I can't discuss it too much yet, but I thought I'd leave you all with a trailer to enjoy!





Thanks Disney, I had an amazing night, and the swagbags on the way out was a very nice touch! I even walked out alongside Helen Mirren! It took so much restraint not to ask her for an autograph! And my pass and ticket stub is so going in my scrapbook!

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Take My Breath Away!

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Life is Not Measured by the number of breaths we take,

but by the number of moments that take our breath away!

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I have always loved this quote! How many moments have actually taken your breath away? Is your answer something like 'not nearly enough'?

Then make the changes required to change your answer.

Then look deeper.

Then change your perspective.

There are daily occurences that can and still should take your breath away. An amazing sunrise or sunset.

A really good hug. Saying 'I Love You' (& meaning it!) or having someone say it to you.

Ascending Butterfly is off to have an amazing adventure today that I will share more details about later on this month!

But in the meantime, I wish you all a day that takes your breath away!

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Today's Words of Inspiration and Great Giveaways

Today is a good day to say Thank You! 

We hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend, filled with fireworks, family, friends, good food and good times!

I hope most of you are enjoying a well-deserved day off today, but for those of you at work, I just wanted to say Thank You! It's very easy to feel lost in the shuffle and un-appreciated for the day-to-the-day things you do! And more often than not, you are not nearly thanked enough for your efforts. Are you the boss? Please remember to say Thank You to your team today! Are you visiting a Doctor's Office, remember to say Thank You to the staff there today!

And for those of you at work today, although it may not feel that way right now, be thankful for just where you are sitting at this moment when you read this. With un-employment in many cities reaching double digit numbers, you are very fortunate to have work! Many people want to be where you are, and while your first instinct is to mutter 'good! Then let them!' where would you be without your job? Do you really want to think of the alternative?

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 express gratitude for where I am!'

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.

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

LAST CALL: The 'Slip Into Summer' - Win a Mrs. Smith Bag Giveaway ends TODAY at 3pm EST, get in your entry HERE

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Remember, attitude really does determine altitude.

Simple Ways to Keep Your 4th of July Fun, Festive and Safe!

Ascending Butterfly just wanted to take a moment to wish all of our readers a very happy, festive, fun and SAFE day!

Special Thanks go out to all branches of our troops who are fighting for our freedom! Thank you for your hard work and your sacrifices. Thank you for being there, even though you really want to be home today with your family and friends!

As some of you know I am also a contributing writer to Linea Pelle's Life + Style Blog, and today, I thought I'd share an article I wrote for them called 'Simple Ways to Keep Your 4th of July Fun, Festive and Safe!', you can check it out HERE (and you can leave comments there or here if you'd like!).

Do you have a military member in your life that you would like to make a 'shout out' to? Post it here!

What are your plans today? A family barbecue? A day at the beach? A Parade? Are you going to see the fireworks? Whatever your plans, stay safe and have FUN!

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

Take a “Road Trip” and win with Carolina Pad!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Carolina Pad! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is Janice Crespo. Congrats Janice! 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 Editor's Pick Sponsored By:

Independence Day weekend is notorious for taking Road Trips. Which means juggling keeping the kids entertained, keeping track of your itinerary, receipts and more. With the economy still in a state of flux, more and more people will be taking 'staycations', or driving out to Amusement Parks and State Parks.

I for one love Road Trips, especially with someone else doing the driving! I love to listen to music, sketch, doodle, and keep a travel journal. My travel journals end up looking more like a scrapbook by the time I am done because I'll add ticket stubs, pictures and more to my handwritten notes, but a travel diary has pretty much become a travel staple for me.

That's where Carolina Pad comes in, they take everyday products, add a dash of extraordinary design and make crafting, school supplies and office needs fun again!

I love Carolina Pad's site and think of them first when I'm ready to get new office products (especially for my home office!), I love having the entire suite of office care needs coordinate with each other perfectly. And I don't know about you, but I am so over plain manila file folders!

You all know I am all about shopping for a cause and working with companies that in some way give back. I was thrilled to find out about Carolina Pad's 2010 Commerce with a Conscience Collection! And OK the fact that the collection includes an array of pastel colored butterflies makes me just a wee bit biased I know.

Dreamsicle, a stylish new collection of school and office supplies, was inspired by the Girls on the Run mission and its founder, Molly Barker. These products, part of the Commerce with a Conscience™ partnership between Carolina Pad, Girls on the Run, and JACK!E, will be available in major retail outlets including Walmart, Office Max, and CVS later this year.

About

Girls on the Run® is a life-changing, experiential learning program for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development.

I was delighted to try the first collection from the Studio C brand – Road Trip. Again I will admit to being a bit biased due to the butterfly design, but it was pure genius on a road trip, I was able to use the two pocket folders to keep track of my planned itinerary, and the personal size notebooks came in handy for keeping a travel diary.

 

I can't find one thing not to love about Carolina Pad, I love their products, and I love that they have a conscience; that they give back and want to empower young girls by bolstering their self-esteem and encouraging positive body, mind and soul development.

 
 

 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Carolina Pad would like to provide 1 Ascending Butterfly Follower with:

 
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 spiral-less notebooks
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 personal notebooks
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2  two-pocket folders

Don't you just ♥ Carolina Pad? 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 Carolina Pad and pick a product you like and leave the LINK to that product 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 your email is clearly visible in your profile, you can just say so, that's OK!) Please follow the easy 1, 2, 3 steps to winning This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older.

Please follow directions or you will be disqualified! All comments are moderated, they may not appear on the site right away (comments like "I want this" or "I want to win" will not be entered). You have from Saturday, July 03, 2010 until Saturday, July 17, 2010 at 03:00 PM (EST) to comment and be entered for a chance to win. You will have 48 hours to confirm if we do not hear from you we will be forced to move on to an alternate. (We only notify winners DIRECTLY via email, so if your profile or your comment does not have an email your entry will not be processed)

Extra Credit:

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

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

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ #ascendingbutterfly + @carolinapad #Win cool products from Carolina Pad! #Giveaways http://tinyurl.com/2w7zyu2

(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 TWICE per DAY. If you Tweet more than that, that entry will be disqualified.)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ – Follow, now called ‘Like’ (and don't forget to write on their wall that Ascending Butterfly sent you!) Carolina Pad on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @carolinapad 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/Like Ascending Butterfly on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Ascending Butterfly on Networked Blogs HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Join Ascending Butterfly's NEW Community/Real Time Chat, 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 - Review this blog on Alexa HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/ You can press the button below to go straight to the page where Ascending Butterfly has been nominated!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Please vote for my outfit 'Yay4WkEnd' @ Macy's Fashion director Giveaway. You can vote for me and also enter to win a $1000 Macys Gift Certificate too (by creating a styleboard of your own) vote HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - NEW! Press the button below and join, you get an extra entry for this giveaway and a shot at more great prizes, lets win together! (one time extra credit, will be verified before entry can be accepted)

˙·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 community group page 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 A Blog Publicly 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 facilitate my review and for the giveaway. The sponsor is fulfilling directly to prize winner(s), this in no way influenced my opinion of the product. Once a winner is selected and their information has been forwarded to the sponsor, the responsibility of prize fulfillment rests with the sponsor.

4 Winner Announcements - Is it YOU?

(1) Smooth Jazz Cruise Winners - 2 winners will sail along the hudson with a guest on the Smooth Jazz Cruise of their choice!
 

*Congratulations to 'NYCGirl0501' and 'SinglemamaNYC' the winners of Ascending Butterfly's Smooth Jazz Cruise Giveaway! Ladies we hope you enjoy your fun filled hudson cruise, with the smooth sounds of Spyro Gyra playing you are in for a great night SinglemamaNYC!

And 'NYCGirl0501' wishing you a Happy Sailing on your Mindi Abair cruise, If you take pictures, I defnitely want to see them!

I will definitely check back in here and post after I've taken my 'Guitars & Saxes' - Who doesn't like a little Sax at night? LOL

(2) ABCNecties.com - 2 winners won the necktie of their choice delivered directly to their doorstep! They are:

We have TWO more winners to include in our winner's announcements today! *Congratulations 'Breanne' and 'Elana' who both won the necktie of their choice from ABCNeckties.com! We'd love to see pictures of your fashionable guys in their brand new ties! Send them over and we will post them here!

So my apologies for no post yesterday, but my to do list wrapped itself around me like a tightly coiled snake and wouldn't let me free until some major personal and professional errands had been taken care of. By the time I was able poke my head through, I realized the day was done and there were no postings, and I owed you FOUR winners! So I figured I better burn the midnight oil and get more caught up!

So thanks for all the M.I.A emails. I was missing in action, but really was working on some kick butt projects coming up. I occassionally find myself stepping away from the monitor and handling the to do mountain, one paper, post it note, email message, direct tweet, or facebook message at a time.

Join me in congratulating our winners!

We would like to thank our sponsor ABCNeckties and Smooth Jazz NYC; We would love to work with you both again soon!

I know the holiday weekend is going to heat up and get busy soon, but don't forget we have great giveaways closing SOON, so Get them before they are gone:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ends 07/05 - 'Slip Into Summer' - Win a Mrs. Smith Bag! organization made easy with a bag with an inner pull out shelf, how cool is that? - Enter HERE!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ends 07/07 -It's our Blog-A-Versary but YOU get the Cake! - Win Chocolate Truffle Lava Cakes from Bake-Me-A-Wish! Enter HERE

 

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*(we post our winner usernames instead of full names, this is why it's in quotes)