Bratz Party Dolls Review and Giveaway! Ends 10/14!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Bratz! We look forward to working with you again! The winner is 'Freddie' (remember we post winner usernames for privacy purposes, in the case of similar usernames we will post a first name and last letter initial). Remember: There are great giveaways active on the upper right hand side of the page Where it reads “Today’s Butterfly! Win Here’!

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Hey there Party Doll, what are you doing 10.10.10?

I don't know about you but I'm having a Bratz™ party! Bratz™ are celebrating 10 years of being the life of the party. They always bring their sassy spirit, signature style, and a whole lot of attitude! or is that 'brat-itude' (couldn't resist!). And they haven't aged a bit!

I will admit I was 'hipped' to the Bratz line by my niece years ago, but I wasn't very convinced about the name. She let me know that they are 'sassy' and 'stylish' and 'cool' and her and her friends love them! And since I am the 'cool' Aunt I secretly proceeded to call her mom and make sure the doll was mom approved! (But SHHH, don't tell her!)

I am happy to report that I did get to keep my status as the cool 'Aunt'. Although I will say I think they wear a little too much makeup for 10 year olds, LOL. One of them does a better 'smokey eye' than I do!

But I guess you don't get 'life of the party' status by wearing muted earth tones!

So now that we've established they are not your average doll, and they are definitely a bit 'spunky' here's a bit more info:

Features:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Fully-articulated Bratz doll comes with 2 super-stylish outfits, plus sassy accessories

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Manufacturer's Suggested Age: 6 Years and Up

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Material: Plastic

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Care and Cleaning: Wipe Clean With a Damp Cloth

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Dimensions: Length: 4.0 "; Height: 10.0 "; Width: 2.0 "

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -Product Weight: 0.4 Lb.
 
NOTE: CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts Not for children under 3 yrs.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Bratz would like to provide 1 Ascending Butterfly Follower with a Bratz Doll with Accessories! Doll will be selected by the sponsor based on availability.

Don't you just ♥ Bratz?

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 Bratz and let me know which doll is your favorite! No link necessary this time, the name is fine! (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 (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes.

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, October 07, 2010 until Thursday, October 14, 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 @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ok to RT: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - #ascendingbutterfly + @Bratz #win a Bratz Doll #Giveaways! -http://tinyurl.com/2euaeet

(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!) Bratz on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @Bratz 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 - Follow 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 - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you commented on a non-giveaway entry? Let me know which one here and you’ll get more extra credit!

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

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 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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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 Bratz 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. And by the way, I really am a 'Cool Aunt' :-)

Official Winner's Announcement - 1800Flowers.com $40 Gift Card Giveaway!

**And the Winner of the 1800Flowers.com $40 Gift Card Giveaway is:**

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - lfhpueblo.

Congrats lfhpueblo!

With the wide range of options, I know you are going to have fun shopping with your new gift card to 1800flowers, don't forget to tell us what you decided on! Will it be flowers, cheesecake, a gift basket, chocolate covered strawberries maybe?

Ascending Butterfly would like to thank our friends at 1800 Flowers for sponsoring such an amazing giveaway! We hope to work with you again soon!

Active Giveaway: Hurry Enter NOW!

1) Ends 10/08 - Macaroni Grill Entrees Review and Giveaway! - Enter HERE

**We will be working on quite a few new giveaways for you, be alert, these will close quickly, we need to clear out the giveaway closet to prepare for some fun happenings for you for Halloween!

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** We post our winner usernames instead of full names to protect privacy

Anne Geddes Beginings Book Review - Ascending Butterfly Book Club Pick

Ascending Butterfly Monthly Book Club Pick:

My butterflies, my deepest apologies, this was supposed to be a vlog review, but my camera battery appears to have died completely, even after charging it over night, it still won't power. So while I get the battery replaced, I didn't want to hold up this review, because I'm just super excited to share this one with you! (I've actually had both my camera and cell phone battery die at the same time, electronics have not been my friend this week!)

Last month our book club pick was all about challenging us to explore ourselves, to learn from our own experiences and use them to become the person we want to be, Thank You again Daisy Fuentes for sending us 'Unforgettable You' and for hosting a giveaway. I greatly enjoyed reading everyone's entries about what makes a woman unforgettable!

This month we change focus, but continue to explore the human experience, this time from it's 'Beginings' with an exploration in pictures.

"Beginings explores the parallels between ourselves and other miracles of nature, placing these complimentary wonders side by side in an attempt to evoke a deeper appreciation of the simple yet deceptively complex beauty of our existence."

This is no ordinary 'picture or coffee table' book, it is an exploration of mankind and it's origins that is sometimes humorous, other times mysterious, very complex, and quite fascinating!

I'm sure there are very few of you who haven't seen Anne Geddes work by now, the cute babies in amazing poses turning them into cute little stuffed animal replicas or sometimes pea pods, certainly very cute.

But what I've often wondered is where does Anne Geddes get her inspiration? Her creativity seems to know no bounds. And I've also wondered, if writers get writers block, what do photographers do to keep things fresh?

This book answers that question! Anne herself reveals:

"Pregnant women and tiny babies are the human face of beginings, yet all of nature is caught in this insistent stream of seasons, of aging and rebith, of concealment and bursting forth. Even though I have been photographing babies for so long, every time I unwrap a newborn I am aware of the miracle before me."



It is no wonder that Anne Geddes has received acclaim in more than 83 countries and has been published in 24 languages. Her work extoling the miracle of pregnancy and the wonder of newborns has such a strong appeal because it is universal, it is experienced and understood by all, yet always fills us with wonder because of  it's simple beauty and utter complexity. Check out the video below of Anne Geddes behind the scenes of her new book (Please note this video is in English, it is sub-titled in French)

This is an amazing gift for anyone, but if you know someone who is expecting, this book is a must gift for a new mom. She will touched by your thoughtfulness, because every range of emotion she could possibly be experiencing is brough to life in beautiful vivid images, she will find herself constantly reaching for it each day and enjoying the images and her part in the beauty of creation!

It will at times leave you speechless, or leave you haunted and spellbound by the raw power of the images, this will definitely bring home for you the expression 'A picture is worth a thousand words' and you truly have to see it, to experience this book, to fully understand.

I highly recommend it! I give it five butterflies, our highest rating! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

I wasn't able to arrange a giveaway of the book this time around, my apologies, normally our monthly book club selection is a review with giveaway, but hopefully Anne Geddes will host a review and giveaway with us soon!

The book will hit shelves on 10.10.10 but you can order it now on Amazon here:

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Todays Words of Inspiration - Spread It and it will get you noticed!

Photo Credit: Sprinkles Cupcakes

I was feeling a bit cheeky today and I knew that title would get your attention! So what do you think I mean? C'mon you can be honest we are all amongst friends here, fess up! Hey, why are you blushing and giggling!

I am sure you all thought I meant Joy! It's not just what's for Christmas. It needs to be spread year round every single day.

(1) How would you want friends to fill in this blank about you? (Insert YOUR Name HERE) usually spreads:

____________________________________________________________________________

(2) What about immediate Family, they say you'd spread:

____________________________________________________________________________

(3) Now how would that blank be filled in by co-workers:

_____________________________________________________________________________

For me I think all three blanks would contain the word inspiration in there, how about you? Friends would even throw in laughter or joy, nieces and nephews would say cuddles and kisses.

But what would your blanks come back as? Are you sure?

You know how they say every Rose has its thorns? Try to avoid being the thorn at all costs, don't cause pain and drama today, use your bloom to spread a sweet fragrance.

You know they say 'Oh every office has one of those.' Don't be the office 'Downer' that bums everyone out, and slow downs the energy levels those around you!

When negative situations surround you and are trying to sneak up on you and rob you of joy, stop the negativity in it's tracks! Make sure you start your day with joy, big amounts of joy so much so, that you have to spread them out a bit at a time. You will make customers happier, your day will go easier, and you will find more reserves of energy at the end of the day than you've ever had before. No matter which end of the table you are on, say hello to someone today and fully listen to their response, and when you do, don't rattle off your pain list, or your drama list, or frustration list, spread some joy first, even before the sympahty or empahty, spread some joy. That joy is just light within you, that manifests to others in the way you opt to let it, with a warm hug, a charming smile, a wink, putting forward a warm hand and taking someone's cold hand into yours. It manifests with light kisses on the cheeks. With a genuine question, like How are you?

Because just like you always know who the office morale drainer is, you tend to know their polar opposite, the moral booster, who makes every thing run better, fixes problems before they can arise. Can be experiencing a day from hell and still manage a sincere smile and a 'have a nice day' for customers and colleagues. She is the one who everyone wants to do something special for on her birthday and is always surprised when you do. Not because she doesn't think she deserves it, but because she is so used to spreading light out towards others, that it genuinely touches her when she is on the receiving end of it.

She's JOY, and if you spread her around, it will get you noticed.

But she's a bit like a fairy, almost like Lady Luck, she lands ever so gently upon you and you must be sure you make yourself ready for her visit, by reducing stress and chaos from your mind, heart, and home, and making a big welcome sign so she knows you are happy she is there. Treat 'Joy' like a lady and soon you will both have each other smiling.

I wan't to be noticed and remembered for my joyous inspirations. For the light and laughter I bring into people's lives and I conversely also want to remember those who bring me joy and light. I want more 'joy' bringers in my inner circle!

(1) So how exactly does this inspire you? Two ways, begin by evaluating yourself, are you a joy bringer in the home? Do you spread your light and leave your atmosphere lighter and happier from your visit? or do you nitpick, judge, envy, seek flaws in others and diminish their sucess? Are you the friend called last all the time because no one is sure what mood you will be in today? Is it afterwork activity night?  Do you join in or bow out? 

If you can say No I would not be described this way, I'm just the opposite, I am the joy bringer, then congratulations! and skip ahead to part 2.

(2) If you can answer yes with assurance that you are always a joy bringer in every situation, then you must strive to live in joy in the most inspirational ways to help others to be joy givers too. Give joyously at work by doing your work graciously, joyously and with a light of purpose, being the team glue that keeps projects running smoothly and on time. Will it always be easy? Probably not, but your consistent joy, will be infectious once it's efficacy is witnessed by all. Joyous people tend to be increased! They tend to find just the favor that they required at just the right time.

I want to take active steps daily to walk, live and work joyously. I'm starting by making it my daily mediation today. And will refer to it when I am feeling pressured by deadlines, by less than joyous team members or even over stressed bosses. I will return to a center of joyful giving. Knowing that my Karma is sure. Knowing that when people come to me its because they know it is my pleasure to take care of the tasks at hand, effectively, efficiently and joyously.

Today I will spread it all over, and I know it will get me noticed!

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 be joyous in mind, in heart, in all actions and in my deeds!'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about 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:

@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!

Active Giveaways: Hurry Enter NOW!

2) Ends 10/08 - Macaroni Grill Entrees Review and Giveaway! Enter HERE

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Official Winner's Announcement - Unforgettable You by Daisy Fuentes Giveaway!

**And the Winner of the Unforgettable You Giveaway is:**

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Erma H.

Congrats Erma!

I know you are going to love this book, and the fun and challenging excercises that offer an incredible opportunity at better self-awareness!

Ascending Butterfly would like to thank our friend Daisy Fuentes for sponsoring such an amazing giveaway! We hope to work with you again soon!

Active Giveaways: Hurry Enter NOW!

1) Ends 10/04 - 1800Flowers.com $40 Gift Card Giveaway! - Enter HERE

2) Ends 10/08 - Macaroni Grill Entrees Review and Giveaway! - Enter HERE

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** We post our winner usernames instead of full names to protect privacy

This weeks 'Moment of Gratitude' and Great Giveaways!

On Sunday's, 'Today's Moment of Inspiration' becomes the weekly 'Moment of Gratitude'. While I do still live in Gratitude each and everyday, I decided to change this feature to a weekly to allow a full week of Inspirational messages and focused breathing meditations.

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - For a Happy Mailbox, I won a Facebook Giveaway from Flawless Effect! Thanks Lynn! Lynn is a Consultant & Customer Care Liaison for Flawless Effect, an Instant Skin Smoothener & Wrinkle Remover. She manages contests, giveaways, freebies, and answer questions, she can be followed on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - More Happy Mailbox, this one I can't comment on quite yet, but this one comes with something for you in our upcoming Holiday Buying Guide launching in November!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - A fun event this Saturday from Dewars - (I attended the annual event last year as well, read my coverage here!) - I actually spent an entire day and night away from my computer, so if you put in an entry for any of our giveaways yesterday you won't see them posted until later today.

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) ENDS MONDAY 10/04 @ 3pm EST - "1800Flowers.com $40 Gift Card Giveaway! Enter HERE

2) Ends 10/08 - Macaroni Grill Entrees Review and Giveaway! Enter HERE

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Keep your eyes on the homepage's 'Win Here - Today's Butterfly' section we have more great giveaways to come! (And we are working on our Holiday Buying Guide! so Stay Tuned!)

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 (it has a great list of suggestions to help you overcome 'gratitude' writing blocks!):

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

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Macaroni Grill Entrees Review and Giveaway!

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This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsor Macaroni Grill via My Blog Spark! 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 Where it reads “Today’s Butterfly! Win Here’!

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It's been pouring rain for the last couple of days here, giving me a major case of the 'rainy day blues'. The last thing I want to do in a heavy torrential downpour of rain is fuss with an elaborate meal after a busy day or go out to a restaurant and brave slick roads and dangerous driving conditions. So the best solution is to have the restaurant come to me!

Literally, the restaurant came to me thanks to my friends at My Blog Spark and the new Romano's Macaroni Grill frozen entrées, I got to have an Italian Dinner at home and not have to brave the storm outside, or face the extra expenses of delivery or take out!

I was sent the Basil Parmesan Chicken entrée. Grilled white meat chicken, broccoli florets and tomatoes with cavatappi pasta tossed in a creamy basil parmesan sauce. Is your mouth watering yet?

I greatly enjoyed it. It was very easy to prepare and I was very grateful not to have to cook and deal with multiple pots and pans and a big clean up afterward or even have to go out and brave the rain storm. I will admit I did 'doctor' it just a bit, because that's just who I am in the kitchen, and I did add a bit more of my own cooked chicken to it because it was more than just me eating it, and I didn't feel it was enough chicken. And I also added just a pinch more fresh Basil to it.

This frozen entrée definitely piqued my curiosity and I plan to buy a few more and stock up so I have some on hand for those nights I don't feel like coming home and facing the kitchen after a long hard day. Read on to find out how the Restaurant can come to you too!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - WIN IT! - Ascending Butterfly and our friends at Macaroni Grill would like to provide 1 Ascending Butterfly Follower with a Macaroni Grill Frozen Entrée & Prize Pack of their own! Flavor will be selected by the sponsor and frozen entree will arrive on dry ice, winner must be home to accept delivery. Don't you just ♥ Macaroni Grill?

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 Macaroni Grill and let me know what flavor other than the review flavor you’d pick to try! You can also print out a coupon for $1.50 off if you can't wait and just have to try it NOW! (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 (or in this case, the A,B,C’s of winning!) This giveaway is open to USA residents who are 18 years of age or older. No PO Boxes.

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 Friday, October 01, 2010 until Friday, October 08, 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 @Tracy_Iglesias on Twitter (this is ascendingbutterfly’s editor) and give me your twitter ID in a comment

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Tweet this:

Ok to RT: Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - #ascendingbutterfly + @MacaroniGrill #win your own frozen entree #Giveaways! - http://tinyurl.com/22o5vlc  

(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!) Macaroni Grill on Facebook HERE

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @MacaroniGrill 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 - Follow 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 - Vote for Ascending Butterfly on: Fuel My Blog

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Have you commented on a non-giveaway entry? Let me know which one here and you’ll get more extra credit!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ascending Butterfly is a nominee for the Bloggers Choice ’10 Awards in the ‘Best Blog About Stuff’ Category - 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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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 the Macaroni Grill product via MyBlogSpark 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.

Official Winner Announcement - Amber Pollard Taqueria Satchel Giveaway!

**And the Winner is:**

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Cynthia T. (We know we have multiple Cynthia's, please note she has already confirmed her win)

Congrats Cynthia!

I know you are going to love your new bag, and that red color is ooh-la-la H-O-T!!! Hopefully you'll send us a picture of you sporting that hot new bag!

Ascending Butterfly would like to thank our friends at Amber Pollard  for sponsoring such an amazing giveaway! We hope to work with you again soon!

SPECIAL REQUEST: Readers please take a moment to follow Amber Pollard's Lunch a la Mode bags on Twitter as well. We didn't have her twitter information until now and would love it if everyone would show her some twitter love too! @LunchALaMode

Active Giveaways: Hurry Enter NOW!

1) Ends 10/01 - Ascending Butterfly Book Club - Unforgettable You by Daisy Fuentes Giveaway! - Enter HERE

2) Ends 10/04 - 1800Flowers.com $40 Gift Card Giveaway! - Enter HERE

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** We post our winner usernames instead of full names to protect privacy

Not So Wordless Wednesday - It's Sandwich Night!

Photo Credit: Butterfly by Hailey Lommen, Dallas

The Grain Foods Foundation and The Deen Brothers (yes, that's Jaime and Bobby, Paula Deen's sons) want you to make one night a week sandwich night! I don't know about you, but Wednesday tends to bring out the 'blah's' in me. It's not yet Friday but just smack dab in the middle of the week and I usually never want to cook an elaborate meal mid-week.

While I tend to think of sandwiches more often for lunch, and it's not always my first go to choice for dinner, I will admit that attending this recent event hosted by the Grain Foundation and the Deen Brothers,  made me want to accept the challenge of incorporating more whole grains into my diet. So long as it's in such a way that it is not harder or more time consuming for me, yet still tasty, I'm all for it! (I'll let you in on a little secret, the Sandwich Night Event was actually held during the day, LOL) Below is a pic of me posing with the Deen Brothers! They were very gracious hosts, I'm sure Paula would have been very proud!

 

Photo Credit: Tracy, Ascending Butterfly's Founder with Jamie and Bobby Deen (C) 2010

To help bring out your inner 'sandwich-ista', the Grain Foods Foundation has created an Endless Sandwich recipe database at gowiththegrain.org where you can download recipes and add your own sandwich favorites. The Endless Sandwich database also features exclusive recipes created by the Deen brothers!

“Any night of the week can be Sandwich Night,” says Bobby Deen. “Making sandwiches for dinner is a nutritious and convenient solution to the age old question of ‘what’s for dinner?’”

The USDA dietary guidelines recommend eating six one-ounce servings of grain foods each day, with half of those servings coming from whole grains. Bread and grains provide many of the essential nutrients needed to stay healthy and help fight diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and birth defects.

“Enjoying a sandwich at dinnertime ensures at least two of the required six servings of grain foods each day,” says Judi Adams, MS, RD and Grain Foods Foundation president.

“Better yet, sandwiches taste good, no matter how you build them!”

There were tons of great sandwiches prepared and you go to the website to get more recipe ideas, but there was one particular stand out that was my favorite, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you!

The Deen Brother's Grilled Bacon Pimento Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 8 Slices White Bread (or better still WHOLE GRAIN)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -1/4 cup butter, softened
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -pinch of garlic powder
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -1/4 cup mayonnaise
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -2 oz. cream cheese
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -1 (4 oz.) jar of pimentos, drained and diced
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -1 teaspoon grated onion
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl using a hand held mixer, beat cream cheese mayonnaise and garlic powder until smooth. Add in Jack and Cheddar cheese, pimentos and grated onion. Beat until well blended. Stir in crumbled bacon. Salt and pepper to taste.

Butter one side of each slice of bread. Top 4 of the slices with bacon pimento cheese spread. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread (butter side out).

Heat grill pan or griddle to medium. Grill sandwiches until golden brown on one side.

Flip to other side and continue cooking until golden brown. Serve warm. 

I will admit I was a bit reluctant to try this one, but it turned out to be my absolute favorite sandwich of the night! (well, technically day!)
 
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - And for reading my entire 'Not So Wordless Wednesday' all the way through, I have a special treat for YOU! Fans of GoWithTheGrain on Facebook can also enter to win a chance to Share a Sandwich with the Deen Brothers in their hometown of Savannah, GA! How cool is that? Hurry, go like Go With The Grain on Facebook for a chance to win!
 
Can't get enough Deen Brothers? Check out their website TheDeenBros.com!  

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This is a non-compensated post. I attended a local event. No incentives, compensation or merchandise was provided to attendees other than Sandwich Samples! Special thanks to Jennifer James (mom bloggers club), the Deen Brothers, the Go With the Grain Foundation, Bimbo Bakeries and Pepperidge Farm for a great event! 

Today's Words of Inspiration - All the World's A Stage!

Going through the motions? Digging REALLY deep to get through the day? Part of it could be the onset of Fall, chilly weather, a lot less sun, your body probably already senses it.

Keep your immune system high, extra Vitamin C, preferably in the real deal fruit, second the juice, and lastly supplements. No matter where you work or how you get there, invariably someone without any common sense will sneeze, or cough right on you! or on their hand and then touch something that you invariably need to touch like a doorknob, faucet....you get the picture.

Are you resting well, have a firm grasp on your immune system and don't currently have a cold, but still feel like you are going through the motions in your day? Putting on such a good act that you are considering nominating yourself for an Emmy or a Tony?

"All the world's a stage" is the phrase that begins a monologue from William Shakespeare's As You Like It,

The full passage is:

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything." — Jaques (Act II, Scene VII, lines 139-166)

What act are you in? Are you feeling a sort of melancholy like Jaques?

 

Where is your stage? - Is it at home, are you are wearing one too many hats? Or maybe it's at work, where you have to be everything to everyone? Is it your marriage, are you doing more give than take lately?

 

Passion for your work, your spouse, your friends, your LIFE ebbs and flows, but when it wanes, and you hit a low, do you keep acting? Do you pick up the many hats and juggle?

 

I'm surrounded by a lot of burn out around me, friends feeling blah, others feeling sick, and I'm feeling a bit out of sorts myself. A mixture of my own burnout and the sensitivity of what surrounds me I'm sure.

 

Unlike Shakespeare's prose, I don't want my world to be a stage, it's fun for awhile, but not so easy or enjoyable to maintain.

 

So when your thing is 'inspiration' and you feel plum out of it, how do you stay inspired?  When everyone looks to you to be their ray of light, where do you turn?

 

For me,  it's time off. I like to jump off the hamster wheel every once in awhile. Which I've done sporadically in the past two weeks. And apparently you've all noticed!

 

I'm touched that it caused friends and readers alike to check in on me! I'd like a few days at a sea side resort to de-compress, but since it's not in the cards for now, I'll have to settle for more attainable 'down time'. A little meditation, a little silence, and a long bath (maybe with one of those ocean sound machine thingy's) and hopefully I'll be good as new!

 

It seems like a lot of this month's words of inspiration have all centered around a similar theme 'dis-connecting' to actually 're-connect' - and apparently I have some more dis-connecting to do!

 

Use 'Today's Words of Inspiration' as a breathing meditation to still your mind, quiet your thoughts and bring in positive energy. As you inhale bring in only positive energy by saying in your mind, I breathe in positive energy (or you can say creative energy if that is what you wish to create more of) and as you exhale, Affirm out loud today 'I will get in touch with what I need to be able to continue to be all things to all people. I will be that for myself FIRST!'

Spend some time each day enjoying focused breathing AND soul guided meditative visualization, in doing so, you can bring about 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:

@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!

Active Giveaways:

1) Ends 10/04 -Celebrate National Singles Week with our 1800Flowers.com $40 Gift Card Giveaway! Enter HERE

2) Ends 10/01 - Ascending Butterfly Book Club - Unforgettable You by Daisy Fuentes Giveaway! Enter HERE

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This weeks 'Moment of Gratitude' and Great Giveaways!

On Sunday's, 'Today's Moment of Inspiration' becomes the weekly 'Moment of Gratitude'. While I do still live in Gratitude each and everyday, I decided to change this feature to a weekly to allow a full week of Inspirational messages and focused breathing meditations.

This week, I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - For YOU! Yes, that's right, YOU. I have received so many emails and tweets this weekend asking for inspiration back! One message really stood out in particular it read 'Don't get me wrong I love your giveaways, you really host great giveaways, but my favorite way to start my day are with the inspirations, can you please bring them back soon?' <-This was actually sent to me via twitter. It really meant a lot to me. I've been having a challening week on many levels, and when I read this it really filled my heart to know that my writing was being missed. Really missed. There were a ton of very nice emails, other tweets and even facebook messages. I feel very grateful to know that I am a part of a community of inspiration seekers who take the time to check in with each other! Thanks for checking up on me everyone!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - My community of fellow bloggers! I want to send a particular shout out this week to Jennifer James who you may know from the Mom Bloggers Club. She invited me to an event recently that I will share here soon, where I had the opportunity to meet The Deen Brothers (yes that's right, Paula Deen's sons), they were very warm, open, and personable. Gracious hosts and extremely well mannered, they did Paula proud! It was fun being with a community of fellow bloggers, meeting their little ones in person, and learning easy new recipes for those nights when you are way too busy to be in the kitchen for hours!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The Fall TV season is underway and I'm happy to catch up on some guilty pleasures!

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) ENDS MONDAY 09/27 @ 3pm EST - "Fall Into Bags' - Amber Pollard's Taqueria Satchel Giveaway! HERE <- This is one hot Fall bag in a red color called "salsa Picante" (ARV $295)

2) Ends 10/01 - Ascending Butterfly Book Club - 'Unforgettable You' by Daisy Fuentes Giveaway! HERE

3) Ends 10/04 - Celebrate National Singles Week with our 1800Flowers.com $40 Gift Card Giveaway! HERE

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Keep your eyes on the homepage's 'Win Here - Today's Butterfly' section we have more great giveaways to come! (And we are working on our Holiday Buying Guide! so Stay Tuned!)

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

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

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