Tips to Tackle Parenting's Messes and Stresses! #HuggiesLatino

I already know what you are thinking! But Butterfly, you are NOT a mom what would YOU know about Parenting Stress?

Actually I probably manage more little ones at a time than you do, when you are the only single girl left amongst married siblings, you somehow become the built in babysitter. And not just to one of your siblings kids, but try ALL of them! (and sometimes without even being asked if it's OK to bring them all over, but that's a story for another post I'm sure!) Let's not also forget about the Godchildren!

Sometimes it's not just for an afternoon or a day, but entire weekends with a tribe running around my tiny NYC apartment wreaking all kinds of havoc. Don't get me wrong, I love my nieces and nephews, and as a blogger I thankfully have an assortment of things to keep them busy even at various ages, and that coupled with my background as a Special Ed teacher (many moons ago), I have learned a thing or two about patience throughout the years!

TV personality and father of two, Poncho de Anda and family

“Parenting can be overwhelming, but my wife and I work together to constantly improve upon what we’ve learned over the past few years with our children,” said Poncho de Anda. “And we’ve learned a lot – like relying on Huggies diapers and wipes, which stand up to the tests of our little ones and have helped us make it through long flights and even spaghetti night with ease!” 

My tips for managing Parenting Stress:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - No Mom is an Island - Rally the Troops! - Remember when the baby was born, and everyone came to visit? They all OOhed and AAhed and promised to watch the baby like 'whenever'? Call in those markers ladies. Take an afternoon to yourself. I know you'll be tempted to run household errands with that precious time, but I highly suggest you take that time and do something for yourself. It will make you a happier mom/mami in the long run! (As a loving Auntie, I highly suggest calling and asking first!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Treat MESS like a Virus - Quarantine it! - Try to keep the mess contained to one room. If you can keep kids in one designated play area (particularly in winter when they are stuck indoors) it will make things easier to manage later.

Poncho's Youngest, Dani

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Embrace your Inner Santa - That's right everyone likes an important job, tell your little elves, ahem I mean 'Helpers' how important their job is, and have them put away their toy as soon as they are done with that particular toy. Before taking out a new toy, make sure you put the first one away.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Let Go of the Better Homes and Gardens Ideal - Very few of us have maids, butlers, gardeners, and pool boys, let go of the idea that your home should like the inside of a featured house in Better Homes and Gardens. When you are living your life, it sometimes gets messy!

Want a peek at how Poncho's family manages Parenting's Messes and Stresses? Take a look at the YouTube Video below:

Want a shot at a cool prize? Put the new and improved Huggies Diapers and Wipes to the test for a chance to win a fully stocked Huggies Diaper Bag by visiting Huggies Latino on Facebook!

With BlogHer swiftly approaching, I haven't had time to post as many reviews and giveaways as I'd like, so as I hear of neat giveaways going on online, I'll share them here! After the conference is over we'll resume with some fun giveaways of our own!

(P.S. - And if you are feeling tweety I still have one more day to bug you all for votes, please tweet this:

@KristinaLibby Pls pick @Ascending1 to go from Chrysalis to #Butterfly during #BlogHer12 with a #windowstyle #Makeover ow.ly/cvwOm

You can check out yesterday's post and Tuesday's for more information as to why I need you to tweet this!)

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

FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Huggies and Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are 100% my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly Zombie! Rated 'S' for Scary!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies, I recently got Zombified at a Ubisoft Media Preview Day where I got to play ZombiU™, a Survival Horror First-Person Shooter game for the Nintendo Wii U™, a new console that includes a controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Horror has always been my favorite movie genre so I jumped at the chance to test this game out. I actually got the chance to try out a ton of new games that will be hitting the market later in the year, and all of them, including this one, will get more extensive review coverage as they are closer to their market release dates, but in the meantime I just had to share my zombie picture with you!

Notice I am wearing a pair of butterfly earrings? LOL

If this picture isn't proof I really need that #windowstyle makeover that I let you know I'm entering for in yesterday's post, then I don't know what is!

If you'd like to see your favorite butterfly blogger go from Chrysalis to Butterfly, please send a quick tweet to @kristinalibby with the hashtag #windowstyle

Here is a sample tweet:

@KristinaLibby Pls pick @Ascending1 to go from Chrysalis to #Butterfly during #BlogHer12 with a #windowstyle #Makeover ow.ly/ctBRS

I didn't have time to make a formal linky, but as always you are more than welcome to link us to your Wordless Wednesday this week by commenting below!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterfly!

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

FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. I attended the Ubisoft Media Preview Day as a member of the Digital Press. I am a Ubisoft Ubichamps Blogger Brand Ambassador via the Clever Girls Collective. Yesterday's post does serve as an entry in the Microsoft Windows Style Makeover Sweepstakes for a chance to win a head to toe makeover during BlogHer12. No monetary compensation has been received for sharing any of this information. All opinions are 100% my own.

Beauty SOS! Sending out a Beauty Bat Signal to #windowstyle

I can finally announce that I am attending BlogHer 2012 this year! Because of my medical nightmare that started last year I was unable to attend BlogHer 2011 in San Diego, and this year I didn't have time to do any outreaches for conference sponsorship because I spent so much of this year in the hospital. Being in the hospital did have one benefit, I had a lot of time to read (well between exploratory surgeries and high doses of super intense medications, LOL), and during my nightly reading online one night, I found out that BlogHer needed Volunteers and a light bulb went off! With medical expenses I would not have been able to purchase a ticket to BlogHer this year. So I applied to volunteer. And thankfully, I was selected. I will be 'earning' my seat which I'm grateful for and very proud of! And I have also been asked to Live Blog during BlogHer Panels FOR BlogHer, not just as an attendee! WOWZERS + AWESOMESAUCE = YAY ME!

I am totally excited, but also incredibly nervous. I don't get to 'hide' this time behind my laptop, camera or portable device, I will be meeting panelists and attendees as a Microphone Wrangler, and I will actually have to come out of my shell. Not so easy! All eyes on me has never been something I was totally comfortable with. (Yes I do get the irony of that statement, but I didn't really begin blogging to 'live my life out loud', it just sort of happened throughout the years!)

Like many bloggers, as the day swiftly approaches, I have been raiding all my closets in hopes that I'd find something *perfect* to wear. As if some magical unicorn would place some perfect 'power outfit' in my closet for me that would fit to a tee!

My research on ideas on what to wear to BlogHer did turn up an amazing find! I found a post on the Windows Experience Blog that caught my eye - BlogHer Attendees: Win A $1500 Style Makeover from Windows #sweepstakes!

What it boils down to? I'm glad you asked, it's my job in this post to explain why I deserve a style makeover and what I’d like my new re-imagined look to be like, and so I thought I'd do it in pictures!

I started my new year here:

I was told I was on 'borrowed time' and would soon end up here:

Several exploratory surgeries later (with me actually waking up during one of them) we discovered I had been given a mis-diagnosis originally (you can read more about my medical nightmare here: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/2012/01/open-letter-to-new-presbyterian.html):

I have been unable to resume the workout routine that was really working for me in 2010 and early 2011 (I had lost over 26 pounds and 3 dress sizes it was hard work and I was SO happy). But this year with multiple surgeries I was told to take it easy, so this year I blew up like a:

I'm at a major crossroads (personally and professionally) and after starting my year thinking that it would be my last, I have a new lease on life and I want my outside to reflect my inside! Here is a vision board of what I imagine I could be, of what I want my makeover to look like:

So far this medical nightmare robbed me of both New Year's AND my birthday this year and I refuse to let it rob me of anything else! As far as I'm concerned, this BlogHer isn't just another conference, it's 'carpe blogem' for me, I plan to seize the day, the conference and my blog! I figure if I'm going to invest my time in making my blog better, shouldn't I invest the same amount of time in making myself better?

Emotionally I'm still trying to piece this year together, it's been much like Tornado, but slowly and surely I am getting the pieces together and my outside should look like as empowered as I feel on the inside. Ascending Butterfly's mission statement is a simple one: To seek and share the best sources of inspiration out there. This year I want to be inspired. The only way I can continue to inspire and empower others is by empowering myself, this makeover would be the first major step toward that goal.

If you'd like to see your favorite butterfly blogger go from Chrysalis to Butterfly, please send a quick tweet to @kristinalibby with the hashtag #windowstyle

Here is a sample tweet:

@kristinalibby Pls pick @Ascending1 to go from Chrysalis to #Butterfly during #BlogHer12 with a #windowstyle #Makeover http://ow.ly/ctAO9

If you voted, please be sure to come back and post the link to your tweet on this post!

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

FTC Disclosure: In writing this post, I’m entering the Microsoft Windows Style Makeover Sweepstakes for a chance to win a head to toe makeover. No monetary compensation has been received for sharing this information. All opinions are 100% my own.

My favorite 'Empty your Fridge' Avocado Summer Salad Recipe

 

I have had a life long obsession with Avocados, we called them 'aguacates' growing up and my grandmother (abuela) and great-grandmother paired them with many of the traditional Puerto Rican dishes that I grew up on and love. For us the traditional 'arroz con pollo' (chicken and rice) became anything but ordinary when paired with Black Beans and Avocados.

I am not as good as my Abuela and my mom are with picking ripe Avocados ready for that day, but thankfully my local grocer is and he always tells me which ones are ready!

Like me, my mom has a strong love of travel and adventure, and we'd spend our summer days anywhere but home, which meant when we got back home, tired from a day in the sun, no one wanted to cook, but eating out every single day of summer would have been budget breaking. One of my mom's favorite go to staples was a 'huge' summer salad, instead of as a side dish, it was so chock full of stuff that it became a main meal. Making it not only cost effective, (because she used what was in season), but also a much healthier meal than fast/processed foods. And we didn't have to have the hot oven or stove on during those scorching summer days.

To this day I still live on salads during the summer, and much like my mom's favorite salad idea, I've adapted it to make it an 'Empty Your Fridge' Avocado Summer Salad. There are certain staples I always buy from shopping trip to shopping trip so those have become staples in the salad that never change, but the protein changes, from chicken, to pork to shrimp depending on what's left over and already in my fridge.

---------------------Print + Clip Me ---------------------

Empty Your Fridge Salad:

Ingredients:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 Ripe Avocado diced

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 Garden Tomato diced

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 head of Romaine Lettuce, clean, dry and shredded

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1 box of organic mixed greens, clean, dry and shredded

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 1/4 of a canister of walnuts (for a more asian flair add cashews and sesame seeds, especially if the protein is shrimp or chicken)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 2 cups of whatever proteins you have left over in your fridge, feel free to mix if you don't have a lot of any one particular thing, it could be chicken, pork, shrimp, tofu, etc.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Per your own taste (feel free to omit anything you do not like or are allergic to): diced onions, diced green peppers, diced/sliced or shaved carrots, finely chopped scallions, some garlic, diced celery, capers, diced olives

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I always add a bit of cheese depending on what I have in the fridge also!

Directions:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and toss evenly to mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Serve in individual bowls with dressing on the side. And if you don't have dressing on hand you can always mix your own with oil and vinegar or some balsamic!

*This could easily feed 2-4, just double up on the tomato if you are feeding more than two with this!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

On my very first visit to Cancun Mexico, I visited a restaurant close to my hotel and they told me that Mexico alone has hundreds of varieties of Avocados, and I have vowed that I will try them ALL! I had Avocados with breakfast, lunch and dinner that trip and every subsequent visit since!

Fuerte and Hass varieties are probably the most common of the Mexican Avocados, there is also the Gwen (most often confused for Hass), Pinkerton, Reed and Zutano.

Healthy Recipe Substitution Tips:

Last summer I focused on some healthy recipe substitutions with Yogurt, here are some recipe substitution tips with Avocados:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Replace fatty dips with guacamole and served with BAKED Tortilla Chips for a healthy and equally tasty snack.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Make your smoothies creamier by adding Avocado

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Top your soups and stews with Diced Avocado in place of sour cream

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Spread 2 Tbsp of mashed Avocado on your wheat toast instead of butter

Find other fun recipes on the Avocados from Mexico site in both Spanish and English! Get social with @guacgrl on twitter! And for my pinterest peeps, you can follow them on pinterest at: http://pinterest.com/Mexicanavocados/

And because you know I love great deals, here is a discount coupon you can use on your next shopping trip:

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

FTC Disclosure: This sponsored post is brought to you by Avocados from Mexico via Latina Bloggers Connect. Additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly's disclosure policy can be found here.

What do we want? Low Prices! When do we want them? NOW!

I'm probably the most weird woman on the planet, I HATE to shop. There I said it. Nothing bores me more. I hate the endless walking up and down aisles. I hate trying on clothes. If I could do all my shopping online I would.

This always drove my sisters crazy. Unlike me, if they could shop all day everyday they would. And the concept of window shopping, drives me crazy and my sisters, well they live for it.  I wasn't the teen trying to hang out at the mall. Fitting rooms plain make my hairs stand up on end.

Now when my sisters shop, I hang with my brother-in-laws. We check out electronics stores, sit on massage chairs and watch the room size televisions or play video games while we wait for everyone else to finish up their shopping so we can go eat!

Unfortunately I can't avoid shopping all together, and me being the tech nerd that I am, I figured there had to be a way to make shopping, faster, shorter, just plain easier, and thankfully there is! I personally enjoy marking decades by their commercial catch phrases (remember 'Where's The Beef?). This decade will be probably be best known for 'There's an App for that!', because usually there is! I actually found an app that takes the chore out of shopping, and I figured you'd want to know all about it too!

We are definitely living in an instant gratification society, and while I am not here to debate the pros and cons of it, I can tell you that when it comes to low prices, we can all agree we want it now! I want to know the lowest price on an item before I even step foot in the store, no one wants to waste gas driving around searching for the lowest price on something, especially when it comes to high end items like electronics. I for one am currently searching for a new laptop as I will be Live Blogging this year at the BlogHer 2012 Conference. (and I don't just mean as a blogger who will be there, I am live blogging at panels FOR BlogHer! I am super excited!) Here is the app I am using to help me take the choices I've narrowed it down to and find the best price for it:

About RedLaser:

RedLaser is a free app available for download for iPhone, Android and Windows phones. Downloaded over 20 million times, RedLaser is a secret weapon for the smart shopper – allowing you to scan or search for items to make sure you have all the information you need, including product details, ratings and price comparison.

Features:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Scan and search for products using the bar code scanner

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Compare prices online and at local retailers, so you’ll know you’re getting the best deal

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Find out which stores stock what you’re looking for by searching for a product locally. No need to drive around town searching for what you need!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Browse product reviews and rating

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Buy directly from your phone using PayPal mobile express checkout and you can pick up your item in a nearby store.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Create shopping lists (or wish lists!) and easily share them with friends and family via email, SMS, Twitter and Facebook.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Scan a food item to get allergen and ingredient information

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - To see RedLaser in action, check out this video, which shows how you can use RedLaser to find a last-minute gift.

I know know where the three specific laptops I've narrowed my choices down to are the cheapest. The app gave me just the info I need, the only thing I need to do now is decide which of the three I want! (of course if any laptop manufacturers are reading this and want to send me one, I'm totally open to it!).

RedLaser App in Action

My Take:

The app is free, easy to use, and tells you exactly where to go to find what you are looking for at the best possible price, it's instant gratification at its finest! For me it takes the chore out of shopping, and makes finding what I want at the best possible price, quick and painless. I for one read reviews on everything before making a purchase (minor or major) so I especially love that I can also browse product reviews!

Get Social:

You can get social with RedLaser on both Facebook and Twitter @RedLaserApp and don't forget to use the hashtag when you let them know just how much money you've saved, #RedLaser

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

FTC Disclosure: I am participating in a sponsored post campaign for RedLaser in conjunction SheSpeaks, however all opinions are 100% my own.

Do you 'Dare to Bare'? Are your pits Little Black Dress ready?

This post is sponsored by Dove(R) ClearTone(tm) Deodorant - designed to visibly reduce underarm dark marks and even skin tone.

I"m in the middle of a New York City Heat Wave, and we are days away from August, the most sweltering month of the year in the city that never sleeps. This is primarily a public transportation city. A transit system that unfortunately is sorely lacking in many ways, (yet the prices continue to soar, but that's a topic for another post!), one of the things many NYC subway trains lack is AIR CONDITIONING! The platforms are usually feel like it's 200 degrees. And when you get a subway car with no AC on, particularly during 'rush hour' you come home feeling like you just did vikram yoga. Layers of clothing, starting usually with suit jackets get peeled off, and whether you are standing or sitting you are assured of one thing, seeing (and unfortunately often times smelling) many armpits! The people lucky enough to get a seat have a view of a sea of armpits!

In the summer most of us have no choice but to Dare to Bare. Are your arms 'summer ready'? Little Black Dress Ready? And guys, don't for one second think this can't possibly apply to you, I see those pits when you put on those white t-shirts!

You can either solve a beauty disaster or prevent it, and dark under arms are totally both 'solvable' and 'preventable'. Like all of the skin on our bodies, armpits need some exfoliation too, so make sure when you use your favorite scrub, you get those pits too! It's the shaving that causes the dark marks on your armpits so be sure to use an ounce of prevention to spare yourself from that pound of cure!

photo credit: babble.com

Tips for keeping underarms from getting 'dark':

1) Make sure to use a sharp blade - never use a dull razor and that's good advice for anywhere you shave, not just your pits. Dull blades make you go over the same spot multiple times and that's exactly what you DON'T want to do. Make sure your blade is sharp and you shave in one direction.

2) Balance your 'dry vs wet' - Built up sweat is a bad thing, so be sure to use an anti-persperant, not just a plain deodorant to keep your armpit area from building up sweat. But like all skin it does need moisture too, so be sure to give it some moisture, a dab of lotion in the evening is a good idea, and if you play sports in the summer a sunscreen lotion should be applied to your underarm area as well, while it will probably get way less sun than other parts of your body, the SPF protection is still important.

Photo Credit Torsten Schon/iStockphoto/Getty Images

3) Lightening - What works for your elbows, works for armpits too, good old fashioned Lemon Juice! You can make a paste with 1/2 cup of lemon juice, 1 tsp of cucumber juice and 1 tsp of Tumeric Powder and let it sit for 15-20 minutes (my recommendation would be for those gals who color their hair, to schedule some time on the weekend and kill two birds with one stone! You could also put on a facial mask and then just jump in the shower afterwards and wash it all off!). Remember lemon juice can cause irritation if used too often, so please don't do this daily! (Licorice Paste and Sandalwood powder work well too!) And because I love a bonus, with the leftover tumeric and lemon, make a tea, as a tea, turmeric and lemon helps sooth the pain from a sore throat and works to fight free-radical damage. Lemon, reduces the risk of some diseases, such as nephrolithiasis, a kidney condition. Lemon also has antimicrobial and antiviral action that works even better in conjunction with other ingredients including turmeric. So this combo is a one/two punch that works wonders for your insides as well as your outside!

4) For Prevention AND Cure - Use Dove Clear Tone Deodorant daily, with regular use it will even your underarm skin tone and repair irritated skin with frequent use. What Ambi products do for your face and now body, Dove Clear Tone does for your armpits!

Whether it's to feel more confident in your strapless dresses, tank tops or bathing suit, a little 'armpit 101' goes a long way to feeling confident enough to 'Dare to Bare'.

So Butterflies, What is your beauty ritual that gets you feeling confident enough to 'Dare to Bare'?


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

FTC Disclosure:  I was compensated for this post by the Clever Girls Collective. All the opinions expressed here are my own.

@ProjectRunway Season 10 has begun + #elliottluccaproject WIN a Handbag!

Hey Butterfly! Our monthly Featured Handbag in the Spotlight Feature has been on a temporary hiatus because my schedule has been totally insane lately. That doesn't mean I'm no longer handbag obsessed! Far from it!

In fact while I get ready to bring the feature back VERY soon, I have been on the hunt for inspiration and for Haute Handbags that I'm sure we would both love to add our collections. Our friends at Elliott Lucca will be making their debut on Season 10 of Project Runway in Lord & Taylor’s Accessory Wall! (You know how much I love Lord & Taylor and Elliott Lucca, so it's a match made in heaven as far as I'm concerned!) And they want YOU to join in the fun! Not only should you be on the lookout for Elliott Lucca during the show, you should also combine your love of handbags, and your love of social media, specifically pinterest and try for a chance to win a haute Handbag of your own!

PRESS ON THE INFO-GRAPHIC BELOW TO MAKE IT BIGGER 

If you haven't joined pinterest, I'm thinking this is mega incentive for you to do so! If you are having trouble with the graphic and want more details, visit: http://pinterest.com/pin/239253798924818677/

Did you watch the first episode of Season 10 of Project Runway last night? Any early favorites, who do you think is going to win?


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


FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. No monetary compensation has been received to share this information. All opinions are 100% my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Newest Atlantic City Gaming Resort! See the Revel in {Pictures} #HowIDoAC

During Fourth of July weekend, I enjoyed Fireworks and the new show Duality on the Boardwalk, and while I stayed at the Golden Nugget (You can check out my posts from the original trip HERE and HERE), I also took some time to check out Atlantic City's newest Gaming Resort during it's opening weekend to the public, the Revel.

Atlantic City's Revel is the first ALL SMOKE FREE casino in Atlantic City, and I can tell you that when you walk in, you can 'smell' the difference! The aisles are spacious and wide, they have tons of new machines, and great food options too, here are a few pictures from my recent trip:

**Chef Jose Garces’ Distrito Cantina, a Mexican “take-out” window inspired by the uber-popular Guapos Taco Truck in Philly, is a popular place to grab quick eats off the gaming floor at the Revel Atlantic City Casino in New Jersey**

**Chef Jose Garces’ Distrito Cantina, a Mexican “take-out” window inspired by the uber-popular Guapos Taco Truck in Philly, is a popular place to grab quick eats off the gaming floor at the Revel Atlantic City Casino in New Jersey**

**Chef Jose Garces’ Distrito Cantina, a Mexican “take-out” window inspired by the uber-popular Guapos Taco Truck in Philly, is a popular place to grab quick eats off the gaming floor at the Revel Atlantic City Casino in New Jersey**

**Chef Jose Garces’ Distrito Cantina, a Mexican “take-out” window inspired by the uber-popular Guapos Taco Truck in Philly, is a popular place to grab quick eats off the gaming floor at the Revel Atlantic City Casino in New Jersey, Left: Mama Butterfly, Right: Ascending Butterfly**

We tried a little bit of everything and while everything we tried gets a thumbs up, our personal favorite was the 'Vuelva La Vida' - it was absolutely, positively, hands-down the most yummo part of our meal! The service is attentive and the sodas come with free refills!

I haven't had the pleasure of staying overnight yet, so I can't provide a review of the rooms, but I can say I greatly enjoyed my visit and would definitely visit there again during my next trip to Atlantic City! The Revel however could take lessons from the Golden Nugget in how to make a perfect Bloody Mary Cocktail! (Golden Nugget is definitely the winner there!)

**These shots were taken with an iPod Touch**

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies!

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

FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received to share my impressions of the Revel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey. Although if they ever want me to review the property and stay over, I'd certainly be open to it! :)

C'mon and Take A FREE Ride!

As The Official #TwitterPartyDJ I'm always thinking music, and could probably find a way to turn almost everything into a song title! With music, travel and being on the 'go, go, go!' the theme to my summer, finding ways to remain on the go, remain on budget and still be the fun loving, yet still totally fab frugalista that you know and love, I need to keep track of deals that will help me stretch an already stretched summer budget!

And that's where our friends at Britax come in. They are inviting you to take a FREE ride with a totally fantastic freebie that is entirely hard to resist.

The Deal:

Purchase a B-Ready Stroller, you get your choice of:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - BRITAX CHAPERONE Infant Car Seat ($229.99)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - BRITAX B-SAFE Infant Car Seat ($179.99) 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - BRITAX Bassinet ($149.99) or

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - BRITAX Second Child Seat ($149.99)

Check out the totally sweet graphic below that sums it all up quite nicely (thanks to our friend Chantilly at www.biculturalmom.com for sharing this infographic! Be sure to check out her site!)

This is truly the gift that keeps on giving ladies, by purchasing the B-READY® Stroller you are already purchasing a stroller that will grow with your baby, it is BRITAX's most flexible stroller on the market to date and truly one of the easiest to use, and now with the return of the FREE RIDE® event, Britax just made a good thing, that much BETTER, but butterflies you have to act FAST, this deal ends on July 31, 2012!

You can also get more information on Britax by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. 

Si quieres más información en tu idioma, únete a su página de Facebook. Britax Los Lleva Seguros Facebook page y síguelos en Twitter @SafeConBritax

And a little Britax Birdie told me there will be a twitter party later this month, so stay tuned for more information!

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


Disclosure: I am a BRITAX Latina Advisory Board Member and Social Media Outreach Blogger. While I am a Brand Ambassador and am eligible for additional compensation for my participation in this program, all opinions, ideas, and stories are 100% my own. The Britax Hispanic Digital and Social Media Outreach is in partnership with Mami Innovative Media

Half Way There! Easy ways you can #WaveforChange - Small Effort, HUGE Impact!

I have always had the ability to 'write', I loved creating poetry, short stories and being all around creative as a child. Thankfully my mom was smart and fostered my creativity, unfortunately my guidance counselor at school....well  not so much. He told me writing wasn't a 'real' job, pursue an education that gives you a 'trade' in the end, because that 'trade' is how you'll earn your living.

Needless to say I came home that day with the wind totally knocked out of my sails. My mom picked up on it and asked me why I was so sullen, and when I told her why she was fit to be tied that anyone in the eductional system would so easily try to dash a young person's dreams, and not just any young person, HER daughter! She had experienced something very similar by her favorite art teacher when she was young so she understood how I felt.

She spent years making up for that counselor's mistake by nurturing my creative side at every given opportunity. And finally in High School an amazing teacher who taught Creative Writing, 'got me'. He got my style, liked my writing and totally encouraged me (Huge shout out to Mr. McKinnon!). He taught me my writing was my power. And took me straight to the guidance counselor's office to find all the essay writing contests they knew of for scholarship funding, and with both of their help and a lot of nights spent writing, I wrote the essay that got me accepted into 3 different Universities, and landed me a multitude of Scholarship Funding.

I went on to become to the first College Graduate in my family. And I did find creative ways to make a living writing (starting with articles in a variety of newspapers, time spent as a film critic for a well known local paper, and as a newswriter for a local cable news television station!).

My education impacted my life in more ways than one, earning power, career potential, work ethics and even in emotional ways like self-esteem and pride.

But for every student with the courage to stand up to a devastating 'no', or a 'you can't make in that profession, pick another'; there are students who don't ever tell their families about it and remain silent and worse still, take it to heart and believe it may be true!

When I started Ascending Butterfly it was to share affirmations of empowerment, to encourage, to inspire. And when I was first approached by brands, I wanted something 'better', I wanted to work with brands doing Social Good, making a difference, giving back. And somewhere along the line, I got known for doing so. And now I get more giveback initiatives and campaigns in my inbox than I can possibly cover. I of course wish I had the time to cover them all, but the chance to make a difference to help support education, students and their dreams is one I just had to share!


About:

Neutrogena®, the #1 dermatologist-recommended skin care brand, launched Wave for Change® in 2009 and has benefited disaster relief & environmental charities around the world, as well as provided hope for kids through education. The campaign has raised almost half a million dollars in almost three years and has facilitated scholarships, school uniforms, backpacks, and school supplies to children from unprivileged communities.

Ways to Give Back:

JUST WATCH:

Just by watching the video below, Neutrogena® Wave for Change® will donate $1 to GlobalGiving to support U.S. educational organizations such as: Knowledge is Power Program, Para Los Ninos, and Education Through Music. (As The Official #TwitterPartyDJ you know I love any program that fosters the love of music and education!)

OR SHOP:

An additional $1 will be donated to GlobalGiving with each participating Neutrogena product you purchase.

Visit the Neutrogena® Wave for Change® site or their Facebook page to activate the purchased products with one quick click!

And:

Here's an even bigger win/win, you can join @LBConnect for a Twitter Party on July 25th, 2012 from 9pm-10:30 pm EST. I am NOT hosting or co-hosting this party, so if you have any questions, please visit the twitter page we linked to above!

Super easy right? I hope you will join me in the Neutrogena 'Wave for Change'. If you haven't already done so, GO watch that video, seriously like NOW! :)

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

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Neutrogena® Wave for Change® through Latina Bloggers Connect. All opinions are my own. Questions about Ascending Butterfly's Disclosure Policy? See HERE for more information.

Weekly Moment of Gratitude: Fitness Edition!

What I am grateful for:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Persistence -  This week has been so insane I feel like I lived a month in the week. I'm not sure how i made it through it all this week. I was entirely over-booked and probably pushed myself a bit too hard. I can only attribute my persistence to how I made it through it all this week. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Yoga - I took my second ever class this week thanks to Coach Club, the class was held at the Reebok Sports Club in New York City by Celebrity Yoga & Pilates Instructor, Kristin McGee . It was a fantastic class and I hadn't been able to challenge myself like that physically in a long time. I was exhausted AND exhilarated afterwards in a good way. I want to thank Southard Communications for the invite! I promise a full event recap with pictures coming soon!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Helpfulness-  I recently had a tech give me what amounts to a free small business consultation without expecting anything in return, and that is usually what I do for other people, but don't always get it return when I need the advice or help. I was truly touched by his generosity of spirit and the gift of his time. His help will allow me to make some smarter tech decisions for myself both personally and professionally, and I thought I'd share it in today's gratitude post because sometimes the smallest gestures amount to the greatest gifts in life. Sometimes it's easy to get bitter when you feel like the relationships in your life are so one sided that you do way more giving than receiving. This week I received something I really needed without really having to ask, and it just melted away the resentments.

What are YOU most grateful for this week Butterfly?

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

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 Active Giveaways!  - http://tiny.cc/n4Thx

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

Giveaways!

The two winners of the Purex giveaway will be selected and notified later today! New giveaways coming at you SOON!

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

Gratitude Journal Reco:

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

Make this Your Best Day ever, Bless and Be Blessed!

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

FTC Disclosure: Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html - Please note this is not a compensated post!