Monday, November 19, 2012

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS/GUARDIANES DE LOS NIÑOS - In Theaters November 21! {#RiseoftheGuardians #Movie #Review}

Rise of the Guardians Theatrical Poster



I hear a lot of my friends complaining this time of year that Thanksgiving gets lost in the shuffle and we seem to go straight from Halloween to Christmas with nothing in between. I guess because I have been in Media in some form or another for so long I'm already used to it.  I spent most of my time last week at Spring/Summer 2013 preview events, so I'm actually a few seasons ahead already, but I have had a chance to take in some fun Holidays themed entertainment and throughout the coming weeks I'll be sharing about it all here.

On Saturday I took in the Rise of the Guardians screening, and for those of you who like to take in a family film Thanksgiving Weekend this is definitely one to consider!

Santa and his Elves, Rise of the Guardians, DreamWorks Animation film


About Rise of the Guardians:

Rise of the Guardians a 3D computer-animated fantasy-adventure film based on William Joyce's The Guardians of Childhood book series and The Man in the Moon short film by Joyce and Reel FX. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Peter Ramsey, the film will be released on November 21, 2012 in North America, and on November 30 in the United Kingdom. Joyce is also exec-producing, along with Guillermo del Toro.

English Synopsis:  RISE OF THE GUARDIANS is an epic and magical adventure that tells the story of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost – legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere.

Cast:              Chris Pine (voice of Jack Frost), Alec Baldwin (voice of Santa Claus), Hugh Jackman (voice of the Easter Bunny), Isla Fisher (voice of Tooth Fairy) and Jude Law (voice of Pitch, aka 'The Boogeyman').

Rise of the Guardians: Left: Jack frost, Santa Claus, The Sandman and Far Right: The Easter Bunny



GUARDIANES DE LOS NIÑOS



Spanish/Espanol Sinopsis: RISE OF THE GUARDIANS es una aventura épica y mágica que cuenta la historia de Santa Claus, el Conejo de Pascua, el Hada de los Dientes, Sandman, y Jack Frost, personajes legendarios con talentos extraordinarios que la gente desconocía. Cuando un espíritu malvado llamado Pitch los desafía para apoderarse del mundo, los guardianes inmortales deberán sumar fuerzas para proteger las esperanzas, las creencias y la imaginación de los niños de todo el mundo.

Elenco: Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher y Jude Law

The Trailer:



Get Social

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - "Like' The official Facebook page for DreamWorks Animation Rise of the Guardians
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow @DWAnimation on Twitter and tweet using the hashtag #RiseoftheGuardians

My Take:

I love that the film brings up topics so many young people can relate to, just wanting to be 'seen'/understood,  standing up for themselves and it makes parents think along the way too. How long do you allow your child to 'believe'? Wonder and sheer imagination are taken away from children at such a young age, it's nice when a family film can help encourage that wonder again, without being too boring for the adults to sit through! Jude Law is a convincing 'Pitch', and Alec Baldwin is a funny 'Russian Santa', and I dare you not to 'Aww!' at 'Baby Tooth' one of the tiny Tooth Fairies! And of course I wouldn't be the Ascending Butterfly without sharing that there is a butterfly sighting in this movie!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a compensated post. I was provided invited to a Press Screening as a member of the Digital Press, all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Find out how I got to the 'Corner of Happy & Healthy'!



Earlier this week I had the chance to see Elf The Musical (yes more on this to come), and during the play Duane Reade is actually referenced which made me laugh as I've spent this year as one of Duane Reade's VIP Bloggers (Sign from the Universe? You decide!). So when I got my newsletter the next day and saw this:



you know I had to go shopping! I can spend over $30 there easily so spending $30 and instantly getting rewards that amount to getting $5 back is just a pure win/win! I picked up my weekly circular as well as the NEW Holiday Magazine and got to 'circling'!

New Happy & Healthy 'Storezine' Holiday Edition 2012: Available in Stores from November 4th until December 31st, 2012

Duane Reade Holiday Magazine and Weekly Circular Display

I have to start by saying this week has been pure insanity. Because of Hurricane Sandy being followed by a Nor-Easter in New York City, a week's worth of meetings and events were post-poned, all those meetings and events were shifted to this week. I have not had one single solitary moment to myself all week and have events on Saturday and Sunday as well, to say I'm stressed out and had very little time for personal errands is an under-statement!

I'm not sure what the point of 'e-tickets' are when you are expected to still print the tickets and show them at the door or print the confirmation email, I literally ran out of printer paper this week (I know this month has been insane but my printer feeder tray really does hold a lot of paper! I was pretty surprised to get the 'paper low' warning message pop up. I thought it was a mistake, but lo and behold I only had 5 sheets of paper in there and no new ream of paper in my supply cubby!), that would normally mean a trip to an office supply store for me, and an extra shopping trip I did NOT have time to add in. Thankfully Duane Reade saved the day by saving me an extra trip. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to find printer paper at my local Duane Reade!



Exclusive to Walgreens and Duane Reade, Ology brand products provide assurance that these items work as well as the larger brands but are also free of the harmful chemicals that today's pediatricians are so concerned about. And, best of all, they're available at an affordable price.

Made from readily renewable sugarcane husks that would otherwise be disposed, and quick-growing bamboo that regenerates in as little as six months.

    • For copiers, printers and fax machines
    • 100% tree free
    • Low moisture paper means less paper jams
    • Whitened with H2O2, a non-chlorine based bleach
    • 94 brightness, 20 pound
    • Biodegradable
I got to save myself an extra trip to the office supply store AND support a product that's eco-friendly? Um, yes please! I got two of these! (Note this item is an 'in-store' only right now, and prices may vary per store, these are NOT available for purchase online.)




And while on a paper theme, I picked up some bathroom tissue from the Ology brand as well.


Duane Reade ology Facial and Toilet Tissue Display


Soft and strong, this biodegradable bath tissue is made from readily renewable sugar cane husk that would otherwise be disposed, and quick-growing bamboo that regenerates in as little as six months.
    • 300 two-ply sheets per roll
    • Septic safe
    • 4 in x 3.7 in sheets
    • 370 sq. ft. total area
My Take:

I'm seriously thinking that Ology could easily become one of my favorite Duane Reade brands! I also bought Vitamins, Laundry Detergent (Notice in the picture it's the 'Butterfly Kiss' scent, yes I really am all butterfly all the time!), Fabric Softener, New Toothbrushes + Toothpaste, Air Freshener, frozen meals and quite a few of my favorite ice cream in a limited edition flavor that they only launch several times per year. By the time I was done and the cashier packed me all up I had two super heavy bags to lug home, and a Total Savings of $14.80 (9%), and 5,480 balance rewards points earned this visit! On my next visit I will have $10 in spending money in my balance rewards because I had some to start with plus an additional $5 when I completed this shop thanks to my ology purchases which earned me extra rewards. Getting all that shopping done AND getting money back for my next visit - Not sure it gets any better than that!

WIN! And if the great deals haven't tempted you yet, how about a chance to win great prizes? (Somehow I knew that would get your attention! With the current 'Text2Win' Sweepstakes if you text HAPPY to 35350, you are entering a contest for a chance to win a $6,000 + weekend getaway grand prize, or a weekly $100 Walgreens Gift Card by answering weekly questions only found in Happy & Healthy via text.

Major Shopping Haul this weekend at Duane Reade!


Get Social With It:

Follow Duane Reade  on Twitter and ‘Like’ them on Facebook and don’t forget to tell them you saw them Featured on Ascending Butterfly! For more information, visit duanereade.com or youtube.com/duanereade

Butterfly, Did you a score great deal this weekend?


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FTC Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric #DRHappy&Healthy #cbBigApple  I am a Duane Reade VIP Blogger and Ambassador which does entitle me to additional incentives. However, all opinions expressed  are 100% my own.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

November 17th is World Prematurity Day #ProtectPreemies #RSV



As you may remember on April 24th Ascending Butterfly hosted an Infant Nutrition Twitter Party, where we discussed the importance of Infant Nutrition for preemies, so I definitely couldn't let today go by without a reminder on the importance of prematurity awareness as today is ‘World Prematurity Day!’

Did you know that worldwide, 13 million babies are born early/premature every year? More than a half of a million in the United States alone? Prematurity is actually the leading cause of neonatal deaths! A recent survey on prematurity awareness revealed that 3 in 10 mothers of preemies weren't aware of the possibility of prematurity until they had their first child.

Because their immune systems and lungs aren’t fully developed, preemies are more likely to develop infections and are more susceptible to respiratory problems. In fact, 79 percent of preemie moms have a baby who was hospitalized due to a severe respiratory infection. One virus in particular that parents of preemies should know about is respiratory syncytial virus, commonly known as RSV. RSV is contracted by nearly all children by the age of two, often causing relatively minor symptoms that mimic the common cold. However, preemies are most at risk for developing much more serious symptoms, including a serious respiratory infection (severe RSV disease) from the virus, because their lungs are underdeveloped and they don’t have the antibodies needed to fight off infection. Below are a few quick facts that all parents should know about RSV:

RSV Quick Facts:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization, and severe RSV disease causes up to 10 times as many infant deaths each year as the flu.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - RSV is most prevalent during the winter months. The CDC has defined the “RSV season” as beginning in November and lasting through March for most parts of North America.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - In addition to prematurity, common risk factors include low birth weight, certain lung or heart diseases, a family history of asthma and frequent contact with other children.

Premature Baby in NICU


Prevention is Key:

RSV is very contagious and can be spread easily through touching, sneezing and coughing. Since there’s no treatment for RSV, parents should take the following preventive steps to help protect their child:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Wash hands, toys, bedding, and play areas frequently

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ensure you, your family, and any visitors in your home wash their hands or use hand sanitizer

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Avoid large crowds and people who are or have been sick

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Never let anyone smoke near your baby (that includes YOU!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Speak with your child’s doctor if he or she may be at high risk for RSV, as a preventive therapy may be available

Know the Symptoms: Contact your child’s pediatrician immediately if your child exhibits one or more of the following:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Severe coughing,  wheezing or rapid gasping breaths

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blue color on the lips, mouth, or under the fingernails

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Speak with your child’s doctor if he or she may be at high risk for RSV, as a preventive therapy may be available

My Take:

Do your research! Sites like the RSV Protection Site provides detailed information on the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Virus Sincicial Respiratorio). Being born prematurely, can have long-lasting effects on health well into adulthood. It is important that pregnant women give up smoking (even after the baby is born as second hand smoke exposure is as harmful to children if not more so as it to adults), and it also important that elective C-sections and labor inductions are discouraged unless there’s an important medical reason to do. Because of my own scare this year with my Lungs (and I have NEVER smoked by the way) I take Flu and RSV prevention very seriously and I hope you will too!

Butterfly, are you a Preemie Mom? What did you learn from your doctor about Preemie Care?

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FTC DisclosureThis is a sponsored post in collaboration with Latina BloggersConnect and the RSV Protection Site, however all opinions are 100% my own.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Out Now: @kylieminogue ‘The Abbey Road Sessions’: {New #Music #Review}

Kylie The Abbey Road Sessions Album Cover Art


I may be 'The Official #TwitterPartyDJ' but nothing thrills me more than actual CD's. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPod, I love having all of my music library at my fingertips, it makes long commutes that much more fun and a bit shorter and plane rides more bearable. But an actual CD and jacket, pictures and lyrics are still my favorite way to hear new music.

On her latest album The Abbey Road SessionsKylie Minogue slows things down and allows us to reflect on what makes her great and one thing becomes very clear - stripped of her high-end pop production, the emotional resonance of Kylie’s songs has never been clearer, and her voice has never sounded better.

The album features 16 tracks, which span Kylie Minogue's 25 years in the music industry, as well as a new song titled "Flower", which was released as a single to support this new album. The album was recorded at the famous London's Abbey Road Studios with Minogue's band and a full orchestra, the album has a orchestral 'jazzy' vibe that allows you to just get lost in the songs, think romantic dinner for two, late night jazz club with a glam Torch Singer on the stage. With Kylie being so strongly associated with pop and dance, this album is a nice departure from her norm, and not just another 'greatest hits' milestone album.



Track Listing:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - All the Lovers
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - On a Night Like This
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Better the Devil You Know
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Hand on Your Heart
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I Believe in You
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Come Into My World
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Finer Feelings
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Confide in Me
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Slow
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Locomotion
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Can't Get You Out of My Head
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Where the Wild Roses Grow (with Nick Cave)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Flower
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - I Should Be So Lucky
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Love at First Sight
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Never Too Late

Sadly the only track that fell short for me was the song I actually like from her the most, 'Can't Get You Out of My Head', the way this track was re-worked made it sound sort of like a 'Dancing With the Stars' version of it. I think the original is way better than this version. The duet with Nick Cave I'm a bit mixed on as well, my inner DJ says it just doesn't flow with the rest of the album, and it definitely doesn't seemed well placed after "Can't Get You Out of My Head", however, "Flower", the new track and the single for this album I greatly enjoyed!







Bit of trivia for my Kylie Die Hards:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Australian Bonus Track: 17. "Wow"

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Japanese Bonus Track: 17. "In My Arms"

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Me and Kylie share the same middle name - Look it up! :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Minogue has achieved worldwide record sales of more than 68 million!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Kylie, a Breast Cancer Survivor, is currently working on her twelfth studio album which is expected to be released in 2013.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Kylie's latest single "Flower" is a song she wrote several years ago following her battle with breast cancer, to the child she wishes she might one day still have.

Get Social with Kylie:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Follow Kylie on Twitter @kylieminogue
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - 'Like' Kylie on Facebook
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - *don't forget to tell her you saw "The Abbey Road Sessions" Featured on Ascending Butterfly!*

My Take:

My iPod is basically a 'best of' by every singer/peformer you can think of, with songs that span not only chapters of my life, but it's a collection that is so big, that to get new music in, songs have to come out, it says a lot when a song or artist survives my 'iPod Purges' which tend to occur monthly. Kylie has long remained in my playlists and I recommend Kylie The Abbey Road Sessions, I commend her for not just regurgitating old songs but actually re-mastering them and giving them a whole new mood and feel.

Gotta Have It? Get the Deluxe Album on Amazon:





What is your favorite Kylie Minogue song Butterfly? Why? What time of your life does it remind you of?


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FTC Disclosure: I am a Member of the One2One Network they have provided me with a product sample for editorial consideration, however all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own. There is an Amazon Affiliate Link in this review.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Purex with Oxi and Zout Stain Remover! I can't give you Laundry Service, but I can give you a Free Product Coupon {#Giveaway}

Purex plus Oxi with Zout Stain Remover


We are a week away from Thanksgiving, and you know what that means? Getting the house ready for in-laws, clearing out some drawers and closet space for houseguests. Let's not forget swapping out the stuff in the closet and taking down the sweaters and extra blankets. All this leaves you a flurry of extra wash to do. And as much I'd love to provide you all with a Merry Maid as a holiday gift, I haven't quite hit the Powerball yet.....

But since I know you are all on Santa's 'Nice' list, I can share that I have hit on a detergent that takes the extra prep work out of heavy duty laundry loads and tough stains!



ABOUT PUREX OXI PLUS WITH ZOUT STAIN REMOVERS

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Purex® plus Oxi is so powerful, it works against over 101 different stains!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - The three stain-fighting enzymes in Purex plus Oxi each work against different types of stains for the most Purex stain-fighting power you can get.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - For ALL Machines, works with both Front and Top Load Washing Machines! (I have a very old Top Loader that is on it's last legs, so it's super helpful to have a powerful detergent because with my machine I now have to use more detergent than I normally would to get the results I like).

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Sensitive Skin? Purex Plus Oxi is hypoallergenic!

My Take:

I love that this can be used as a pre-treater as well, it saves you from buying extra product, and it works for all machine types! I really do think there is something behind the extra bubble power of the Oxi that helps to fight tough stains. You are getting triple the stain fighting power for a much more reasonable price point than the 'leading brands'. The one amazing thing that has come out of blogging for me is that it has made me way more flexible and open to try new things. I have to admit that shopping for some things at times can become a bit rote and routine and I end up doing it on 'Auto-Pilot' and tend to stick to the same old same old, but now that I've tried this one, I would continue to rebuy it, I look forward to this particular Triple Action being offered in a wider variety of scents, it's currently only available in 'Fresh Morning Burst'. I have a tendency to get 'un-scented' Laundry Detergents so I can leave the final scent to the Fabric Softener, so I hope they offer this one in an un-scented soon. I do like the scent, but like having the option! :)




Win it:

I can offer 2 lucky butterflies a Free Product Coupon so you can try out Purex plus Oxi with Zout Stain Removers for yourself! And maybe we can something about the Laundry Service after all, Purex is hosting a $1,000 sweepstakes on their website! You can enter their contest daily to win $1,000 cash or 1 of 250 gift cards! That can certainly buy you some Laundry Service and then some! Who Loves YOU Butterfly?

Enter using the Rafflecopter Form Below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway





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FTC Disclosure: I am a Member of the Purex Insiders Program. Purex has provided me with a product sample for editorial consideration, however all opinions expressed herein are 100% my own. 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 and our giveaway sponsors are not responsible for lost or mis-directed mail.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Visit to @AudubonZoo during #NicheMommy12 Part 2 of 2! #NOLA

Asian Domain in the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana
I am back to our Wordless Wednesdays from New Orleans series! During the NicheMommy 2012 Blogging Conference in New Orleans I got to sneak in a little time to visit the Audubon Zoo. They brought some of the animals to us, and gave us the opportunity to also visit them! A group of intrepid bloggers headed out for a fun adventure to the Audubon Zoo! We tweeted the Audubon Zoo from the bus on the way over and they tweeted us back! I couldn't fit all my zoo pictures into one post, so I split them and today's focus is on the Asian Domain in the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana.


Check out the cool Elephant Fountain below:


Check out the three elephants in the Asian Domain Area picture below, cool Decorative Fountain!



Close up of one of the Elephant Statues in the Asian Domain area of Audubon Zoo, New Orleans,  Louisiana

Found a lovely spot to Meditate:


Meditating Buddha Statue, Asian Domain, Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, Louisiana

Left: Meditating Buddha Statue, Asian Domain, Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, Louisiana Right: Ascending Butterfly enjoying a moment of reflection!

The Wordless Wednesday series from New Orleans will continue, we still have the Insectarium, some street signs, some supernatural, and some amazing eats to feature from our Journey to New Orleans! And slowly but surely, all of the pictures taken in New Orleans during Niche Mommy 2012 are being added to our Pinterest Page as well so be sure to check them out. On Pinterest you can see them in their original sizes!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterflies - Bloggers feel free to link us up to your post too in the comments section below! I look forward to seeing everyone's photos!
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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, no monetary compensation has been received to post my recap of my day at the Audubon Zoo. However ALL bloggers in attendance at the Niche Mommy Blogging Conference were offered tickets. I attended the conference as a guest of Britax. I am a Britax Hispanic Digital Marketing and Outreach Blogger and Blogger Brand Ambassador.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Which way is this week going to go? #Motivation Monday



Just remember, the choice dear butterfly is YOURS!


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FTC Disclosure: Um, seriously, this is NOT a sponsored post!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Celebrate A Vet! Veterans Day 2012




My Grandfather earned a Purple Heart serving our country, to him, and all our Vets, THANK YOU for your courage, your bravery and your sacrifices, we appreciate you! 

 Celebrate a Veteran Today Butterfly!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post!

Friday, November 9, 2012

A win/win way to help in the #HurricaneSandy Relief Efforts via @Sakroots!


Like most of you, I get tons of  'PR Noise' in my inbox (especially at this time of year) and I rarely share emails I receive in their entirety here, but this one was too good not to share. Since 2009 I have been sharing about Brands that give back. In fact for my first year of blogging I wasn't even PR friendly, I wanted collaborations to be meaningful in ways that are bigger than the obvious, and one of the first brands to ask what if what I was asking you to cover was part of a give back initiative? That's when a light bulb clicked and I made my first brand collaboration. The same still holds true now, you have never once seen a 'what the celebs are wearing' post here. I live in New York and cover Fashion Week as an iconic part of what being a New Yorker City based Lifestyle Blogger sees, but what celebs wear, don't interest me, unless it's something they wore when they were giving back.

Ascending Butterfly has come a long way since 2009, we have collaborated with numerous brands, but a select core group are featured more often by us than others. The long term relationships I've built with some brands is because I believe in the quality and durability of the products they offer and that I respect and admire the company's principles. I love Brands that give back, especially ones that do so year round. And when a Brand I love does something that helps MY own community, I have to help them spread the word!

I tried to enlarge the graphic in the post, but it goes beyond the screen width for text so even though you can press on it to make it bigger, I wanted to share the message so it didn't get lost! The Sak Brand Group (who have collaborated with us often throughout the years for our regular feature 'Featured Monthly Handbag in the Spotlight'), is a New York and New Jersey based company, to assist in the Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts, they are donating 10% of online sales to the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, where 100% of donations are dispersed to relief efforts and organizations! How cool is that? You get a fab brand new handbag that you wanted anyway AND you get to make a difference for people who really need it. Right now there are so many New Yorkers in Shelters after getting hit by BOTH Hurricane Sandy and the Nor-Easter snow storm 'Athena'!

My Take:

People think of New York City as the 'Fashion Capital of the World', and I can tell you waking up in a shelter doesn't feel so 'fashionable', but helping people in such a simple way certainly is. Please consider The Sak, sakroots and Elliot Lucca for your holiday gift giving this season. You are getting your family and friends amazing gifts they will love and that will last (let's face it accessories not only make the outfit but expand your wardrobe), but you will also be making a real difference!

Get Social With It: 

Not buying right now but still want to help?

They have posted this message on their Facebook Page and Twitter Stream @Sakroots, please consider a social media share to your own networks, the more we spread the word, the more help displaced families due to Hurricane Sandy can receive.

Let's call this Give Back Friday Butterflies! I thank you in advance for spreading the word about this message!

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

FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. This post has not been compensated, nor am I Brand Ambassador! We collaborate with the Sak Brand Group on a frequent basis, however all opinions are 100% my own and we have featured brands with giving initatives since 2009.