Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Wanna Power Walk an Overnight Marathon in Your Bra? For Real! Let's Do it! #MoonWalkNYC

the MoonWalk New York City 2013 presented by Empire BlueCross BlueShield
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from One2One Network and Walk the Walk. All Opinions Expressed in this post are 100% my own!

I wasn't around for the Feminist 'Ban the Bra' Movement, but awhile back there was a big controversy in New York City when Men were allowed to go Topless on local beaches but women not only could not go Topless, they would be fined for it. So when I found out about an event that is actually encouraging women to 'Power-Walk' in their bras, I just had to share (and find out more! Color me Intrigued! Time for my Rebel Yell!).

Runners Walkers Racers Participants in Walk the Walk Moon Walk Marathon
Participants with hands held high wearing decorated bras at Walk the Walk's Moon Walk Marathon

About/History of MoonWalk:

Walk the Walk was formed 17 years ago when a handful of women Power Walked the New York City Marathon in their bras to raise money and awareness for Breast Cancer. What started off as a one time fundraising event grew into a multi-million dollar charity, that to date has raised over $126M for Breast Cancer causes and has engaged over 300,000 participants.

It all began with founder of Walk the Walk, Nina Barough, who after only two months since her adventure at the New York City Marathon, found out in January 1997 that she herself had Breast Cancer. A very aggressive tumor (which is believed she had for three years), turned her world upside down and her treatment included a mastectomy, followed by radiation therapy, and a two year course of Zoladex Injections and Tamoxifen (a drug that has a few side effects of it's own). In 1998 Walk the Walk, became an official charity that not only promotes a healthy and fit lifestyle, but also raises money for breast cancer causes.

Walk the Walk is a grant making charity who has held MoonWalk events in London and Edinburgh as well as SunWalks in Newcastle, Bristol and Southampton.

And amazingly enough the MoonWalk officially comes full circle this year! The inaugural event in America is being held in New York City where it all began for Founder Nina Barough!

Marathon Full Marathon Half Marathon running runners fitness health breast cancer charity breast cancer awareness
Balloons Being Released during MoonWalk Marathon
WHEN AND WHERE/HOW DO I SIGN UP:

Ready to decorate your bra and get started? I thought so! Here are the deets:

MoonWalk NYC presented by Empire BlueCross BlueShield will take place on July 20, 2013 at Randall's Island in New York City. An estimated 8,000 participants will join in an opening ceremony celebration at Randall's Island, walkers will then depart weaving through Manhattan and passing some of the City's most iconic landmarks lit up brightly at night!

There are two courses to ensure that everyone can participate regardless of their fitness levels or abilities, there will be a 'Half Moon' (13.1 Miles) and a 'Full Moon' (26.3) Miles.

runners walkers racers moonwalk walk the walk full marathon half marathon fitness health breast cancer breast cancer awareness
Both Women AND Men are welcome to participate!

They are hoping to raise $2 Million dollars in ONE night, the bulk of which will be granted to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to help support the Breast Examination Center in Harlem, which is one of the first FREE screening facilities for Breast Cancer in the country. 80% of patients are un-insured, and this center not only provides them free screenings, but support and guidance as well. (You may remember we mentioned the center last year as well!)

Not only do they offer a half and full marathon, they also need volunteers, so if you are not up for running or walking, consider volunteering a few hours of your time to make a huge difference for an incredible cause, let's face it, it will be the most unique, rewarding and fun volunteer experience you will ever have!

participants runners racers joggers walkers fitness health healthy running full marathon half marathon breast cancer causes empire bluecross blueshield MoonWalk NYC


I am going to check with my doctors and see if they will clear me for this, if I do opt to run I will form a team so if you want to join me you will be able to do so! But if you can't wait for me and decide to form your own team or want help in finding other Ascending Butterfly readers who will be there, please post your comments here! Let us know your team name if you form a team before I do, and a way to contact you if others wish to join your team. You may want to meet in advance to train with your team, or spend an evening decorating coordinated bras to show your team pride! I'm behind you all the way!

Want a sneak peek of what to expect? Of course you do, check it out here:

 

Who says Breast Cancer Awareness efforts should only happen in October? This is NOT your mama's breast cancer walk! Be sure to share this post on your social media sites butterflies, the more the merrier, the more awareness raised the more lives we can save.

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FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post from One2One Network and Walk the Walk. All Opinions Expressed in this post are 100% my own!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Motivation Monday: 'A Good Life' Edition!

A Good Life, Motivation, Monday, Motivation Monday, Inspiration, Encouragement, Empowerment, Quotes, Graphics, butterfly, butterflies

Sometimes we just need a little butterfly to remind us that we really do have a Good Life, and we just need to celebrate it!

Happy Motivation Monday Butterflies, let your wings take flight this week!

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Weekly Moment of #Gratitude + Active #Giveaway: Happy Cinco de Mayo Edition!





What I am grateful for:


Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Girl Time! -  I got to spend some time after an event hanging out with one of my favorite bloggy buddies, Milena from beyourbestmom.com, she tagged me on a great post she wrote called the '10 Things I learned this week'. We spent time hanging out at a pub that I had heard the name of, but had never visited, Pig 'N' Whistle (36th Street in New York City). I highly recommend the Calamari there, and I'm pretty picky about my Fried Calamari! It's definitely enough to share! It's actually not far from Macy's, so if you are shopping and want to wet your whistle, I'd definitely recommend them. I get to hang out with such amazing New York City Bloggers, but mostly at events, which means we don't always get a chance to just have girl talk and really connect, so I'm super grateful that Milena and I got to take a moment that wasn't event related to break bread and just talk! (Well it was somewhat event related, because we hung out after an event, that I will recap here soon!)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Veg Time! - I spent some downtime catching up on movies I hadn't seen yet on cable, totally dis-connected and just watching some Movies, just what the doctor ordered!

I have been keeping my own daily list of things I am grateful for and taking time to acknowledge my blessings daily. A bit of concentrated focus on what you do have, instead of on what you lack or need, can make a huge shift in your life!


What are YOU most grateful for today Butterfly?

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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

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Active Giveaway!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Just in time to get my butterflies ready for swimsuit season, this month's Ascending Butterfly Book Club title is The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy, don't forget to enter, you've got to be in it to win it!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Entries are currently being processed, and we hope to announce a winner soon for the $100 Wilsons Leather Gift Card Giveaway.

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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 (I love that it gives you writing prompts for when you feel stuck on what to say!):

















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




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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, all opinions are 100% my own. Journal Recommendation uses an Amazon Affiliate Link. Questions about our Disclosure? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Best Buy Wants to Help You Capture and Store Your Memorable Moments at a Price That WON'T Break the Bank!



As many of you have already guessed from my recent posts both here and across my Social Media sites, I am on the hunt for a new Digital Camera. Don't get me wrong, my first 'real' Digital Camera is an Olympus that I love, love, love, it's compact, sturdy (over the years it has withstood quite a few steep falls and is still ticking), and it takes way better pictures than any mobile device I've tried.

But much like my blog has evolved throughout the years, so have my photography skills and it's time to make the big (price-wise) and scary leap of upgrading to a DSLR, and I have my choices narrowed down based on recommendations from friends, family, consumer reviews and other bloggers I have queried.

Instagram pictures from events will always have their place to share information when I am at an event or conference and don't have time or access for a full post. But to me nothing, and I mean nothing, beats the optical quality of a picture taken from a camera. Very few smart phone or smart device photos can actually rival those of a good quality camera.

Not to mention, those important memories are ones that you will want to share and even enlarge and frame, and very few smart phone photos are of sufficient optical quality to be able to enlarge them without them becoming blurry, pixelated and for all intensive purposes, useless.

I have been doing my research and I've narrowed down my choices to either the Canon - EOS Rebel T5i pictured below:

Canon EOS Rebel T5i, Digital Cameras, DSLR


or the Nikon - D3200 24.2-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera pictured below:

Nikon D3200 24.2-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera, DSLR, Digital Camera


I hear great things about both cameras, If you have either one, please post a comment and let us know what you think!

As an 'April Baby' Spring is my season, my Spring Memories Season, first my birthday in April, Mother's Day in May, and in June there are June Weddings to attend, Graduation Ceremonies to attend and Father's Day too and let's not even get started on summer vacations! My favorite take home from any vacation is my photos!

With Mother's Day swiftly approaching, many people often wonder what to get Mom, whether it's your mom you are shopping for, or for men that are shopping for their wives & the mother of their children. I will stop and tell you first and foremost what NOT to get mom, do NOT get mom a new household cleaning appliance for Mother's Day. That is not a gift for HER. Get her something that she will cherish and treasure for always.

Insignia™ - 8" LCD Digital Photo Frame, Digital Photo Frames,


I for one am incredibly tech oriented, so for me a new DSLR would get my heart racing, but there are ways to get a tech friendly gift for those who are not necessarily tech oriented, a Digital Photo Frame is a great gift for mom (a new DSLR + a Digital Photo Frame would be even better, just saying!), it's a great way to store treasured family memories. (Extra Brownie Points for pre-loading it with her favorite photos and setting it up for her!). And with Best Buy offering Digital Photo Frames less than $50, you can get the moms in your life a meaningful gift that doesn't break the bank!

And butterflies if you think that rocks, what until you find out what else Best Buy has in store for YOU! For a limited time you can get an ADDITIONAL 25% off select digital photo frames with a special Friends & Family Coupon Offer! You can either press the word coupon in the previous sentence, or go directly to www.bestbuy.com and when you purchase a Digital Photo Frame with the SKUs: 2915399, 2915371, 6331239, 3757047, and 3757065, to redeem coupon, enter the code MEMORYMAKER at check out to see an additional 25% savings off the already low price! (Who loves you butterfly?) And if you didn't read our helpful post on Best Buy and Recycling, remember you can trade in your old camera for a Best Buy Gift Card, which you should of course put towards a special Mother's Day Gift for your Mom! 





With a low price guarantee, free shipping on cameras and a limited time additional 25% savings on Digital Photo Frames, Best Buy has got you covered for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Graduation, Summer Travel and BEYOND!

So Butterfly, what are you getting for your mom this Mother's Day?

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FTC: Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Post, compensation has been received in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or the products/services referenced have been provided at a reduced price or for free. I am a member of Best Buy's Wolf Blogger Blogging Campaign. All opinions are 100% my own.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Ascending Butterfly May Monthly #Book Club Title: Review and #Giveaway of The Fast Metabolism Diet #FastMetabolismDiet



This is a sponsored post/Giveaway for SheSpeaks/Fast Metabolism Diet (All opinions are my own):

I spent 2010 and 2011 on a series of Lifestyle Changes that resulted in very healthy weight loss overtime. Getting more excercise and recipe substitions had resulted in the loss of 3 dress sizes and way more energy. I was thrilled!

Then 2012 happened. I spent the bulk of the year at three different hospitals for long term stays. Which meant being sick to my stomach and not wanting to eat due to the medications and surgeries, and a ton of time in a hospital bed which meant no excercise. To say last year threw me off my game is an understatement. Considering I was told I may not make it, I have much to be grateful for. Every few months it's back to the hospital for testing and I still can't go back to a full workout routine yet.

With summer coming I want to have tons of energy because after a year in the hospital, I plan to go out everyday and take full advantage of the sun this summer! I knew I needed to find a way to get my metabolism going knowing full well that I can't yet go back to the workout routine I was enjoying in 2010 and 2011 (which included Zumba and Yoga).

I had actually seen the book on TV before I was invited to participate in this campaign and it had caught my eye. The one thing I've learned through the years is that Lifestyle Changes, (no matter what they are for, to break bad habits, learn new ones, incorporate meditation into your day), have to be logical and not too difficult to incorporate to be successful. From what I had seen this looked easy to do, and seemed to make sense for me with my many restrictions.

I am going to be totally honest, I tried this out and didn't follow it to the letter, but it's OK because I knew I probably wouldn't. My schedule is erratic and because of my varied obligations, it's ever changing. Events in NYC come with cocktails, food, appetizers and all kind of things that are not always what I was meant to be eating that day. And worse still meetings all day and events most evenings including weekends leave very little time for much of a workout routine anyway.

The Science behind The Fast Metabolism Diet is explained graphically on their website and it's worth taking a look at so you can get an idea of 'the HOW' behind the diet. As a single girl in the city I didn't have the problem of worrying about other people in the home not liking the meals, it was just me I had to worry about. Is that how I eat everyday? NO. So it was hard to get adjusted to. For me the biggest problem was the cutting back of refined sugars, I love my chocolate and my Ice Cream and I am NOT going to cut them completely out of my life.

I was excited to discover that some of the foods I already love like Lobster, Shrimp, Avocados, Cashews, Seaweed (Sushi anyone?), stimulate the release of fat-burning T4 and T3 hormones which create a thermogenic effect in the body, melting those hard fat stores and allowing them to be liquified by the Thyroid Hormones, burned for energy and released from the body. This burn boosts your metabolism!




I know what you are thinking by now, 'So Butterfly, Did it WORK?'. Yes it did. I did not lose 20 pounds, but I have a firm policy of not gauging my weight loss with the scale, I lost one dress size so far, and I have maintained that size, my underwear/lingerie are all so loose I have to get new stuff in a size down, and I am happy with that progress. I am not following it to the letter, but with the principles it outlines, and with me slowly but surely being able to become progressively more active I am sure I will be back to where I was in 2011 in no time.

We are happy to make this our first title for the return of the Book Club, and with the advent of swimsuit season upon us, I am happy to recommend this program as the kick start to a series of full Lifestyle changes that will help you get ready to put your best face forward this summer!

Get Social With It:

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Like Author Haylie Pomroy on Facebook
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Follow  on Twitter

WIN IT

Our friends at She Speaks and The Fast Metabolism Diet want one lucky Ascending Butterfly reader to have the chance to kickstart and rev up their metabolism too!

Enter using the Rafflecopter Widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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FTC Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Post for She Speaks/Fast Metabolism Diet. I received compensation and a complimentary copy of the book, the sponsor is also fulfilling to the giveaway winner. All opinions are 100% my own.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

{Not So} Wordless Wednesday: @GetGorgEvents - Getting Gorgeous 2013 in New York City! #GettingGorgeous



I have been a super busy butterfly so keeping up with my event recaps has been a challenge lately, but I wanted to be sure to share highlights with you on one of my favorite annual events, Getting Gorgeous ( on Twitter) hosted by Audrey McClellan ( on twitterand Vera Sweeney (@VeraSweeney on twitter), the event offers attendees the opportunity to truly interact with a wide variety of brands in a way that is fun, stress free and interactive, because the event is held in sessions, it allows for a much easier flow of traffic than  conferences afford, which makes it easy and pleasant to be able to have an interaction of more than a split second with the brands in attendance.

This year Getting Gorgeous was held in conjunction with CVS Beauty Club ( on Twitter) as the title sponsor and CVS really pulled out all the stops, like a BB and CC Cream skin match station, hair styling, manicures, and a 'spin the wheel' for fun prizes. I won my choice of hair appliance and I selected the infiniti Pro by Conair 1875 Watt Salon Performance AC Motor Styling Tool. Since I Blow Dry my hair pretty much daily, this is definitely going to come in handy.

Olay, CC Cream, Ascending Butterfly, Wilsons Leather
Ascending Butterfly holds up Olay Total Effects 7 in one CC Cream Tone Correcting  with Broad Spectrum SPF 15

I also took a moment to visit the BB/CC Cream Matching station. Unfortunately, the artist wasn't able to find a good match for me with the Garnier BB Cream (actually I am glad that I tried it that way, it would have been a lot more expensive for me try them out for myself and find out that I couldn't find a true shade match), but I did find a Shade Match with the Olay CC Cream. I love the Olay CC Cream but because I have a ton of Acne Scarring, this gives me a light coverage so I still need some kind of concealer. But I did learn that CC Cream focuses a bit more on concealing pigmentation, redness, fine lines and wrinkles and is a bit more nourishing for the skin. I was glad to try the matching station because I wouldn't have thought that the light to medium would have been my shade and it was. (Since I know that may change when I get more sun, I can still use this and then put a touch of bronzing powder over it to match my skin once I get more sun).

I also had the chance to get my hair styled by Tovah Avigail ( on Twitter), she blew out my hair which was great because I didn't have a chance to do it that morning before I left the house to catch my train into the city! Thanks Tovah!

The only thing I skipped from this station was the manicure because my mani from the Agadir International Argan Oil event was still going strong (as is my Henna Tattoo Butterfly from that event!).  I was tempted to wipe mine off and let them give me a darker color, but I didn't.

Bacardi Classic Cocktails Light, BACARDI Light Strawberry Daiquiri, BACARDI Light Mojito, BACARDI Light Pina Colada
Ascending Butterfly enjoying a Light Mojito from the BACARDÍ Classic Cocktails Light collection

BACARDI Classic Cocktails Light, BACARDI Light Strawberry Daiquiri
BACARDI Light Strawberry Daiquiri


After all that primping and pampering it was a good time for a cocktail break, and since Bacardi was the Beverage Sponsor this year, I was pretty excited about saying hello. As a Latina, specifically 'Puertoriqueña', I have had the chance to visit the Bacardi Rum Bottling Plant in Catano Puerto Rico (if you are visiting you MUST take that tour!), and I was surprised to get the opportunity to sample Bacardi Classic Cocktails Light which is part of their new Low Calorie, Ready-to-Serve Line. The new Light Strawberry Daiquiri joins the Light Mojito and Light Piña Colada, at less than 95 calories for a four ounce serving, and as it's ready to serve, you have no prep time, making this perfect for your upcoming summer gatherings! They were all delicious and refreshing!



While I didn't stop to take photos with the cute backsplash (there were a few folks with little ones around this station when I stopped off), I did enjoy learning about Dial Kids New Body + Hair Wash (@Dial on Twitter) and I of course had to grab a rubber ducky while I was there because let's face it, who can resist a Rubber Ducky right? I know my niece is going to nab the 'watery melon' scent but I'm tempted to keep 'Peachy Clean' for myself because it's such a perfect subtle summer scent!



I got a super cute purple scarf from Thyme Maternity, they offer stylish fashions for expecting and new moms! I'm not yet a mom but they have styles that I would rock and I'm not even a mom!

Check out this look:



Super cute right? BTW Butterflies, if you are not already following them on Facebook you may want to go do so now as they are having a Mother's Day Sweepstakes to win 1 of 2 Thyme Maternity Shopping Sprees Worth $500!

After visiting with Thyme I visited the Tide Station where I took a Tide #Selfie picture:

Tide, Downy, TideDownySelfie Photo Station during Getting Gorgeous 2013
My #TideDownySelfie says: 'I Rock My Wardrobe by always having the perfect accessories' I was rocking my Kooba Handbag that day!
There was a Tide Pod sample in our gift bags! As well as Downy Scent Booster and a Downy Infusions Fabric Softener in a scent that I have not yet tried, I will definitely share more about it once I try it out.



General Motors (@GM @DistrictDrive on twitter) was also in attendance and they were hosting a contest to see how fast someone could pack items into a vehicle for a chance to win a loaner car for one week.


New Balance also showed some of their newest styles (sadly none were in the bags!) but they did have a photo backsplash with Heidi Klum for attendees to take pictures. Like the Dial Booth there was a bit of a wait so I opted to keep going so I wouldn't miss anyone!

Then I got the chance to visit one of my favorite stations of the day, Foster Grant and try on Sunglasses! And I found a pair that are making me consider switching back to contacts so I can rock these all summer long:

Foster Grant, Foster Grant 1929, Sunglasses
Ascending Butterfly striking a pose with her Foster Grant Sunglasses!

I call this my 'men in black' photo, think they will add me on as an Agent in the next sequel? (The Black Suit I am wearing is by Igigi and so is the red blouse underneath!)

I think next year the Getting Gorgeous team is going to have to partner with a vacation brand, because this year the sponsor brands were all making us think of summer vacations! 

I got to get sunAWARE with the folks at Coolibar who make clothing and hats that have UVA/UVB Sun Protection built into the fibers of the clothes! I was lucky that there was no one there when I up to them so I was able to ham it up and take some fun photos with Elvis!

Ascending Butterfly sporting a Lei and hamming it up with Elvis at the Coolibar Station at Getting Gorgeous 2013 (see the rep from the GM booth behind me? He was watching me ham it up!)

Here is the long shot:

Ascending Butterfly sporting a Lei and hamming it up with Elvis at the Coolibar Station at Getting Gorgeous 2013 (Black Suit I am wearing and red shirt under it is by IGIGI)

I found some super cute swimsuit cover ups and fun summer fashions at the Coolibar station. Like Coolibar I take sun protection seriously, I lost my Great-Aunt who is also my Godmother to Skin Cancer, so I take Sun Protection very seriously! I love that not only can you protect yourself with sunscreen creams for your skin, you can also wear clothes with the sun protection built in!

Sunglasses and Summer Fashions definitely have awakened in me a deep 'wanderlust' so I'm thinking it's time to take a long weekend and go exploring!



There was also a very unique station called Love Jac Cards, they make photo mounted greeting cards, limited edition handcrafted cards, custom designed occasion cards and even a card of the month club. I'm a huge stationery buff, I always have been, and have had penpals since childhood, so I was super excited to meet Jac Cards and even gave them a suggestion to add some butterfly designs to their line, I'll definitely keep you all posted when that does happen! We got to select our own card and I can tell you it was a difficult choice because I love them all! My penpals have often told me I should design cards, and this brand certainly made me think more about that idea!


There were quite a few amazing Fashion Brands in attendance, all with different and specific niches, and the third Fashion brand I met was Thread & Butter who specialize in Plus Size Fashions! As a curvy girl, even at my absolute ideal weight I have always had curves, which I'm sure my fellow curvies will understand when I say the hardest thing to shop for is jeans and pants when you are curvy, I have a small waist but wider hips and jeans tend to gap at the back because they are too big from the waistband. And I don't know about you, but this curvy girl is sick of florals and un-sexy and un-trendy fashion, Thread & Butter is here to help address just that and I got to check out their trendy plus fashions first hand during Getting Gorgeous, and this is one of the reasons that Getting Gorgeous is a *MUST* attend event for me. I love meeting brands that are entirely new to me, as well as getting time with Brands that are already trusted household names. I invited Thread & Butter to come back and work with us directly so stay tuned, I hope to feature them again here soon!



Another brand that was new to me was Haute Tags, who make Jewelry that was born out of a love for Social Media and the connections made on sites like Twitter, you can have tags made with your twitter handle or a favorite hashtag. I'm thinking @Ascending1 would make a fantastic Haute Tag, don't you? You can have them custom made and they come with or without Swarovski Crystals. As for me, YES Please with Crystals! or Maybe I should have the hashtag '#TwitterPartyDJ' done, hmmm I wonder if you have can have the tag made double-sided? I'm going to have to look into that!




Stokke was at Getting Gorgeous 2013 and they showed their super cute Strollers (I love The Ultimate Connection Stroller) and the ones they brought for display were all in an aweseom stylish Plum color!) and it's so funny that for the past week while attending various events, I've spotted the Stokke Stroller's in the City. I love that since it raises up the child closer to you (and you can adjust the height) you are able to interact with your baby much easier.



And with Allergy Season upon us, I was happy to see Puffs in attendance, in fact my box is already on my night side table!


Bloggers Ascending Butterfly, Enjoying this Life, philZENdia, New York Chica, pose with Bella Andre Gift Bags provided by Harlequin
Left to Right: Tracy of Ascending Butterfly(I'm wearing an animal  print trenchcoat by Wilsons Leather and a black suit by IGIGI), Patty of Enjoying this Life, Diane of philZENdia and Lisa of New York Chica hold up Harlequin Bella Andre Gift Bags

And last but not least to continue along with the 'travel' vibe that was given off by this year's Getting Gorgeous, Harlequin gave us gift bags with their Romance Title: "Bella Andre The Look of Love", myself and some of my favorite fellow New York Bloggers posed for a photo with our gift bags! You can follow the author on Twitter @bellaandre.

As always, Getting Gorgeous delivered and then some, I got to re-connect with Brands I already love, and meet great brands that were new to me, but I'm sure will become new favorites! The only thing they need next year is a vacation company, because after loading up on great fashion gear, getting new sunglasses and great summer beach or poolside reading material (not to mention having a light summer cocktail by BACARDI) all I need now is the beach resort to haul all my new goodies to!

Happy Wordless Wednesday Butterfly! Bloggers post your link as a comment here so we can visit your Wordless Wednesday Posts too!

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FTC Disclosure: Getting Gorgeous is an invite only event, Gift Bags and Samples are provided at the event for editorial consideration, no monetary compensation has been received to share my event recap and all opinions are 100% my own.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Finally the perfect Argan Oil Product for Fine Hair! My Day in Morocco with @AgadirInt #moroccanspaday



Last week the Rooftop bar of the Library Hotel in New York City was transformed into a Moroccan Paradise for the Agadir International's 'Journey to Morocco with Agadir Argan Oil' event.  Guests were able to indulge in Manicures, Massages, Henna Tattoos, as well as hair styling to help match each guest to the appropriate Agadir Argan Oil Product for their hair.

I was able to get a walk through of each of the products in the line, and I followed that with hair styling and a very helpful hair consultation with Carlos who asked all the right questions about my hair and my morning routine to help match me to the right products. Since I blow dry my hair daily and flat iron often, he recommended (as well as used on my hair on the spot) the Heat Shield 450 which will protect hair from high heat styling appliances like Blow Dryers and Flat irons, and because I have fine hair he also recommended the Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner.

Agadir, Argan Oil, Hair, Beauty, Haircare, Volumizing, Heat Protectant, Shampoo, Conditioner
Stylist Carlos gave me great ideas on what to do with my hair this summer at the Agadir Argan Oil Moroccan Spa Day Event at the Library Hotel in New York City!

I will tell you that after having it used on my hair I found it to be one of the most light weight Argan Oils I've tried so far, it didn't make the scalp and the hair toward the front look greasy at all, and it also offered me true versatility, whether I choose to wear it curly or straight, my hair looked shinier and healthier, it did hold the curl well and the front of my hair which was styled straight stayed straight.

Agadir, Argan Oil, Hair, Beauty, Haircare, Volumizing, Heat Protectant, Shampoo, Conditioner
Stylist Carlos is adding the finishing touches to my hair! I am holding the Heat Shield 450 Plus Treatment.

About Agadir ™ Argan Oil Hair Treatment:

Agadir™ Argan Oil is extracted from the rare and exotic nut (cross between a walnut and almond) of the Argan tree. This wonder oil has the characteristics of being very lightweight and non-greasy. Its conditioning powers are beyond compare when combined with our fine, professional formulation. Argan oil has a low molecular weight, which instantly penetrates into the hair shaft, without weighing the hair down. Agadir™ Argan Oil Hair Treatment is left in the hair for continuous conditioning, leaving it soft, silky, manageable with a long lasting, luxurious shine.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Agadir™ Argan Oil Hair Treatment Properties:
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Contains 100% Pure and Certified Argan Oil
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Repairs, softens & strengthens dry, brittle, frizzy hair 
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Not oily or greasy + no buildup to make hair heavy and flat
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Reduces drying time (40-50%)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Quick absorbent, alcohol free formula
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Natural Antioxidant
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Moisturizing formula nourishes and eliminates dry, itchy, scalp
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Encourages healthier hair growth
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Great hair control and manageability
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Paraben AND Sulfate Free!

Argan Oil, Hair, Haircare, Agadir, Heat Shield 450, Heat Protectant, Blow Dry, Flat Iron
Who I am wearing: Green Jacket: Wilson's Leather, Blouse: Karen Kane JeansSignature by Levi Strauss & Co. Women's Curvy Skinny Jeans, Handbag: Ecco "Natal" Handbag in color 'cognac'

While I haven't had a chance to try out all the products that Carlos recommended that I got to take home, I did like the results he achieved with just the Heat Shield 450 plus Spray Treatment (that protects, repairs and shines!) and the Agadir™ Volumizing Hair Spray - Firm Hold. It helped me keep the soft, frizz free curl he added to my hair all day.

Daily Volumizing Conditioner, Styling Mousse, Argan Oil, Agadir, Hair, Haircare
Had to capture a shot of this cute vignette I set up with the Daily Volumizing Conditioner and the Agadir Argan Oil Styling Mousse

Because I do have fine hair, he recommended the Volumizing products to help give my hair body, and still having the added benefits that Argan Oil offers the hair. They also have a blow dry round brush that actually has Argan Oil infused into bristles of the brush already, which helps to cut down styling time since the product is already infused into the brush! I have to tell you this brush totally ROCKS!

Butterfly Henna Tattoo, Manicure
Got a blush of pink nail polish at the Mani Station plus a super cute Henna Butterfly Tattoo!

I also stopped over at the Manicure Station (they did my nails in the softest hint of pink!) and then followed that with my very first Henna Tattoo, I asked for a Henna Butterfly and couldn't be more thrilled with my Butterfly!

Butterfly, Henna Tattoo, Manicure,
Later in the day the puffy top layer drops off and you are left with the Henna  Tattoo on your skin that lasts about 2 weeks!

We even had the option of adding Glitter to the Henna Tattoo which I definitely said yes to! It was also nice to have the chance to eat, enjoy the view on the outside of the rooftop and catch up with my favorite New York Bloggers!

My Take:

Butterflies Agadir Argan Oil is definitely one to watch and put on your Haircare Radar! Right now they are being sold exclusively in salons, but they plan to roll out their website so that consumers may purchase the products online at their site.  They did let me know that if you see it right now both online and even at Mass Market Drug Stores, the products you are seeing are more than likely fakes or even expired product which would make it less effective, so only buy these at the Salon for now until they are available for purchase directly from the Agadir International website.

I noticed that it seemed to really work well for ALL types of hair. While I was at each station I got the chance to see different people getting styled, and the products really worked well for such a diverse and wide variety of hair types.

Once I have had the opportunity to try out the entire line from A to Z on a regular basis, I will definitely report back to you with additional feedback!

Butterflies, Have you already tried Agadir Argan Oil? If so, please let us know how it is working for you!


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FTC Dislcosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post, no compensation has been received to share our feedback of the preview press launch, we were fed, pampered and given gift bags, all opinions are 100% my own!

Monday, April 29, 2013

Motivation Monday: Live Your Dreams!


Butterflies, sometimes the only one standing in your way of a major dream or accomplishment is YOURSELF. Let the doubters doubt you, Let the 'haters' hate you, but don't ever give up on your dreams! Does your dream seem un-attainable? GOOD! You are on the right track! This week challenge yourself to do ONE thing you normally would never do! (And come back and share what you accomplished this week here, so we can all encourage you and in the process motivate each other!) 

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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a Sponsored Post!