Bow Issa

*This is not a paid review and I have not tested the products personally

I have been internet friends with Marissa for more then two years now. Our babies were born in the same month and we met on an online forum called "What To Except". Then we moved onto to becoming Facebook friends. Marissa is a strong working single mom with two girls. I love her and find in her inspiration and strength that I don't think you can fake, even online. We live half way across the country from each other and have never met but someday I think we might. In the meantime we share stores and video and pictures of the little ones.
While Marissa works a normal 9-5 job right now she has had the great joy of finding something that makes her incredible happy. I think that when your facebook status says something to the effect of " Went home for lunch and started sewing and forgot to go back" pretty much shows just how sewing makes her feel. Since Marissa has the two children and the full time job she hasn't had time (especially with the holidays) to get a whole lot going for her sewing. She does however have a facebook fan page where you can place orders from her to buy this super cute bows she makes. They are custom and you can request colors and she will do what she can. The prices vary, more fancy ribbon costs more (duh).
So if you have a daughter or a niece or a facebook page I'd love for you to take a moment and check her out. Fan her page or make an order or just let her know that you took a moment looked and thing her stuff is great.

I took a risk

So, I have been looking for friends online. Ones that have kids and like to get out and do free or super cheap things around town. It is easier for me to approach someone that I have already talked to a bit online. We usually have something in common.
I recently discovered, became addicted, and recovered from facebook. I joined the circle of moms on face book. There is a group specifically for my metro area Portland, Oregon, so of course I joined that group. Then me and one of the girls were both looking for activites in the area so we friended each other. Then her Facebook status said "is enjoy my box of organic produce". I let her know that I thought that sounded yummy. So she told me where to she got it from
It was from this local company called Organics To You. She said it was really great and she loved it. So I checked it out. It is a local company that delivers boxes of organic produce right to your door (using biodiseal of course). They use mostly local farmers. Rachel Ray said the other day that local fresh produce is usually cheaper. They describe there boxes, but everything is subject to change.
I thought about reasons to try it and came up with so many. I wanted out of my cooking rut. I wanted more veggies in our diet. Autumn's doctor said it was important for her to have a variety of vegetable, not the same ones over and over. I took the risk and ordered the $50.00 box of mixed veggies and fruits. I got it all set up for monthly delivery. Yesterday, I got my first box. I think it was a really good deal. I wish I had gotten more carrots, but oh well not that big of a deal.
I also got completely out of my cooking rut! I have never used leeks, kale,beets or eggplant so I am surfing the net figuring it all out. It is fun. Last night I roast the beets and I am going to make a salad with them. I also roasted the eggplant with some garlic stuff in it and diced it up. I'm going to add it to chilli like you would corn. I am getting a leek and potato soup recipe from my new friend.
We got
salad mix, lettuce, several beets, 1 eggplant, 3 large oranges, 4 red pears, 3 green apples, and 3 or 4 red apples, a bunch of carrots, leeks, kale, 4 large potatos, 3 small lemons, broccoli, 12 button mushrooms, 2 yellow onions, a large garlic clove, and some orange califlower (never seen orange).
I think it is a good deal. I had to really squish it together to get it all in the camera.

I Won WooHoo

I just want to share with everyone this awesome new website. It is still in beta but it runs very smoothly. It is a social networking site (I know like you need to have another one to keep up with). I high recommend it though
It is called Moms Like Me. There are a few things that are simply great about it. First it is divided up into local areas. So you are talking and connecting with moms in your area. I love chatting online with other moms from anywhere. I especially like to learn how other cultures and different and the same as here in the US. Sometimes though, I just want to go get coffee with the girls.
Since we moved here I was on bed rest and then you know a newborn. Next the back spasms, so getting out and meeting people has been tough. Already I met some new friends. I learned about an indoor playground at a few gyms in the area. The cost is very cheap $2.25. So that was awesome!
Then they also have groups that anyone can make, since it is local, local business come on and make a group to host give away. It is really easy after you've made your simple profile all you have to do to enter these give away's is join the group. It is so easy just click join group. So I joined a few groups when I first signed up. One of them was for a give a way for a fair called NWKids Fest that is happening at the Oregon Convention center this weekend. I won tickets so now we can go. The tickets value for us was 25.00. They let you bring the whole family though so for a family of 5 that is a much higher value. I am so excited I just wanted to share.

Something good

I feel like a large part of this new blog has come out and been negative, or at least not happy. So I wanted to let everyone know about a happy thing that has happened recently. I signed up for this website called She Speaks, sometime in August. I didn't expect anything, it is the internet. I took a short survey very general.

Later in October I got an e-mail from them. I took another short survey, this one was like five questions. That was it I was qualified to participate in a sampling. Then in November I got my sample. The only thing I had to do was to write about my experience on their blog. I didn't have a set number of words or anything. I was also given coupons to share with friends. They were only 1.00 off, but not bad.

I got to try Ghirardelli's new milk chocolate peanut butter squares. They have little bits of peanuts in them. I loved them alot, so did my daughter. She told one the wrappers and hid it in the toy box. Then when my husband came home she went and showed them to him. I think she was trying to get more. It was really cute.