When the 'fun' starts to wear off...

Don't be deceived... getting married is still fun! I just realized that planning a wedding involves WAY more details than I ever thought possible! Guest lists and rings and chuppah and ketubah and decor and outfits and dresses and most of all, making sure everyone is happy and feelings don't get hurt!Thank G-d I have three dear friends/co-workers helping me plan... except we all got sidelined by our two biggest work events that are taking place next week. That is the only bummer of us all working together. So planning is on a hiatus until CHOICES and Men's Event are over and then we will get back down to it!Oh I just can't wait to get started again!!! :) I am working with this awesome chick on designing my wedding invitations. Brooke at Paper Candy is doing a custom design for us and I am SO excited. Being a pseudo designer... finding the right invitation design was VERY hard...Oh wait... no talking about wedding planning until next Friday... oops...:o)Until then, friends...

Helping the Victims of Hurricane Sandy - Tikkun Olam

There are many ways to help Hurricane Sandy victims. I wanted to share a post here from a friend on Facebook, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz who runs Uri L'Tzedek (Awaken to Justice) - a Jewish organization committed to making this world a better place.This was posted today: November 2, 2012

If you are looking for opportunities for today to volunteer in NYC:1. There is a shelter on 192nd and Audobon (inside the public school) that needs volunteers.2. 200 East 5th street at 10:30am to distribute food and supplies. Bring dry food (granola bars, sandwiches, etc)3. The Mazel School is still requesting volunteers today at 2901 Brighton 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11235, and donations at http://www.donatemazel.com4. The Jewish Community Project and Chabad will be meeting at 1 PM today in front of Independence Plaza (310 Greenwich Street) to assist the elderly in those buildings. Please bring extra flashlights, water, batteries, and supplies, in case it is needed.
For Sunday:Uri L'Tzedek is joining with the Jewish Center and Ansche Chesed to visit the elderly on the UWS. Although they did not lose power, the hurricane was frightening and many regular visitors were unable to stop by this week. Come comfort these elderly members of our community by making packages at the Jewish Center and bringing them to the Jewish Home and to other members of the community.Sunday, November 4th at 10:30 am at the Jewish Center (131 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10024 ) and the program concludes at 1:30 pm. A light lunch will be served upon your return. This program is part of UJA-Federation of NY’s Jewish Social Action Month.Additionally, you can see more opportunities listed by Repair the World.
In addition, my organization - Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado - is collecting donations to give to our headquarters in NYC (Jewish Federations of North America). If you are, like me, not in NYC and can't volunteer, consider making a gift to help the Jewish communities recover in NYC. Go to http://jewi.sh/hurricanesandy to donate.
Lastly, a friend of mine who is from Denver... but who I met is Israel has been impacted. Her sister's home and Chabad house was washed away with nothing but the clothing on her back and one picture surviving. Her family is without a home and all their seforim (Jewish holy books) have been destroyed. If you want to make a donation specifically to only this family, read their story by clicking here then donate!
I hope everyone has a place to be for shabbat and that we move into next week with some joy!

Best Email Signature Program

I have totally fallen for WiseStamp in the past year. I love using it to sign my emails. It feeds my social media obsession and allows more customization than GMail.Imagine my horror when my WiseStamp wouldn't show up in GMail's new compose new mail interface!!! (it is great by the way, i really like what they have done... except...)Thankfully, WiseStamp addressed it here on their blog - http://help.wisestamp.com/troubleshooting/wisestamp-isnt-working-with-the-new-gmail-compose-and-gmail-replyWell... it isn't perfect (telling you to switch back to the old email interface) but it will do for now until they can build the product to work with the new interface.If you are unfamiliar with the product, I recommend you check it out. My signature looks like this:It really adds something to emails and you can change it any time! Check it out!

Fair Trade Coffee Goodness!

I received a box of some free k-cups to try the other day. I was SUPER excited since I A. LOVE using the Keurig machine at work and B. was running out of my regular coffee cups. :)So these were from Green Mountain. It was a selection of their fair trade coffee and OMG they were so good!!! Really great flavors. I had the Vermont Country Blend, Colombian Fair Trade Select, Sumatran Reserve, and Wild Mountain Blueberry. I can't say the blueberry was my favorite but frankly, they were all pretty good! And, I really liked that they were Fair Trade... which means that the farmers are getting a fair price for their beans and they can reinvest that money into their coffee farms.In celebration of Fair Trade Month this October, Green Mountain Coffee has teamed up with acclaimed musicians Grace Potter and Michael Franti to take the pair to Fair Trade farming communities in Colombia and Sumatra. Visit the Green Mountain Coffee Facebook page at Facebook.com/GreenMountainCoffee for a behind-the-scenes look at each trip, and be there for the journey as Grace and Michael learn about the impact Fair Trade has on farming communities (and why it results in a better cup of coffee for you). By watching the videos and taking part in Fair Trade Month, you'll have the chance to unlock Fair Trade Certified Green Mountain Coffeesamples and coupons, and be able to enter for a chance to win your very own trip to a Fair Trade source country. Of course, it's not a celebration without a party, and there's no party without some great music. Visit the Green Mountain Coffee Facebook page to view live concert streams in the coming weeks as Grace Potter rocks New York City with her stunning voice and Michael Franti revs up the crowd with his infectiously energetic performance.So check out Green Mountain Coffee on their webpage - www.greenmountaincoffee.com and like their Facebook page - Facebook.com/GreenMountainCoffee for a chance to get coupons and deals! I receieved these samples and coupons because I am a BzzAgent. To learn more about this program, go to www.bzzagent.com

The Engagement Interlude

Ever since I got engaged I noticed a few things.First and foremost... I can't think about anything for any period of time without wedding planning creeping into my brain... it's like a bug... an awesome frilly, lacy bug... but a bug that distracts me from work. :)Next, the day after we got engaged, everyone immediately asked "So when is the wedding?" "Where are you getting married?" OY! I was still distracted by the shiny object on my ring finger... much less had started planning.Then the oddest thing started happening... to both of us... people (mainly women) would come to us and say "Awww, congrats! Now, can you help me find a guy?" (or girl in the rare occasions that it was a guy asking) So as soon as we were off the market it was assumed that we had Rolodexes of men and women that we were hording. With the engagement ring comes the responsibility to release all the names of the eligible people we had been hiding so as to hedge our bets... I think it's so funny. They wouldn't dream of asking us before we were engaged but all's fair now that we are attached... permanently.After a few times Dan and I looked at each other and he said, "You know... this is a good idea! I wish I could help them out." So we started trying to think of matches for these people. Heck, we are SO thankful to our friends for setting us up... why shouldn't we do that for someone else.Turns out... it's a little harder than it looks. I really don't want to make a bad match or have someone say "Did you REALLY think we would get along?" But at least I am aware of it now and I have started keeping a mental list of boys and girls in my head.Now that we are a month into our engagement (!!!!) and wedding planning is well underway, I am getting TONS of people giving me wedding advice. Which is fun... and slightly annoying at the same time. So I just tried to solicit it all at once on my Facebook. I got some pretty good stuff which I intend to publish here at a later date.Anyway, beyond all of this... being engaged to my best friend is the most amazing thing in the world. Stay tuned for wedding updates!

How does our garden grow?

In March, a friend asked me if I would be interested in meeting a guy friend of hers. "He's a really nice guy and very cute," she told me. "Sure," I said, "send me a picture?" She did and man, was this guy cute.We spoke for the first time in the beginning of April (2012). Halfway through our first date, I texted my roommate, "This is the man I am going to marry."Our dating experience could have been typical... dinners out, movies, etc. But our romance was far from that. About our second or third date, I told him about the garden I was setting up. You see, that winter I had put my name on a list to get a community garden plot at Ekar Farm here in Denver. Ekar is a part of the Denver Urban Gardens movement but it is more than a community garden. There is also a farm that produced almost 6,500 pounds of organic produce and donated it to Jewish Family Service's Weinberg Food Pantry. They have honey bees and apple trees and it is quite a beautiful place... but it wasn't that beautiful on April 1st when I saw my overgrown plot for the first time. I started to think I was a little out of my league.But then I met this guy... or as he is referred to on this blog, Sweet Boyfriend. You see, I invited him to join me at the garden one Sunday (after our third date) to help me clear out the plot and turn over the soil.We went to the garden with another friend of mine and pulled weeds. We cleared the old radishes out of the plot and he hand tilled the soil. Then we put bat poop and earthworm 'castings' (it's a fancy word for poop) on the soil. We tilled that and watered and watered and watered.He showed me how to set up the garden and we put some seeds in the ground. A few of my favorite veggies... carrots, beans, beets... he smiled nicely and let me do it... even though it wasn't the right season.But as our garden began to grow, and it did begin to grow... because he put MORE seeds in and starter plants, so did our relationship. On Sundays we would go to the garden and water and pick. Most days of the week he would water... unless I managed to get out of the door on time or he was out of town. I was so proud of this little plot of land! I didn't want to 'break' it.We read about gardens, he was growing tomatoes out of pots on his back porch. AND he had a garden at his parents house... he was now master gardener of THREE gardens!And then something magical happened. Just as we saw the seeds begin to sprout, he took me to a very cute bar and told me he loved me and had known he loved me for a while. I couldn't help but tell him that I had loved him for a while as well.Our love had sprouted.We both traveled in and out of town. We started spending every second of every day that we had available together. Phone calls to parents were missed... friends forgot what we looked like. We were absorbing each other. And so were our plants.Our empty plot began to have tiny plants. My impatience led to many conversations with these little guys, begging them to grow big and give me delicious food... little did I know...Our little plants needed support and care. Sweet Boyfriend bought poles and netting... stepping stones and organic plant food. Every time I visited the garden, there were new surprises.Every time I looked at Sweet Boyfriend, the depth of love I felt for him surprised me. How could I love him so very much in just two months, three months?! While he and I both remained somewhat skeptical and trying to think critically... though he more than I (which you know if you know us). But there was a tug there that was undeniable. To think of life without him... I draw a blank.And then, we produced our first vegetable. His name was Bob and he was a Calabacita. It means squash in Spanish but it is an actual kind squash. I WAS SO PROUD! In fact, I took the opportunity to freak out my parents by sending them an email with the subject line: "Sweet Boyfriend and I are proud to announce..."Yes, they were mad at me when they opened the email and it said - "Our first squash named Bob!" :) Bob was incredibly delicious. We went on to eat many Bobs... son of Bob, tiny Bob, giant Bob... Bob is good.Yes, that is Bob in the picture. We had no idea what he was at first but to taste the fruits of our labor? To eat something that we had grown together? Incredible. We ate him on Fourth of July... which was the same day that we as a couple, for the first time, hosted people at Sweet Boyfriend's house for a BBQ.We continued to show the world that our relationship was bearing fruit (or vegetables... or Bobs as the case may be).And yes, our relationship continued to evolve and grow. We met each others families and best friends. We even flew to Ann Arbor, Michigan so I could meet Sweet Boyfriend's very best friend from college. We created Jewish traditions for Shabbat and Havdallah. We got tickets to our first High Holy Days together.And then yesterday, Thursday September, 27th, 2012... as our garden was in full bloom, Sweet Boyfriend... my best friend... asked me to marry him in our garden. The garden that we nurtured and helped grow. The garden that has now produced nearly 250 pounds of produce. And, as I promised so many friends... here is how he did it:We are currently sharing a car as his blew up prior to a camping trip. He needed it yesterday for work so he dropped me off at my job in the morning. He came to pick me up after work. We had talked about maybe working out that afternoon but first we HAD to stop by the garden. It had been a rainy and cool few days and with Yom Kippur, we hadn't been to the garden in a couple of days. He lured me there with the notion that our watermelon... yes we grew a watermelon!!! might be ready.That day I had forwarded him an email from the minyan (a lay led synagogue) that we had been attending, suggesting that we should join and do a couples membership. He told me "Whoa, lo0k you have to give me a night to think about this. Joining a synagogue as a couple is a big step. I mean, it says something, especially if we aren't even engaged!"I could kick myself! How could I do that?! Scaring off the Sweet Boyfriend is NOT a good idea!So we proceeded to the garden. I flitted around... picking zucchinis and patty-pans while Sweet Boyfriend is off in a corner. La la la... no worries in the world.Sweet Boyfriend says: "Babe! Come here! You have to see this!"I come running. Is it a awesome squash? A yellow patty-pan? I come running. Just as I get to him, he turns around, looks me in the eyes and says: "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."   I froze. Holy crap. That isn't a squash. That is a ring. A beautiful ring."Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," I said."Can I put this thing on your finger before I drop it in the dirt?" Sweet Boyfriend said.Of course. And though, after a touch of canoodling in the garden, I was ready to get back to picking... he informed me that it was all just a ruse to get me there. And there is champagne on ice at home. And we are going out to dinner.Whoa, can this man plan!When it was all said and done, he has been planning this for a while. He spoke to my father at break the fast after Yom Kippur, the day before, to get permission. His folks have seen and approved of the ring (and me).He became a diamond expert and purchased me a stone cut in a vintage style... to match my vintage style... and he proposed to me in the garden we grew together.  So I must tell you this, I promised him I would not use his name online. He is a phantom like that... but he is no longer Sweet Boyfriend and Sweet Fiancee seems so temporary. Since, to us, this is as good as permanent... May I introduce you to Sweet Husband? Whoa, that was weird to write. :)

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur... The Important Stuff...

Ok. It's awful. I have been on my No Pants Dance for... how long? I can't remember! Four months? Am I delirious from no shopping? Oh dear.Here's the worst part...Rosh Hashanah in next week. I know! Terrible!What do you mean you don't understand?! Alright, I'll explain it.Rosh Hashanah is one of the Jewish New Years. The name literally mean head (rosh) of the year (hashanah). This is when we change the year (from 5772-5773). It is a happy, celebratory time but also reflective of the year past. We reflect and apologize for our mistakes then go into Yom Kippur and come out in Sukkot with freshly laundered souls. Very spiritual and cool... what the heck does this have to do with my No Pants Dance?I NEED A NEW OUTFIT FOR ROSH HASHANAH SERVICES!!! Everyone knows if you buy a new outfit for something, it's Rosh Hashanah!

I know, I'm crazy but seriously, I have had my eye on this dress at Shabby Apple for AGES and I really want it. For those of you who know me you know that I have a very specific style. I can only call it vintage/retro. Basically, I like to look like I live in the 1950's. There have been two online stores that have fed this addiction - Stop Staring and Shabby Apple. Stop Staring is great for a few pieces but I have just FALLEN IN LOVE with Shabby Apple. I don't think I have seen one dress I wouldn't wear from them!So I have a present for you, my readers... and possibly one for myself. Shabby Apple has given me a great discount code. Take 10% off your order (anything on their site) with this exclusive discount code - favorite10. But here is how it benefits me... if you use the link on the right, you know... right over there  --------------------------------------->I get a little something to buy myself a dress... and this blog could even win me one! So click on Shabby Apple, cruise around, find yourself a 'pretty lil thing' for the holidays and get a discount! It's a win win.Wanna see some of my favorites? OK! Here's what's on my shopping list:

OMG I WANT THEM ALL!And stay tuned. I have some No Pants Dance updates and holiday words for you, my dear friends!Shana Tova!

New Facebook Marketing Tactic

I recently spoke at a Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) training session about social media with a dear friend and SM phenom, Shana Sisk. While we were talking through some tactics, I mentioned that Facebook has a new marketing tactic that I have found very useful. They are calling it "Promoted Posts." I did not realize until then that this hadn't been rolled out system-wide yet. I am very thankful that Facebook choose me and my business page - Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado - to test this new option. It really came in handy with the recent disasters that have struck Colorado (fires and the movie theatre shooting).When we were faced with these tragedies, the Jewish community mobilized and wanted to give back to our neighbors. The Federation opened funds for donations and we distributed the money to agencies on the ground. I found the promoted post option was incredibly useful to get the word out.How does it work? I wrote a post on the business page and it gave me the option to "promote" it. I decided to check it out so I spent $5 each on two posts. By promoting the post, you show up in more newsfeeds, not just people who have 'liked' your business or are a 'fan' of your page.  This broadens your reach and you end up with a higher rate of views. For example, on our two posts that we 'promoted,' we saw this:

  • Wildfire post
    • Organic: 1,131 views
    • Viral: 496 views
    • Paid: 989 views
    • Total: 2,006
  • Movie theatre shooting post
    • Organic: 801 views
    • Viral: 142 views
    • Paid: 2,068 views
    • Total: 2,884

Without the promotion, we usually average 1,000 views... clearly, the promotion helped the movie theatre shooting post do very well and it gave a nice boost to the wildfire post. Each of those cost me $5. It is set up just like traditional PPC or PPI advertising but it is in the stream of Facebook consciousness in your newsfeed. I highly recommend trying it out when it is rolled out to you.One of my favorite sites for social media information, HubSpot, posted this great blog about the new promoted posts. I found it very helpful and hope you do as well. Click here to read: Facebook Tests Promoted Posts in News Feeds of Non-Fans.Has this been rolled out to you yet? Have you tried it? Let me know!