Friday, September 25, 2009

Welcome to the Garden State....

My family and I were Extremely lucky and honored to have Moxie Mona...the Spokeswoman from Moxie Media Drop by for a little visit on the last leg of her Cross Country Journey.




Picking her up from the Philadelphia Airport....She was looking a little tired...from 4 days...and 40 some odd states....but was looking forward to seeing what New Jersey was all about...




Being the fabulous Amazonian woman that she is....and growing up on Paradise Island....she didn't really know anything about New Jersey....she did say though that while on a layover in Chicago her fellow passengers had no trouble relaying their ideas about the Garden State....




She really was starting to wonder how great could New Jersey Be....with people saying phrases like "Big Hair"






"Armpit of the Country",








"Dirty Factories"







"Jersey Boys"






I told her that being a self proclaimed West Coaster...I myself moved here with many of the same stereotypes running through my head....but I assured her that I would show her that New Jersey really does live up to it's slogan of the Garden State....and that there is much more than Newark and Camden.....(MUCH MORE)






Our First Stop was to one of my Favorite little towns in my neck of the woods....New Jersey is full of Quaint Bouroghs and villages....many which have been around since before the revolutionary War.




*** George Washington Crossed New Jersey 12 Times during the Revolutionary War. Many Historical Buildings in New Jersey, were visited by him ****









Pooh loved showing Mona his favorite Town....and of course it is home to my favorite Fabric Store....which of course we had to go in and check out....little did I know Moxie was a fellow fabric Maven.....







Moxie was also a huge help in being my assistant with the latest photo shoot for Noah Baby Boutique. She is an expert in lighting and backgrounds....














On the Way Home, we showed Mona what a "Jug Handle" is....a way for us to make a left hand turn...by going right......by the end of her stay she still didn't get it.....(that's okay Mona....I've been here almost 3 years and I still don't get it



The following day....We took Mona to a super cute farm/petting zoo.....New Jersey has a large agricultural region...and is actually the 5th largest wine producing state in the country.....Mona and the animals got along quite well....she loved the cut your own flowers....and channeled her inner farm girl sitting in the hay truck....

















On our final day....(Mona's trip was fairly short...with other fabulous Blogging ladies to still visit)...we took Mona down the shore...It wasn't exactly like her Paradise Island home...but she did exclaim it was a beautiful view...and just as relaxing....when all you need is surf and sand....






**Cape May (on the southern tip of NJ) has the distinction of being the oldest seashore resort in the United States and one of the most unique. ***












We were so happy that Mona chose Project Mommyhood to be the one to show her the Great State of New Jersey....and she now can go home...and tell everyone back on Paradise Island...that she didn't even see big hair once!


Here are some other interesting facts about the Garden State

  • North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world with seven major shopping malls in a 25 sq. mile radius.
  • Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Redman, Das EFX, Naughty by Nature, Sugar Hill Gang, Lords of the Underground, Jason Alexander, Queen Latifa, Shaq, Judy Blume, Arron Burr, Whitney Houston, Eddie Money, Frank Sinatra, Grover Cleveland, all New Jersey natives.
  • New Jersey is home to the Miss America pageant held in Atlantic City.
  • The light bulb, phonograph (record player), motion picture projector were invented by Thomas Edison in his Menlo Park laboratory.
  • The first baseball game was played in Hoboken
  • Modern paleontology, the science of studying dinosaur fossils, began in 1858 with the discovery of the first nearly complete skeleton of a dinosaur in Haddonfield, New Jersey. The Hadrosaurus is the official New Jersey state dinosaur.

**** And Mona....really wants you to enter the Laundry Monster Giveaway on the previous Post....She would enter herself...but doesn't think it would be fair...cause she wins EVERYTHING....So Go...Go NOW...and Enter! *****

16 comments:

MrsM said...

Do you watch How I Met Your Mother? There was an episode about New Jersey, and this post reminded me of Marshall (Jason Segel) shouting "I LOVE NEW JERSEY! I'll never have to hold my own drink again!" LOL.

It sounds like you had fun =)

S Club Mama said...

love the Noah Baby Boutique. Cute tie.

Liz {Learning To Juggle} said...

Looks like a good time!!! (from one misunderstood state resident to another...at least no one thinks you are part of New York!!)

Claremont First Ward said...

Loved reading about New Jersery! In the Boston area there are a lot of those left hand turns from the right hand lane, too. WEIRD.

MamaJoss said...

I lived in NJ my entire life, until I re-planted in PA...and I miss it believe it or not :) I'll take a walk on the boardwalk over a tractor ride anyday! Loved your post...and glad to have found your blog :) I grew up in Middlesex and then Ocean County. Where about are you now?

Unknown said...

My head is still going in circles over those turns. I still don't even understand the value of round abouts. Mona's trip to the beach looks fabulous....and I must say her hair do fit in quite well with the NJ big hair!

Unknown said...

And also, we may be the one state the locals unofficially consider to be "two" states a la "North" and "South" Jersey. As many of the North Jerseyans I went to college with liked to point out, we from South Jersey say everything wrong.

Kameron said...

Aww, she didn't get to meet the Real Housewives of New Jersey? She would have seen some big hair then! I too am a transplant from the west cast, so I had a lot of misconceptions (and some things that turned out to be true) about the East! Hope we dispelled them for Mona on her visit!

Scary Mommy said...

I grew up with those crazy turns in Boston-- what's up with them?? Madness!!

Laura said...

OMG Mona went to the Jersey shore without me? What a lucky girl and you all showed her a wonderful time. Come stop by today to see Mona landing in San Francisco sweetie!

Grand Pooba said...

Seriously, I would be scared to death to drive in the east coast! left turn by turning right? wha????

I love that you buried Mona in the sand, she is one dirty girl!

The Blonde Duck said...

Popped in to follow Mona! I never knew NJ was so versatile!

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh! Buried in the sand-hilarious!!

Unknown said...

I'm a devoted southerner...I loved the New Jersey tour! And the tie shirt from Noah Baby Boutique was so stinkin' cute!

kimcox said...

Thanks for visiting me.

I have never been to New Jersey but have always thought about going. So glad you gave me a great tour.

Lani said...

I tell ya, that Mona sure does get around:) You are so lucky to be honored with her presence:)

I wanted to invite you to stop by and join the Blog For A Cure blog Party that I am hosting at www.whoknewreviews.blogspot.com- it's a great way to get new followers, win prizes, and support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Hope to see you over there!