Chester County or Bust!

How many of you remember living here as kids, and wishing and dreaming we could get out of this God forsaken hole in the wall?  I remember in high school thinking how horrible West Chester was, and why would anyone want to live her, let alone actually move here on purpose.
  I grew up in Chester County, this barren land, that as a teenager was boring!!  And now...I sit back and see that I started a family here in a place I couldn't wait to get away from.  I have become so connected to so much in this community that I couldn't see my life anywhere else.
We are all so lucky to raise our families in a community that cares about each other, and I mean truly cares.  I couldn't decide what was going to be my 1st topic for this websites blog, and then it hit me,. after seeing over 115 shares in less then an hour, on my post about the 12 year old missing girl, my blog topic would be Chester County.  This place is amazing.
 We take so much of it for granted, and it is honestly far superior to anywhere else I would ever think of living.  We have such diverse cultures, landscapes, all in a very small area.
I started this page last August, because I wanted to buy and sell from other locals, instead of from people in the city etc.  After 8 months of building this page, this community has come together in so many ways.  We have feed families together, we have celebrated holidays for those who could not have done it on their own, we have collected money in the cold for those less fortunate, we have made new friends, we have helped our neighbors, we have helped local businesses prosper, and we have helped connect those who might never have connected.
I am so thankful for each and every one of you.  To those of you who have made this road a bit rougher then I ever expected and to those who helped pave it smooth.  I can't imagine what my life would be like now without you all.  It has only been 8 months and this group again makes me appreciate this community, this Chester County community we are all so lucky to live in.

So on days that you are bored, wishing you were lying by a nice warm sunny beach, or a beautiful old relic in Europe, remember, this place has more then those places ever could offer, it has a community that I don't hear about from many others, and look around, Chester County truly is beautiful!!  Walk the fields, enjoy the fresh air, stroll through one of our towns, eat in a small cafe, have lunch at a local park, and remember how lucky you are to be part of such a tight knit community...I know I certainly am!

Chesco...here we go!!
www.forsalefreeortrade.com LAUNCH!

~Joy

FSFOT...yes I am a real person! :)

So I receive so many emails in a day asking what's going on, links to events, rule clarifications etc, so I decided to start a blog to keep everyone updated on what's going on. I do get asked am I really a local mom, is there really only 1 person, and the answer is yes.  I am a local wife and mother of 2 beautiful girls.  I grew up in East Goshen and still live here today.  I went to WC East, Millersville and then worked in Corporate World USA--yuck!  I then got married, ran an advertising business that I then became an owner in and resigned 5 years later to start a family.  So now I am home with my 2 little ones, and enjoying every minute.  So please be patient, I seriously am just 1 person weeding through the 500+ emails a day.  Please start "following" this blog so you guys can stay up to date on what's going on! I will have giveaways and more done here too!

I am super excited for the website launch next week!  The website is going to include a Featured Member area each week, a Featured Local Business each week, a calendar of events for each county, and For Real Deal links to deals at local businesses at least 50% off retail exclusive to you guys!  I am also going to have a link to Chester County news...sponsored by the Chesco Does team.  I will have a link to Chesco on The Cheap, a local blog all about saving you money.

I have learned a lot since this page started, August 22nd 2011, yes it has only been 8 short months since this local addiction started.  I apologize to the spouses who are complaining about their better half's addiction and constant refreshing of this page.  I hear about laptops in bed, "just one more minute" on the page, and so many other funny stories.  My husband is excited for the potential of this page to actually become a business because as of right now he just sees it as me "playing on the computer" that takes up a lot of time and money. :)  I have heard hysterical stories about buying and selling.  I have learned of friendships being formed from this site that blows me away.  We awarded a prize of over $1500 to a local member thanks to local businesses!  

I sit back and think about how many people this page has helped and it makes me realize that in life, everyone can make a difference.  YOU all have made a difference in another member's life.  We were able to provide Christmas for 2 families this year, and 2 very nice Christmases at that!  We booked out 5 days of Bell Ringing for Salvation Army to raise money to support local in need, we have hosted multiple Charity Online Auctions to raise money for animal rescues, cancer charities and more!


I thank you all, I am PROUD of this page and what it has helped to accomplish for so many.  I look forward to the day we are known nationwide not only for selling and buying, but for bringing an online community together in each of our neighborhoods!  I look forward to the day that people start talking to their neighbors again and join in fun OUTSIDE events, not just things online.  I look forward to the day that we purchase more from local business them from the big names.  


So we all have an agenda, and mine is to reach 10k by August 22nd, anyone able to help spread the word??  Share www.facebook.com/forsalechestercounty 


Chat Soon~

Joy