Growing up in the south, Memorial Day barbecues and pool parties always signified the start of summer.  Now that I live in New York, summer really starts for me when Union Square Green Market comes alive.  Week by week, I anticipate summer and watch it grow closer based almost entirely on what produce is for sale on Saturday mornings in Union Square.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been able to stock up on fresh asparagus, mushrooms and herbs.  This weekend, the first batch of strawberries made their debut, and each week as the summer progresses, I’ll pick up something new--including amazing tomatoes, apricots and sweet corn.

The beauty of all these fresh ingredients from local farmers is that you don’t have to do much to them to make them taste good.  I usually show up at the market, pick up whatever I think looks good and work out a plan when I get home.  

Last week, that meant a super-simple, summery potato salad with cremini mushrooms, shallots, dill, oil and vinegar.  Who knows what next week will hold…

Valerie 

Last week, when I went to meet a few friends for drinks in the West Village, I walked in to see every single one of them glued to their iPhone/Blackberry, and they barely even noticed me. What were they so enthralled in? Well one was checking in on Foursquare, another was tweeting about the delicious cocktails, and the other was figuring out where to go for dinner through the Urban Spoon app.

While I may have been slightly annoyed at first, I realized that social media has truly become a part of our everyday life – not just the free time at our computers anymore. With the growth of smartphones and fast wifi connections, people are updating right on location...relationships are being made online and then transferred into real life and vice-versa. The online world has been integrated into every part of what we do...the people we meet, the things we buy, the places we go. And there's no turning back; by 2015, the mobile Web will be bigger than desktop Internet use.

The next morning, when I snoozed my phone alarm to put off getting out of bed for another 10 minutes, I checked out Facebook on my iPhone and got excited to see 2 photos tagged of me and a friend request from a new person I’d met the day before.

Olivia

It’s 1997.  I’m 11 years old and completely, utterly obsessed with the hottest band on the market: Hanson - their songs, their long blonde locks, their terrible choice in clothing – all of it.  If someone told me I’d be seeing them perform five, full-length albums 13 years later, I probably would have said, “see you there!” 

Flash forward to 2010.  It’s the end of April and I’ve been gearing up for a legendary event that most people will never have the chance to experience.  Yes, Hanson, the band that fell off the face of the Earth in the 90’s, was about to perform a five-night concert series at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre, playing their entire discography: one album each night. I never doubted that they would make it this far.

I’ve been on a long journey with Hanson, from obsession in 5^th grade, to embarrassment in 8^th grade and finally to empowerment and passion in high school and beyond.  They’ve inspired multiple facets of my life through both their music and experiences in the music industry.   In fact, I credit Hanson as a major player in my decision to pursue public relations and eventually become part of the staff here at Hunter Public Relations.

Here’s the back-story: While everyone else thought they disappeared after MMMBop, Hanson actually continued to work on recording music, struggling with their record label for four years.  Finally, they broke their contract and decided to start their own independent label, 3CG Records. In 2004, nearly seven years after their breakout song, they released their first independent album, Underneath.  I saw this new beginning as a huge opportunity for them to re-introduce themselves to both the media and consumers.  But did you know about their new album in 2004?  Or the one after that, The Walk, in 2007?  Probably not.  I admire Hanson for the hardships they’ve gone through and the music they’ve made as a result, but media-wise, they could have made much better decisions.  That’s why I decided to share with all of you some of Hanson’s NEW music from their forthcoming album Shout It Out, hitting stores June 8.

The band’s five-night series was brilliant – it was their way of thanking longstanding fans like me while also making a splash in the greatest city in the world, New York.  And they made their splash!  Hanson appeared on the TODAY Show, Late Night with David Letterman and had a full-page spread in this week’s New York Magazine.  A great start getting the word out!  They’re hitting the road this summer touring with Rooney and playing songs off Shout it Out – if they’re in your city go check them out!

A final thank you after a long week of music.

I invited a few Hunter’s with me to the concerts last week – some were excited, some were embarrassed and some were nervous to see what Hanson sounded like all these years later.  Take a look below!

Hope you enjoy re-discovering one of the greatest pop bands out there!

Nancy

A traditional Mother’s Day for me is one I always look forward to. Starting off with kisses from my wonderful children for every year I’ve been a mother. 7 kisses from my son and 14 from daughter this year, then partaking of a wonderful breakfast my husband and children prepare consisting of pancakes, eggs, and bacon & fruit salad. Although, my fruit salad never really makes it to the tray because my son believes he must sample the fruit to make sure they’re just right.

I then look forward to Sunday Mass where we receive our Mother’s Day blessing, followed by an early dinner with parents, grandparents.

Although my Mother’s Day tradition comes only once a year, Mother’s Day is everyday for all Mother’s who know they are loved and appreciated.

Linda      

There was a time in middle school when I went to my dad’s dental office for Bring Your Child to Work Day. Not only did I learn about the art of filling cavities and crafting dentures, but I also realized that the most rewarding part of his job is building patient relationships. That day gave me a better understanding of why he loves going into work every single day.

Fast forward 10 years and the tables turned.

Last week, Hunter Public Relations hosted its first-ever Bring Your Parents to Work Day. Over time, we've found that many of our parents and extended family members have little to no idea about the life of a PR professional. As a result, Hunter PR conducted a survey to see what the staff's family members thought PR executives typically handle. Overall, our survey concluded that 45% of family members believe the job involves creating a print ad or TV commercial, and 85% of people wish they had a better understanding of what PR professionals do for a living.

We organized a jam-packed schedule of activities for our 70+ attendees, with PR 101 courses including brainstorming, media training and social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs). We also offered our family members hands-on electives to introduce them to Hunter PR’s client roster, which included wine tasting, whisky tasting featuring our clients Bushmills and Johnnie Walker, recipe development featuring Campbell's cooking soups, and a gift-wrapping demo featuring Scotch tape and Scotch gift-wrapping supplies. The gift-wrapping course even included a special appearance by 2008 Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper, Alton Dulaney.

We would like to thank all of the family members for attending and making the event a huge success. The day’s activities were informative, inspiring, engaging, and most importantly, fun!

A few words parting words from the parents:

“I learned about the elements of the brainstorming process. I can see why my daughter is always so excited when she talks to me about her job.”

- Jill Fishgold (Nancy’s mom)

“I learned a lot about PR today – especially social media!”

- Karen Bitting (Kaitlin’s mom)

“Today I learned how a company’s culture of fun and professionalism can drive excellence in the PR business. Hunters rock!”

- Bob Palestine (Danny’s dad)

Tracy Hom with her parents, Joe and Emily Hom