My best friend also just so happens to be my sister and our hot sunny Florida beach days, have now turned into cold blustery New York City days. Some of the best moments of living together in the Big Apple include: sharing clothes and cooking our father’s authentic Italian recipes.  Whenever we are out and about, people always mistake us for twins, even though she is four and a half years older! Guess who they think is the older one? Me! That’s how it has been since I was only 16!

My favorite part about living with my best friend is that I get to hear her music, which is so amazing! Ever since I can remember, Lauren was always singing around the house while we were growing up. She had her first big “break” at the age of 16 when she won Ed McMahon’s Star Search. At first I thought that I wanted to follow in her footsteps, but then decided to go a different route, and now my goal is to promote her as a professional singer and entertainer. Since the two of us are best friends, so far this has turned out to be a perfect combination!

I’m extremely proud to say that Lauren has performed at Carnegie Hall three different times and most recently she can be seen on the world tour with Yanni as his featured soloist. She sang at Radio City Music Hall last spring, and will be coming back to New York City for the 2012 spring tour.

You can view tickets here, but in case you’re unable to attend, be sure to check out the PBS special of the concert airing on March 3^rd! Click here to view her Facebook, Twitter, Youtube , Website and Myspace.

-Kellie

When I think of parties, especially ones during the holiday season, the word “bowling” rarely comes to mind. Mistletoe, hot cocoa, ugly sweaters … sure. But bowling? So when I learned that the 2011 Hunter Holiday Party (my first) was happening at a place called “Lucky Strike,” I held off on getting too excited.

Rookie mistake. Not only was the party a blast, but the venue couldn’t have been better. Unlike the hokey, nerdy bowling alley I had envisioned, Lucky Strike turned out to be a very classy lounge with a great vibe, incredible food, an awesome DJ and of course, some intense bowling.

We played pool, took our turns in the photo booth and enjoyed a night together out of the office. As the night wore on and drinks began to replace hors d'oeuvres, we even got a chance to let loose and bust a move on the dance floor, which made for some pretty entertaining dance battles. Let’s just say I taught a few people how to dougie.

So what has this newly minted Hunter learned from his first out-of-office social event? That Hunter Public Relations is an agency that both works hard and plays hard. At some agencies, the fast-paced nature of the work keeps you from really connecting to those around you on a level deeper than business collaboration. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. I’m glad I get to work with so many people who are both professional and incredibly fun. Here’s to having fun this holiday season!

-Jason Woodward

Like many people, the holiday season is my favorite time of year.  I love everything about December…holiday decorations, festive music and the spirit of joy that fills the air. Beyond anything though, I enjoy the act of gift giving. There is something meaningful about the process that goes into giving. It gives one a moment to take a step back, think about those that are important to them and identify the perfect gift that will bring a smile to their faces. What’s better than that feeling?

Finding the perfect gift is no easy task. That’s why I’ve put together a few of my tips for having a successful shopping and gift giving season:

1.     Start Early: Every November I put on holiday music, pour a cup of hot chocolate and grab my red notebook. Then, I sit down and make a list of everyone for whom I’d like to buy.  I give myself a few weeks to think about those people until I come up with the perfect gift for them. Shopping in December is much easier when you have a solid list in place.

2.     Shop Early (in the morning): I dislike crowds…a lot. But, I love malls (a conundrum, I know).  So, when I’m ready to shop I look up the opening hours for my area malls. I make sure I’m the first one there (large coffee in hand) so that I can get what I need, stress-free.

3.     Devise a Plan: I don’t do anything without a well-laid plan in place. Holiday shopping is no different. Before I go shopping, I write down the stores I need to go to, identify the items I’ll get in those stores and also, each store’s location in the mall. This way, I never have to backtrack or do unnecessary loops around a mall.

4.     Have Fun: Remember, holiday gifting is about more than material things. It’s about sharing a special moment with special people.

If you haven’t started shopping yet, don’t worry. You still have time to pull it off, but next year, start in November (trust me)!

Happy Holidays!

-Jamie

Year after year, food news dominates the headlines and 2011 was no exception. From recalls to changing food guidelines and from new products to food trends, we saw food stories captivate audiences from coast to coast. In our ninth annual food survey, we asked Americans to tell us which food stories meant the most to them and, perhaps more importantly, how the news affected their eating habits.

Our survey revealed the following as the top three food-related stories of 2011:

#1: Twenty-Nine Deaths Caused by Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak

#2: First Lady Michelle Obama with USDA Unveils MyPlate, Replaces Food Pyramid

#3: Global Food Prices Hit Record High

These stories obviously made an impact on consumers’ behavior as well. According to our survey, sixty-one percent of respondents changed their food habits in 2011 because of news coverage.

For a list of the top ten stories of 2011, click here.

For the first time ever, the Hunter PR Food Group collaborated with industry experts to compile the list of the top ten stories of the year. The folks we worked with include: Phil Lempert, editor of Supermarket Guru; Regina Ragone, food director of Family Circle; Elizabeth Fassberg, owner of food and nutrition consultancy Eat Food; Brad Thompson, chef and restaurant consultant; and Megan Steintrager, freelance food writer and editor.

As we are planning and looking forward to 2012, we also wanted to take a peek at what people have in mind for the New Year. According to our survey, 67 percent of Americans will set food-related resolutions, with approximately half of these addressing eating more whole grains or drinking beverages with less sugar. Also of interest is that 14 percent of Americans 18 and over said that they will continue to incorporate less meat into their diets.

You can check out the complete list of survey results and the full release here.

Additionally, we took to the streets of NYC to hear what people thought of this year’s top food-related stories. Check it out.

Come join the conversation of the top food stories of 2011 at a special Twitter party hosted by The Hunter PR Food Group on Thursday, December 15th from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST. You can follow the discussion via #HunterPRFood. Follow @HunterPR for more information.

Best wishes for a healthy, safe and delicious holiday season!

-Amanda

It’s the thick of the holiday season in New York City.  And while much fanfare is bestowed upon the Rockefeller Center tree each year, to me, what truly makes the city an enchanting place at the holidays is the myriad of corner tree vendors that spring up across the city.

I can still remember the first time I returned to the city from Thanksgiving break, filled with that bittersweet feeling of leaving family and friends and the excitement and anticipation of holiday festivities to come.  As I made the trip uptown from Grand Central, I saw them.  Everywhere.  On nearly every street corner.  Each had its own flair.  Some had lights, some music, some had inflatables, but each brought an undeniable helping of good cheer.  They come each year, often entire families, from upstate, New England and Canada and set up shop for the month.

Since that first sighting, I eagerly await the return of the tree vendors each year.  It is, for me, the true start of the season.  Here are some of my other favorite NYC scenes:

• The Holiday Fair at Grand Central Terminal – home to nearly 100 artisans and merchants, it’s a great place to find unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry, toys, and more.  Its location makes it ideal for lunchtime or after-work browsing.
• The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden – imagine replicas of some of New York’s iconic landmarks, constructed completely from tree bark, twigs, nuts and leaves – great for kids or to bring out the kid in you.  Wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers – the wait time can be long and the conservatory gets warm.
• Wollman Rink – home to a few past Hunter PR holiday parties, a skate at this open-air rink is the stuff holiday memories are made of. 

- Amanda

Not only did 11-11-11 mark an auspicious day on our calendar, it also celebrated a time-honored fall wardrobe staple, corduroy! You may ask, why 11-11, but if you take closer note you will notice the vertical numbers are nearly identical to the beloved corduroy pattern. For me, a true corduroy fan, there’s nothing like crisp fall weather and reaching into my drawer to pull out my softest corduroy pants. For those that have similar feeling and love for all things corduroy, you may consider joining the over 5,000 fans of the Corduroy Appreciation Club.

The Corduroy Appreciation Club, with chapters in cities across the world, brings together people who not only love corduroy but have an interest in meeting others who share a similar love for the fabric. They gather twice a year, eat linear themed foods such as ruffled potato chips, and cite oaths to wear corduroy as much as possible. Beware, if you attend the bi-annual meetings wearing less than three items of corduroy you will sadly be dismissed. If corduroy is your thing, take careful notice of those on the street since they might pass an invite to join this elite club. I’m hoping that one day I will be bestowed this special honor.

So while some may have spent the day celebrating 11-11-11 with “press-worthy” stunts I hope that you enjoyed your day with a nice plush corduroy pant or blazer. Until next year fine corduroy fans…

-Dominic

Autumn is my favorite season for three reasons: the amazing weather and foliage that hits the Northeast region, the start of professional football season, and, most importantly, the onslaught of great pumpkin beer. Every year, around this time, stores and bars begin celebrating the colder weather with grand displays featuring brews embracing the season’s favorite flavor. And since my personal attempt to create my very own pumpkin beer was thwarted by a siphoning incident, I’d like to take the blog post to share my favorite options for you to indulge in the awesomeness that is Autumn beer:

1. Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat, the category’s newest addition, is one of the best pumpkin beers of the season. The unfiltered wheat ale features crisp flavor of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove that could only be delivered from a Shock Top cask. It has easily become my personal “must-have” beer of the season.

2. Smutty Nose Pumpkin Ale is more relaxed in flavor but not in quality. The smooth taste and thick texture makes this ale the perfect compliment to your annual Thanksgiving dinner. Start planning your sides around it.

3. Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale is a spicy and sweet autumn beer inspired by one of the top Belgian Whites beers. It is the great addition to the traditional citrus flavor of the Blue Moon family but brewed with the bounty of fall spices making it a necessary addition to your weekly Sunday tailgate.

- Dan

It’s no secret that the folks at Hunter PR work hard and play hard.  Truthfully, we don’t even need an excuse to celebrate – we are always up for showing our creativity and we hunger for a bit of friendly-competition and bite-size Snickers.  The halls at Hunter PR were no different on Halloween. 

The entertainment committee (Donetta Allen, representing a “Flash Mob,” Alex Conway, representing Fred’s Team as a marathon runner, Daniel Mazier, dressed as a hunky skeleton and Danny Palestine, showed his appreciation for expectant mother-to-be and colleague Jamie Castaldo) kicked up the competition this year challenging the staff with a pumpkin decorating contest.  The award for Best Pumpkin went to super-star intern Nick Schweers for his rendition of the Jersey Shore’s Snooki.  A little taste of Jersey earned him $100.  Score!

As for the costumes, Christine Bilms, who came to work as a zombie bride, unanimously took home the award for Scariest costume. 

The Best in Pop Culture category went to Chad Pearson, Cassie Galasetti, Samantha Chapman and Sandy Bustamante for their interpretation of the popular TLC reality show Toddlers & Tiaras. 

The Most Creative bunch went to Lisa Jablon, Rose Finnerty and Nihara Gonsalves who not only dressed the part of the characters in the animated film “Up” but shamed the rest of us by even going as far as decorating their cubicles, they got extra credit for their set design skills. 

The category that got the most entries was, of course, the Best in Hunter PR Culture.  Vanessa Polk, Dan Devece, and Wayne Westerlind dressed up as their beloved colleague Stacey Druker, who accessorizes daily with her jewelry, iPod and an ice-cold Diet Coke.

The Best Group award went to the Digital & Design Department with their Plants vs. Zombies theme, inspired by this year’s #1 game on iTunes. 

We are all looking forward to the surprises that Donetta, Alex, Daniel and Danny have planned for our annual holiday party.  They really set the bar high this time!

- Gigi

When I originally saw my name on the list for a late-October blog post, I knew exactly what I was going to write about: a guide to being a Philadelphia Phillies fan in hostile New York Yankees territory. After all, the Phillies were supposed to still be playing baseball – a pre-season favorite to represent the National League in the World Series.

But alas, the cliché about “the best laid plans…often go awry” came true: the Phillies suffered an early playoff exit – and took my original blog post with it.

Not wanting to “throw the baby out with the bath water,” I figured I’d still do a Phillies-themed post. Because even though their record-breaking season didn’t end with a parade down Broad Street, I can’t help but look back on it fondly:

Sharing in the excitement of the Cliff Lee signing with friends and family back home in the wee hours of December 14…Buying my dad a “shirtsey” for each of the Phillies’ “four aces” and watching him open the box Christmas morning…Making the trip to Clearwater, Fla., for Spring Training with my sister and a friend, whose father – a big Phillies fan – had passed away just three weeks before…Treating my dad to two games at Citizens Bank Park, and marveling at how far the Phillies had come from the not-so-good ‘ol days, when his partial-season tickets meant spending money to watch a terrible team in an even worse stadium…Taking a last-minute road trip with my brother one Sunday afternoon in August to root for the away team in Washington, D.C….Enjoying Chickie’s & Pete’s Crab Fries, cold Yuengling and Dollar Dogs with my sister at “The Bank” while pulling for Roy Halladay to win his 16^th game…Being in the stands when the Phillies clinched their fifth straight NL East title.

As all of this suggests, there’s another – perhaps more important – cliché that best summarizes the season that was: “It’s not the destination, so much as the journey.”

 Only 112 days until the Phillies’ pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater. I can’t wait for the journey to start again.

-Amy

I was lucky enough to tag along with Chad, our office manager, to a taping of the Late Show with David Letterman this past week. He scored tickets due to his love for the band, The Joy Formidable. Having attended multiple concerts with Chad, I knew this would be a great experience. And I was right! Even though we were in a slight car accident on the cab ride over, it was quickly forgotten when we realized we were among the VIP. After we were ushered into our prime seats, Dave came out and thanked everyone for coming. It made me realize why everyone should attend a taping.

So, in typical Late Show fashion, here are my Top 10 reasons to attend a taping of the Late Night Show with David Letterman …

10. It’s free!

9. The warm up comedian and house band are awesome

8.  Dave makes you feel like you’re a part of the show

7. The behind the scene action. There are producers, sound guys and even someone to buff the floors between guests!

6. “Even if the jokes not funny, it’s hilarious tonight!”

5. Sitting in Ed Sullivan Theater, the site of the first U.S. performance by the Beatles

4. For New Yorkers, it’s a nice break from the craziness of the city or a fun place to take your out of town guests

3. “Laugh now, think later!”

2. You get to be up close to some of your favorite celebrities

And the number one reason to attend a David Letterman taping…

1. You might get the chance to meet your favorite band!

-Cassie