Just in time for Christmas, my dear childhood friend, Chloë Cahill, has released a delightful five-track album of some of her favorite holiday tunes — all recorded in the style of the one and only Chloë. From “Silent Night,” to “Mary Did You Know,” her voice is flawlessly merry and bright. Without a doubt, “Christmas Song” will have you feeling jolly well into the New Year. 

You can download your own digital copy of Christmas in the City, for free, here. Be sure to follow Chloë on Twitter and like her on Facebook for the latest Chloë music news and updates. Learn more about Chloë’s Christmas in the City project here.

Happy listenin’! 

If you’ve already downloaded the album, let me know what you think. Which is your favorite song?

Sure, Thanksgiving has always been American holiday, so what makes this one worthy of a blog post with such a categorical name? I’ve thought about Thanksgiving a lot this year, mostly, I assume, because I’ve been extremely vocal about my gratitude over the past 12 months. There have been so many changes in my life, and every single one has directed me in the right direction. I’d have to be blind to not recognize a larger, more powerful force at play. I’d have to be equally blind to not give thanks.

Today, I will celebrate Thanksgiving with my boyfriend’s family, without him. He will be celebrating it with other Junior Officers from the USS Gravely about 800 miles away. Back home, I will be spending time with his dad, who is getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan for six months with the Air Force, as well as with his mom, who also served in the Air Force, and with his grandfather, a Vietnam veteran.

How’s that for a picture of America?

Though my parents never made casseroles or pies or stuffing for the occasion, they did adopt (and adapt) the tradition to reflect our culture, all while giving thanks for the opportunity to be a part of an American holiday. That gratitude is something they instilled in me from the very beginning: be thankful for where you came from, for where you will go from here, and for all those people in between.

Today, I’m proud to be a part of that American holiday in the company of those who represent the courage, strength, conviction and dedication of the U.S. and of the freedom for which it stands…

I am thankful for family, for friends who are like family, for health, for opportunities, for successes and mistakes, for tradition and culture, for love, for affection, for strength, for faith, and for freedom. It is that freedom that allows me, each day, to live as a realistic dreamer (if there is such a thing), pursuing my goals and living out The American Dream my parents so wanted for my brother and me. If where I stand today can make them proud, if it can inspire others in similar situations, if it can continue to humble me and motivate me as it does each day, what more could I possibly ask for?

For this realization and for this day, I am grateful.

Wherever and with whomever may you be celebrating Thanksgiving today, take the time to truly give thanks — particularly for all those things we so often and so easily take for granted. May your tables and your hearts be bountiful, today and always.

What are you most thankful for?

“Tebow is just a guy with the good sense to say thanks. Instead of taking his cue, we mock his faith. 

And that says more about us, none of it good.”

The action now known as “Tebowing” has become a viral sensation and the object of ridicule — but why? FOX Sports Columnist, Jen Engel, provides a well-written argument against the mockery aimed at Gator superstar (and Broncos newbie), Tim Tebow.

Read the full article here.

*I’m a proud graduate of the University of Florida (BS ‘07) and had the immense honor of cheering on Tebow and co. at The Swamp during some of our winningest seasons. Go Gators!

According to the United Nations (via ABC News), Earth’s 7-billionth person will be welcomed to our planet tomorrow, Monday 10/31, merely 24 hours before the mark of my 27th year on earth. Calculations indicate Number 7,000,000,000 will likely be born in India, which isn’t surprising, considering the country welcomes a newborn nearly every second and is expected to surpass China’s population in 14 years.

Needless to say, the earth’s population is growing at an exponential pace. To put it in perspective: 

… in a mere decade, scientists said we’ll be preparing to welcome the 8 billionth person into the world.

Crazy, eh?

Thanks to this super neat-o calculator, courtesy of BBC News, I’ve learned that

When I was born, I was the 4,806,763,941st person alive on Earth and the 79,600,146,309th person to have lived since history began.

As we await the birth of Earth’s 7-billionth baby, give it a try: what number were you?

I smiled. I laughed. I cried. And then, I laughed some more. That’s because every public relations practitioner - particularly those whom have been on both the agency and client sides - should be able to relate to these 53 well-crafted “signs,” as aggregated by Ragan’s PR Daily. Some of my faves?

#3. Inside jokes with your colleagues will get you through the day—especially the insanely stressful ones.

11. You proudly put “PR pro” in your Twitter bio, knowing it’s the one place you don’t have to explain your job.

17. After your coffee, you spend 20 minutes deleting Google Alerts of clients, competitors, and everything in between. 

It’s no mystery that we work in a rather misunderstood industry. Why with the implications that public relations professionals are publicity-focused, dishonest, manipulative, flashy, and/or corporate puppets, it’s a surprise so many of us stay this passionately committed to our profession. I’m immensely proud of it and convinced the C-Suite would not know what to do without the capital C that is Communications. 

It’s a shame so many “spin doctors,” “celebutantes,” and general abusers of PR lingo have given us a questionable reputation. This post and this hilarious list (thank you, Ragan!) is dedicated to my fellow public relationists who still believe in the fundamentals of our profession, who reference the ROPE model, who view PR as a critical business function, who understand the PR/journalist relationship (and respect it!), who can identify the differences between goals and objectives, and strategies and tactics, and who take what we do seriously, ethically and passionately. This one’s for you! You with me?

What signs do you most identify with?