Did you picture a spread of nutritional dishes when you thought about the Superbowl feast at the White House this past Sunday? Better think again.

Days before celebrating the first anniversary of the anti-obesity campaign “Let’s Move,” Michelle Obama enjoyed a selection of bratworst, kielbasa, cheeseburgers and deep dish pizza while watching the Green Bay Packers claim victory again the Pittsburgh Steelers. Defending her fat-laden meal choices, the First Lady recognized the importance of a balanced diet to reporters on Tuesday.

“I like to talk about my obsession with French fries because I don’t want people to think that “Let’s Move” is about complete, utter deprivation,” said Mrs. Obama to reporters on Tuesday. “It is about moderation and real life changes and ideas that really work for families, today’s families too.”

Looking to the facts, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled over the past three decades and one in every three children in our nation is overweight or obese. Due to both larger portion sizes and a different lifestyle, we are now eating 31 percent more calories than we were forty years ago.

Continuing the fight into the second year, the First Lady will address the achievements of the Let’s Move campaign over the past year and propose what more needs to be done to reduce childhood obesity to an audience in Georgia on Wednesday.

“We’re here to celebrate a new conversation in this country about the health and well-being of our children,” Mrs. Obama will say during Wednesday’s speech. “It’s a conversation about what our kids eat and how active they are. About how they feel and how they feel about themselves. And about what that means, not just their physical and emotional health, but for their success in school and in life.”

The First Lady will also unveil a national PSA campaign for “Let’s Move,” created by the Ad Council, that will reach 33,000 media outlets.

Article first published as Michelle Obama Recognizes Balance as Key to Fighting Obesity on Technorati.

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

Having graduated early, the majority of my friends were still attending class, writing papers and living the college life while I was blessed enough to have found a full-time job in the exact field I hoped for, I often forgot that my friends were still in the job search with up in the air futures.

This past week I’m happy to say literally all of my friends from BU and other schools received job offers and some are already settled in their new positions. I wanted to post this to say how overwhelmingly ecstatic and proud I am of each and every one of you.

Congrats! I hope you enjoy every minute of it.

Tonight, I’m flipping through the channels and landed on the infamous American Idol for the first time since… probably high school. I’ve always loved watching the initial auditions but get pretty bored after they pick the first 24 finalists.

All I have to say is… seriously? From when I started watching this show in maybe middle school or high school (yes, the Kelly Clarkson years) there was a LOT of talent showcased in a half hour. Now? I’m sad, but not surprised, to say that American Idol has turned into our favorite genre of ‘reality show.’ It seems the judges and producers are going for more of the story instead of the actual talent.

I could be entirely off base since I haven’t been following the season, but let’s think about it. How many people are in this world? How many of the ACTUALLY make it? The percentage to become a star is pretty much close to none, and the few performers I just watched didn’t really impress. I fell for their stories more than their voice and while, yes, that is a way to sell, it’s not going to carry them through. It’ll make me listen, but it won’t bring me to the concert. Most say Simon is too harsh and while I usually agree, maybe in this season, he’s just telling it how it is.

My grandma passed away on Wednesday at the amazing age of 96. Emma was an incredible grandmother to me and it’s sad to say goodbye to such an amazing woman. She was a beautiful person, inside and out, and she will be greatly missed by all of us.

Grandma at Christmas 2009 (95 years old)

Emma in 1932 (18 years old)

I know I’m late in the e-book game, but I have come to rely on my Kindle every day for the past month or two and couldn’t help putting a post together on my most recent obsession. For someone who was unsure if a Kindle was even the way to go, it has helped me to four wonderful things:

#1: Read MORE!

Yeah, I know, seems like a silly thing to be excited about. Growing up I read every book I could get my hands on – I devoured the Nancy Drew series in elementary school, passed the time with girly beach reads in middle school and finally moved into some of my favorite novels to this day in high school. I recently finished Shutter Island and The Help, both read on my Kindle and both books I would highly recommend. College, however, didn’t serve as the best time in my life to start a new book. With all the reading I had to do for class, the last thing I wanted to do was set my eyes on another line of text, even if it was for pleasure. That’s the main reason why I waited to get my Kindle until after I graduated because I knew it was only then that I could put it into good use. So, to get back to my first point, the Kindle has enabled me to read more books than I read at any other point in my life – a feat that I didn’t think could ever be achieved. The ability to buy a book and read it with a click of a button is SO handy, and if I’m waiting for the T with nothing to read? I pull my Kindle out of my purse and problem solved. It even recommends books for me based on my past purchases so I don’t have to search endlessly for a new book.

#2: Read three papers a day.

During my last semester of college I had to read The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Daily Free Press and other online news sources every day and was tested weekly on the content. I was infuriated by this, not because I had to read the news like some, but because these are not my preferred news sources. I like to read The Boston Globe, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and before my Kindle I would do so online. But, this required me to be at my computer to read the online version because no college student can afford to have these papers delivered on a daily basis. So I would read the news occasionally throughout the day whenever I had a spare minute (rare) and computer access. Needless to say, I was never able to read all the articles I wanted to on any given day. Now, and for only $10 a month, I can get all three papers delivered wirelessly to my Kindle and ready for me when I wake up in the morning. I scroll through the Wall Street Journal at breakfast, multi-task with The New York Times while I’m getting ready and finish off with The Boston Globe on the T. Sounds like a pretty productive morning to me!

#3: Save money, and…

Yes, I know the current talk about raising e-book prices and/or some publishers no longer working with Amazon anymore, but I’ve never had a problem finding a book I want in the Kindle library and, let’s be honest, a couple dollars more on a Kindle e-book is STILL much cheaper than the hardcover version. And, trust me, I usually want a book the week it comes out which means I’m usually paying $25 for the hard cover book. And no, I’m not one to put my name on a wait list at the Boston Public Library. Usually for $10 dollars or less I can have my new book, and what’s even better, I can read a 20-30 page sample before I decide if I want to buy it or not.

#4: Have a lot of extra space.

Since I read an abundance of books throughout my childhood, my room at home is covered in books. Yes, they are neatly placed in the bookshelf but once that filled up I had to move to another book shelf. And once that filled up, I had to move to any empty spot on my dresser, in my closet etc… And last time I visited home, I even started to see some piles on the floor. In my Boston apartment, I had a small box filled with the few books I’ve bought in the past year before I received my Kindle (literally no more than 10 books – that’s how much I didn’t read during my college years) and I will never be struggling with a place to put my books ever again.

This past March I was lucky enough to explore the New York City realm of public relations with Professor Quigley  and other motivated Boston University seniors. We met with everyone from CEO’s to entry level employees, and from each individual, we learned the same piece of advice. Experience is everything when applying for a job.

There are some students who focus solely on papers, exams, and most of all grades, and fail to notice the reality of the world outside of school. While doing well and securing a place at the top of the class is one of my highest priorities, I believe having an internship in my field of choice should also be one of my highest priorities. When I’m not at school, I’m at work, and vice versa. Still being a student myself, I am by no means an expert on internship advice. However, as my second internship came to an end last week, I began to reflect on my past internship experiences. Without having an internship, I don’t know if I could even be sure public relations is the right track for me. What I gain from my classes is beyond valuable, but there is only so much to learn in a classroom setting. My public relations classes gave me the foundation for my career, but only through applying this knowledge to real world campaigns have I finally learned what it’s like to live and breathe public relations. I whole heartedly believe the only way to truly understand and fully experience public relations is to throw yourself into an internship.

This brings me back to my most memorable tip  from the big apple. Remember it: Experience is everything when applying for a job. Most communications schools require students to complete at least one internship before graduation. I’m trying to complete as many internships as I can before committing to a full time job, and I start my third on Monday. Each internship helps me to narrow down where I hope to be after donning my cap and gown. In-house or an agency? Large, medium, or small agency? Consumer, corporate, cause marketing, investor relations, or entertainment? The possibilities are endless.

What do you think? If you’re a public relations professional, do you prefer students who weigh heavily on academics or experience?