By Sara Haines, Correspondent, NBC’s TODAY Show @sarahaines

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to ride around with some real life “Hotdoggers” in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.  Aside from the instant smile and giggles bubbling over when you see the automotive, I had no idea the depth of the experience in its entirety.

Yes, the hot dog on wheels gets a reaction from everyone everywhere it goes.  BUT, just like in life, if you are too busy pointing fingers and laughing, you may never get to the layers inside the bun (Sorry, I had to…these puns rubbed off on me instantly.)  Each year, over 1500 people apply to be the lucky recipient of the Hotdogger title and only 12, yes that’s right, ONLY 12 people ultimately become Hotdoggers.  My ride in the Wienermobile experienced plenty of laughs, but once I learned what an amazing opportunity this Hotdogger program is and JUST how competitive it is, my giggles and laughter crept out with a new reverence.  I was truly honored to share the road with two of these amazingly talented, intelligent, and self-deprecating brand ambassadors, Dyl-icious Dylan and Ketchup Kylie.

My day started out with Hot Dog High.  I tried to pay attention, but once I got my hands on that Wiener Whistle, there was no coming back.  I vaguely remember taking notes, but if you had to pick them out of a line up, you may want to think more “doodles.”  Then, we jumped in the “party bus” (aka Wienermobile)…well, that is what I was calling it.  I got the best job in the bun (yep, another one) because I got to play on the microphone.  And “play” I did.  After a few rounds of “I say Oscar, you say Mayer…OSCAR Mayer, OSCAR Mayer!”  We decided that I needed a name in order to make me official.  The birthing of my name may have been the funniest part of the entire day.  It was word games galore with a couple of “phone-a-friend” moments to other Hotdogger teams.  Final answer – “Sizzling Sara!”

By the time we got to the event, my stomach hurt from laughing.  I loved seeing the kids and their faces when they got the whistles (they were ALMOST as excited as I was to get one.)  It was also special to see these military women/men sending off post cards to friends and loved ones.

After riding in the Wienermobile AND getting my official name, I found my groove.  As I claimed “shot bun” on our way out, and declared a corner of the back closet mine, Dyl-icious Dylan and Ketchup Kylie reminded me that I couldn’t stayL  Although I got a glimpse inside the bun of this brand ambassador-ship, my time had come to an end.  This amazing program was MUCH more than I ever could have imagined.  The old adage’ is true; you should never judge a hot dog by its bun : )

Now watch Sara from NBC’s TODAY Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda experience as an honorary Hotdogger below:

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For the holidays us Hotdoggers went home to ketchup with our family!  Although, I was busy meating with my family in Pennsylvania I never forget to make time for my new Oscar Mayer family.

This year we announced our holiday meal with their long awaited wiener whistles. I must say my two families went as well together as ketchup and mustard.

Summer has passed, the leaves are changing and the crisp air is moving in. So, as we move into colder weather how do Hotdoggers prepare for the Winter? We sing in our bunderfully warm winter coats, of course!

The Hotdogger Class 24 has officially hit the hot dog highways and will spread miles of smiles this year!

On my very first day on the road I visited the Strawberry Festival in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The franktastic festivities were kicked off with a 5k and 10k run/walk and IWSHIWR had the best seat!

After ketching-up with everyone in Sun Prairie, I could only smile as we pulled away from our first, but not last, event with the Wienermobile. The experience only made us Hotdoggers even more excited for our upcoming adventure!

Last Thursday, in honor of National Random Acts of Kindness Day, we surprised and delighted people with coupons for a free Oscar Mayer product of their choice. We relished this chance to spread smiles for the holiday. But acts of kindness shouldn’t be limited to just one day a year.  That’s why we started the Good Mood Mission. We want to encourage everyone to do and then share good deeds all year long.

Remember, kind acts can be as simple as helping an elderly neighbor take in her trash can,  complimenting a store clerk on her happy attitude or just giving  a hug to someone who needs it. Sharing your good deeds is a fun way to inspire more kindness and help the movement grow.  To join us on our Good Mood Mission, share something good at www.Facebook.com/OscarMayer and be rewarded with fun offers and a chance to win $100,000 to do something good in your community.

Warm a loved one’s heart with this special Wienermobile Valentine you can download and print (PDF). It’s free because we think our fans are bunderful too!

(Click image for print-ready Valentine)

We had buns of fun reading through hundreds of entries asking for a Wienermobile visit in 2011.  Frankly, narrowing it down to 100 of the most Wienermobile-worthy towns wasn’t easy.  Now, it’s up to you and your friends to determine which 75 hometowns will cut the mustard. You have until December 12 to cast your vote. Go to the Oscar Mayer Facebook page and like our brand. Then, check out the Visit My Town tab and get out the vote. http://on.fb.me/ehNvbQ

If you’ll remember, we recently had the opportunity to participate in a super-sneaky flash mob with Kristin Chenoweth in Los Angeles to kick off the Good Mood Mission campaign. If you haven’t heard about the Good Mood mission, Kristin explains all the bunderful details in this video. (NOTE: The video opens in Facebook.)

So far, we’ve had more than 250,000 Good Moods recorded at http://goodmoodmission.com. It’s really simple to help us out, and you’re doing a franktastic thing just by filling in the blank: “it doesn’t get better than ______.”

Hope to ketchup with you soon!

When the Hotdoggers were asked to join the Oscar Mayer team and Kristin Chenoweth to kick off the Good Mood Mission campaign, there was only one word that came to mind: YES! Well, we were excited for a franktastic opportunity to work with such bunderful people, but YES was all we could manage at the time.

So we hit the highways to meet in Hot Dog Hollywood for an amayonnaising experience – leading a flash mob with Kristin Chenoweth to get everyone pumped up and in a good mood. The USC Trojan marching band was there, KIIS FM was our deejay, as well as four of the Wienermobile vehicles. The event marked the first million pound donation from the Oscar Mayer brand, and now it’s up to us to rally everyone in America to participate, so we can reach our goal of 2 million pounds!  It’s easy to participate – all you have to do is go to http://goodmoodmission.com and tell us what puts you in a good mood and a pound of food is donated to Feeding America. Post it to your Facebook wall, and tack on an additional five pounds. Become a fan of Oscar Mayer on Facebook and now you’re up to 10 pounds donated.

We could write all about it – but how about we show you instead…

• Enjoy this cool video of us strutting our stuff doing the “Good Mood Move”

• Take a look at the fun photos from the event

Kristin Chenoweth is our Good Mood Ambassador!

Kristin Chenoweth in the Wienermobile!

Can you see the smile face!?

• And check out all the press we’re getting – we love it!

ET Online: Kristin Chenoweth Rallies Flash Mob on a Good Mood Mission http://www.etonline.com/news/2010/01/83085/

UsWeekly.com: Wiener Takes it All! http://www.usmagazine.com/hotpics/photos/weiner-takes-it-all-2010201

Access Hollywood: Chenoweth on Adoption: ‘I Wouldn’t Be Surprised if That was in My Future’ http://www.accesshollywood.com/kristin-chenoweth-on-adoption-i-wouldnt-be-surprised-if-that-is-in-my-future_article_27914?__source=rss%7Clatest_news

We’ve had over 190,000 Good Mood moments since we launched on Tuesday. We’re well on our way to the 2 million pound goal! So friend us on Facebook at facebook.com/OscarMayer and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/OscarMayer to ketchup on the latest scoop. Franks a lot!

Lunch Lovin’ Larisa and A-Dog Adam cruising through the hot dog highways of our nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C. Recognize anything familiar?  Check out these pictures we captured through the windows of BIG BUN, the meeting of true American icons!

Washington Monument across the Potomac River!

Air Force Memorial at the Pentagon!

Marine One, the President’s official transport helicopter!