Aly's Newsletter: Tons of work this Tuesday...
But also some fun (Work/life balance matters, you guys!)
Good morning, friends!
I had the best time last night, and as it was (well, maybe loosely) related to events and media, I figured I'd share a bit about it so that maybe it will be helpful in your own planning.
Recently, a brand reached out to me about getting a small group of friends together to have a bit of a pre-holiday virtual caviar tasting event. It was a blast. They sent us all caviar, vodka, mezcal, and even wagyu - we cooked together, tasted together, drank together. We even did a bunch of various pairings. (Caviar and mezcal…what?!) I hosted (I love hosting, if that wasn't obvious!) and it was all just...really nice.
It felt a little like Friendsgiving, but also from a brand perspective - it was an amazing way to get the product in front of eye balls that can write about it (if eyeballs wrote, I suppose!), in a fun and intimate way.
I did all the inviting, the brands sent all the products, and honestly, it felt so special and personal and -- well, perfect.
I shared a little about this on my personal Instagram last night, but during the pandemic, I often tried to put together sort of virtual morale-boosting events for my friends. We did oyster shucking and virtual pizza parties and martini classes and trivia nights...it was a great way of staying connected, but all of us also felt less alone. There's nothing more important than making time for one another - and whether it's virtual or in person, it's always something I cherish and try to make happen if it’s at all within my power.
The world is open again - THANK GOD - but getting together is still not easy, especially for the friends in my life who do not live super close by or have very busy lives (which is all of us!), so that's why I still very much appreciate this virtual component of events, even as I'm back to attending "real" ones!
But between events and all that jazz, it's still the busiest time of the holiday season and I have work to do!
A lot going on right now, and I'd love pitches asap for the following.
1 - Clean Plates - I'm working on a roundup of high-protein soup recipes. I don't want people to send me recipes in an email or as an attachment, and I don't want recipes from cookbooks or magazines or celebrity chefs. I really would love to link to recipes that are online (and have a bit of a describer) from food bloggers, food writers, etc. I want to support you guys! Help me do it. Check out this story that was published yesterday for an idea of what i mean.
2. For Spy.com, I'm working on the following :
-- Black Friday deals at Home Depot -- Looking for all sorts of deals across the store.
-- Best places to buy Christmas trees online
-- Best appliance sales for Black Friday/Cyber Monday - this is only at major retailers - but open to Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, etc
--- The best kitchen fire extinguishers you can buy online
3. For Forbes.com, I've already published three holiday gift guides in the past week, but I have two I'm still working on:
I'd love pitches for cute, sophisticated cleaning gear (especially for kitchen) — can also just be very useful or unique
I’m also still sourcing for shippable mail-order dinners/dishes (the kind of stuff you can order online and have shipped to someone's house for the holiday - say bagels and lox, or pastrami, or steaks or lobster or just pie from their fave bakery, whatever.
Reminder: Please, please, please. If you are pitching me for this, or anything at all, email me at alywalansky@gmail.com (and start a new thread). You are at serious risk of your email being lost in a sea of responses if you just hit reply on this email.
Here's some stories of mine that have published or were updated in the last few days:
Clean Plates
Healthy (but Still Tasty!) Versions of 7 Classic Thanksgiving Recipes
Eat This, Not That
7 Health Habits Worse Than Fast Food
Food Network
’Tis The Season for Cinnabon Frosting Pints
Her Money
How To Budget For the 2021 Holiday Season
The Kitchn
Next Century Spirits
You’re Familiar With Craft Beers, But What Are Craft Spirits?
Do Spirits Go Bad? And Other Alcohol-Related Questions We Know You’re Asking
RetailMeNot
Spy.com
Today.com
No time to shop? Order one of these Thanksgiving meal kits
These restaurants are honoring veterans with free food and discounts on Veterans Day
YourTango
15 Best Toners For Platinum Blonde Hair To Cut Brassy Tones
9 Best Lash Tints For Fierce Lashes And Eyes
Have a great day! Tonight, I’m attending a traditional Diwali celebration held by a brand I’m a fan of at a restaurant I really love. It promises to be a great night - be sure to follow along on my Instagram!
<3
aly