Friday News: I'm boosted, baby!

Oct 29, 2021

Hello friends!

Sorry for the lateness of today’s newsletter…I took a very important mid-afternoon work break today to…get my Moderna booster shot!

alywalansky

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I can’t even begin to tell you (and I think many of you feel the same way) how greatly my quality of life improved earlier this year after I was vaccinated. I went from feeling trapped in a tiny concrete prison (trying living and working in a 400 sq. foot studio apartment with one window and rarely going outside) to finally being reunited with my friends and a version of life as I know it.

I’m just so grateful these booster shots exist so that we can can maintain any semblance of normal life we were able to return to — and also protect the vulnerable among us.

As you can probably tell from how early in the rollout I got my booster, I have a few health reasons that I am high-risk, but I don’t get this booster just to protect myself — but in an effort to be a part of the larger umbrella of protecting the people around me, both those in my life and those I have never met but need that protection.

I know some are hesitant to get yet another shot, and that’s your personal choice — but I am so relieved to have gotten mine, and am here to answer any questions about reactions or anything like that for anyone on the fence.

(PS: I’m team Moderna, always and forever - but any vaccine at all is better than no vaccine, so please go get one!) — if you have not yet been vaccinated, get vaccinated, and if you are vaccinated, get your booster shot as soon as you are eligible.

Back to work…

I'd like to take a moment to chat about requests for story updates.

This happens a lot. In fact, true fact -- it's a leading topic of my and Bryce's exasperated text threads each night. (and if you watched her fabulous Instagram Live this morning with KMO Consulting it was quite the hot topic there as well.)

But back to the updating ISSUE. Here's what happens to us all the darn time: I'll share here in this newsletter or on Facebook that a story has been published, and I'll immediately receive dozens of emails asking if it's possible to squeeze a product/expert/holiday food deal into it.

The answer is always no. If a story update is planned - I'll let you know. But generally once a story is published, especially as a freelancer, I no longer have access to it.

Were I to want to add something, I'd have to go to my editor and there'd be a whole chain of people involved in adding your item to a guide - which has already been completed. It's over. I'll rehash the analogy I used once before -- if a baby is born, you can't shove it back in if you wish it had been born with green eyes instead of blue. You got what you got.

A correction is different, of course. If information is wrong, absolutely let me know. But if you just are disappointed I included 10 great tequila cocktails for Halloween and you weren't one of the 10 - that's not a correction.

If you want to be included in something, your best bet is to PITCH ME BY MY DEADLINE. As simple as that. Or, if you. miss my deadline, ask me to consider for future stories or updates. But don't assume that 30 great food deals for Veterans Day can turn into 40 because you didn't get your deals to me in time. Especially since I posted in this newsletter every day for a week what I was working on and when I needed responses by. Sorry, that's just the way it is!

I'd also like to give another reminder about not sending perishable food without asking first, or checking if someone is home. A lot of us are back to work travel again, or maybe are beginning to start to visit family for the holidays. I for one do not live in a doorman building, and live alone. It's of no use to you if you send me a package of fish, or poultry, or cheese - all with good intentions, I'm sure! - and I don't see it until days later. After it has rotted. And festered. And created a stench in my building lobby that no one wants.

Just ask first! I'll tell you when I'll be home, when I won't be, if there's an alternate address to send to, or if I even need to receive it at all.

OK, that's it on those two accounts for today!

Lots on tap right now, so going to get right into it...

Here’s what I’m working on this weekend and next week. Take some notes because this is some crazy long list.

1. For Today.com, I'm working on two different Thanksgiving-related stories.

a - Don't feel like cooking? Here are TK places to order prepared Thanksgiving dinners

This is actually an update on this story I did a few years ago (https://www.today.com/food/prepared-thanksgiving-dinners-where-order-thanksgiving-dinner-t141367) - so you can check out the original version for ideas of what I am looking for (and if you represent any of these restaurants, I'm going to be reaching to see if your Thanksgiving meal-to-go has been changed since last year, so feel free to beat me to the punch!)

b - No time to shop? Order one of these Thanksgiving meal kits - Think Blue Apron, HelloFresh, etc type of kits that you can order online and have shipped to you.

(I need info for both of these by EOD Monday)

2. The following gift guides for Forbes.com are getting wrapped up this weekend and will begin to publish by early next week.

The Best High-End Kitchen Pieces For The Beginner Chef

The Best Globally-Inspired Gifts For The Jet-Set Foodie

The Best Mail-Order Dishes For A Gourmet Dinner At Home

The Best Barware To Upgrade Their Home Bar

The Coolest Cleaning Gear To Keep Their Kitchen Looking Top-Notch

If you want to pitch for any of these, please be sure to start a new email thread, and email alywalansky@gmail.com (do NOT just hit reply to this newsletter. Please listen to me when I say this - I say it all the time and every single day, people ignore me). When pitching, please include a link where sold, and a link to a high res image, as well as a description. These guides are wrapped up after this weekend so please no "can't you just squeeze this in?" emails next week after you see it publishing. If you want to be considered, the time is now.

3. For Clean Plates, I'm also working on a story comparing the features of the air fryer with the Instant Pot. Basically the gist is, if someone is trying to decide which one they need, how can we help them make that choice? Would love if a chef wants to weigh in on this as far as examples of foods that are best used in each, and which is better in a variety of categories, so far as versatility/speed

(honestly i make a roasted chicken in the air fryer but not in the instant pot - it becomes about wanting the right texture/crisp) - however you can do soups/stews in the IP and soupy/liquidy things are not impossible but way less easy in an air fryer, health (ambiguous - they can BOTH be very healthy in their own way), value, versatility, easy to use, etc.

4. Whewww...as promised, here's a fresh batch of everything I am working on for Spy.com for this weekend/next week:

Home Depot Black Friday - Straight forward — good assortment from all depts. of the store. Including Home Decor.

Best comforters on Amazon - THE best on Amazon. I would include best down, best down alternative, best king, best for hot sleepers, best cooling, best luxury, etc.

Black Friday mattress sales - looking to include Amazon, Macy's, etc. but also Casper, Purple, etc.

Best emergency supplies (this is actually an update of this story: (https://spy.com/articles/hacks/emergency/best-emergency-supplies-1202776363/)

Best non-perishable foods - this is an update of this story: https://spy.com/articles/hacks/home-hacks/best-non-perishable-foods-emergency-disaster-234461/

Best board games for adults - I am thinking along the lines of more strategy based games like Settlers of Catan, as well as more fun party games for regular folks. Looking for board games for adults 2 players, strategy board games for adults, board games for kids and adults, etc.

Best plant stands - looking for indoors, outdoors, mainly products from Amazon, Wayfair, Etsy, Target, etc.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Appliance Sales: I’m interested in sales on Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Best Buy.

Things that published or were updated since yesterday:

AllRecipes

The 3 New Cocoa Bomb Flavors You Need to Try This Year

Goalcast

Single Mom Breaks Down After Finding Out Her 13-Year-Old Son Secretly Bought Her a Car

Teen Finds $135,000 Sitting in a Bag Next to ATM – What He Did After Is A Reminder For All Parents

The Kitchn

Tia Mowry’s Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake Is a Must-Try for Thanksgiving

Pawp.com

25 Cute & Funny Dog Halloween Costumes For 2021