Monday: Check out my easy-to-follow guide to a week of meal prep + plus pending stories and more.
Also, the new season of Ginny & Georgia is WOAH.
Happy Monday!
I'm in a pretty great mood today as tonight I'm seeing a close friend that I have not been able to see in real life in just about three years. We've kept in touch on phone and text and Zoom, of course, but a real-life sharing of cocktails and conversation hasn't happened since early 2020 (we live in different cities and you may remember the world shut down for a while there in between...), all in all, it's going to be a great day and I'll be sure to share adorable reunion dinner photos tomorrow!
I spent the weekend working on a few big projects including a recipe-related one that I think will make a lot of you giggle (that'll publish later this week!), but I did make some time for binging the second season of Ginny & Georgia (WHAT AN EMOTIONAL JOURNEY THAT WAS!), and, of course, watching every single interview Prince Harry did in advance of his book -- which comes out tomorrow!
Today, I wanted to share a story that published over the weekend that I feel really good about.
Most of those who have been following me on social media for a while know that I'm very into meal prep as a way to budget my time and, well, my budget. (In fact, my friend Alice once wrote an article for AllRecipes about my food prep prowess during the pandemic -- her story was about how I could create a week of healthy, hearty meals on $50. (It's true!). One of my greatest tricks? Roasting a chicken — you can get a bunch of meals out of it and it is so easy and delicious.
But there's a story I've been meaning to write for a while related to food prep. So, this week for Eat This, Not That, I wrote a complete guide to how to prep a week's worth of dishes in a single day - for me, that's usually Sunday. Meal prep isn't just for busy households full of kids, you can also meal prep if you are single or live alone and it's still going to have tons of value!
And, my first Valentine’s Day content of the season (with MUCH more to come) is also now live…
In other food related news…
Over the weekend, I created a quick and easy Instagram reel about how to roast chestnuts — not over an open fire, but in your air fryer!
Newly published or freshly updated
Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.
This list will live on my Substack URL and be updated as necessary. That way, you can see what I’m doing at any publication, at any time, from types of stories to general structure of stories to even volume and frequency of my content at that outlet.
This can also help you to target pitching a bit better. That makes your job easier, and mine too!
HelloGiggles: 9 New Products That Will Help You Be Healthier in 2023
Forbes: 30 Romantic Cocktails To Set The Mood On Valentine’s Day
The Kitchn: This Easy Recipe for Chocolate Mousse Only Uses 5 Ingredients — And They May Already Be in Your Kitchen
Eat This, Not That: Follow My One-Week Meal Prep Plan If You're on a Budget
YourTango: Guys Reveal What They Notice Most About Your Smile
YourTango: 20 Best Honeymoon Hotels For An Insanely Romantic Vacation
If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.
Here’s what I’m working on:
Be sure to read the below list carefully. Many are stories I posted about yesterday, but some of yesterday's stories are no longer listed and a few new ones have been added since yesterday. This (below) is everything that is still a currently open opportunity as of today.
Please remember when pitching me: Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com - do NOT just hit reply on this newsletter, or there’s a good shot your email will be lost in the heap. Give your email a subject line that makes it clear which story you are pitching me for — it’ll help you in the long run.
Please consult my industry insights guides on submitting expert commentary, sending emails that will catch a journalist’s attention, how to craft pitches journalists will say ‘yes’ to, and the right and wrong way to submit photos, if you need any extra guidance before sending your pitches.
Southern Living
Invited To Your First Passover Seder? Here's What To Bring - Obviously, for this story I need to make clear that you need to ask your host because of the different traditions and levels of keeping kosher. But I’d love an etiquette expert, one who is familiar with Jewish tradition, to answer a few questions as far as questions to ask, expectations, etc.
Forbes
I’ve just been assigned FIVE new Valentine’s Day gift guides. (My inbox is already shuddering in fear…). The topics are:
The best gifts for a romantic dinner at home
The best luxury seafood boxes
The best global specialty ingredients for the culinary traveler
The best aphrodisiac gifts (remember, these must be food/ingredient related in some way)
The best interactive gifts for couples who love to cook together
For all of these guides (and honestly, most guides for any outlet, I would prefer all pitches be sent in the following format):
Name of product
link where sold, price
Description of product
LINK to high res image
*please please make sure that an item is not discontinued, and is currently available and in stock to ship and arrive before Valentine’s Day before pitching me. Sound obvious? I got a LOT of holiday pitches that did not fit this qualification!
I’m also working on, for Forbes:
Romantic wines to pair with your V-Day dinner: Whether you are planning a surf and turf or a sexy pasta night, these are the wines you need for the biggest date night of the year. To pitch me a wine, be sure to include retail links, a LINK to an image, and a description.
Places online where you can order a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner to be shipped to your door. Self-explanatory. Has to be shippable as this needs to be something available to all who order it and not just a local takeout thing.
HelloGiggles
Sexy underthings to gift yourself this Valentine's Day - we all deserve to feel confident and sexy, whether you have a partner or not.
Looking to up your affiliate marketing game?
Affiliate marketing is complicated, and it seems that the landscape keeps changing. If you are looking to be prepared for gift guide season and all other shopping-related content, you may want to try the Ultimate Masterclass and Introduction to Affiliate Marketing for Publicists. It's a brilliant course and it'll answer all your questions (including some you didn't know you had!)
Virtual consulting sessions...
Looking for a consult as you plan your next event or trip? Or just want someone to take a look at the pitches you’ve been sending and give some feedback?
I've been popping into a lot of PR team virtual meetings and some other fun stuff (Recently I even joined in on an agency’s team retreat right here in Brooklyn — it was so fun and I made so many new friends!) and making myself available to answer all sorts of questions about pitching, events, and trips from a media perspective. I like to keep these things chill and comfortable and relaxed all by sharing perspective and learning from one another.
If you are interested in setting anything up for your own team in the coming months, please email me and we'll get something on the books! This is available for entire agencies or smaller group lunch and learn type concepts. If you are a freelance publicist and want to join in with a few other freelance publicist friends and set something up, we can do that as well!
It's like you read my mind! My days of gluttony are over (I hope) and meal prepping starts today. Looking forward to reading your and Alice's articles! Thank you!