Monday Edition: Hello From Greenville, South Carolina!

Hello from Greenville!

If you've been following my Instagram stories all weekend, you'll see I had an INCREDIBLE time in Greenville this weekend, doing everything from a private biscuit making class to candle-making to checking out my first boiled peanuts competition. I also ate some great food and met some even greater people.

My host for this weekend was the amazing Amanda Harley of Perfect Pitch Productions...Amanda and I actually did not know each other pre-pandemic but became quick friends early on. A month or two into lockdown, I had been on a media panel with a few other journalists offering commentary and answering questions about various issues related to pitching during the pandemic, sending mailers, online events, and so forth.

Amanda happened to be in attendance, and messaged me after to say hello and thank you - we instantly connected. And then she did the sweetest thing - I had mentioned on social media that I really loved oysters and that was one thing I was excited to do once we were back in the world (little did I know at that point it'd be another year before we were). She overnighted me my own at-home oysters and shucking kit!!

It touched my soul, and we quickly became friends after that. Since then, Amanda has been SO supportive - she was in the audience nearly every day at Bryce and my Clubhouse chats, even from her family vacation! - and has constantly been a light in our lives during a dark time.

That's why it was EXTRA exciting when she reached out a few months ago and asked if I was comfortable enough with travel yet to come to Greenville for Euphoria - as it's an event friends have been telling me about for years, I jumped at the chance, and I am so glad I did. I reconnected with some old friends this weekend, met IRL some new ones (including a chef who hosted one of my and Amber Love Bond’s FAVE cooking zoom this year), and did some pretty epic outdoors exploring.

I was going to pair this ode to Amanda with a cute selfie of us but we totally forgot to take one this weekend (but will try to change that today - I don't leave until this afternoon!)

Meanwhile...
I'm going to re-share a few of the leads I shared Friday because I know it was late in the day and a holiday week, so people may have not been on their email. Better safe than sorry and I don't want anyone to miss out!

1. For AllRecipes, I'm looking for tools/cookware/etc that can be used in and with a toaster. i.e oven safe/toaster-safe items. Not looking to be pitched toasters. Totally just items you can use in and with your toaster. Think stuff like that Pyrex cookware that is safe to throw in the toaster.

2. For RetailMeNot, I'm working on a gift guide - Best Gifts For Coffee Lovers - gifts for the coffee lover in your life, from a variety of price ranges. Can be as simple as a mug, to as spendy as an espresso machine, to something fun like a coffee bean subscription.

3. For RetailMeNot, I'm working on a roundup of gifts for people who love to read. This can include books, but I will not limit this to books, and I'm also open to anything from coffee mugs, to cozy blankets, to bookmarks, to collectible books, to a new tablet. basically anything someone who loves to read may appreciate

4. For RetailMeNot, I'm rounding up fruit cakes we're nutty for (teehee, get it?!), which must be sold online at major retailers.

5. For Spy.com, I’m rounding up the best drugstore shampoos. For this roundup, I’m going to skew men, obviously, but include some more women-focused brands too. Open to being pitched these options: shampoo and conditioner (can be a 2-1 ), dry shampoo, purple shampoo, color-safe, clarifying, curly, oily, fine, sulfate free, dry.

6. For Spy.com, I’m also rounding up best Tom Ford colognes, and why (both classic and newer ones.) - most be available at major online retailers.

As a reminder, please pretty please remember to start a new thread when you respond to any of these story leads and do not just respond to this newsletter. I ask this all the time and unfortunately, most are not following this guideline (which is honestly to help YOUR pitch be seen!)

Please email me at alywalansky@gmail.com and include which story you are pitching for in the header of your email. I can take pitches for the RetailMeNot stories through the end of this week, but Spy.com, I’d love all pitches by EOD today. For the AllRecipes story, I need that by today too. The Clean Plates Story I posted about Friday HAS been wrapped up - no more pitches for that one, please!

There MAY be a later post today as well as Mondays tend to be pretty hectic with new assignments and newly published pending ones...so don't be surprised if you see me again later with a post from the Greenville airport this afternoon!

Have a great Monday, y'all!

<3

Aly