Thursday: Putting Your Workflow Back Where It Belongs
Accepting pitches for Mother's Day gift guides - get all the info in this email!
Good morning!
After (over) a week, I’m finally at the final day of Passover. (Yes, this holiday is a longggg one!),but for those who observe, it’s time to transitition back to normalcy. Put everything back—your regular plates, your go-to pantry staples, your normal rhythm.
I’ve already arranged decidedly carb-centric dinner and event plans for the the next few days and I’m so excited to get back to my normal daily agenda of workflow and productivity.
It’s kind of like a reset.
It may kind of remind a lot of us of how we approach our work routines, because somewhere between holiday schedules, travel, events, and “I’ll just circle back after…,” it’s easy for our structure to disappear. And that’s when productivity unravels.
The Parallel: Your Routine Is Your Regular Dishware
During Passover, everything has its place. When it ends, you don’t just throw your everyday kitchen back together randomly and hope for the best.
You put things back where they belong, re-stock what you actually use, and re-establish how your kitchen functions.
Your work life is the same deal. Because when your routine disappears, so does your response time, your follow-through, and your ability to prioritize anything beyond what’s screaming loudest.
What “Putting Your Routine Back” Actually Looks Like
This isn’t about becoming a productivity robot. It’s about rebuilding the baseline that makes everything else work.
Here’s your post-holiday reset checklist (and it applies to all holidays, vacations, and breaks, just adjust accordingly!):
1. Reclaim Your Start + End Times
If your workday has turned into a vague “I’ll get to it when I get to it,” it’s time.
Set a start. Set an end. Even if you ignore it occasionally (we’re human), having it matters.
2. Re-anchor Your Non-Negotiables
What are the things that keep your work moving forward, not just sideways? Pitching, following up, filing, admin? If those disappeared during the holiday shuffle, bring them back first.
3. Clean Up the “I’ll Deal With It Later” Pile
We all have one. Emails. Notes. Half-finished ideas, stories, pitches. Today is the day you answer it, schedule it, or delete it. Consider it like spring cleaning your closet, but it’s your workspace.
(No more letting it haunt you like unopened matzah boxes in July.)
4. Rebuild Your Communication Rhythm
If you’ve been a little loose with replies lately, this is your reset.
(You already know which one leads to better invites, better stories, and better relationships.)
5. Stop Letting Your Schedule Be “Flexible” to the Point of Chaos
Flexibility is great, dhaos is not. If every day looks completely different with no structure, you’re not being flexible—you’re being held hostage by your inbox.
This Matters (More Than We Admit)
Routine isn’t boring. It’s what allows you to show up reliably, hit deadlines without panic, and actually enjoy the work you said yes to.
It’s the difference between: “I’ve got this handled” and “Why is everything happening at once and why did I agree to all of it?”
The holiday/spring break/vacation you were taking was temporary. Your workflow isn’t supposed to be. Put yourself back in control.
Book your consulting session!
I still have some space available the remainder of 2026!
I can join your team on Zoom, a phone call, or in-person and do a team Q&A and answer any of your questions about planning events, mailers, trips, pitching, followups, etc — giving you a very necessary media perspective. Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com if you are interested in chatting more and setting something up :)
We can switch it up in any way you or your team needs. While most of my calls do end up being virtual, I just did one where we did our session over a martini lunch! I’m available for whatever your team prefers. Lets chat.
Be sure to follow me on the Yahoo Creators platform. I’m writing a wide range of lifestyles topics: check out my author profile to see some of my most recent pieces! (This is updated daily - usually multiple times daily - so you’ll want to keep checking it out for new content!)
Limited-time deal on ad placement!
I’m offering a seasonal special on advertising in this newsletter. I’d love to place your sponsored posts and advertising in this Substack, which goes out to more than 10,000 media professionals every single day.
Note: I do limit advertising to only what would be of interest to my readers, but am open to both short paragraph blurbs and dedicated posts - if you are interested in chatting details and scheduling something, please email me at alywalansky@gmail.com today!
Tools of the trade
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Exciting news from our friend Sarah Karger (who you’ve seen as the star expert panelist for several of our gift guide pitching workshops!) - she launched her new course, Affiliate Marketing & Performance-Based PR for Publicists - It’s built specifically to help PR pros and agencies add affiliate management as a core capability, something we all know is completely essential in today’s media landscape.
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.
Yahoo Creators: Check out my author profile (I have several new stories a day across the lifestyles umbrella, so that’s the best way to stay updated!)
Southern Living: I’m A Travel Writer, And My Friends And I Are Obsessed With This App For Tracking Each Other’s Flights
Yahoo: We Found the Healthiest and Best-Tasting Organic Peanut Butters
Food Network: 15 Food Deals to Snag on Tax Day 2026
Forbes.com: 10 Delectable Variations On Grilled Cheese
Yahoo: The Healthiest Costco Frozen Dinners To Buy Right Now
Apartment Therapy: This $3 Cleaning Gem Is a Staple in My Small Apartment
Travel & Leisure: This Brand Is Amazon’s Best-kept Secret for Roomy, Budget-friendly Travel Bags—and Prices Start at Just $19
Apartment Therapy: I Use This Living Room Staple as Pantry Storage, and It’s the Smartest Hack I’ve Tried
Apartment Therapy, I Used the 10% Rule, and Now I Never Overpack My Carry-On
Travel & Leisure: I Fly Around the Country for Work, and This Roomy Tote Is My No. 1 Airport Essential for Looking Put Together.
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Solo Traveler of 25 Years, and These Are the 18 Products I Swear By for Personal Safety in 2026
Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I’m Traveling by Plane
Travel & Leisure: Traveling Alone Can Be Expensive—Here Are 15 Budget-friendly Hacks That Save Me Money
Southern Living: The One-Pan Cheesy Meal I Make Whenever I'm Too Tired To Cook
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.
Before pitching: Please be sure to refer to my photo submission guidelines for help with photo submission best practices!
Forbes.com
Does your bar or restaurant plan on doing any Kentucky Derby-inspired cocktails this year? You know the usual format, please drop me a note and tell me about it!
Also Garlic Day is coming up and I’m looking for amazing super garlicky dishes (or drinks!). If you have anything at your bar/restaurant, please drop me a line!
Yahoo
I’m in the final weeks of sourcing for Mother’s Day gift guides. To pitch me for these, please be sure to include name of product, description, link to imagery, price, and retailer availability - even better if it’s available at Amazon or another major online retailer. If it’s available at several retailers, please share all the links.
Specifically looking for gifts related to food, travel, wellness, and self-care.
Thanks!