Tuesday: Summer feels properly kicked off + still rounding up Prime day deals + more!
Good morning!
I had the best time last night at Loacker’s 100th birthday, celebrated at Eataly (or as I like to call it, EAT-ALY), and hosted by this fab lady you might possibly know:
Giada was obviously fabulous, as was ALL the incredible food (omg there was so much food), and I was also excited to run into the adorable Frankie Celenza — I’m obsessed with his Tastemade show Struggle Meals (I NEVER miss it) and it was so great to connect in person.
I was with my gorgeous sister friends Lisa and Lara (so, together, we’re sort of …ALL!) last night and it really was the quintessential summer evening event in NYC, in so many wonderful ways.
So much new content to share today. For Food Network: Starbucks Rings in July 4th With a Camera-Ready Frapp (it’s so cute!) and for those of you who need a more adult beverage this weekend, for Forbes.com: Toast To The Fourth Of July With 10 Independence Day-Inspired Cocktails.
Also for Forbes.com: 7 Tea Martinis That Are Redefining Cocktail Culture, and for Southern Living: Can You Freeze Feta Cheese?.
For Yahoo.com: NYC is experiencing its most extreme heat wave in decades. Here are 10 products helping me stay cool and This passionate fruit is the signature flavor of summer.
Finally, new this week, for HerMoney: The Best Timing for Hotel Bookings: How To Save On Your Stay.
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 nearly 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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Press Hook is where journalists, newsletter writers, and podcasters source expert quotes, hi-res images, product samples, affiliate info, and brand story angles — all from vetted brands in one searchable hub. It connects journalists and brands in what feels like a really user-friendly, organic way and I use it often to browse for sources and products aligned with my current projects and I’ve often found precisely what I need, when I need. Give it a try!
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.
Food Network: Starbucks Rings in July 4th With a Camera-Ready Frapp
Forbes.com: Toast To The Fourth Of July With 10 Independence Day-Inspired Cocktails
Forbes.com: 7 Tea Martinis That Are Redefining Cocktail Culture
Southern Living: Can You Freeze Feta Cheese?
Yahoo.com: This passionate fruit is the signature flavor of summer
HerMoney: The Best Timing for Hotel Bookings: How To Save On Your Stay
Yahoo.com: Pickles are the latest hot trend to hit fast food
Apartment Therapy: 10 Things I Got Rid Of After 45
Apartment Therapy: Summer Packing Tips from People Who Travel for a Living
Clean Plates: 11 Best Seafood Picks at Trader Joe's, According to RDs
Travel & Leisure: 6 Best Business Travel Airplane Outfits, From $12
YourTango: Frequent Travelers Are More Likely To Succeed At Work Because They Share These 7 Traits, Experts Say
YourTango: 14 Budget-Friendly Home Upgrades That Instantly Transform Your Space, According To Experts
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and This Seat Cushion Is My Secret to Arriving at Destinations Pain-free
Travel & Leisure: 13 Best Solo Travel Safety Devices on Amazon From $10
Travel & Leisure: I’m a Travel Writer, and I Swear by These Packable Ballet Flats for Comfort, Support, and Long Days on My Feet
Travel & Leisure: This Flight Attendant-approved Jumpsuit Is My Go-to Comfy Airplane Outfit — and It’s Only $25 Right Now$150 and Under
Travel & Leisure: I Found the Perfect Walking Shoes to Prevent Sore Feet During Travel — Score Styles on Sale Up to 62% Off
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.
Yahoo
I’m working on a roundup of great travel-related deals to look out for for Amazon Prime sale days, as well as pet-related deals and tech/gadget prime deals.
I’m also working on a roundup of must-have toiletries, beauty, hair, skin, and otherwise to keep as staples in your carryon when you travel. This, too, will have a first person element and there’s some of my faves I travel with non-stop that I’m absolutely including.
Forbes
National Fried Chicken Day, National French Fries Day, National Caviar Day, and National Mac and Cheese Day are coming soon.
I’m accepting pitches for fun and unique presentations of each (so not the basics please!), at restaurants/bars nationwide. To pitch me for any of these, please make sure your pitch includes ALL of the following.
Name of dish
Where found (so: restaurant name, city, state, URL)
Description of dish
Quote about what makes this presentation special (plus name and title of person being quoted)
Image of dish and appropriate photo credits
<3
aly
Eat-Aly made me snort-laugh. It's the little things. Thank you for the Tuesday chuckle.