Wednesday: Busy (and rainy) day in store + I'm sourcing for some fun new pieces!
Also: I'm teaming up with RPZL for a glam giveaway!
Hi, friends!
Happy Wednesday!
It’s a rather nasty day in NYC — it’s going to be raining for such a long stretch this week that I believe Noah is off getting estimates on ark materials — but I’m still in a good mood because Jill Schildhouse is in town, her very first trip to New York.
She’s only here for around 36 hours, and has given me the noble role of planning all her food experiences while she’s here. Obviously, I’ve taken this F&B tour of my city very seriously.
The first stop was last night, and as it was Jill’s first dinner ever in NYC I wanted to really make it count - and make it a quintessential New York City experience. So, we visited Gallagher’s Steakhouse, which has a ton of history - it started as a speakeasy during Prohibition!
But, also, we were very much in it for the martinis and yummy food.
We have a packed itinerary today (i.e. I’m essentially playing hooky for the day!), and lots of fun spots planned — and a few are a result of your invites or suggestions!
In other news, some fun new content to share!
Newly published for Forbes - Chefs Nationwide Are Honoring Ramp Season In Some Delicious Ways and also Royal Caribbean To Launch Nostalgic Chicago Supper Club Concept This Summer. For HerMoney: How To Get Cheap Hotels When You Travel. For Southern Living: How To Tell If Your Steak Has Gone Bad
Fun giveaway alert!
This week, I’m teaming up with my bestie Lisa at RPZL for a major giveaway.
We’re giving away a staggering $500 worth a blowouts at RPZL as well as some of my very favorite products — the Polisher brush (which I love so much I have both one at home and one I that I use for travel), the Kate bow (which comes in a million fun shades and JUST won Cosmopolitan’s Holy Grail beauty award!), as well as the Scarlet headband (which you see me wearing constantly), and a few more surprises.
How do you win?
If you are a paid subscriber, you are already entered!
If you are not a paid subscriber, you can still enter now (or get a second entry if you are a paid subscriber!) by liking and sharing this post with a friend, and following both @alywalansky and @rpzl on Instagram. If your friend(s) you share it with subscribe, you both get an additional entry, too. I’ll notify a winner by EOD this Friday!
Limited-time deal on ad placement!
I’m also 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!
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Thank you for helping get the word out!
We loved how many of attended you took the time to attend our webinar event last month, covering the upcoming ShareASale to Awin migration. We covered an overview of the migration process and timeline, pricing of networks, and choosing a network for your specific client needs. If you missed it, we do have a recording available for paid subscribers. Email if interested and I’ll share how to grab that recording as well!
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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!)
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.
Forbes.com: Chefs Nationwide Are Honoring Ramp Season In Some Delicious Ways
Forbes.com: Royal Caribbean To Launch Nostalgic Chicago Supper Club Concept This Summer.
HerMoney: How To Get Cheap Hotels When You Travel.
Southern Living: How To Tell If Your Steak Has Gone Bad
Forbes.com: Illustrator Tea Brings Whimsy To One Of New York City’s Most Refined Traditions
Forbes.com: Virgin Voyages Launches Rojo, Adding More Razzle Dazzle To High Seas.
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
Forbes.com: Brother’s Bond Bourbon Looks To Stir Up Sustainability During Earth Month
Forbes.com: Daniel Boulud Is Again Bringing The Michelin Experience To Air Travel.
Forbes.com: Locally Sourced Ingredients Are Foundation Of Salad-Centric Culinary Program
Forbes.com: 15 Lavender-Based Treats And Cocktails To Enjoy This Spring
Saatva: The Best Ways to Remove Tough Stains From Your Mattress
Apartment Therapy: I Tried the “Weight Rule” for Decluttering, and It Keeps My Small Apartment Clutter-Free
Travel & Leisure: This Flight Attendant-approved Jumpsuit Is My Go-to Comfy Airplane Outfit — and It’s Only $25 Right Now.
Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This 1 Safety Device
Yahoo Life!: Best pedometers of 2025, tested and reviewed
Yahoo Life: The best black tea to brew in 2025, according to testers and experts
Travel & Leisure: I Found the Perfect Walking Shoes to Prevent Sore Feet During Travel — Score Styles on Sale Up to 62% Off
Travel & Leisure: In-flight Theft Is Unfortunately a Thing, but These 12 Items Give Me Peace of Mind When I'm Traveling by Plane
Southern Living: The Unexpected Reason I Always Travel With Duct Tape—And You Should Too
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.
Apartment Therapy
I Asked Pro Travelers for Packing Mistakes to Avoid when Preparing for Summer Travel - I’m looking to speak to pro travelers about the packing mistakes to avoid when preparing for any summer travel. Email me if you want to weigh in!
Saatva
I’m working on a story on How to Go to Sleep Fast: Tips to Help You Fall Asleep Quickly - and I’m looking for a sleep expert or two to weigh in, as far as: some reasons why you can’t fall asleep, special considerations, tips for falling asleep faster, long-term sleep strategies, and more. Please don’t send commentary without emailing me first, as I have specific questions (and I’ll need experts unaffiliated with other mattress brands for this one, please).
Forbes
May is National Salad Month, and there’s some great salads found in unexpected places around New York City. I’m doing a roundup of great salads at NYC restaurants — do you go to a steakhouse just to eat their amazing chopped kale starter salad? I’ve been there. Tell me where this salad is, what’s in it, why it’s great, and get me an image and a chef’s quote about it if you wish to be considered. I’m also up for some great salad in a bag/box type options you can enjoy right at home for when you can’t venture out for the fancy stuff.
I’m looking for pitches related to fresh and fun (see: Instagram-friendly) cocktails for spring featuring lemon as a star ingredient, available at bars and restaurants nationwide. Please be sure to include name of cocktail, where sold (city, state, name of restaurant, URL), description, quote about cocktail, image and appropriate photo credit when pitching - no pitches will be accepted that do not contain ALL these components. Thanks!
<3
aly
Yay - enjoy! Wish it was better weather for her visit!
Have a great time with Jill!