Wednesday: L'shana tovah! Also: A new podcast appearance, giving yourself a productivity fresh start, and countdown to HGGs.

Plus: Work with any tea brands? Email me for a story sourcing opp. Also: Lots of newly published content.

Good morning!

First of all, as tonight at sundown is the Jewish new year, L'shana tovah to all celebrating!

I’m about to get into the bulk of today’s email (which honestly could be the last one of the long holiday weekend), but I first has some important things to share.

For starters, check out my recent appearance on my friend Bonnie Taub Dix’s new Media Savvy podcast. We talked about everything from how to craft the perfect pitch, how to be a dream interviewee, staying productive, and so much more.

In new content to share today, I have a bunch to share! For Clean Plates: Should You Try the Viral "Fridgescaping" Trend?, and RetailMeNot: The Best Free Beauty Gifts With Purchase Deals to Shop…and there’s more! Scroll down to the newly published content section to see more — and also the section below that to see what I’m working on the rest of this week.

It’s hereeeee….Holiday season is quickly approaching (my bestie Lisa and I even went to our first holiday party of the season last night!) — and that means HGG time is also here. Be sure to check out our full recording of our Holiday Gift Guide Q&A with Jill, Aly and Alice (sign up for access to this recording from August 2024) — you’ll need to be subscribers of all three of our newsletters to grab this recording but you’ll get tons of value!

alywalansky

A post shared by @alywalansky

I’ll be off my computer most of today as I’m attending a very rare daytime event (it’s one of my very favorite brands and teams, and at a restaurant I have been dying to try, I couldn’t resist) and then going straight from there to my parents to help prepare the pre-Rosh Hashonah meal.

Expect lots of cooking content on my Instagram later today and for the next few days - and an exciting bit of news as well! So, stay tuned…!

As Rosh Hashonah marks the Jewish new year - and September/October has always felt as sort of a new year in another sense — it’s when we always started school and all, I figured I’d revisit some of my tips for being productive as you begin a new year. It’s applicable no matter where you start your fresh year on a calendar, for getting on the right foot, any time at all!

How do you start the new year off on the right foot?

Well, lift your left leg shortly before midnight...

(I can't take credit for that one, it's from a meme I saw on Instagram recently…)

I want to be honest with all of you. One of my goals here in this Substack is to create a sense of community and good will, and be as helpful as I can at all times.

I’m not just here for me, but for all of you — so if there’s ever anything you need from this space, please don’t be shy about sharing.

There’s WAY too much negative energy out there, people who prop themselves up by putting others down. Lets be a vehicle for the positivity - and our own success in the new year.

And lets start that by making the most of our time and working smarter, not harder.

1. Re-evaluate your projects and commitments

I think a new year is the time we reassess a lot about our lives, from relationships to various commitments.

This could be time commitments, what we are spending our energy and time on, who we are spending our energy and time on. But it's also a great time to reassess our projects and the tasks they involve.

My friends and I have discussed this often, taking stock of what is and what isn't working, and it's something I think all of us should try to do as we start a new year.  Whether you are reading this newsletter right now as a member of the media, a publicist, or the owner of a small business (or a little from column a, b, and c!), you'll discover that if you take the time to take inventory of your tasks, responsibilities, and obligations some will be helping you move TOWARD your goals, and some will be holding you BACK from your goals. This will help you decide which tasks to concentrate your energies on in the coming year, and which to scale back on.

2. About boundaries...

It's OK to acknowledge your own limits and be clear about them.

For every person what that entails may appear a little different, but by being open and honest about them, it helps to manage expectations and keep everyone on the same page.

For example: I'm always very clear that I seldom am able to do daytime events because of all the same-day stories I do. But this also works as far as clients and projects. Don't even try to be everything to everyone all the time (this is something I’ve struggled with A LOT over the years, personally.)

More isn't always better. That’s even true with cheese. It's much more beneficial to everyone if you focus on your strengths and goals and priorities and that way you'll be making progress moving toward where you want to be.

3. Don't leave loose ends

Sometimes the best way to conquer new projects is to finish off all those final tasks related to the ones we were already working on. 

Our energy just gets depleted if we're trying to keep our hands in too many places at once. But if we close those loops, and tie up those loose ends, then all our energy can be focused on moving forward.

4. Disable your smartphone notifications.

I'm not saying to delete your social media accounts (but I do think you should try to avoid them during the workday).

But delete those nonstop popup notifications. All the buzzing and beeping and ringing and dinging is endlessly distracting and you'll get a lot more work done and have a lot more focus if you aren't dealing with hearing and seeing those alerts all day when you have things you need to be doing. It's about avoiding distractions but also staying in that groove. Trust me, try it. You'll thank me.

5. Wake up a half hour earlier

Whatever time you wake up normally -- be it 8 am, 7 am, 6 am, try to wake up a half hour earlier. Make that half hour a gift of quiet time to yourself to enjoy your morning coffee, read the morning's headlines, go for a walk, or go over your calendar or day's agenda and get yourself centered. That half hour will help you start the day from a place of a lot more focus.

6. Track your accomplishments

I'l let you in on a little secret: I have struggled with self esteem issues my entire life and I suffer from major imposter syndrome.

No one could ever make me feel bad about myself as well as I make myself feel bad about myself.

BUT: I finally discovered taking the time to recognize and take stock in my accomplishments has made me feel confident enough to reach for bigger goals. Whether this is journaling or vision boarding or just making a list in your notes app, taking note of your accomplishments -- literally writing them out and acknowledging them -- is the best way to move toward your next goal.

 7. Do one thing at a time

Yes, even if you have 6 things due that day. You will get a lot more done and make a lot more progress toward your goals if you start something, give it all your focus, and then move onto the next thing.

Even if it feels to you like having three things you are working on at the same time makes you more efficient, it actually makes all the things take longer and makes you have less focus on each one. And, splitting our brains between various tasks at the same time is a great way to miss things, make mistakes, and have things fall through the cracks.

Do you have any productivity tips that work for you? I’d love if you could share them in the comments below!

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!

• Newsweek Readers Choice: Best U.S. Wellness Resort (I was on the panel that created the list of nominees! as well as those for Best Gourmet Subscription Box, Best Mattress, and Best Outdoor Grill - more categories coming very soon!

• Clean Plates: Should You Try the Viral "Fridgescaping" Trend?

• RetailMeNot: The Best Free Beauty Gifts With Purchase Deals to Shop

• Yahoo: Get a handle on your sleep health with the best sleep trackers for 2024, tested and reviewed

• Parade: Clueless About How To Use an Air Fryer? Consider This Your 101 Guide

• Forbes: Fine Dining At 36,000 Feet? Inflight Menus Have Gotten An Upgrade

• Forbes: 20 Great Cocktails To Try In Honor Of National Vodka Day

• Apartment Therapy: We Asked 5 Pro Travelers How They Keep Their Luggage Clean, and Here’s What They Said

• RetailMeNot: 50+ Government Employee Discounts Worth Knowing in 2024

• Clean Plates: 20 Quick and Healthy Air Fryer Snacks You Can Make in a Snap

• Southern Living: Can You Eat Sprouted Potatoes? An Expert Explains

• YourTango: 10 Most Unique Wedding Locations Around The World

• YourTango: 10 Most Magical Wedding Venues In The USA

• YourTango: 18 Charming Places In America That Feel Just Like Europe

• Food Network: The Rumors Are True: Peanut Butter & Jelly M&M’s Are (Sort Of) Making a Comeback

• Forbes: TikTok Sensation Cucumber Bowls Are Now Available In Real Life

• Saatva: How to Improve Sleep Hygiene: 12 Best Sleep Hygiene Tips.

• Apartment Therapy: I Sent a Pro Organizer Photos of My Tangled Mess of Cord Clutter — Here’s How She Fixed It

• Travel & Leisure: This Flight Attendant-approved Jumpsuit Is My Go-to Comfy Airplane Outfit — and It’s Only $27 Right Now

• Today.com: 11 healthiest fast food breakfasts, according to dietitians

• Apartment Therapy: The One Thing You Always Travel with That’s Actually Disgusting (And How to Keep It Clean)

• Travel & Leisure: I Tried Amazon’s ‘Magical’ Sleep Mask on a Long-haul Flight — and Now It’s the Most Important Item in My Bag.

• Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Frequently, and This $18 Gadget Makes Me Feel Safer in Hotel Rooms

• Today.com: The best drugstore eye creams to tackle wrinkles, dark circles and dryness, according to experts

• Apartment Therapy: I Sent a Pro Organizer a Photo of My Messy Kitchen Junk Drawer — Here’s How She Fixed It

• Yahoo Life: The best cooling fans of 2024, tested and reviewed

• Travel & Leisure: These Arch Support Sandals Are the Only Shoes I Wear in the Summer — and They’re Only $47

• Apartment Therapy: I Sent a Pro Organizer a Photo of My Cluttered Medicine Cabinet, and Here’s How She Fixed It

• Travel & Leisure: You Don't Want to Step Foot in a Waterpark Without These 18 Essentials From Just $9

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 the best black teas of 2024 - for this story, I’m going to test a variety of black teas to find the best in different categories. If you represent a black tea, please email me so I can try it out!

For this story, I’m also looking to interview 2-3 RDs to discuss the health benefits of black tea and the reasons someone might want to incorporate it into their daily lifestyle; I also also want to interview a tea expert to discuss the best ways to make black tea, the advantages/disadvantages of bags vs. loose leaf, why prices vary so widely, how to identify a good brand, etc. Note: I cannot include expert quotes from individuals working for the companies of the products/services I’m considering including in this list — the experts I include will be unbiased/not affiliated with a particular product or brand. (Which, btw, is always the case, and yet seems to surprise people!)

Forbes

National Gumbo Day is coming up and (spoiler alert) - gumbo is my favorite comfort food, but it’s also so hard to find a truly great one outside of NOLA. So, if you are a restaurant doing a really fun, unique, or just special (there’s nothing JUST about special, you guys) variation on gumbo, anywhere - please email me and tell me more about it. It will need to appear on a bar or restaurant menu, and I’ll need a description, chef quote, image, and photo credit.

Note: I got a lot of questions about the potato day I posted yesterday - fyi: there actually ARE several dedicated potato days, both in August and October, but because I’ve gotten SO MJUCH pushback as a result of this ask (sorry, friends!) - this story will now focus on National Mashed Potato Day rather than generalized potatoes. National Mashed Potato Day is celebrated on October 18. So, send any really creative upgrades on mashed potatoes you or your client may be doing! Same parameters as above.

Also: Do you know of an airport lounge that has an especially interesting F&B offering/feature? I want to hear about it!

Plate Magazine

I’m putting out bites/drinks of the week feelers, which is sort of a drink/dish spotlight piece. (Some examples are this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato in Savannah and a molecular banana daiquiri in Chicago.) Basically if you are pitching me something for this, think along the lines of: Is this dish/bite something new? What interesting techniques are used to make it come together? If the technique is simple, what’s the hook? An interesting ingredient? Something being made in house or in an interesting way? What’s the story behind the dish? What inspired it? Is there a cultural/family story behind the dish? An ingredient the chef got their hands on? Love to hear what you might have for me!

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!)

<3

aly