Magazines

Yesterday I mentioned all my magazine subscriptions. I figured that I’d give you a run down.

Mary Englebriet’s Home Companion: Love it for all the gorgeous pictures, funky, artsy feel, homes that are fresh and different.

Better Homes and Gardens: It’s getting better, really. They are trying to be a little more modern, still reliable for practical ideas, gardening advice, and recipes.

Sunset: One of my favorites. I enjoy the travel articles because they are places I would really want to go. Gardening advice par excellence. Cooking section also very good. Decorating advice is a little odd for normal people, too boxy, sterile.

House Beautiful: This is a plainly ridiculous magazine and not just because I wouldn’t spend outrageous money on their decorating suggestions. It’s just too over-the-top. It would be uncomfortable to live like that. This was one of those replacement subscriptions they give you when the magazine you love goes out of circulation. I hope it runs out soon.

Real Simple: Great mag. I love the clean modern feel. Lots of really practical ideas.

Body + Soul: A nice soothing journey to a quiet place. They write a lot about calming your spirit and taking care of yourself physically. I like it because we all need reminders to do that. This is actually published by Martha Stewart’s company without any reference to her at all.

Eating Well: Full of healthy recipes that are not totally weird. You can actually eat them.

Prevention: Snippets of healthy advice. It’s like Reader’s Digest of all the latest health research.

Country Home: Probably my favorite magazine visually. Sometimes crazy, occasionally you’ll find an idea that you’d really do. Always an enjoyable trip regardless.

Fine Cooking: Ah, this is the real, meaty stuff. The articles are so well researched and presented, you can’t go wrong. I especially love their kitchen hints page—real information that I use constantly. This is the only magazine that I save the past issues.

Oprah: Of all my magazines, this is the one that I really read. There are a lot of articles and I read all of them. Usually takes all month to get through it. Sometimes I even dread it, but I do it because they cover such a diverse range of topics. Actually, that’s not true, I skip all articles relating to make-up and clothing. They are so completely out of it, too stupid, I can’t even put into words.

Cottage Living: Along the lines of Country Home, a little more casual. I just like the fun feeling of it.

Simple Scrapbooks: Really practical ideas for easy scrapbook pages. Not as complicated as Creative Keepsakes.

Two that I don’t subscribe to, but look at in the library:

Martha Stewart’s Living: Impeccable. “Practically perfect in every way.” Sometimes just too much for real people though.

Fine Gardening: Lovely and very meaty, but way beyond the reality of my little garden.