August 23, 2009

You won't want to miss out on the September issue of Martha Stewart's whole living body + soul!  Out of all the magazines that I subscribe to, this is one of my favorites. I always find interesting articles, helpful health and fitness tips, and excellent recipes. There is an article in this issue titled “25 Fast, Healthy Recipes” that contains some easy, easy, nutritious recipes. The Heirloom Tomato Sandwich with Herbs and Tofu Spread is going to be the first one that I try!

I didn't realize it before I picked it up, but the September issue features a Going Greener Guidebook that is printed on the flip side of the magazine. It's like getting two magazines for the price of one. 🙂

The guidebook is sponsored by Stonyfield Farms and serves as a resource guide for achieving a greener lifestyle.  Inside the guidebook, you'll find a listing of the 20 best eco web sites and essential tips to live and shop greener.

This issue is jam packed with some awesome information. If you don't subscribe, it's definitely worth picking up!

~LilSis

February 4, 2009

Once upon a time, I did take advantage of time on the cardio machines at the gym to catch up on my magazine reading. Now, I only go to the gym for yoga or weights and do my cardio outside.  It's rare; but if I do go to the gym for cardio because of weather, I can't read on the machines any more. I don't know if it got darker in my gym or if my eyes just got worse, but I refuse to wear reading glasses while working out! (Go ahead, call me vain!)

My problem right now is that I just don't have enough time to kick back and leisurely browse through my magazines. I'd like to be able to read my magazines in a relaxed mode and not in a huge hurry just to move it from the ‘unread' pile to the ‘read' pile.

How nice would this be? (aahhh…heaven)

Flickr photo by Santheo

We talked about this about four months ago. At that time, I was down to these six subscriptions.  I've just decided that I probably won't ever have time to read these each month, so something's gotta give! Here's how they rank now:

Keepers:

• Fit Yoga
• whole living body+soul

Undecided:

• Heart Healthy
• Food Network

Won't renew:

• Sculptural Pursuit
• Coastal Living
• Food & Wine

When it's time to renew my subscriptions, I will probably only keep FitYoga and whole living body+soul.

I like Heart Healthy and I do occasionally find articles in it that are interesting and maybe a few recipes that I like, so it's under consideration. And, I also, am a little disappointed in Food Network Magazine. I've got several months left on my subscription, so for now, I'll keep reading as time allows and make a decision when my subscription is due for renewal.

The last three are just being eliminated because of lack of time. I like them all but just cannot find any extra time in my day to read them.

It's such a stress factor for me when I see my “to read” pile of magazines stacking up! That's just wrong! Magazines are supposed to be fun; not another source of stress!  So, for now, I'm weeding out my least favorites!

~LilSis

February 3, 2009

I've been trying to intensify my gym time, and have been going 5 times a week instead of 3, plus I'm shaking up my cardio a little. You know how your body will get used to the same old routine after a while, and it stops being as effective? So, lately I've been hopping on the bike 5 times a week for half an hour each session before I run off to the treadmill, and I discovered that's the perfect time to work on my stack of unread magazines. That 30 minutes ends up being a good barometer to determine which magazines are worthwhile and which are a waste of money. If I can breeze through an issue and leave it in the gym, completely done with it after half an hour, then it's not a keeper.

Sorry, Domino Magazine, you've failed my gym test. I can flip through you in only a matter of minutes, just like an issue of People. I adore your cute little sticky tags, but I never find anything to mark any more! I used to love you, but I guess I've moved away from your demographic. I didn't find one article or photo layout of note in the last issue, and didn't see one decorating idea I would ever implement. So, I'm sorry, Domino, I have to end it with you. But it's not you; it's me.

Bon Appetit, I'm breaking up with you too. We've been together for a couple of decades now, but you've been letting me down for months and I'm not putting up with it any more. You used to be so interesting and fun, and now I just can't relate to you at all. What happened to you?

More Magazine, you're making the cut. You last for a couple of gym sessions, and I'm pretty much reading you cover to cover. I can relate to your articles, and I appreciate the positive tone of your issues. I'll renew you when you come calling next year.

Food Network Magazine, you're on probation. Your initial issue was strong, but your performance in the second issue was a bit weaker and a tad boring. I'm a demanding reader, so you've got the rest of this subscription to entertain me and please me. Can you make the grade, or will I have to kick you to the curb with Domino and Bon Appetit?

To the Curb! Flickr photo by JP Shooter.

Martha Stewart Living, I'm back! I cheated on you with Real Simple for a few years, thinking you were too high-maintenance. But Real Simple lost my interest eventually, shallow fickle reader that I am.  I've been having a little newsstand fling with you, and I think I'm ready to make a subscription commitment to you again. While others last only half an hour, you keep me reading for at least a couple of hours, and I usually tear out some of your pages for later reference. I'm back, have you missed me?

LilSis, have you done any magazine weeding lately?  I'm feeling ruthless and demanding more from my subscriptions…how about you?

~BigSis

October 24, 2008

Well, I certainly hope you're happy, LilSis!  You just had to dangle that Food Network Magazine carrot in front of me, didn't you?  You know that I have a magazine addiction, and that I've been in recovery for a couple of years now and that I'm still vulnerable.  You'd probably take a platter of brownies to a Weight Watcher's meeting, wouldn't you?  Ok, maybe that's a little harsh.  I'm sorry.  But you DID just MAKE me subscribe to another ding dang magazine!  Drats!  At least I get a trial issue, and if I don't LOVE it more than Kettle Chips and Helluva Good French Onion Dip, I'm canceling the whole thing.  I'm not kidding, I'll do it.  I mean it this time!  I'm serious!

Stop me before the whole bag is gone!

Hello, My Darling!

I did have a little problem with magazines piling up a while back.  I was taking Natural Health, Allure, InStyle and maybe one other.  Could have been Vegetarian Times or Real Simple. Just like you said, if you get behind on reading and tossing them every month, they accumulate and become a huge source of stress.  You don't want to throw them away if you haven't even looked at them yet… that's wasting money!  So they go into a stack that gets bigger, and bigger and bigger until it's the size of a middle school child.

So, when I moved from the condo in Arlington a couple of years ago, I had 3 weeks notice to move out and there was zero time for packing.  I had to get ruthless, and I did.  I took that Eiffel Tower of magazines to the dumpster and didn't look back.  Now, I'm taking Bon Appetit (not loving it like I used to so this one won't get renewed), Domino ( ditto), and More (loving it).  Since I just moved again and have been super busy the last few months, I must admit I have a little pile of magazines on my end table.  But I refuse to allow my past sins to be repeated, and I promise that this weekend I WILL go through them.  By Monday the little pile will be no more.  Since I'm still recuperating from the Nasty Virus, this will be a great productive project for me!

So by the time my new Food Network Magazine gets here, I won't feel guilty.  Woo hoo!  And anyway, it's the end of October.  It's time to start buying all the holiday baking magazines!  😉

~BigSis

October 24, 2008

Ding Dang Darnit!! I can't believe I just did that! I CANNOT believe that I just subscribed to another magazine! I was on Food Network researching something and just saw this premier issue of Food Network Magazine advertised. Ten issues for only $15.00! How could I resist? BigSis, check it out. You might want to enter one of your recipes into their contest. Winner takes a prize of $500.00.

Food Network Magazine

Here's one of the recipes from this month's premier issue.  This Broccoli Chowder with Cheddar Toasts looks so yummy! Now that it's cooling off here a little bit in the evenings, I'm getting in the mood to make some soup. I'll probably have to triple this recipe to feed the “hungry men” in my house.

Broccoli Chowder with Cheddar Toasts

A couple of years ago, I intentionally stopped subscribing to several magazines that I had subscribed to for years.  I stopped InStyle, Food & Wine, Fit, Domino, Self, and a couple others that I can't even remember.  There's not enough time to read that many magazines and it would actually stress me out if the unread magazines started to stack up.

I had my current magazine subscriptions down to my absolute favorites, whole living body+soul,  FitYoga, Heart Healthy and Sculptural Pursuit. A couple of months ago, I received an offer to subscribe to Food & Wine for only $2.00 for the year, so I've added that one back to my monthly subscriptions. Heart Healthy and Sculptural Pursuit only come out every quarter, so I don't really receive all five magazines every month.

BigSis, you've got some stories to tell about magazines stacking up, right?  Literally, stacking up! Wanna share?

Inquiring minds want to know. Just how many magazines are too many? Six sounds like a lot to me, but maybe it's really not.  I'd love to hear from everyone on this topic. What are your favorite magazines?  How many subscriptions do you have?

~LilSis