I was recently asked what my favorite magazines were and what magazines I read regularly.
I had to stop and think for a second before I realized that I don’t read any magazines… ever! I got Better Homes & Garden for a few years when Dave and I were first married. It was a Christmas gift from his brother, and I really did love flipping through every single page of that magazine and daydreaming about our future farmhouse and how cute it would be decorated.
I saved pages that I liked and put them in my dream house ideas book. I cut out craft project and holiday decorating ideas to implement in my own house “someday”, and I eagerly waited for the next issue to arrive each month.
Back before I had kids, I actually did some of the craft and decorating projects — and we did implement many of my “idea book” ideas into our farmhouse renovations.
However, as I became busier and busier with our farmhouse renovations, as my business continued to grow, and as we added children to the mix, I quickly realized that not only was I not willing to make the time to do those magazine projects or make those fancy recipes, I also had little to no desire to even read magazines anymore. So I stopped!
Over the last year, I have canceled every single one of my magazine subscriptions (even the free ones) and I don’t plan to subscribe to anything else in the near future… here’s why.
I personally feel like magazines are becoming more and more and more FAKE and completely STAGED. They have designers come through and add a bunch of decorations and embellishments to make the homes look beyond perfect. They remove clutter and photoshop anything that doesn’t look just right.
When our house was featured in HGTV magazine 2 years ago, it wasn’t even because of my decorating style or how cute it was. It was simply because we bought our current house and sold our previous house on Craigslist. However, they still photoshopped a bunch of things in and out of our photos to make it more appealing.
I guess it’s just all kind of annoying to me — how magazines like Real Simple, Country Living, HGTV, Martha Stewart, etc. claim to have “simple tips” and “real-life ideas” when it’s obviously all too fake.
So, since many people are shocked to hear that I don’t read or subscribe to any magazines (and that I rarely ever visit Pinterest anymore) I figured I’d share 9 (slightly humorous) reasons why 🙂
9. Because we have more than one pair of boots.
And we also need room to sit on our benches to put our boots on.
8. Because it’s impossible to keep an outdoor living areas looking this nice.
Dave and I have several outdoor living areas around our house and they are constantly covered in bird poop, pollen dust, or dead bugs. It grosses me out and that’s just on our plastic adirondack chairs and picnic table that are really easy to hose down.
I can’t even fathom putting a bed, or a couch, or any nice, plush, indoor furniture in a mostly exposed outdoor location. Maybe it doesn’t rain or snow or sleet or blow where they live. And maybe they don’t have bugs or birds or squirrels either!
7. Because our kids actually play in their rooms.
Not to mention most of us probably don’t want to risk a massive tree branch falling on one of our children in the middle of the night 🙂
side note: the photo above is from a blog post entitled “10 Simple Holiday Decorating Ideas” Really? Simple?
6. Because our snow doesn’t fall perfectly.
Honestly, I’m not sure it’s possible for snow to fall everywere else but right down the center of the walking path. I’m also impressed that it somehow missed all the outdoor decorations too!
5. Because we actually do laundry in our laundry rooms.
I can appreciate a classy, clean, and well-functioning laundry room as much as anyone (especially since mine is so tiny and cramped) but seriously, this is a bit much.
And I don’t know about you, but I don’t sit in my laundry room waiting for the load to finish — so I’m not sure why they’d need a chair in there 🙂
4. Because we don’t have a color-coordinated pantry.
Boy do I love a nicely organized pantry — especially when all the pantry items match so perfectly, because that’s just how we do it in our house 🙂
3. Because we wear more than one color too.
You all know how much I love white — but this is even too much for me. Are you really telling me this person only wears whites and creams — and apparently only wears tall white boots or flimsy flats?
Oh, and I’ll just assume none of us have a two-story closet!!!
2. Because we don’t plan our entire home’s decor around one season.
I don’t know why, but it bugs me SO much when they show a home perfectly decorated for Christmas and all the walls are painted red… or the garden is immaculate and full and gorgeous in May — but it’s because they have all spring-flowering plants that will die off by mid summer.
1. Because we actually live in our homes.
Many of the homes featured in magazines are 2nd homes, summer homes, cottages, cabins, lake homes, etc. They aren’t lived in year-round and don’t get as much wear and tear. Also, even if they are lived in year-round, they most likely are “put on hold” for the entire day of the photo shoot.
I know several bloggers who have been featured in prominent magazines, and EVERY time, the magazine has shipped boxes and boxes of props for the various photo shoots. They have sent teams of designers in to “overhaul” the already cute and nicely decorated homes. They remove doors and take screens out of windows to get better angles for their pictures. In some instances, they have even asked the family members to “move out” for a couple days so they could get all the photos without any of the decorations being messed up.
Now don’t get me wrong — I don’t think magazines or design blogs or Pinterest are evil. I enjoy looking at the occasional perfectly decorated, totally-over-the-top homes as much as anyone.
I certainly don’t expect everyone to stop reading or subscribing to all magazines… in fact, if I come over to your house and see a stack of magazines lying around, I’ll probably need to have a quick peek 🙂
I guess I finally realized that since it took me all of 5 minutes to flip through a magazine and I never ripped out any pages or ideas or recipes anymore, magazines weren’t worth my time or money. Everything was too over-the-top, too time-consuming, too much, and too fake for my taste… so I just decided to stop reading them.
What are your thoughts on magazines these days?
Do you feel like they are getting more and more fake? Or am I just getting more practical?
ann in E. oregon says
I have to say, I agree w/ all your reasons. I, myself, just made the decision to no longer subscribe to magazines… Thanks for the encouragement! 🙂
Mary says
Totally agree I used to read lots of magazines but have not bought any for years. I don’t even buy the tv guide nowadays lol!
Janine says
Oh my gosh…. Best. Post. Ever. So well done! Your common sense viewpoint is hilarious! 🙂
deborah says
Have you read The Nesting Place? I love that book! I love it because it has a beautiful cover and I do love owning things that are pretty and useful. And I love her byline, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.”
I enjoyed your tongue-in-cheek humor in this post. 🙂
Design Furnishings says
I found myself nodding the whole time as I read your article. We do actually live in our home and they are never going to be perfect. I agree that certain magazines make us feel like we just can’t get it right – they are like the fashion magazines that air brush the women so much, they don’t even look like themselves. I wish they were less polished and more realistic!
Tracey says
Andrea, this was just SO funny and SO true. Nice work!
Rebecca says
I could not agree more!! Perfect post about this topic. I gave up my women’s magazines when my then 3-year-old said something about the ladies always looking “perfect” in the pictures. That was seven years ago. My younger daughter just said a couple of weeks ago…why doesn’t our house look pretty like all of those pictures?? No more home magazines, and I will be limiting my Pinterest browsing unless I am looking for a specific project. Our home is lovely and comfy and perfect for us, and I don’t want any posed pictures to make us think any differently.
Carina says
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for your blog. It is truly thought provoking. I agree with you!
I too have decided to put my magazine subscriptions on hold for a while as so much money was put it to it and once read, I found they just cluttered up my space. I decided to spend the money I usually spend on magazines per year on buying a couple of interior design books instead. I still enjoy getting some ideas and at the same time books can be a bit more decorative to have around. Once I get tired of them, they would be easier to sell compared to old magazines…. Will see how my trial goes 🙂
Brenda says
Hilarious! I really liked this post and your points are 100% valid. I admit I still enjoy a few magazines but I don’t do subscriptions. I check them out from the library. 😉 It’s no extra cost to me and I have nothing to throw away when I am done.
Jenn S. says
Hahaha, I absolutely LOVED this post. Magazine and Pinterest perfection are unrealistic, and often unattainable goals for real people who live in their homes, work, and/or have families to take care of.
Why *are* there so many blasted pillows on that bench?! Good read, thanks again.
Rebekah says
ive been reading your blog for a few years now but I’m not much of a commentor. This post just really made me laugh though. Thank you for always keeping it real:) I’ve really empathized with you on having a difficult first child, not living the first years of mommy good as much as I thought I would, and now on the complete ridiculousness of some of the things in magazines and on Pinterest. Thank you for being so relatable:)
Sonya says
I loved this post. I have also reached a point where I am fed up with magazines & blogs, what they depict is not my reality at all, nor that of most people! Thanks for keeping it real. 🙂
Emily says
Agree with my whole heart! Thank you for once again putting into such nice words what I have been thinking!!!
Mary says
Your thoughts were posted at a perfect time for me. Just last night I put a tall stack (probably 30 magazines) in our recycle bin. They were all great magazines and I had the best intentions of reading them, clipping articles, and being so much smarter, more creative, and more productive when I finished. I finally accepted the reality that I do not have enough free time for them and that they had become a burden rather than a positive part of my life. I hung on to 5-10 that I may read–or they too may be recycled in the near future. When I realized how much better I felt getting rid of them, I promised me to stop subscribing just because the price sounds like such a great deal–so much cheaper than buying them individually! I agree with your rationale as well but for me it really is more about being overwhelmed by the clutter they create and the guilt I feel for not reading them. Thanks for a thought provoking article that shares a lot of common sense!
leslie says
Hallelujah!!! I LOVE THIS POST! Really, one of your best!
Thanks again, Andrea, for keeping it real!
Leslie
Deborah Smith says
I took the bait and lastyear subscribed to Traditional Home for $10 offer. I canceled it because I and no one I know lives like that. Real simple doesn’t have enough meat or substance. I’ve gotten more useful info this year from a book (organized simplicity) it’s taken me longer but I’m simplifying room by room. A magazine could never have gotten me this far. Debbie
SandyK says
I will quit subscribing when my grandsons are out of school. This is one of there find raisers but they add to the clutter of my home. I don’t like the perfume ads that are now in People Magazine.
Anita says
I do agree, plus I love the efficiency of Pinterest when I’m looking for something specific. Plus, Pinterest is free!
barb says
Yes, magazines are staged, but so are many photographs in all my favorite blogs!
JoDi says
Amen sister! To. Everything. Fake and full of ads. I like the pictures for ideas but after reading more than once how they come in and “style” homes that are lovely already, it just made all of them seem irrelevant and ridiculous. The last couple of subscriptions I have are about to run out and I decided a couple of months ago not to renew them. I prefer blogs for inspiration now. I can pick and choose the blogs that have a style I like and find tons of inspiration, unlike magazines where you might save one photo and chuck the rest!
Roxanne says
Andrea, Thanks for this post. You have given me once again something to think about. And I admit I did have to chuckle about the chair in the laundry room.
Greg says
Your article was interesting and funny. Magazine photos are all about the wow factor, nice to look at but often not practical.
Nayu says
I agree with magazine life being too idyllic, but it seems to be a sign of the times. I onlyever bought craft magazines, but when my health changed and I no longer hadbthe concentration for complex yet cute looking designs I stopped the magazine subscription & switched to a puzzle magazine. Because I wasn’t fast enough to get through 1 a month I’ve stopped that subscription too, & in future will simply buy a new puzzle magazine when I need one.
I confess I do flick through all the magazine’s my mother gets more for interesting articles than home improvement ideas. Since I live with her I usually sneak a read when she is out shopping! Free magazines are good ^o^
Tracey Rogers says
I totally love reading magazines and I might even say I’m a bit addicted to them. That being said I totally agree with everything you said, and found it quite humorous….lol. The other thing I find besides that they are so unrealistic is that I honestly think I spend more money when I’m getting lots of magazines and catalogs. They just entice you into thinking that you need the next new gadget or decor item. I got sucked in last year to subscribing to 4 or 5 of them because there was an offer for $5 subscriptions. As much as I love sitting down to relax and reading or paging through my magazines when they come I found that getting that many at the same time I couldn’t keep up and ended up with a HUGE stack of unread issues. Now the subscriptions are ending and I am not going to renew them, but to clear out the stacks, I’m paging through them and cutting out things for a vision board.
Ashton says
You took a different angle than I had in mind on this topic, but I agree. I have always LOVED magazines (I actually majored in magazines my freshman year in college) but it is a dying industry and is going down even more because of Pinterest. The most comical pictures you shared are the laundry rooms!!
Laura says
Thanks! This is a great one!
I was reading about “Cooks Illustrated” the other day that they don’t use advertising. Subscribers pay the full price of the publishing. I found that especially interesting because they seem to be more useful and realistic that other magazines.
I do like magazines for airplane rides (no big deal if you lose it, not much focus required; throw it out when you’re done).
Keep up the good work! 😀
Meaghan Kahlo says
Very funny! Gosh, I never really examined magazines in this way. I’ve always enjoyed my Real Simple subscription but I just let it lapse. I realized that the entire magazine is just one big advertisement, even the articles. I can do more with less and not feel like my home isn’t magazine “perfect”.
Leatha says
BEST POST EVER! I subscribe to BH&G because it was free and I’ve actually received some great tips and ideas from their magazine. But I agree, I’m moving away from magazines and I too agree with you that they seem so fake. I loved your words regarding the outdoor spaces. Great Post Andrea!
JD says
Like you I used to enjoy buying those design magazines but they are expensive, time-consuming and “fake”. When I realized I was only tearing a picture or two. I couldn’t justify the expense any longer.
Though I must admit that I still look at a few when they are available as part of my Next Issue subscription.
Rebecca G says
Ahhhhaha! I remember seeing the magazine with the outdoor living area with bed at the doctors office and thinking ‘that has got to be the soggiest, moldiest mattress in the world!’ I find that all of the magazines subscriptions I have are nothing but a pain for me now. Most of them were free or $5 for a many years subscription from years ago that just haven’t run out yet… they just pile up and make me feel guilty that I never have time to read them. I threw many of them away never read, and the ones with potential I starting taking to the bus stop when I pick up my daughter from school and blowing through one a day just so I could finally throw them out! The only valuable ones for me now have crochet patterns in them – those are keepers in my house, but only if I like more than one pattern – otherwise the pattern comes out and goes in a binder.
Alissa says
Awesome. I love this!! It’s terribly truthful and ridiculous how much is “staged” for a magazine. I think this can apply to social media sites too, for those who aren’t being realistic about everyday life. Thanks for the great laugh! 😉
AA says
I subscribe to Taproot, it doesn’t have advertisements in it. It comes 4 times a year and once I’ve read the articles I send it on to someone else who wants to read it. The other magazines I’ll buy if we’re on a trip and I’ve finished reading whatever I’ve brought with me to read. For me the pictures of the “perfect” homes cause anxiety. It’s to much stuff for me. I prefer my simple space with a map, calendar and a painting my Grandad made as the only things on our walls.
Kristen says
I literally can’t pinpoint the last time I read a magazine! lol I do know that I have several that are sitting in our”magazine” basket and still have the wrappers on them. I used to go and pull the recipes and all of the decorating ideas too, leaving me stuck with another pile to go through though! I think the reason I don’t really care for magazines anymore is because I can go on Pinterest and just keep everything right there, nicely organized without having a stack of actual magazines to store. On the flip side though, I do love Pinterest, BUT I feel that it stresses me out sometimes. I go through and pin all these great projects, tips, crafts etc. and it actually makes me feel depressed because I haven’t got all those crafts made, tips accomplished by a certain time (ie Christmas). I think it’s nice to dream and have ideas, just keeping in mind that I will never ever get to all those things with two little ones running around…so instead I’ll just clutter my Pinterest account, not my house with the extra paper!
Trudy says
I truly enjoy every bit of BH&G….but that is now going to be the only one. I enjoy Real Simple, but I’m getting away from it. There are a couple blogs that poke fun at the magazine’s perfect people…..one is Anthroparodie and It’s Like They Know Us…..both tickle me so much.
I find I am now a Pinterest junkie and get so many good Ideas from what I see there.
Leanne says
I don’t get them anymore because in the age of pinterest, I can pretty much browse a magazine any time I want, and customize to what I’m most interested in….
I think its ironic that those old rusty letters above the cream/white clothing collection probably spell out “real”…..
that person obviously has no kids…. 🙂
Pamela says
YES! And the same can be said for fashion magazines: totally unrealistic-looking women, wearing non-practical clothing and swimwear.
This is one of my favorite posts EVER, Andrea. Thanks for saying the truth (in love and humor!).
Ana says
I got rid of all my teen daughter , Veronicas’ Latina and Cosmo fashion magazines because she kept bringing them to school and reading them when she was supposed to be paying attention to her teacher, Ms. Martinez. They would get taken away , so I gave Her teacher permission to throw away any and All magazines that Veronica brought.
One time Veronica brought her Latina and Ms. Martinez saw it and tore it up and tossed it in the Garbage. Veronica called her the name that rhymes with Witch, So I gathered up every last one of them and took them to A teacher/parent meeting and She and I shredded up all of this trash.
I told Veronica that if this kept up I was going to do something with her magazines that she wouldn’t like.
I made her Apologize to Ms. Martinez as Well.
I know Mean but Education is more Important to me than these fashion magazines..
What would You ladies have done in my situation?
Hannah says
Andrea, I love this post! I have been crafting this image of my “dream house” in my mind for the last two years and am so put off by a lot of what I see in magazines and even online. My home will never look that perfect. I don’t want it to be perfect: I want it to be cozy, and to be an expression of myself and my fiance.
Another great post… thank you!
Andrea says
Thanks Hannah. I’ve always talked about our “dream house” too — but like you, I never expected it to be perfect, just “perfect” for us and our family.
Lynda says
This made me laugh out loud so thank you for the entertainment! So true!
Erin says
Oh do I ever agree! My only magazine subscription is National Geographic. I think a lot of those magazines can create envy or that sense that our own stuff isn’t good enough.
lydia @ Five4FiveMeals says
You don’t have a two-story closet? What? Are you living in a barn??? 🙂