guilty pleasure....magazines

Obviously from the title of this post, y'all know that one of my guilty pleasures is magazines.  I love the surprise of getting a new magazine in the mail full of ideas, information, and inspiration.  I dog-ear pages and "ooh and ahh" out loud as I turn through the pages.  Sometimes, the lucky person sitting next to me, be it often my hubby or mom, gets to have parts of the stories or certain ideas shared with them.  And summertime is the perfect time to catch up on all my magazine reading.  (I just may have to admit to you all right now, that other than my bible and professional books I have to read for my teaching profession or grad school classes, rarely do I truly read a book.  Gasp.  I admitted it.  This "can't sit for too long" chick just doesn't do well with something that requires too much time to read.  And, personally, I like pictures people.)

I have many go-to magazines.  I'm a regular subscriber to Country Living (I soak in every ounce of inspiration the pages ooze with), Glamour (which I'm not re-subscribing to....it's losing my attention, and frankly, a little too risque at times for me even now as a married gal of two years), and Shape (umm...I should probably spend more time utilizing the pages of this one).  However, due to my thrifty nature and finding some awesome deals through great blogs, I have managed to get them all for free.  (Well Country Living is a yearly Christmas gift from my aunt.)  But Glamour is courtesy of Coke Rewards points and Shape is courtesy of www.freebizmag.com.  (Justin also gets some great freebie subscriptions such as Marlin Magazine and some great car magazines.)  Freebiz emails you with freebie offers, you put in your profession, and if your profession is one that they are offering the subscription to, you can get it free.  Great deal!  Well I also randomly sign up for free trial subscriptions, most of which are hassle-free and have not begged me to subscribe at the end or sneaked their magazine into my mailbox requiring a bill after the trial runs up.  (Those are the ones to sign up for.)  I also love to find magazines at flea markets, yard sales, and Half Priced Books where you can buy them for next to nothing or even swap with friends and family.  Because of all these thrifty outlets, my goal is to never pay full-price for magazines off the rack or a subscription. 

My guilty pleasure has now led me to three new magazines that I adore:

For unique DIY projects of all kinds and innovative solutions, this is an amazing go-to magazine! I can't believe what some people come up with!

 

ReadyMade

For ideas on how to make your way of life a little more healthy, natural, organic, and laid-back, this magazine is perfect.

 

Body & Soul

This one is by far my favorite, but sadly, I don't think it's published anymore.   This has amazing insight on how to live a natural and organic lifestyle that is balanced and not overwhelming.  Think " 'normal' chick goes organic."  The articles are full of information and specific products are reviewed.  Some of my favorite articles so far:  raising a child with less "stuff" including info on cloth diapers v. disposable diapers, why high fructose corn syrup is as nasty for your body as exclaimed, and reviews on organic, natural bug repellents.  Love it! (Anyone that has information on this magazine or a similar magazine that I could look into finding would be greatly appreciated!)

 

Image links: here, here, and here.

So what magazines are your favorites? 

Which ones can you read in one sitting and "ooh and ahh" over?