Bye-Bye Magazines

The decluttering of the library (my whole house is a library) continues.

I used to buy a ton of magazines every month. Then I subscribed to them because it was less expensive. Then the sheer number of pharmaceudical advertisements in each issue became too annoying, so, one by one, I let my subscriptions expire without renewing.

I've never been one to simply purchase a magazine, read it, and then dispose of it immediately after I've finished. I know there are people like this because I've taken their discards from the free magazine box at the library. When there's a current issue in that box, I know that it was donated by some person whose home is nice and neat and not a candidate for a future episode of Hoarders.

I used to be a clipper. I would cut out recipes and rip out pages with home decor ideas or seasonal entertaining spreads. Sometimes I would organize them. Sometimes not. I can remember one year going to Vermont for Christmas. As my sister-in-law was showing me the closet where we were to put our clothes, she sheepishly pushed aside several brown grocery bags full of Southern Living magazines; magazines she was in the process of clipping herself. Kindred spirits.

Up next for the FOL donation pile is a stack of several years worth of Taste of Home magazines. I've held on to them because they were a gift subscription and I felt guilty about giving them away.


I've never used them and barely even skim through the pages anymore when they arrive in the mailbox.

I think I'll keep Everyday Food, however. Besides being smaller in size, I like the format and recipes better. They won't take up much space.


Martha Stewart Living was hard--I had a lot of the older issues. A couple of months ago I lugged them out to the car during a moment of resolve, before I could weaken. I haven't missed them yet.

Now I'm awaiting another moment like that for all the back issues of Country Home. I'm trying to keep away from the scissors too.