Pros: Inexpensive, variety of topics, many recipes, family-oriented, craft projects,
good readers' tips
Cons: Few investigative reports, little consumer product information, not a trend starter, little cutting-edge information
The Bottom Line: Women's Day was originally a food magazine and basically still is. Other departments fill out the magazine. Even better choices are Good Housekeeping or Family Circle
Woman's Day magazine covers a wide variety of subjects that include beauty/fashion, crafts, fitness, health, home decorating, relationships and weight loss as well as nutrition and recipes. Issues also carry inspirational true stories, how-to articles and shopping advice among others. The magazine has been publishing for over 64 years. It began as a simple free menu planner given out in A&P supermarkets back in 1931 meant to encourage shoppers to buy more food products. When I began buying the magazine in the 60's it cost 25 cents and was available only in supermarkets. Back then, I thought the magazine was a real bargain. While the magazine is still available in supermarkets, it is now also sold at newsstands, airports, bookstores and by subscription. The individual issue price is now $1.79 US and $2.69 Canada. Look for occasional coupons for certain issues in your local newspaper.
The typical Woman's Day Magazine reader is an employed 46-year-old married woman. Her average family income is about $45,000. Her children are under 18 years of age and she is college educated. Most readers are home owners with a household size of more than 3 members.
The covers of Woman's Day magazine always feature photographs of delicious looking food dishes and food articles as opposed to celebrity photos and stories. The colorful food covers tempt readers to buy the issues. The covers are very busy looking with lots of large print feature titles printed in different colors.
For example, the current issue dated September 18, 2001 has a total of 11 cover articles printed in large bold fonts in three different colors. Plus, there is a large busy photo of a dish filled with a variety of yummy cookies. In addition, as if this isn't enough information already crowded on one cover, there are two additional features pictured.
I find that the long listing of so many cover articles is too distracting. It overwhelms the photo and make the cover just too busy-looking. I think the magazine wants readers to see that issues are jam packed with information and worth buying. Instead it is a turn-off and looks tacky and cheap. I would really prefer to see less cover articles listed but with their page numbers included so readers can locate them easily. Often the titles listed are not actually the names of the cover stories so it can be confusing to readers when they try to find them in the Table of Contents page.
You can tell by the cover photograph that the magazine emphasizes food topics such as menus/ recipes, cooking tips, decorating with food ideas, food shopping advice and cooking products. Since I own numerous cookbooks, I don't really rely on this magazine for menu ideas or recipes although that is not to say they aren't good. They just don't appeal to my family, anymore, now that my kids are grown. I rarely find the time to make all the yummy dessert recipes. No one in my family is interested in eating them either since everyone is watching their weight, or so they say. Kids would enjoy them but then we are also told that our kids are all overweight.
There are lots of ads in the magazine. Often there is an extra advertising booklet insert bound into the magazine. Leaf through it for coupons and more recipes. Sometimes the coupons can pay for the cost of the issue. The magazine is usually around 130-135 pages but the insert booklet is not counted into the number of pages. Ads are all attractive and related to products or services of interest to the women readers.
The 2-page Table of Contents is hard to read with its pale blue font color for headings of the various features. It is also too busy and cluttered with so many different features. The To Make section has a feature on making fall wreaths and the Your Home section has, "A Joy Forever" with instructions for making dried flower wreaths, arrangements and pressed flower art. I'd like to see all the home decorating craft projects all in one section. Also the special report on obesity could be under the Health section. The Table of Contents, though, is just inside the the cover and not hidden after many pages of ads as in other magazines.
Every issue contains seven regular departments, All in a Woman's Day, Dear Woman's Day, How-To, Neighbors, Shopper's Guide, Tip Talk and Recipe Index. Happy Endings and Best Buys also appear regularly. The rest of Woman's Day Magazine differs in coverage from issue to issue. Each issue has about 11-12 cover story articles many of them are food articles and recipes. Don't expect to find gossipy articles about celebrities' lives because there aren't any.
All in a Woman's Day contains relevant remarks by the Editor-in-Chief about each issue. Dear Woman's Day contains short letters and photos from readers to the editors. Often readers send in cute pictures of their kids holding a cake or wearing clothes made from projects in previous issues. The Neighbors department has fun photos, ideas and stories from readers to share with other readers.
The How-To Department contains money saving ideas, contest announcements and various other topics such as working with contractors, new products, wardrobe adjustments and inspirational ideas for daily living. They are really too short to be very helpful.
The September 18 issue has short reads on how to unwind after work which are great if readers don't have kids and "How to Keep Learning." Nothing really new is listed in either short piece. Another short piece suggests making photocopies of poems, photos and cartoons and passing them on to spread joy. This is an interesting suggestion but I'm lucky if I remember to send out birthday cards to family and friends. I do send originals of articles, cartoon and photos to friends from time to time so the suggestion really isn't a helpful new one for me.
Tip Talk is a guide for making life easier with hints on such things as running appliances, labor-saving new gadgets and craft ideas (egg cartons, vase painting, etc…) plus lots more. The Recipe Index is great for finding all the recipes in each issue.
The Best Buys Department has offers only available to Woman's Day readers. I am never interested in the offers. Recent ones are ads selling novelty scatter rugs, kits for embroidery stitched pillows and in the current issue, Love Bug pins and Christmas gift ideas. They are all pretty but I cannot not use them. They are really just disguised ads.
There are always a large number of articles in the Food section. The magazine is really mostly about food and cooking with other articles added to fill in the magazine. The summer issues have good food articles on how to prepare meals without cooking, summer desserts using peaches and berries, zucchini recipes and cooking entirely on a grill. There are articles on mayonnaise safety, whipping cream tips and some quick snack ideas for kids and adults. The last issue has food articles on "50 Two Ingredient Meals," "Farmers' Market Suppers" and " 75 cent Pasta Dinners." The current issue has "99 cent Dinners" and "Easy Potluck Recipes." The current issue also has "Quick Cook: Stir Fry Suppers" ideas that are good for busy weekday school night for families with school-age kids "Good Cooks" shows different ways of making marinated artichoke hearts, applesauce parfaits and perfect rice while "Healthy Cook: Apples a Day" is a page of recipes using apples, Bread Pudding, Waldorf Salad and Grilled Chicken with Apples and Sweet Potatoes. If these sound good to you, check them out on page 120.
Issues carry Monthly Menus clustered in groups of two sometimes. I never follow them for an entire month or, even a week, but I do find, maybe, one or two dinner ideas I like and adapt for my family. I suppose there may be some women who find them helpful on a monthly or weekly basis but I doubt it. My family just doesn't like most of them. I would think most women would find them too restrictive. They may be helpful for women who just don't have the time to come up with dinner ideas. Since they aren't in every issue, they aren't useful to rely on if you buy issues from time to time.
The Health section usually carries several articles about topics such as medications and side effects, diseases, women health issues and communicating with doctors. The current issue discusses birth control, fatigue and medical tests for women. The free poster lists "The top 25 Prescription Drugs" and their side effects but no one in my family uses any of them. The page is perforated for easy removal. The health information is always good but rarely contains anything the reader doesn't already know. There is rarely anything ground-breaking or innovative in the magazine. It is pretty conservative on it's health information and advice.
The diet and exercise section usually has secrets for successful weight loss (September 1 issue,) pitfalls in dieting, exercising for weight loss (Aug 7th issue) or obesity in general (September 18.) The current issue has a 4-page special report on, "Overweight and Undertreated" with little new information given. There are two others articles on, "Walking Changed my Life" and "A Weight Workout for Beginners" that is helpful for readers who will do the workout;I won't.
It seems almost incongruous that a food magazine spends so much space talking about weight loss and dieting while recent covers feature high calorie desserts (Peach Pie a la Mode and cookies.) The current cover depicts a plate of 8 small cookies each one is 170 calories plus more recipes inside for 115 Cupcakes of Champions. It is hard to try to lose weight when the magazine is always featuring cookies and desserts.
Issues also feature articles on Pets, which I don't read because I don't own any. There is also a big section about Children with several articles for young parents each month that I rarely read since my children are grown. The magazine ran a helpful one recently, "20 Ways to be a Great Parent." The ideas are not new but they are helpful. The current issue has ones on "Kids' Day" (turning off the TV,) "The Mom Next Door: The Mother's Disease" (guilt) and "Your Kid's Health: Coping with Feelings" (moods & emotions.) Again, there is really nothing new here but the articles are interesting to read.
Often there are decorating with flowers articles. "Bouquet Basics" is a recent one. How to make a "Harvest Wreath" is in the current issue. There is also a 3-page beautifully illustrated article with instructions on how to dry flowers and use them in decorating your home. I didn't use any of these ideas but some women will find them useful.
Other articles are inspirational stories, how women make a difference and articles on self-improvement which are somewhat of interest to me. The current issue has a fairly interesting one on "19 Ways to ...Get the Most Out of Life." None of the ideas are at all unique. There is another one under Words of Wisdom, "The Gift of Tears." It tells how tears help to wash away grief. Nothing new here either but it may help some readers. Some of these articles do make readers stop and think about life in general and I feel they do serve a purpose and are helpful. They always promote good moral values.
I like the Back Talk section. This section is meant to inspire discussions about various topics. The current issue has a good one, "Don't Trust Anyone Under 30 - Has Zero Tolerance Gone Too Far?" It is about reverse discrimination-against teens. There isn't too much controversy here but the article does make a point that teens who loiter in malls are often harassed by security while seniors who loiter just as long are not.
Beauty articles fill in the rest of the magazine often with information on products, answers to your beauty and fashion questions plus hair styling/hair care articles. The current issue has one on hair coloring which is good but the same information comes with hair coloring products. There are more short pieces on skin creams and a free shampoo offer for the first 500 readers who send in a postcard. I never bother with these offers. I feel they overburden the post office and the magazine's mail room. For the same money, advertisers could include a free coupon for all readers right in the magazine.
The magazine ends with the 1-page essay section called Happy Endings. This section covers topics on various issues concerning women. The current issue has one, "A Thousand Times" which talks about how important it is to tell kids you love them often during a day. I agree but don't we all know this?
The magazine publishes 17 issues each year. There are also other special editions, as well. I often buy the special interest editions. Each issue of Woman's Day has a specific focus. In the issue dated July 17th issue, the emphasis is on patriotic celebrations for July 4th. I used some of their craft ideas and picnic menu recipes. The August 7 issue is the Sixth Annual How-To issue featuring "523 How-To Ideas." I bought it because of all its great storage ideas. Apartment dwellers and home owners alike can use the many ideas. No one ever has enough storage. The two best features are, "How To Make More Space," and "How To Save Time in the Kitchen." Five food Websites are given which I will check out one of these day.
The September 1 issue focuses on back-to-school articles and an expanded Kids' Day section featuring tips for getting kids off to a good school year. It also has an article on getting organized so you'll save time and money. There's a guide for slashing your grocery bills which doesn't list any new ideas. Read some good parenting advice, some educational activities for kids and easy weekday menu ideas for busy parents.
The September 18th issue has "462 Tips & Ideas for Fall" and another helpful article on how to banish clutter. It also has fall crafts and menus.
The October issue will have Halloween ideas for pumpkin carving and decorating, Halloween crafts, costume ideas and treats. I probably won't buy this issue since my children are all grown up and the content doesn't interest me.
Although I think this magazine may be great for young families, I find that the articles don't appeal to me. They are lacking in depth and rarely do I find any new information. Most articles like fashion and gardening seem added to fill space. The magazine doesn't start any trends; it only reports on trends already happening. There are few investigative reports or consumer product evaluations. There isn't any fiction even in summer issues. Readers will find that almost every department is covered more thoroughly in another magazine. This is basically a food magazine with beauty, fitness and craft articles thrown in for good measure. It does have many health and parenting articles useful to young parents.
With the cost of the magazine now approaching the price of Good Housekeeping, I find myself rarely buying this magazine anymore. I subscribe to Family Circle, instead. I would recommend women buy either Family Circle (for food, crafts and home decorating ideas) or Good Housekeeping Magazine for more serious in-depth articles on current issues and great consumer product information. These magazines target the same reading audience and I feel that Family Circle and Good Housekeeping are better magazines.
Save your money and visit the Woman's Day wonderful interactive Website, www.womansday.com for some of their best articles. If you feel this magazine is for you, there is also a great subscription offer on the Website. Get a 17-issue subscription for $8.99. That comes to .53 cents an issue, a savings of 68% off newsstand prices. This is a great offer. Family Circle Website, www.familycircle.com offers a Family Circle subscription, by comparison, for $12.00 for 12 issues, a savings of 48% over newsstand prices. I think this is a better magazine and worth the extra price. However, if you are just looking for light reading about food and home topics then the low 53 cents an issue isn't a bad deal. Hopefully, the articles will inspire you in your cooking or home decorating projects.
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