..to feel a failure compared to the women in my magazine?

[rufussmum]

Just read my usual middle-aged mum's monthly Woman and Home. All the women featured in it either 'live their adventure' and sail away to Greece on new yacht or have started their own 'consultancy/fashion' website with their best friend. Not one poor, unemployed single parent in sight. And don't get me started on the house makeover features. Are these people normal? If so I'm worse off than I thought.

Easy Living started out pretty well. Then it descended into bunting cupcake wankery and £200 summer sandals.

Half these people who claim to run businesses or consultancies in women's mags are either friends of the journo after a bit of free plugging (even if the article is nothing to do with their business) or they are living in a fantasy world of what they wish their life was like.

For:

'Suki runs an interiors company that specializes in sourcing antique french linens'

read:

'Susan went on holiday to France last year, picked up about 6 old table cloths and a bit of mattress ticking at a brocante market, turned them into shabby chic cushions at her evening class, and is now busy trying to flog them on Ebay. If she gets enough enquiries out of this article she'll consider investing the price of a chunnel ticket to go back and buy as many as she can fit in the boot of her car.'

People can make the most mundane things sound like glamour itself.

Blogs are totally where it's at these days.

I used to love Marie Claire too. I'd always buy one at the airport to take on holiday with me. I think the internet has probably killed most magazines dead, but I haven't regularly bought women's lifestyle/interest mags for probably 15 years.