I Give This Magazine My Seal of Approval

Good Housekeeping Magazine sets the standards for all other women's magazines. It has been in existence since 1885 and has been a major influence in women's home purchasing decisions. The magazine sells over 14 million copies just at newsstands. Twenty-two million women read each issue. Good Housekeeping is more than just a monthly magazine. It is a consumer protection policy, a weekly newspaper column and radio news service as well. Dateline NBC carries most Good Housekeeping reports on their program. American women trust the Good Housekeeping Seal on products. The Good Housekeeping Institute's trained chemists and engineers test, evaluate and compare thousands of products. Their studies and findings influence America's buying habits all over the United States.

The magazine appeals to women 25-55 years of age. I have been a regular subscriber to Good Housekeeping ever since 1967. I regard it as my favorite magazine. I read every issue from cover to cover and then pass on my copy to family and friends. I think the information inside is invaluable. Each issue runs well over 200 pages. I feel that Woman's Day and Family Circle are main competitors of Good Housekeeping (GH.) They all contain a large cooking and recipe section as well as home sections. Ladies Home Journal (LHJ) is another competitor. Although, GH has a higher cost than these other magazines, I think it is worth it. I prefer Good Housekeeping to Woman's Day and Family Circle. I enjoy reading LHJ just as much as GH and I subscribe to both.

I like GH for many reasons. First of all, I enjoy the mix of articles. Everything pertaining to the home is covered. It is a real family magazine. There are inspirational stories as well as personal stories. There are investigative reports and product evaluations. Almost 20% of the magazine covers food, drink and nutrition news. Another 20% of the magazine is devoted to the home, marriage and the family and parenting advice. Health topics cover almost another 10% of each issue. Beauty, entertainment, fashion and decorating also receive good coverage, as does the entertainment field. I especially enjoy the fiction each month. Although Jane Bryant Quinn (named one of the 25 most influential women in the US by World Almanac) writes a fine article each month on personal finance, I think the magazine could use more coverage in this area. The same goes for world news. Overall though, I feel the mix is good.

I especially enjoy the great advice columns that appear monthly in Good Housekeeping. Each one-page column is headed by a nationally known and respected personality. For example, Dr. Joyce Brothers who writes an interesting monthly column, "Getting Personal," is a nationally known psychologist who also writes columns for many other publications. Her daily column is syndicated around the world. She is a respected commentator on TV talk shows and is featured on NBC Radio Network.

Peggy Post, daughter-in-law of Elizabeth Post answers questions about etiquette and good conduct in social situations in her monthly column, "Etiquette for Today." She has written several books and makes numerous public appearances throughout the country.

Nancy Synderman, MD answers readers' questions in her highly informative, "Your Health" column. She also appears regularly on ABC News and Good Morning America and is the author of, Dr. Nancy Snyderman's Guide to Good Health: What Every Forty-Plus Woman Should Know About Her Changing Body.

Everyone knows the nationally respected household expert, Heloise who took over from her famous mother at Good Housekeeping. Her, "Household Helpline" column is one I often copy and refer to frequently. She also writes," Daily Hints From Heloise" column that is carried in over 500 newspapers from 20 different countries. She is an author, as well. I have already mentioned Jane Bryant Quinn who writes "Your Money" a down-to-earth personal finance column that I always read for its practical advice.

Each of these famous experts takes interesting questions from readers and using a question and answer format, gives thoughtful answers. The questions are ones that face all of us and we can all use the answers in our own daily lives. The magazine has a total of 7 or 8 departments & columns that appear regularly including the Editor's Note and Readers' Letters.

I also enjoy the consumer product reports in the magazine. I always enjoy reading, The Better Way section. In the September issue, this is a four-page guide to 80 dangerous children's products. In past issues, this section alerted me that my car was being recalled for a very dangerous condition. I immediately brought it in for a free repair. Almost a year later the manufacturer contacted me. Last year, I saw my GE Space Saver Kitchen Radio/Cassette Player listed as being recalled for faulty wiring. I not only was able to return it and get a newer model but I was able to upgrade it for the new GE Space Saver Radio/CD player at a small additional cost. Visit the Website for more recalls. This magazine has more than paid for itself in my case with just this section. The tear out section is a must read for all consumers. Past issues have covered topics such as kids bicycles, guide to digital cameras, garden pests, decoding your phone bill, computer landscaping software, sports bras and dangerous supermarket shelves.

The Good Housekeeping Institute is a laboratory of the Good Housekeeping Magazine where consumer products of all types are tested and evaluated by trained chemists and engineers. The institute publishes highly respected reports in each issue. The September issue has a two-page article covering "…seven dryers that are tough on wrinkles, gentle on clothes and do the job in a flash." The institute also reports on new patio heaters in the current issue. It issues the Good Housekeeping Seal to those advertisers that meet its strict requirements. If a product carrying the Good Housekeeping Seal is found to be defective within two years, Good Housekeeping will replace it or refund the price to you. Page 19 of the September issue explains the details. The Good Housekeeping Seal is recognized nationally and I myself have chosen a specific product because it bore the seal. Recently, the GH Institute tested and rated air conditioners, washing machines, swim suits, electric ranges, refrigerators and the new Scotchguard.

Each month the magazine has a different focus. In the September issue it is on fall fashion and back to school. The special section, Real Deals has four articles about bargain shopping for fall outfits, new fall beauty products costing under $10 for eyes, lips and cheeks and low cost decorating advice using linens, pillows and quilts. There are details on how to win any of 3,132 great free products. Other issues carry different free offers. The December issue always focuses on holiday gift ideas for adults and kids. Subjects like Christmas tree lights safety, holiday weight gain and how to pick out a good Christmas Tree are covered. In the June issue, the focus is on summer with articles about sunblocks, summer first aid, grills and picnic products as well as swimwear. Great Father's Day gift ideas are also covered.

I also always seem to enjoy the, Fiction section, in GH Magazine. The September issue has the 20-page, "Journey of the Heart" story from the novel, Legacy of Love, a trilogy about Bewick women by Joanna Trollope. It was an enjoyable quick read. Another short story by the same author is in the May issue called, "Separate Vacations." June's novel is Cane River by Lalita Tademy. I loved reading all of them.

Covers of Good Housekeeping are always colorful and feature celebrities as does many of the other women's magazines. Rene Russo (from, The Thomas Crown Affair movie) is pictured and she shares her secrets in the cover story, "Rene's Rules." The 7-page section, "Fabulous Over 40" covers tips for skin, hair and workouts. Women over 40 would especially enjoy this section but the advice applies to everyone. Other great cover stories include a wonderful insider story on Laura Bush, an article on guilt, walking to lose 10 pounds, and how to sleep better. For anyone interested in landing a part-time job, there's a great article on it in the September issue.

Under Health & Beauty is a scary and informative investigative article called, "Call 911…and Pray." Of course, as usual there are great recipes and articles on food and home decorating. There are lots of beautiful photographs of how to attractively arrange wild flowers and weeds. There's a short article on collecting doorstops and three chefs share seasonal menus for company meals-dinner for 6. I always enjoy the food director's cooking information.

My main complaint about the magazine is the sheer amount of advertising; some of it is seasonal. The reader has to wade through 6 pages of ads just to reach the Table of Contents page. Page numbers are also not listed on the cover for any of the cover stories making them harder to locate. An additional half-page sized booklet of insert ads includes coupons, which I appreciate. I used three coupons in the current issue that more than paid my cost of the issue. Since the newsstand price of this magazine is higher than other women's magazines, I feel the over abundance of ads is not necessary. My other complaint is the higher cost of the newsstand price. I don't pay this price but I think it is high.

Hearst Magazine, a division of Hearst Communications, Inc. publishes Good Housekeeping. Good Housekeeping sells more issues on the newsstands than any other woman's magazine. Individual issues cost $1.95. You don't have to pay this much for each issue. Right now on the Website, www.goodhousekeeping.com you can receive a full year's subscription for $10 - that's .83 cents an issue. Receive a free 2002 Recipe Calendar with your order. The Website has lots of great topics and advice. Check it out if you are interested. Or, you can subscribe on the inserted post card for $14.97. I hope you enjoy this magazine as much as I do. Why not give it as a Holiday Gift to someone you know?