There are some days when you wish you never had children. Horrid, but true. They’re usually the exact same day you have a thousand things to do and they’re not listening, are bored and not one of the 4126 things you’ve bought them in their lifetime is exciting, stimulating or remotely interesting enough to distract them for more than 2 seconds. Before you stick the “free to good home” signs on them and pop them on the kerbside (it’s sooo tempting at times) make a big hoo-ha about these activities – for some inexplicable reason, they work every single time for my two.

You can read what these five bargain boredom busters are over at Babiekins magazine which I wrote the article for. This kids-related mag has just been released this week and it’s a goodie, filled with all sorts of lovely images, hot buys, easy makes and cute fashion shoots, such as these, below.

I’m loving all these online magazines – it’s incredible what some can do with a little passion, determination and creativity. And what’s more, the talent involved! It takes an editor, deputy editor, stylists, writers, sub-editors, graphic artists, digital production specialists, production editors, editorial coordinators, advertising managers and sales staff, marketing managers, researchers, focus groups, publishers and more (printers, more scary production people etc) to put out a physical magazine. And these online mags are made with the smallest team multitasking to take care of all this between them – a lot of the time without publishing experience. Some of them are one-(wo)man bands. I bow to them all.

I do love that as a blogger I get to play all these things too. I’ve often thought about creating a one-off mag or small self-published book or something; just for fun. And just because I think it’d be so satisfying to get to create something physically beautiful from the images and words to the way it’s laid out. It’s certainly doable as many have proven – Fryd + Design is one that  comes to mind. All her own work.

I often wonder how long it’ll be before mag publishers cotton on to this multitasking and cut costs even more by hiring one multi-talented person instead of one trained-in-one-field. I know I used to pretend I was a graphic designer in my time as a subeditor and deputy ed – although not creatively, mind you. I’d just sneakily move the margins or increase the box to give myself more copy room. Got away with it a lot of the time, too! And I know at Real Living now the art director doubles as a photographer, the deputy editor styles, the sub-editors write and the digital production guru plays the dreaded production editor who harasses everyone to make deadline. Although this isn’t solely a cost-cutting exercise; these are creatives who have other talents and passions and are lucky enough to have a boss, Deb, who supports and encourages them.

I don’t think online mags will ever replace a real magazine, but I do think they could learn a thing or two about putting one together on a budget and with limited staff – the two biggest complaints in the publishing industry!!

Congrats to Priscilla and her little team on Babiekins. Thanks for letting me be a part of it! Want more online mags? Here is a quick list…

Lonny
Southern Flourish
Fryd + Design
La Petite
Glossy
Uppercase

What do you think about the slew of digital mags hitting the web? Think they’ve lessened the need to pay at the newsagent? Or do you still prefer to physically flick through a paper version?

{images and illustration courtest Babiekins magazine}