Tuesday, September 1, 2009

At what point should I admit that I have a problem?

On any given day, at any given time, if you were to come into my home, you may very well hear
my magazine holder crying....

...crying for help that is.

It's become pretty clear to me as of late that I am indeed an Obsessive Catalog/Magazine Subscriber (OCMS). That's right, I have more subscriptions to magazines and children's clothing catalogs than my grandma does arthritis meds.

My living room could make any doctor's office around the country have a small subscription complex. They don't have anything on my stash of periodicals.

This is just some of my problem. The ones shown above are part of my newest stack collected over the past month or so, of which only about 1/4 have been touched.
If I find a company's website that has decent looking kid's clothing (they don't even have to be super-duper cute, just decent, and they've got me) I immediately find the link at the top right corner (or sometimes bottom center, believe me I know) of their site for the 'request catalog' form and off I go entering in all of my mailing info.

It's a sickness, it is, really.

Phone rings: "Oh, you say you're giving a year's subscription to the magazine of my choice at a discounted rate? And it will benefit which organization? Sounds great, sign me up!"
In my defense however, my magazine choices have changed, as have my roles in life. But that's not to say that I don't devour the really juicy ones while waiting in the cashier's line at the grocery store.
"Oh you only have two items, sir? You can go ahead of me."
Because I may or may not have just found a really interesting article on Brangelina, with tons of pics to boot! Or maybe I'm getting educated on how celebs are 'just like US'.

So now I'm finding myself swimming drowning in an ocean of unread mags, and catalogs with the sticker across the front that reads: This is the last issue you will receive if no order is placed by...
Basically they're starting to pick up on the fact that I am an OCMS and I usually have no intention of placing an order and well, they're beginning to take it personal.

Can't a girl order a catalog and look at it at her own leisure (and as I typed that word 'leisure' I pronounced it with a short e sound, not a long e, because that's how they say in on news programs now and I think it's a hoot)?! And so what if I'm making Fall recipes involving pumpkin spice next summer? In the words of my man Bobby Brown, "It's my prerogative." No?

Anyone else fall into this category with me?

12 comments:

Rebecca Jo said...

Oh girl... I have that sorta pile too of magazines. I've done pretty good of not renewing subscriptions this year... I got all guilty from the "global" view of it... & plus, I need to have a life & get away from magazines! Especially with all the books I've got still to read! :)

Becky said...

Just wait until Kate starts school & brings home the fundraiser that sells mags. I love me some Southern Living!! I see TableTalk on your stack! It's a must read, really good! That's the Sept. issue so start reading the daily devotion today! I have your Oct. issue in the office..lol (In Crown Financial they say that people who read mags buy more 'stuff'..just FYI)

Anonymous said...

My poor bookshelf looks like it vomited the magazine aisle at wal-mart! I just cant help myself!! = )

petrii said...

I heart magazines!! I am better than I used to be. When hubs looks at the mail and sees a new magazine and says something like, "not another magazine." "Ummmm yes sadly, yes honey another magazine, but I'll make you artichokes with honey clam sauce for supper if you'd like =0) "

Hahaha I loved this post!! You are a hoot!!!

Have a Blessed day,
Dawn

Jennifer said...

My pile of magazines is at least (no exaggeration) 20 to 30 deep. And there are no catalogs in that--it's alllll magazines.

Prissy Southern Prep said...

Girl, my mom is the same way. She has so many subscriptions & on top of that, she gets catalogues from every company existing! It is ridiculous, well not really..because I love taking some home! =) haha!

Mrs. Classic said...

I love getting a new mag in the mail! Sadly no matter how excited I am to read them they become just another thing I feel guilty about if I don't get them read.

Kasey said...

Well, to your defense...once you order from one catalog, you get ten different ones! It's like they sell your contact info to other companies!

I get 2-3 everyday. I usually just throw them away, cuz I weird and hate clutter!

Naturally Caffeinated Family said...

I'm not going to be any help, I want more catalogues/mags too, haha! I have a few subscriptions and I really need to get to reading/browsing them=). And I definitely need (yes need, ha) to get some more catalogues. =)! Glad you're back!!

Melissa @ I Pick Pretty said...

I too suffer from OCMS, and I like Bobby Brown. Ironically, these are problems none of my many, many magazines addresses!

A Wedding Story said...

I am so with you on that. And I have a hard time throwing them away.

April said...

Oh my! I am sooooo obsessed with mags. About every 6 months I throw out a huge pile and its so freeing. I know what you mean though. I keep them all cause there's an article on how to organize this or that or a recipe or some cute clothes I may like to get the kiddies!!!! I just can't seem to quit!!