maeve + giveaway

The latest issue of online magazine Maeve came out this Wednesday and it is chock full of fantastic things to read, look at and win! 

 I am still reading through the articles and even though I am not a mum - their main target audience, I really enjoy this mag. I think I am going through a stage where I am hearing a lot of negative things about being a Mum - women chatting and whinging about all the things they have given up to become mothers, the sleepless nights etc. Well to be honest all of that negativity scares and at the same time annoys me. Im already scared enough about becoming a mother and if I don't start hearing more positive things about motherhood I may just give it a miss. Ok so I've gone off track a bit here and I could probably write a whole post on being in two minds over motherhood. What I wanted to say is how positive Maeve mag is about motherhood and being a women in general. The content is creative, inspiring and honest which is refreshing. This is only issue two and hopefully there will be many more.

In this issue I am really enjoying photography by Ulrika Kullenberg (starts pg 10). For the Love of Shadows. Ulrika writes, '...sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who notices the shadows. No one else seeks them like I do. Sometimes the shadow is even more beautiful than the object itself.' I love this and I have a crazy vision of Ulrika the Shadow Hunter, dressed in black, like a shadow and with the ability to turn invisible when the sun goes behind a cloud!

There is a fantastic story on Operation Beautiful, pages 17-20. A simple act of leaving a kind note to cheer up someones day or even change a life which all started by a women in Florida who, herself was having a bad day.

Little Gallery on pages 93 - 104 by Belinda from Gretchenmist. We share a love for the colour green.

And in the giveaway section (pg 157) you could win one of my Little Indie Girl brooches! YAY!

all images (except second last) from here
 

7 comments:

Christina Lowry said...

It is a lovely magazine and I will be off in a second to check out your giveaway!

Don't let those women stress you. Becoming a mother is scary, because it is so new and big and anything you haven't done before is scary. But can I just say, nothing as rewarding as parenting will always be easy.

It seems to be human nature to always remember the negative. But, if motherhood were not so joyful and rewarding, there would definitely not be as many people in the world and most mothers would surely stop at one child.

Perhaps the mothers you have been talking to are having a tough time, or don't feel they have a lot of support. It is nice every now and then to get things off your chest. I know Cohen can be a real handful and my friends save my sanity and let me vent when I need to.

But I wouldn't have it any other way, he is learning and growing and exploring his environment and he hasn't put me off having more children. Quite the opposite.

It is difficult at times, there are sleepless nights, there are smelly nappies, there are tantrums. But there are also so many more amazing things, like seeing a baby smile for the very first time ever, having a little person look up to you in every way, the way their little face lights up when they see you in the morning, the way they reach out for your hand because they trust you to help them down the stairs, when they laugh so hard they cackle, when they fall asleep in your arms.

I could go on all day. But I don't want to rant. This is just my opinion and whether or not you want to have children is up to you.

:)

Sally said...

Motherhood is wonderful... but as with everything it has it moments. Every woman's experience will be different, and as with most things in life it really is what you make it.

Melissa G said...

People generally have a tendency to focus on, and even exaggerate the down sides to life.
Please, please never be deterred from being a parent.
I am a mum to one fabulous little human being. Being a parent is so good that Michael and I are trying for another.

Danielle said...

you are gunna be the bestest mum ever!!! best job in the world xo

Victoria said...

I wanted to add my two bits worth about us complaining mothers. You're right, we do seem to complain a lot these days but I think that's borne from the fact that mums today feel that have to balance so many more things. I say this based a lot on how I find myself always stretched between things and my own mum's observations. A lot of us are trying to balance work and home, which is already difficult, and we add into that lots of activities for children, always rushing here and there. On top of that a lot of us have interests outside of our families and children, be it crafting, sports or whatever. It gets harder and harder to balance and that's were the difficulties are.

Being a mum is not hard. Having children is wonderful. It's challenging, but in the best possible way. My girls are the best thing I've ever achieved in my life, bringing them up to be positive, happy, bright, loving people in their own right, is a validation of all I've done to this point.

Having children is not for everyone and I can understand that too. If it's right for you, you'll know and you'll figure out the rest as you go along.

x

Louise said...

Awwww- thanks so much for your wonderful comments on the mag ! ... xxx Lou

belinda marshall said...

it's a tricky one! there's definitely less time to do the stuff you want to do with kids, but they are great!
if there's any inclination, it'd be terrible to miss out :)
thanks for highlighting my print here.
xx