aimeejoy wrote: cuppatea wrote: Yeah I noticed that in one article where it said if you earn $50 an hour why clean for $20 an hour at home (was a rationale for getting a cleaner in). Wish I could earn $50 an hour, and if I could get paid $20 to clean my home I wouldn't be wasting time posting this I would be scrubbing my kitchen. LOL, thats pretty much what I said to my husband! I thought I got paid pretty well, but if thats what I cleaner earns...!

You couldn't pay me enough to clean other peoples toilets etc  plus I doubt the cleaner actually pockets $20, unless they work for themselves and get the money "under the table" and it's not like they're at one job 40 hours a week, there must be a lot of petrol costs involved.

I wasnt saying that Fiona didnt DESERVE a makeover,  I was merely stating that she was gorgeous to start with, so it must have been an easy job for them!!!

I didnt intend to make light of Fiona's need or deservedness for a makeover, and I apologise if it can across that way.

cuppatea wrote: Yeah I noticed that in one article where it said if you earn $50 an hour why clean for $20 an hour at home (was a rationale for getting a cleaner in). Wish I could earn $50 an hour, and if I could get paid $20 to clean my home I wouldn't be wasting time posting this I would be scrubbing my kitchen.

$20 per hour is pretty reasonable for a cleaner.  We paid our $30 per week to clean our house (before Michaela) and it would have taken her about 60 - 90 mins.  I'd totally consider doing it again too.  When you're busy (as most of us are) the last thing you want to do is spend your spare time scrubbing bath tups and cleaning windows etc and if you can afford a cleaner then why not.  Generally they only come once or twice a week for an hour or 2.

Nikki - I would love to be able to find affordable, NZ made clothes and toys for O, but I refuse to spend $40 on a bodysuit or $35 for a T shirt just because its NZ made. I admire people who (like your lovely self) who are talented enough to be able to make thier children clothes!

Its interesting, I wanted to wait until I got the chance to have a good look at the mag before I posted my opinion here!

I agree with Kels / Nikki re the target audience - my DH took one look at it and said "Is that the Ponsonby mummies handbook..." and I am kind of with him on that one. I am not naive enough to believe that it is anything other than targetting a specific audience and generating advertising revenue for the magazine. We all love to look at beautiful things / clothes / rooms....but wouldnt it be nice to know how to achieve those things as a SAHM in a single income household. I would love to be able to go and buy a $245 Trelise Cooper T shirt, but I would also love to know how i could acheive a similar look for a fraction of the cost. I think that the reality of todays economy is that only a small portion of society are spending that sort of money on clothes for themselves and their kids, and certainly not a lot of people on here, who buy the magazine and support you by subscribing to it.  I agree with Katherine - we all like to know what the options are for special occasions, but it would still be nice to see how to achieve a nice look for a cheaper budget.

I also agree that the little girl on the cover is stunningly beautiful, but given the recent controversy regarding the perception of young girls in the media....the pose to me seems a little provocative...it all seems a little "lolita" esque, I dont know, maybe its just me being over sensitive and having a twisted view of the world.

Oh and re the makeover - (this is in NO way a dig at Fiona....who is GORGEOUS!!)...but maybe picking someone who actually needs a makeover, that isnt naturally stunning and thin, would be of more use to people!

Saying all that - Its a beautiful magazine, and you should all be very proud. Clearly you have a talented team of people contributing to it. I am sure that its going to be a great success.

ETA : maybe I just need to accept that I am not the target audience, and stick to reading magazines that are aimed more at "middle" mummies IYKWIM. Its like window shopping in shops where the clothes will never fit and you can never afford to shop in - nice to do for a while, but you soon end up feeling sorry for yourself....too fat...too poor....etc!!

Two Blondinis wrote: I do think though that there are a lot of "inspirational" products on the market that are more reasonably priced and deserve just as much exposure as the "boutique" products. Perhaps you guys could do a SAHM products feature?

If you know of a product or service that you think is new, cool, and inspirational, we'd love to know about it. Feel free to email magazine@ohbaby.co.nz and let us know about what you've found and why you love it!

LOL Debs

Hey ladies,

Thanks for the great feedback. It's awesome that the second issue has inspired debate and caused people to think -- that's exactly what we were hoping for, and what we think makes OHbaby! different from the other magazines that are out there.

Firstly, just to put this topic to rest, the cover model has absolutely no makeup on. None, zip, nada. Actually, she DID have some nail polish on, and we digitally removed it because we didn't want that to become a sticking point given that we were so concerned with keeping her look totally natural and little-girl.

I appreciate your comments about the products we're showcasing, and I need to gently remind you that we're not a catalogue -- the purpose of the spreads in the magazine, such as the fashion pages, is to give you inspiration and ideas for how you can create beautiful looks for your children and yourselves. Things like putting a pair of ruffled tights underneath a toddler's skirt, or layering different textures and materials, or combining colours you might not think of -- these are all things you can do with your child's current wardrobe. We're certainly not saying that you need to go out and purchase the clothing you see featured in our magazine. We're trying to inspire you to be creative yourselves, with regards to styling your own and your child's wardrobe, your home, your personal space.

Also, along these same lines, we do want to show you what special, gorgeous, unique and different items are out there, things you might not see in a "mainstream" or "chain" store and would therefore never know existed. Every family has special occasions -- milestone birthdays to be celebrated, special events to attend -- and for these special occasions, special clothing, gifts, and other items are definitely called for. Our aim is to give you ideas in this way as well, to inspire you to think outside of the box and go for something different to what everyone else is doing. We know you're a creative, thoughtful bunch and that you're always looking for ideas to improve your family's life. That's what OHbaby! Magazine aspires to bring you.

We are definitely listening to your feedback and taking your comments on board, and we'll keep listening, so keep telling us what you like about the magazine and what you think!

:) Katherine

Don't get me wrong I like looking at them, just bummed I can't afford it.

I think you are totally right there Toni, I really dislike looking that the kids clothing only to find that it is far too expensive. Some of those prices I wouldn't even spend on me .

Would be nice to see some colourered babies and toddlers in the mag tho, very white upper class to me but that may well be their target audience

All you lovely ladies look gorgeous.

Amber it doesn't come out in the shops till tomorrow.