Take a Break

TAKE A BREAK REAL-LIFE MAGAZINE

Take a Break is a weekly magazine with real-life stories and puzzles + competitions included. This magazine is mainly aimed at women but you see a lot of male people entering the competitions and winning the prizes! So there is something for any age, any person! My grandad, however, reads this and regularly enters the competitions so it really is something for everyone. I mostly read this at night time when I can't sleep & I find it very relaxing!

Take a Break is made by H Bauer Publishing alongside Bella,_ that's life!_, eat_in_, tv choice and Total TV guide. Take a Break was launched in 1990 and the original price was 35p. Today, Take a Break costs a mere 82p but is still one of the cheapest magazines you can buy. There are double issues for christmas and new year as well as Take a Break's Fate & Fortune and Take a Break's Fiction Feast.

FRONT COVER

The front cover of Take a Break features a female model smiling with the Take a Break logo on the left side. The top of the magazine has a story with no picture with the title: OUR LIVES. Below the logo you get approx. 5 real-life stories with a few pictures. The price (82p) is on the top-right of the mag with the prices for abroad, (Spain and Canaries) below. The prices for abroad are between 2.25 and 2.35 euros so best if you're going to Spain etc. it is best to get a copy at the airport before you go.

THE FIRST PAGE

When you turn the page you are welcomed with a contents to the inside of the magazine with a few pictures and a 'This week in your Take a Break' with a little preview of what's about to come.

YOUR LIVES

The main bit of the magazine, firstly is 'Take a Break World' where people send in their best photo's in exchange for money. Also 'your lives' is to show where all of the true stories are in the magazine.

YOUR HEALTH

3 pages in the magazine that tell you about health and health problems people have had to deal with in their lives such as brain tumours etc.

YOUR LOOKS

1 page on beauty labeled as 'the most honest beauty advice around' with recommendations on make-up or body moisturisers etc.

YOUR FAVOURITES

Your Brainwaves: A page in the magazine where people send their tips, tricks and bright ideas, £60 paid if you send in a tip and picture, £30 if the tip but no picture. Christmas Brainwaves WANTED

You're Telling us: A reader vote page with questions such as 'Would a woman propose to a man?' or 'Do you believe in ghosts?' People send in answers with a Yes, No or Not Sure answer.

Katie Fraser's Take a Buddy: A problem page when people send in their problems and Katie Fraser's friends answers for them giving them advice.

Cookery: Cooking tips and recipes for money saving baking ideas. Ideal if you're the cooking kind.

Our Free Time: A page of the weeks best telly, films and fun things to do. Written up quite well with a good story behind it.

Travel: A great pick on the best places to stay in the UK for shorts breaks, a.k.a. weekends. Some are picked for Best for fun: Best for sightseeing: Best for couples: and Best for shopping:

Dena's life stars: Horoscopes, Approximately 8 lines per star sign with a competition at the bottom of the page.

We've got mail! A page on letter's sent in by Take a Break readers, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, some in the middle.

YOUR PRIZE PUZZLES

4-squared: Win 25x£50.

Mega Snap: Win 25x£50, you have to find the photo in the weeks Take a Break and you win £50.

Star Car: Win a car every week if you can figure out the crossword and the letters for the word needed to win.

£3000 Big Bonanza: A fitword puzzle and the word that dose'nt fit in the grid is the winning word. If you win, you have a choice of 13 different puzzles such as weekends away or cash or toys etc.

Oops, I shrunk the puzzle!: A puzzle has shrunk and the pictures have got bigger, you have to figure out the picture and spell out a word which is the winning word. Prize is 2x£500 cash.

Code Breaker: Discover the winning word and win £500! Your Big Relax: Write in the answers following the arrows and find a word with the yellow squares, this is the winning word and you can win £2500!

Question Time: Answer the 20 questions using the answers below and one answer is spare, this is the winning answer, write in the entry coupon and be in the chance of winning £1000!

Shop till you Drop: Do the sodoku and win £1500 worth in shopping vouchers of you're choice!

There is a puzzle where you have to do the crossword and find a word with the yellow squares. When you find the word, write it in the entry coupon and be in the chance of winning £100! I've forgotten the name of it though!

Win your Dream Holiday: Do the crossword and find a word using the yellow squares, when you do, write it on the coupon and be in the chance of winning a holiday of your choice!

Your Big Supermarket Bet: Do the fitword with the word left over being the winning word. If you win, you have to place a bet on how much you will spend when you go round a supermarket, for 5 minutes, grabbing goods as you go. If you guess £50 either way and you get a bonus cheque for £250, but if you guess £25 either way and you will recieve a bonus cheque for £500! Plus, you will get your groceries!

Strike it lucky: Find the words in the wordsearch and cross them off as you go, the unused letters will spell out a related word and if you guess it correctly, you win £250!

Win it!: 5 prizes to win with no need to do anything! Just tick the box(es) and you have a chance of winning, with nothing to do at all! With this you can win things like BaByliss elegance hair straighteners, exercise bikes, HD TV's and Dyson ball upright vacuum cleaners, you know that sort of thing. I always enter this, (some of the prizes would make great birthday or christmas presents).

SUMMARY

In my opinion this magazine is well worth the 82p every week. As you can see above, LOT is contained in the mag for the price. Plus, it is MUCH better than the likes of Full House! or even that's life! too!Look out for 2 bumper issues at christmas time, they're crackers!! Literally!

THANKS FOR READING!

BF99 x