May 1968

HOW CAN YOU MAKE THE MOST OF TWO INCOMES IN YOUR FAMILY?

Today, one out of every four U.S. families enjoys the economic boost of a dual income-- yet far too many fail to make the most of it, and some fritter this added income away as fast as it comes in. To develop the most efficient plan for handling your combined income, spend a few minutes on this guide, which covers the basics from taxes to joint home ownership.

PAINTING A HOUSE

The most important part of a new paint job is already on your house. Paints are easier to use, nicer looking, and longer lasting than ever before-- but they can't outperform the surface they cover. So before you pry the lid off that first can of new paint, get the outside of your house into what the label calls "clean, sound condition."

GOOD NEWS FOR MEN!

The contents of this kit could make emergency roadside stops safer, and help get your car going again.

INVISIBLE INK IN COLOR

Remember the fun you used to have with invisible ink? You dipped a blank piece of paper into liquid, and a secret message appeared. The same magic can help your youngsters learn almost anything today-- how to tell time, write the alphabet, even speak a foreign language.

WHAT'S NEW IN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES?

Great things are happening in this mushrooming field for '68. Manufacturers are vying to prove you can have all the comforts of home while you roam-- and most of the luxuries as well. Here are some of the major innovations that seem destined to become industry-wide within a very few camming seasons.

AN ADDITION THAT'S BIG AS A HOUSE

If your family is really cramped for space, and you're planning an addition, think big. That's what the owners of this home did.

TEN MOST MISUNDERSTOOD FACTS ABOUT MUTUAL FUNDS

This article-- complete on a single, easy-to-clip page-- dispels ten current myths about mutual funds. Next month, you'll find a similar feature on stocks and bonds. Together, they offer a basic guide to a well-balanced family financial program.

THIS COMPACT HOUSE HAS EXPANSION PLANS

How much living can you get with 2,000 square feet? Quite a bit if you plan the lower level for future finishing, as the owners of this contemporary house did.

CARPORTS THAT DO MORE THAN STORE THE CAR

Why shouldn't a carport be just as up-to-date as that new hardtop you park inside it? There's no reason at all, as this page and the two following it prove.

ACTION ROOMS FOR FAMILY LIVING

Here are family rooms-- new in concept --and right on target for today's active living. Decorating is focused on practically indestructible materials ... easy-care, look-alive colors ... and built-in comfort. Furnishings are not only fun-- they're convertible, space-solving, mobile, and sometimes disappearing.

A GARDENER'S CALENDAR OF COLOR

And now, for the finale of our five-month series on selecting garden plants, we'll show you how to beautify your home by combining the greens and textures of foliage with colorful bloom. Adapt these ideas to make your garden more attractive and, in many cases, easier to maintain. The addition of a plant or two, a new gravel-mulched area, a pool, or a bird bath may be enough to do the trick.

DENVER AND THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE

The pioneers at first skirted the Rocky Mountain barrier on their way west; then gold was discovered in those mighty peaks, and the rush of people to the Rockies was on. Gold and silver boom times eventually forsook the region, as did a lot of the fortune hunters; but Colorado had been populated and Denver established as the rail and commercial center of the frontier West.

LOUISVILLE AND THE LAND OF PIONEERS

Kentucky is at once a beautifully rustic land of horses, a gracious and historic style of living, and a legacy of hardy pioneers like Boone, Lincoln, and George Rogers Clark.

BOSTON AND HISTORIC NEW ENGLAND

Here's a family vacation jam-packed with spectacle-- mountain vistas, gigantic cliffs, roaring ocean waves, picturesque harbors filled with lobster boats and schooners. You'll stand on the very spot of the Boston Massacre, peer down the road from a tiny village green where stalwart Minutemen faced the advancing British Redcoats, gaze out to sea from lonely points on which New Englanders have awaited returning ships since our country's earliest times.

HOW TO ORDER MATERIAL FROM THE MAGAZINE

Reprints of this article are available at the following postpaid prices: up to five, 25 cents each; six to 99, ten cents each; 100 to 4,999, five cents each; 5,000 or more, three cents each. Send your order with remittance to: Better Homes and Gardens, Reprint Service, 1716 Locust, Des Moines, Iowa 50303. No stamps or C.O.D.

SEE HOW SMART A DINETTE CAN BE

Think big when decorating that diminutive dinette. Start with a bold background-- perhaps a bit more daring than you might risk in a much larger space. Here a flamboyant wallpaper electrifies each of these small off-the-kitchen eating areas.

BIG NEWS IN ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

More and more instruments are "going electronic"-- joining the age of electronics-- and that's good news for people who enjoy making their own music. Now you can buy, for $495, an electronic clavichord that looks like a tea cart and rolls from room to room.

WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE FOR PUTTING OFF CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING?

Things are changing in the air conditioning industry. So if you've been putting off a central system at your house, you'd better take another look. That old excuse may not be valid anymore. For example:

FOOD FACTS FOR DOG OWNERS

You don't need a dietitian for your dog, but you do need to know some of the basic facts on what, how much, and when to feed him if you want a healthy, happy pet.

CONSUMER QUESTIONNAIRE SWEEPSTAKES WINNERS

Following are the names of all 50 Better Homes and Gardens readers who won $500 each in our recent Consumer Questionnaire Sweepstakes.

GOOD NEWS FOR THE GALS

CIVILIZE THE GREAT OUTDOORS

HOW TO LAUNDER ELECTRIC BLANKETS

NOW you can count on saving hours of hand labor when laundering electric blankets. Today's new washers are designed to simplify just such specialized tasks. At the push of a button, delicate wash-and-spin cycles speed the work for you automatically.

SHOPPING EDITOR'S CHOICE

Discover the fun and convenience of shopping by mail! You can order with complete confidence any of the items shown: each company will refund your money if you're not delighted.

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

Ned Carter says May flowers weren't the only things April showers brought to his home this year. The showers produced two lovely ditches in his freshly seeded front lawn, and created a fascinating topsoil formation in the street.