February 1969

FILL OUT YOUR 1040 tax form LIKE AN EXPERT

Few of us would call our annual in come-tax-figuring marathon a form of recreation. Yet there's no reason why it has to cause such grinding misery each year for so many taxpayers. To ease this special brand of pain and suffering we asked Drew Tillotson tax attorney and author of the Better Homes and Gardens Step -by -Step Income Tax Guide" to spell out how the 1040 form should be attacked. If hether you do your own return or get it ready for someone else to handle, this advice should save you both lax money and headache remedies!

SEE-THROUGH SCREENS

A VERY COMPACT QUIET CENTER

HOW TO OUTFIT A CLOSET FOR SPECIAL JOBS

Sports Equipment Storage: Are golf clubs lodged behind winter coats? Sleeping bags vying with hats for shelf space? That's hardly sporting. Solution: convert a closet for your family athletes, or add one-- in the garage, perhaps. The sketch above shows one way to work space hard. We sectioned off special compartments down the side for balls, picnic gear, camping needs, tackle, skates, boots, helmets, games, gloves. The single file drawer contains road maps, licenses, camping guides;

SIMPLE ELECTRICAL REPAIRS

No one but an electrician should tamper with your house's wiring system. But many small electrical jobs are safe, simple, do-it-yourself operations. You will never see-- or feel-- a spark if you know what needs to be done, and shut off current to the wires you're working on.

GOOD NEWS FOR MEN

This camera's electric eye controls lens opening, shutter speed, and flash circuitry to assure proper exposure on cloudy-bright as well as sunny days. If lighting is inadequate, a warning light in the viewfinder signals that a flash cube is needed, and shutter speed is slowed from 1/90 to 1/40 a second.

A PROMISING STEP FORWARD IN ASSEMBLY-LINE HOUSING

Visit a house construction site today and you might find yourself doing a double take-- if not scrambling for cover. Instead of seeing workmen banging away with hammers, you may well view giant boxes swaying beneath cranes. The boxes are "modules"-- the building blocks of a small, but progressive and growing segment of the housing industry. Stacked on top of each other or inserted in huge frames, modular components create housing in a fraction of the time required by traditional methods of construction.

SEVEN SMART, AFFORDABLE HOUSES

Certainly, you could build a great new house with a budget running into six figures. Who couldn't?

HOW TO IMPROVE ON THE PERFECT ROSE

The rose is one of the most perfectly formed flowers, so how can you improve upon that? Simple. Just plant more than one! And arrange your planting so the blossom colors of adjacent varieties blend or contrast pleasingly with their neighbors.

What to do about a nothing room

First, reevaluate your surroundings to discover what's missing. It could be a focal point, color, pattern, architectural interest. Or perhaps the scale is wrong. Here and on the next eight pages are before-and-after rooms that show how you can solve these decorating dilemmas.

THREE THRIFTY WAYS TO FRAME A PICTURE

Framing pictures doesn't have to be difficult or costly. All the frames shown here can be duplicated by the average do-it-yourselfer. Some frames require a little care-- others are quite simple. All are inexpensive.

Cooking for 2 to 8

To rate the accolade of "smart hostess," you need a repertoire of distinctive, dependable recipes, and the showmanship to serve them with flair. Here we offer six outstanding recipes for main dishes that can become your specialties-- for company and family, too, because we've proportioned them for 2, 4, 6, or 8 servings. As for that special flair in serving, take your cue from the table settings shown here.

MAKE IT WITH MOLASSES

Fragrant and mellow molasses is a long-time favorite of good cooks! It adds zest to baked beans, zip and glamour to glazed meats, and special flavor to breads and desserts. It's a real favorite of many barbecue enthusiasts for saucing ribs, chicken, or franks.

TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH EGGPLANT

Explore the practically endless possibilities of eggplant-- starting with the meatball main dish, hearty casserole, and vegetable-cheese sandwich shown here. Then let these ideas spark your thinking: Add a pinch of basil, chili powder, dill-weed, or thyme to sautéed eggplant slices.

FROM HOLLAND TO THE HEART OF EUROPE

As part of our continuing survey of new and offbeat vacations for 1969, this month's articles take you to Holland, then along on six unusual excursions in the U.S., Canada, and South America-- by boat, plane, train, and an "African Queen" river steamer-- and finally to Maui, our editors' choice as the most nearly perfect Hawaiian island.

TAKE ONE OF THESE SPECIAL EXCURSIONS

Sprawling Chesapeake Bay, which knifes between Maryland and Virginia, is a sailor's delight. It's the only place in the United States where commercial fishermen still go to sea in sailing ships. Its seafood-- from hard-shell crabs to oysters-- is superb. And the people of the Chesapeake region possess a vast store of salty lore and a love for all things nautical.

HAWAII'S "PERFECT" ISLAND

If we had to recommend just one family travel destination that's different-- a truly idyllic spot that hasn't been discovered by all the crowds-- we'd be strongly tempted to say "Maui."

EXTRA SEATING IN SECONDS

TABLECLOTH-THE-ROUND

Authorize an old round table ... a smart new cover, either ... length or shorter. Before ... fabric, measure across ... of tabletop (A to B). ... this measurement to twice length of table edge to floor whatever overhang you ... (B to C).

THE GARBAGE BACK THAT REPLACES THE CAN

... conventional garbage can metal or plastic-- may itself on the way to the rubbish ... a victim of the modern of convenience.

HOW TO ORDER MATERIAL FROM THE MAGAZINE

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