November 1972

7 key questions about credit cards

During the last ten years or so, there's been a remarkable revolution in the way you can buy any number of things Instead of paying cash or writing a check on the spot-- taking time to have your credit approved by the store-- you have to do is whip out a little 2x3¼-inch plastic ... and say, "Charge it."

Is your speedometer making you speed

You're not a speeder, so you don't worry when you look in your rearview mirror and see a police car. But maybe you should.

Bodywork: should you do it yourself?

Car do-it-yourselfism usually produces no visible results to hang a sense of accomplishment on-- but that's not so with car body repairs. The outcome of your bodywork can be seen by all. Whether it's beautiful or botched.

Budgeting for car care

How to make schools fit for children

In a typical classroom today, a teacher stands at the front of the room, facing 30 or so youngsters seated in neat rows of desks. The teacher usually does nearly all of the talking, dispensing an identical lesson. The idea, of course, is that all of the children are soaking up the lesson as it's given, learning the material at an identical level.

Should a husband and wife own property together?

That depends upon what kind ... property it is; how you . ..to use it; the size of your ... holdings; and what you ... to happen to the property when you die.

Money: how to help when a parent is ill

If a parent becomes bedridden or incapacitated through illness or injury, what can you do to help manage his finances? Can you get his accident policy from his safe deposit box, for instance? What if he can't sign checks? Who pays the bills-- and how?

I Should you set up a family trust?

Don't think that trusts are just the province of the very rich. There are a number of ways you can use the trust principle, too, in order to gain tax advantages, possibly avoid probate, and pass a greater portion of your assets on to your heirs.

Holiday head starts: Gifts to sew

Please your favorite people with gifts you've created especially for them. If you start on our projects now, you can sew them in plenty of time for the holidays. The cost is up to you, depending on the type of fabric you choose. Make our designs to fit a variety of sizes-- just follow the step-by-step directions that appear on these pages.

HOUSEPLANT HOW-TO

Striking and sturdy dracena Corn plant is a common name for this thoroughly satisfactory dracena. Like corn, it has wide, shiny leaves; unlike corn, it doesn't grow much in one season. That is what makes it a good houseplant.

An all-season addition that's fun for all

How to interpret a travel brochure

You probably start planning your vacation by collecting stacks of travel folders. Millions are published each year by resorts, tour operators, airlines, and other travel companies. Most brochures are honest and helpful.

Considering an artificial tree this year?

The artificial tree of Christmases past is a far cry from the lifelike versions available today. The new man-made trees are fuller and greener, with more perfectly formed branches than you often find on Mother Nature's models. In fact, some man-made Christmas trees are so realistic you may have to feel the needles to decide if they're real or not.

Good news!

Brighten your life with this new spheroid lighting fixture that features unlimited adjustability up, down, and all around. Set it on a table or mantel for illuminating pictures, sculptures, and holiday decorations. Or hang it from the ceiling as a decorative reading light.

GREAT LIVING IDEAS-FROM EUROPE TO YOU

Europe-- to most Americans-- means sight-seeing from buses and foot-flattening tours of palaces and art museums. Europe, very rarely, is thought of in terms of two-bedroom homes, too little storage space, or getting the most from every decorating dollar. Yet that's Europe, too-- the Europe we felt you could identify with-- even learn from-- if you got to know it better. So we crossed the Atlantic to find building, decorating, and living ideas that can work for you.

Turkey basics

Choosing and cooking the venerable bird can be baffling. To simplify both jobs, check these pointers before turkey time.

Toasters and toaster ovens

With the ever-growing influx of convenient toaster foods and quick snacks, your toaster or toaster oven is probably working overtime. Here are some pointers to help you get the move from these helpful appliances.

COMPLETE GUIDE TO CREATIVE NEEDLEPOINT

CHRISTMAS IDEAS/1972

DECORATING WITH PLANTS AND FLOWERS

Linen closet organizers

To cure closet clutter, put kitchen storage units to work. They can expand the space in surprising new ways.

Pressure can winters

Convenience-seekers are usually button-pushers, and what's ... than the button on an ... can? It's the ultimate in ... convenience for about ... contents under pressure. Aerosol cans don't spill or ... their contents don't dry ... wonder that most ... nearly 50 cans a year.

More lunch box ideas

Styles in lunch boxes ... changed, but not the of how to pack them ... and nutrition. Here ... tips to make your job ...

Tips on sewing machine care

You can eliminate over 80 percent of costly service calls for your machine simply by observing a few basic maintenance rules. The most important ones are dust and lint removal and oiling and lubricating the machine. But

Housewares are for giving

Imaginative and practical gifts can often be found in the housewares department of your favorite store. Choose from a variety of well-designed housewares in a range of vivid colors to do all sorts of special jobs.

Wheels around the kitchen

A well-made serving cart can simplify your life considerably. Park a cart near your kitchen worktable to load with food, dishes, and glasses. This leaves the counters clear for work, and eliminates lots of last-minute hostess frazzle.

Kitchen lighting pointers

Once kitchen lighting simply meant one lone fixture placed squarely in the middle of the ceiling. That single light illuminated the kitchen table directly below, where all the work was done. Today, with work surfaces arranged along the perimeter of a room, a single overhead light is totally inadequate.

Winter warm-up appliances

A pleasantly heated home and a warm wardrobe aren't always enough to protect you completely from winter's chill. You may need to invest in a few comfort boosters. Here are some electric and battery-operated devices that can make the difference between mere endurance and true comfort.

Pre-teen rooms that don't look childish

How to get stains out of linens

Stop! Don't toss that stained tablecloth or bedsheet into the clothes hamper where it will lie till the next washday. Such delays allow stains to set and then they're difficult to remove. Instead, pretreat all stains as soon as possible.

Is there and real value in collecting coins

It's no way to get rich quick-- unless you can afford the and money to become an expert collector, or you're ... enough to find a cache of valuable old coins in the attic. ... unquestionably you'll find a great deal of value in coin ... as an enjoyable hobby. And, knowing certain facts can ... you get the most for your investment.

Ice storm arrangements

Berried branch designs

If you think fall branches and flowers have to be arranged in big clumps-- take a look at our four autumn abstracts. We've used beautiful, free-form berried branches for the basic design, then filled in with different varieties of mums for accent.

Themed parties for kids

Birthday, sports rally, of "I didn't get to give a party last year"-- to a kid, they are all valid reasons for having a party. Once you commit yourself, why not go all out and make the party something special? The ideas don't have to be new-- in fact, tried and true favorites are more readily accepted.

The joy and adventure of family skiing

There was a time when ski areas boasted of their steepest slopes and most resplendent lodges, when only the untrammeled young, the rich, and the famous cavorted on our mountains in the winter. All this has changed. At long last, ski resorts have come to realize that in skiing, as in everything else, it takes families to make the wheels really go round.

Sewing with today's fabrics

Before you sew a stitch, get to know the characteristics of the fabric you've chosen for that special garment. Teaming the right backing, interfacing, lining, and thread with your fashion fabric is as crucial as choosing the right pattern.

Curtainless windows

Leaf art

The light and airy leaves shown here have been treated by a process known as skeletonizing. They emerge tissue-thin, transparent, and spectacular. But don't try it unless you've time to spare and are prepared to observe such safety precautions as wearing protective gloves and keeping youngsters away from work areas.

A kitchen planned to be perfect

GARDENING IN NOVEMBER

November is the time for winding down gardening activities and cleaning things up before winter. If you live in an area with cold winter weather, now's the time to prepare your plants for icy blasts ahead. Late plantings of bulbs, shrubs, and trees, including evergreens, are possible in some areas, but might be risky if you live in a region where winter weather comes early.

11 pet care tips to ignore

Most of us have had contact with pets at one time or another. This relationship leads some people to regard themselves as experts on animal lore. They're always eager to offer advice on pet care. This advice usually costs nothing; generally it's worth even less. Here are a few examples to watch out for.

Before you plunge into a car pool

Organizing or joining a car pool, for all its advantages, means taking on some heavy legal as well as moral responsibilities.

Shopping editor's choice

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

The man next door

Our bank president thinks his new computers are great. "We make as many errors as ever," he says, "but now our computer is programmed to take the blame."