January 1977

A few words about our new size

All around us we're seeing a movement from bigger to smaller. Compact is the trend for new homes, furnishings, cars... and now for BH&G, too.

Clean water on tap

Take the guesswork out of plant care

Bread maker for crust lovers

Do-it-yourself carpet repair

Top-quality sound on a budget

Cool heaters

Super yardstick in a case

Tea tips

As you scan the tea section in your grocery store, the variety of flavors and brews is mind-boggling. You'll see everything from exotic jasmine tea, scented with jasmine blossoms, to intriguing gunpowder green, or robust morning thunder.

HOW TO ORDER MATERIAL FROM THE MAGAZINE

27 ideas for earning extra cash at home

If you have a talent, craft specialty, or just a good idea, it's likely you can make a few extra dollars at home-- and possibly more than a few thousand. Lots of people have started with tiny projects that eventually turned large profits.

Turn your everyday skills into good outside jobs

If you happen to be among those many women deciding to go to work outside your home, don't underestimate those skills you've developed running a home and being active in community projects-- they might be just what your potential employer needs.

BUILD IT YOURSELF STORAGE UNITS TO UNSTUFF ANY HOUSE

Tired of letting It all hang out? If so, resolve now to put the kibosh on creeping clutter.

HOW YOU CAN GO BACK TO SCHOOL

If you have been considering going back to school, now is the time to do it. Adult education (or continuing education, or lifelong education) has come into its own; more thought is being poured into this area of education and more administrators and educators are interested in the mature student than ever before.

Buying the right battery for your car

Waiting till an emergency to buy a new battery for your car can lead to a costly mistake. Read on and we'll show you how to anticipate your battery's demise, how to pick out a replacement, and how to keep the new battery going strong.

SOFT SCULPTURE

If you can thread a needle, you can transform fabric scraps into cushiony companions to delight children, teens, and adults. From frolicking fish and marvelous machines to plush hanging plants, these whimsical soft sculpture fantasies are sure to capture your imagination as no other fabric craft can.

WAKE UP A ROOM WITH READY-MADES

Short on time? Pinched In the pocketbook? Not as nimble with a thimble as you'd like to be? Even If you're plagued with all these problems, it's still possible to renew a woebegone room. How? By using ready-mades. Here are six pages of clever ways to use stock items straight from the store --sheets, blankets, pillows, place mats, curtains, even mattress pads.

GROW YOUR OWN PERSONALITY PLANTS

For a fresh start this year, resolve to change your growing habits. If you've always pampered an ivy, brighten your wintertime outlook with an orchid. Fill a terrarium with ferns, coax a gloxinia into bloom, or fashion a bonsai.

FAMILY SKING

More and more, American families are taking advantage of their vacation time not only to travel and enjoy a change of pace, but also to acquire new skills that will enrich their lives. They may take up strenuous activities like mountain climbing, backpacking, sailing, or tennis, or more leisurely pursuits such as crafts, photography, and painting. Here we take you along on a learn-to-ski adventure and also for a look at the simpler process of learning to cross-country ski.

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order from the convenience of your own home with complete confidence. If not delighted, each company will happily refund your money.

The Man Next Door

The main problem with this postholiday period is that you no longer can put off until after the holidays all the things you were supposed to do a month ago.