April 1977

Hope at last for families who want their own first home

For far too long, the headlines have heralded what seems like the death of a basic American dream for many young families: a home of their own. Ever-rising prices and tough financing demands have simply shut off hope for thousands of people who've been trying to take their first step into home ownership.

YOUR RIGHTS WITH THE POLICE

Along with most law-abiding, middle-class citizens, you probably feel relatively safe from unfair treatment at the hands of the police. That assumption has led many people into deep trouble that might have been avoided.

HOW TO CAULK IT YOURSELF

In these days of skyrocketing utility bills, anything a homeowner can do to keep energy costs under control is welcome indeed. Proper caulking can be a step in an energy-saving direction.

Cosmetics: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW TO USE THEM SAFELY

Americans spend nearly $8 billion a year on cosmetics-- shampoos, deodorants, soaps, lipsticks, after-shave lotions, perfumes, cleansing creams, eye shadows, dusting powder, and dozens of other items-- and for the most part we don't worry about the safety factors involved in these products.

HOUSEPLANT HOW-TO

If you're a frustrated fern fancier whose plant seems to lose leaves faster than it grows them, take heart --ferns are really easier to grow than you think. Just follow these instructions for lush results.

8 WAYS TO Protect your investment in your Home

Home is the biggest investment most of us will ever make. And with the recent sharp rise in home-buying and ownership costs, it's more important than ever to protect that investment.

Could the Small Claims Court settle your beef?

Suppose next month your suit comes back from the cleaners two sizes smaller than it went in, and the cleaners won't give you what you think it's worth. Or the fellow down the street backs into your driveway, demolishes your son's bicycle, and refuses to pay.

EASY Patchwork TABLECLOTH

With a simple hexagon shape, you can turn bright calico and solid fabrics into a cheery patchwork tablecloth. Use our full-size hexagon diagram (page 168) as a guide for your master pattern.

GOOD NEWS

Capable of handling a turntable, tape deck, and up to two sets of speakers, this FM-stereo receiver isn't the fanciest, most powerful, or most expensive component available-- but it is one of the best performing. Rather than dreaming up a unit with fantastic specifications that only look good on paper, the designers concentrated on building a receiver that would sound good to the average listener.

GARDEN TOOL SHAPE-UP

Right now, before you're faced with the big spring jobs, is the time to ready tools for the work ahead.

BUYING QUILT FABRICS BY MAIL

Shopping for quilt fabrics at home --sounds appealing, doesn't it? Think of the hours-- and shoe leather-- you could save by not having to dash from store to store looking for perfectly matched fabrics to make that knockout quilt!

SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED--want to join up?

Have you visited your neighborhood school recently when classes were in session? If not, you might be due for a surprise. In addition to the classroom teacher there may be a number of helpers in many of the classrooms or programs. More than likely these individuals are school volunteers-- citizens who are committed to assisting with the education of the community's youth.

HOW TO CUT YOUR INSURANCE COSTS AND STILL BE SAFE

If you feel that insurance costs have dealt you a double whammy, you're not alone, if that's any comfort. The rising cost of living means most of us have more to protect-- and therefore more insurance to buy for adequate coverage. Not only that, inflation has boosted the cost of many premiums to help cover rising costs that the insurance companies face, too.

Step-by-step project Scrapbook

MOBILE HOMES

Of the new homes sold in America for under $30,000 in 1976, mobile homes accounted for some 76 percent, and they are expected to account for a larger percentage this year. Many families unable to afford conventional houses have found mobile homes to be the answer to their housing needs.

A Grandmother's Flower Garden To Quilt As You Go

If you've been scared to tackle a patchwork quilt project, take a look at this easy quilt-as-you-go technique. Our comfy Grandmother's Flower Garden is formed of quick-to-stitch hexagons. And although Grandmother handed down the pattern and technique, it was a clever granddaughter who discovered a timesaving new twist to quilting.

A Buyer's Guide to Jewelry

To most people, jewelry is a blind item, bought on good faith from a dealer whose reputation you may or may not have put to a test. While the retail jewelry business is generally upstanding, there are a few bad apples in every barrel. You, the buyer, must be on the alert, or you may find that what you have bought is not worth nearly as much as you had thought.

GARDENING IN APRIL

You can make garden maintenance much easier by using perennials as the nucleus of your flower border. Here's a monthly guide to help you pick your plants.

A WELL-ANGLED REDWOOD DECK YOU CAN BUILD

This angled, redwood deck provides the perfect transition between the dining room-living area of this home and the patio.

THINGS THAT GO ROUND

Why settle for a measuring instrument when you can build one of our magnificent rotating machines? You don't have to be a weather fanatic to have a world of fun with one of these devices. They don't determine wind velocity, but they sure do a lot of spinning and clacking and flashing. ...

Something's always in BLOOM in this glorious garden

There's breathtaking beauty wherever you look in this outstanding garden. Broad, sweeping borders of brilliant flowers outline the rich green lawn, and large pots, brimful of specimen plants, punctuate garden walls and patios. This is the personal garden of landscape architect Joseph Copp, Jr., who obviously brings his work home with him.

HOW TO SHAPE UP THE SPACE at your place

A really comfortable room doesn't depend on the style or status of the furniture pieces. It's how it all goes together that counts-- and that's what furniture arrangement is all about. Most of all, the arrangement has to be easy to live with.

Please don't eat these PLANTS

About 700 poisonous plants grow in North America, many of them in and around the home. Every year thousands of people are poisoned by eating them. Luckily, most victims recover; but many suffer severe digestive upsets and side effects.

How to order material from the magazine

New Ideas

This comprehensive new book from Better Homes and Gardens helps you rediscover the age old American arts of patchwork and quilting. Step by step illustrations and easy to understand instructions ... you recreate the popular quilting patterns of your ancestors. Master traditional patchwork patterns ... the Log Cabin, Star of Bethlehem, Storm and Pickle while creating beautiful coverlets, tablecloths, pillows and quilts for your home.

FOUR-WALL KITCHEN PLANS

A "four-wall kitchen" may sound like a prison with no entry or exit, but not at all. What the name really means is that 100 percent of the available kitchen space is used in this new design concept. And, with construction costs soaring, maximum utilization of space is vital.

TIPS TOOLS & TECHNIQUES

A REGULAR FEATURE DESIGNED TO MAKE AROUND-THE-HOUSE JOBS EASIER FOR YOU

Energy-saving shade Trees

Before the energy crisis, shade trees were mostly valued for their beauty and the comfort they add to a yard or patio. But now, with the mounting costs of heating and air conditioning, there's a very practical reason for planting shade trees. They can help cut utility bills considerably in winter and summer.

LEARN-TO-DO-SOMETHING-NEW VACATIONS PART 2 ARTS & CRAFTS

It's likely you've noticed the arts and crafts bandwagon rolling across the country. Perhaps someone in your family has even climbed aboard. Maybe it's Mom, up to her elbows in clay; Dad, sketching and painting up a storm; Sis, strumming a new guitar; or Junior, glued to his camera.

Straight talk about front-end alignment

Even though you can't do the work yourself, the low price of a front-end alignment adjustment makes it one of the best automotive service bargains today. When parts aren't needed (which is usually the case) the work can cost as little as $15 to $25.

MOVING? Here's how to PACK UP

If you are planning to move and your employer isn't paying your moving expenses, you can save yourself a considerable amount of money by doing your own packing rather than paying the mover to do it for you. In fact, whether you are moving locally or cross-country you can save between $200 and $500 on the average family truckload of 7,500 to 8,000 pounds.

Classic Chairs

Many furniture styles are nothing more than fleeting fads, but not these chairs. Although introduced early in our history, they have survived the test of time and have earned the right to be called "classics." Their simple designs are integral to our furniture tradition.

TROWELS: Which ones for which jobs?

If you've wondered why your only trowel works great on some projects and poorly on others, you're probably trying to use it on some jobs it's not designed to handle. Even though many trowels may look interchangeable, the subtle variances in size, shape, weight, material, and contour make a dramatic difference in performance. Here's a checklist to tell you which trowel is right for the job you're tackling.

SPORTS CAMPS FOR KIDS

There's nothing new about kids going to camp. For generations, youngsters have been getting away from it all for a few days or a few weeks to enjoy fresh air and outdoor activities with other young people their age. But sports "clinics" (they're usually called camps) for youngsters are another kind of camp experience, with a completely different objective.

Better Homes 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

Spring cleaning revealed a couple of Christmas presents Christine had hidden so well she couldn't find them to give to the children last December. Now the question is whether to bestow them with apologies or save them for next Christmas, which would put her ahead on the shopping. ...