April 1984

GO PLATINUM-COOL OR TOASTY-WARM

MEET YOUR BIRD NEIGHBORS

WHEN SATISFACTION'S HARD TO GET

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT

DRINK YOUR MILK!

TREASURES FROM ABROAD

FRIENDSHIP GARDEN

PET POISON HOTLINE

UP WITH BRAKE LIGHTS

Antiques & Collectibles

Vintage game boards for checkers, chess, Parcheesi, and other types of games now have new uses as lively accents for modern room settings.

Gardener's Log

You can attract butterflies to your yard by planting a variety of annuals, perennials, and shrubs this month. Butterflies will reward you with lively colors, and many of the sweet-scented, colorful plants that lure butterflies will probably be on your list of favorites.

How to Keep Lawn and Garden Tools in Shape

Lawn and garden tools are built for rugged outdoor use, but with everyday wear and tear they inevitably deteriorate. Tools will last a long time if they're stored and cared for properly. And the investment you make in preventive care will save you from untimely repairs and replacements.

MENDING AIDS

WATERPROOF POUCHES

PORTABLE POOL

SENSOR FAUCET

BAG SEALER

VIDEO BELT

ENERGY SLEUTH

THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE

The star qualities of today's newest seating pieces can make any seat the best in your house.

POCKET-SIZE WORK SPOTS

Today's work areas are taking on new, expanded roles as more people operate a home-based business, use personal computers, or simply want a private place to study. Few of us can spare a whole room to meet these needs, but there may be an idle niche around the house that can be retooled to handle the load. Make a few alterations like the ones shown here, and you'll have a home office that works as hard as you do!

Smart Spruce-Ups for WALLS AND CEILINGS

Most often, the masterstroke of a successful room revamp is a deft choice of finish materials. If it's architectural oomph you're after, or a classy cover-up for cracks or bulges, consider the eye-catching finish treatments on these pages. Each makes creative use of ordinary, low-cost materials and simple do-it-yourself techniques. Pick the one that works best for your project, or use our sampling as an inspiration for concocting your own design.

How To Buy Stocks A LITTLE AT A TIME

With the stock market so much in the news recently, you may be tempted to get in on the action. One good investing strategy that can minimize your risk is to purchase stocks a little at a time. There are a number of ways to do so, but don't throw caution to the winds-- or to your Uncle Harry's "insider's" advice.

Used Cars

Four primary sources sell used cars: New-car dealers usually charge the most, but they repair and prepare used cars well. Used-car dealers can be riskier, mainly because you often can't learn anything of the car's history.

Learning Vacations For Families

If you want more from your summer vacation than a good tan, explore the possibility of a campus holiday. This popular family vacation alternative offers intellectual stimulation, recreation, and relaxation-- all at some of America's finest campuses.

Picking the Right Purebred Dog for You

Some dogs seem to resemble their masters, and these similarities can be amusing. But the match between a dog's needs and characteristics, and his owner's personality and lifestyle is an important consideration. It can mean the difference between happy companionship and serious complications.

WIN UP TO IN BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS '84 HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTEST

Planning to remodel? Then plan to enter your completed project in Better Homes and Gardens 1984 Home Improvement Contest! You may win one of 99 Better Homes and Gardens cash prizes, including a top prize of $10,000. Other cash awards range from $100 to $4,000.

Easy-to-Build Parquet Table

Some tables provide a space to display ornaments, while others are ornaments in their own right. An example of the latter is this elegant parquet coffee table (right). Finely crafted tables usually command high prices and require the skills of a master cabinetmaker, but this design is simple enough to build in your workshop.

Great-tasting cooking with whole grains

Basic cooking with a dash of flair

Garden Ideas and Outdoor Living--1984 edition

FLOWERING VINES AND GROUND COVERS

Landscape improvement is a snap when you put a vine or ground cover to work. These adaptable plants will grow anywhere, easily handling even tough assignments like erosion control or privacy screening. Use vines to grow up and over arbors, trellises, fences, walls, and buildings. Or, let a vine become a blooming backdrop for a flower garden.

PETITE TREASURES

Good things do come in small packages, as a look at this enchanting collection of handmades proves. But each of these small projects is big on creativity and looks. You'll enjoy making these tiny treasures as much as our young friends enjoy sharing them with you.

Stunning Solutions FOR PROBLEM KITCHENS

Most older kitchens suffer more from generation gap than poor design: the old cooking quarters simply can't cope with our new lifestyles. Today's families want islands, eating spaces, gathering spots, planning areas, daylighting, storage galore, and a bevy of appliances that didn't exist a few decades ago. So it comes as no surprise that yesteryear's kitchen is the first-remodeled and most-changed room in America. If you plan a kitchen update of your own, borrow your favorite ideas from the next few pages.

Ideas that Stretch Space

Apartment dwellers and space-conscious homeowners alike will find helpful decorating ideas in these two books. Both offer practical ways to use small and awkward spaces effectively without making time-consuming and costly structural changes.

Closet Strategies

Bedroom closet space is a precious commodity in new and old homes, alike. Fortunately, it's easy to build additional closets or reorganize existing ones. Today, there's a wealth of products on the market to help you-- closet organizers for a major overhaul of hanging and shelf space, as well as stacking bins, cubes, and roll-out carts that instantly put wasteful floor and shelf areas to work.

A family guide to Outfitted Wilderness Vacations

To roam the outdoors with a professional outfitter is the safest, most comfortable, and often least costly way for families to experience the wilderness. You can ride horses into mountain ranges; float through canyons in rafts; ramble along in a train of covered wagons; and hike up high with pack animals to carry your supplies. You're transported, guided, fed, and fitted out for one price. Everything except personal items is provided.

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

This is the month of the Great Awakening, when the discovery of one tiny crocus stirs more jubilation than all of last summer's giant zucchini.