August 1985

EDITOR AT LARGE

A common cocktail party question for magazine editors is, "Where do you get all your ideas?" The easy answer is, "Ideas are our business." But the real answer is much more complicated. Our ideas come from inspiration, perspiration, and sometimes, sheer desperation.

BE PREPARED!

AIRLINE TICKETS IN AN INSTANT

LACE-CURTAIN COMEBACK

HOUSING HELP FOR VETERANS

FIRST AID FOR HOUSEPLANTS

THE SMART HOUSE

PROPERTY RIGHTS FOR WOMEN

WHAT'S IN THE BAG?

CRAFT TRENDS

HOW SCHOOLS WORK WITH WORKING PARENTS

Right in the middle of corporate budget planning, your phone rings. It's the secretary at your daughter's school informing you that you missed a 10 a.m. parent-teacher conference. ...

GIVING YOUR CHILD A Good Start In Life

Only 3 years old, Linda is the envy of every parent around. From birth, she has seemed far ahead of other children in everything from smiles to speech. Clearly, the well-adjusted little girl faces a bright future.

THE BIGGEST LITTLE HOUSE ON THE BLOCK

It's no idle boast! You're looking at the roomiest and brightest, most livable 1,200 square feet on any block! Small wonder it recently stole top honors in the Innovations in Housing design competition sponsored by Better Homes and Gardens, Progressive Architecture, and Builder magazines, with the Wood Products Promotion Council.

Managing Your Money On a Home Computer

The computer is not the ideal checkbook balancer, despite what you might hear to the contrary. In fact, a pencil and pocket calculator are hard to beat when it comes to sorting out your bank balance.

PLANT MARKER

STEP-BY-STEP SEW-AND-STOW WORK CENTER

Freestanding flexibility is the byword for this handsome sewing-center duo. Easy to store, easy to move-- set your center up anywhere. The sewing desk glides about on casters and the sturdy table rests on a set of lightweight folding legs. Sized to provide a generous cutting area, the table also is narrow enough to hang on the back of a closet door. The desk's storage area adapts to many different kinds of storage systems. Rounded corners on both work surfaces prevent material from catching.

New Help for Crime Victims

After her husband was murdered in 1982, Mrs. Linda Crawford, of Abemarle County, Virginia, thought she'd have to borrow from friends to pay for his funeral. Fortunately, a policeman told her that Virginia, like 37 other states, has a Crime Victims Compensation (CVC) program.

SUMMER RUGS

RETURN OF THE NATIVES

Tough landscape problems in your yard will knuckle under to native plants and wildflowers. These sturdy, low-maintenance plants are debuting in gardens after growing wild in woodlands, prairies, and deserts. Native plants and wildflowers naturally solve such challenges as dry steep slopes, densely shaded areas, and low-lying wet places.

Make Your Old House NEW AGAIN With Paint

DECORATING FORGOTTEN SPACES

It's easy to simply pass by a ho-hum hallway, niche, or entry-- until you decorate it with eye-catching impact in mind. A surprising splash of color or pattern, or a handsome and practical furniture piece can turn a snippet of forgotten space into one well worth remembering.

BOTTOM-DOLLAR REDO PAYS OFF BIG

Exterior improvements to this home reduced the power bill, added to the resale value, and beautified the premises. Maybe you'd love to improve your home-- but you can't help wondering if it's worth the cost. Here's how to figure the bottom line. Add up the initial expense of the project.

LIVING WITH HEIRLOOMS

UNDER THE EAVES

2. WALK-THROUGH GATE

FUN PRODUCTS FOR KIDS

CORDLESS MIXER

3. STEP STOOL

4. CHILD'S ROCKER

CORDLESS HANG-UPS

NO-CORD KITCHEN

EASY-SEW SAMPLERS AND PATCHWORK

Showcase your quilting skills with these easy-sew patchwork frames, and add a sampler if you like. The frames are simple to make and the results are spectacular. Adapted from the traditional Ocean Waves quilt pattern (below) each frame is fashioned by rearranging basic rows of triangles to almost any size.

CANADA

Take just one giant step north of the border and a rainbow of vacations spreads at your feet-- amid white-capped purple mountains, sparkling silver cities, and blue-green mosaics of woodlands and lakes. What's more, a Canadian vacation almost puts the illusive pot of gold within reach. Thanks to the currency exchange rate, U.S. dollars buy about 30 percent more in Canada than in the States.

Better Homes and Gardens

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 Rev. George Hall suggests that what the world really needs is "fewer people and more neighbors."