September 1991

KEEPING THE PROMISE TO THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD

Dear Readers, Is there anything more precious than our children? And doesn't the future of the world depend on the quality of life we provide for them here and now?

HELP US HELP HOMELESS FAMILIES

Sort through the attic, grab your garage goodies, and join us in the third nationwide Great American Yard Sale. You'll be helping homeless families, with sale proceeds shared by our nonprofit organization, The Better Homes Foundation, and programs in your community. The sale raised $237,500 last year and promises even more this time, with more than 170 members of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Service sponsoring events. Check the following list for sales closest to your home, then call for details.

MAKING A GRAND ENTRANCE

First impressions count. That's why the owners of this home adopted a fresh approach when they relandscaped their front yard. Dragged down by overgrown foundation shrubs and sagging concrete steps, their plain entry became the jewel of the neighborhood with colorful plantings and a welcoming walkway.

ALMANAC BACK-TO-SCHOOL

Check out our bell-ringing ideas for the new school year.

SAFETY TIPS FOR SCHOOL-BOUND STUDENTS

Some kids use foot or pedal power to get to school, while others hop on the school bus or get a lift from Mom or Dad. Any way is OK, as long as you always keep your child's safety in mind.

10 PARENTING RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

The start of the school year is the perfect time to sit down and draft some resolutions that will help keep your child's education on track. A few simple promises to yourself can put your youngster on the road to achievement in school and in life.

IT'S NOON. DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE EATING?

When 40 million students ask "What's for lunch?" at school this fall, many will want to hear "burgers and fries." However, a growing number of students and their parents are hoping the answer will be "A variety of foods, high in fiber and low in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium."

QUICK-AND-EASY KITCHEN RECYCLING CENTER

Sure, you would recycle, but making a trip to the basement or garage to toss every can and bottle is just too much effort. If this is your only excuse for not recycling, we have found just the solution for you.

ELDER CARE

Some American women today will spend as much time caring for their aging parents as they did raising their own children, according to a 1987 study. With seniors living longer and healthier lives, the future may tip the balance even further toward responsibility, if not outright care, for their parents.

MEASLES VERSUS SNIFFLES

HEARTFELT HELP EASES LABOR

Time-tested attention and support can have profound medical effects, even in today's high-tech hospitals. New research found that pairing a woman in labor with an experienced, supportive partner reduced the cesarean rate by more than half compared to women who had no such support.

MEDICAL MAILBOX

STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT IMPOTENCE

JAVA TRENDIES TAKE NOTE

LISTEN TO YOUR EARS

Do you have a diagonal crease running through your earlobe? If so, your odds of having a heart attack are greater than average. That's the startling finding of a recently completed eight-year-long study of people aged 54 to 72.

ONCE IS NOT FOREVER

Rx FOR BACKACHES

WHY JOHNNY GETS BLUE

Monica developed manic depression at age 2. Unfortunately, her condition was misdiagnosed, and it wasn't until she turned 7 that she received the medicine she needed. Today, at age 11, the Knoxville, Tennessee, youngster attends her regular public school.

GET WET, GET FIT

It's the workout your sore knees have been crying for-- the one offering gain without the constant pain of pounding the hard pavement. It's aquarobics, water's vertical workout.

ROOKIE COACHES

Each year 20 million kids quit a sport because of problems with a coach, says Brad Ellenbecker of the American Coaching Effectiveness Program.

PRE-SPORT EXAMS

The good news is that a physical exam before school sports participation is mandatory in every state.

ARTHRITIS SUFFERERS

PROTECTING YOUR PEEPERS

Don't let vanity cloud your vision about the need for eye protection while playing sports.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PACE

Pick up your pace is one message from a new walking study at The Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas. Sponsored by Naturalizer Shoes, the study featured premenopausal women who walked three miles, five times a week at different paces for 24 weeks.

GIMME A BREAK

AGE AND WALKING BENEFITS

SPORTS DRINKS

IS WINNING FUN?

One reason school children like sports is winning. But a survey of 10,000 students ages 10 to 18 says that there are nine more important reasons, including having fun, improving skills, staying in shape, and challenging yourself. Even among the most dedicated athletes, winning ranked eighth.

VEGETARIAN ATHLETES

ONCE SHY, TWICE BITTEN

"When a shy six-year-old hides behind a skirt, that's cute," says Jonathan Cheek, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Wellesley College. "But when someone is 25, lonely, underemployed, and has no friends, shyness isn't cute anymore."

ROOM ARRANGEMENTS

Got a room that seems too wide, too narrow, too cavernous, too snug-- or just plain weird? With great-looking furniture and a clever room arrangement, you can turn even an awkward space into an inviting one. Here's how.

WHEN OPPOSITES ATTRACT

MARRYING TRADITIONAL AND MODERN TASTES IN A TINY TOWN HOUSE

DOWN HOME IN DIXIE

Rooms on the main floor open to a central hall that stretches through the house from front to back-- a popular feature in southern homes. Honey-hued oak flooring in the hall flows through wide arches into the dining room, living room, and kitchen, merging them into one grand space. Glass-front cabinets topped with square posts flank the formal dining room.

MASTER SUITE MAGIC

Magical, yes. Sleight of hand, no! If you need a place to which you can disappear every once in a while, if you want to build something better than the usual flat-ceiling, tack-on box, here's the solution-- right before your eyes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

With each recipe, we give nutrition information. We list the calorie count per serving and the amount of fat, cholesterol, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, and sodium. We also include the percent of calories coming from fat.

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

You'll have bushels of fun making any of the 10 peachy-keen projects we've plucked from our crafty patch. They're just ripe for keeping or giving.

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order from the convenience of your own home with complete confidence.

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

Our Rosemary remarks that one of the problems with dating an economics major is that you have trouble figuring out whether "you are really hitting it off or just enjoying a final fling before another recession."