May 1994

Between friends

Favorite Scenic Drives

In a hurry? Take the interstate. But if dramatic views and sampling local pleasures mean more to you than time, enjoy these scenic drives. Hairpin curves and breathtaking vistas add to the adventures on Nova Scotia's Cabot Trail, an Ozark odyssey, the Mississippi's Green River Road, Montana's Beartooth Highway, and America's loneliest byway.

Planes, Trains, Cars, and Kids

Here's a strange practice: Two adults, married to one another, work at difficult jobs for 50 weeks, thus earning a two-week vacation. To reward themselves for their efforts, they arrange to spend this two weeks doing things their children want to do. When the vacation is finally over, these two adults feel they need another vacation just to recover from the experience.

Learning What Counts

A college student becomes physically ill outside her math tutor's door before each help session. A successful attorney has to carry a "cheat" card to help him calculate a 15-percent tip. Years after graduating from high school, a woman still dreams she's being chased by numbers.

The New Addictions

SHOPAHOLICS, TV JUNKIES, ESPRESSO-MANIACS: HAS AMERICA OVERDOSED ON ADDICTIONS?

Sizing Up a Weight-Loss Plan

CHOOSE A BALANCED PLAN THAT WON'T MAKE YOU FEEL DEPRIVED.

Home Improvement Contest

GET BIG BENEFITS AND BIG BUCKS FROM YOUR NEXT HOME FIX-UP PROJECT. YOU MAY WIN A TOP AWARD, AND YOUR PROJECT MAY APPEAR IN OUR MAGAZINE!

More From Your Utilities

SAVE SOME MONEY WHILE HELPING SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT, TOO.

Tips for First-Time Home Buyers

You want to bid apartment life good-bye, but you don't know where to begin. There are no magic tricks to finding that first home, just good old-fashioned grunt work and determination that eventually pay off. Here's a basic strategy that should ease your search:

Cozy Contemporary

Crisply tailored lines and a roomy floor plan make this house a pleasure to look at and to live in. Careful placement of small windows in front gives you an extra measure of privacy. In the rear, large windows line up in rows for generous views of the deck and yard. A vaulted great room and towering fireplace form the core of the downstairs living area. By incorporating an open kitchen next to the dining room, you can cook and entertain at the same time. The first floor master suite includes a tray ceiling and a space-efficient bathroom area with a skylight over the tub.

Remodeling Stress-Busters

You've lined up the money and signed off on the plan. But an army of tradespeople laying siege to your home can start kids squawking, dogs barking, and neighbors talking. Here's our list of things to do to keep your sanity and prevent aggravation during a remodeling.

Ottoman Slipcover

Cozy up a room in a hurry with the soft touch of a skirted ottoman cover you sew yourself.

Hearts & Hands Quilt

Elegant gloves, embroidered hearts, and delicate charms join together in a modern-day adaptation of an old crazy quilt. Proudly display gloves and trinkets from Grandma's dresser drawer, or check antiques shops and flea markets for more vintage treasures. Fill out the blocks with lacy reproductions for a good-as-old look.

Crazy Quilting and More

Crafts from grandmother's house

Add one part can-do spirit to two pans make-do materials. Season with a dash of wit and whimsy, a pinch of nostalgia, and a sprinkling of charm. Mix it all together with fond memories and you've whipped up a taste of warm and comforting 1930s-era crafts inspired by Grandma's house. Using old-fashioned materials and new short-cut techniques, we show you how to craft two decorative accessories that will take you back to simpler times.

Apples for Small Spaces

A Deck of Distinction

Paying attention to the details can turn a typical backyard deck into something terrific. Little ideas helped this deck meld beautifully into the home's architecture and become a great place to enjoy fair-weather days. Here's how you can deck out your house.

Adirondack Furniture

TOUGH TOOLS

NO-FAIL FLOWERS

Summer star

TEST GARDEN TIPS

A floral entry

EASY RAISED BEDS

Made-in-the-shade gardening

Shade stymies most gardeners, but there's really no need to give in to frustration. With the right design and the right plants, you can transform a shady problem space into a flower-filled wonderland. There are many plants that will brighten a dark corner with blooms, and we've put together our own shade garden to show you some of the choices. Use our tips in your shady spots, and in no time at all, you'll find your garden is made in the shade.

Window gardens

You'll be the toast of the neighborhood when you dress up your windows with flower-filled window boxes. These small gardens are a dream come true for time-pressured gardeners. Upkeep is easy-- all it takes is watering, fertilizing, and pinching.

Tuck-Away Trolley

Home of the year

Even before you swing open the beveled-glass front door and step into the exquisitely detailed foyer, our award-winning 1994 Home of the Year will sweep you off your feet. What catches your eye immediately is its distinctive, one-of-a-kind look, but what will inspire you to create your own dream home are all the wonderful features that make this house a great place to live, not just to look at

Home of the Year

The Study Plan is an eight-page booklet that includes drawings of all elevations of the home; floor plan diagrams for both levels, including room dimensions; kitchen and bath cabinet elevations; and general information. Although the Study Plan cannot be used for construction, it will be a valuable aid in selecting a lot on which to build and in making inquiries with a builder.

Big, beautiful style

Are a too-tight budget and equally confining spaces reining in your decorating spirit? Take the style-knows-no-limits attitude of Nancy and Theo Kriel, owners of this modest California cottage. "When you're bound by space and money," says Nancy, "it's time to unleash your creativity." Come on in and let your decorating visions soar.

Behind closed drawers

Kiss kitchen clutter goodbye. By paying as much attention to the inside of their cabinetry as to the outside, these homeowners crafted a kitchen that packs an astounding amount of storage behind its handsome facade. Custom storage features are used alongside stock buyables to render overflowing drawers and disorganized cabinets happily obsolete. Try some of these simple, inexpensive ideas to bust clutter in your kitchen.

Nutrition information

BH & G kids

Parents-- Here's a new section to help you experience the many joys of being a parent. Each month you'll find activities for you and your children to do together, plus some easy projects for kids to do on their own. Look for "BH&G Kids" in every issue-- and cherish this precious time of your life.

BH&G for Kids

Hey kids! Hey parents! These products were specially chosen for the readers of Better Homes and Gardens magazine to help you and your family join in the fun of our new "BH&G Kids" feature.

Auto update

Four-wheel drive is still the ultimate in slippery-road traction, but a newer, less-costly technology is gaining ground. Called traction control, it uses just two wheels to help retain control when a wheel starts to spin.

Choosing a Dog

Love at first sight can be a risky way to pick a pet. Be sure you and the dog share compatible lifestyles and temperaments.

The Shopper's Mart

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

The man next door

Newspaper editor Earl Reeves has uncovered an eerie balance in the fact that the news is getting weirder while the comic strips are becoming more realistic.