February 1995

Between friends

Fresh ideas for curtains

Battle winter's bleakness with a change of window scenery. Using our sew-simple ideas and bright fabrics, it's easy to gain a new outlook. This fun cover is a quick example; make it by pinning a tablecloth and napkins to a clothesline that's stretched between two wooden pegs.

Build America Beautiful

EVERYONE PROFITS WHEN BEAUTY IS PROTECTED

Are You Playing Favorites?

EVERY PARENT FEARS IT, EVERY PARENT HEARS IT: "MOM LIKES YOU BEST."

Rooms with a View

Going off to college means many choices for young adults-- what school, what major, what type of housing, how much stuff to take. Now there's another choice to make: whether to live in specialized housing. Many colleges and universities are organizing dormitory floors around students' special interests.

Eating for Your Age

REACH FOR CERTAIN FOODS TO BE YOUR BEST AT ANY AGE

Garden decor

CANNAS WITH PIZZAZZ

TEST GARDEN TIP

Perennial pleasures

Perennials win the garden popularity contest, hands down. They come in a potpourri of bloom times, plant sizes, leaf textures, and flower colors, so there's a perennial to please every gardener. Best of all, perennials stage an Oscar-worthy garden performance that improves year after year. To get started on your own perennial paradise, see how we transformed turf into troops of blossoms. Then turn to our perennial garden plans on page 98 for ideas on what to plant in your yard.

Perennial Pleasures

For a quick start on perennial gardens like those shown in our plans on page 98, try these plants specially selected for the readers of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Romancing the present

Once upon a time handmade gifts were lovingly created in leisure. Now we strive to create beautiful objects of affection in haste. On the following pages you'll find romantic presents to make without sacrificing today's precious time.

All in the family room

When Better Homes and Gardens came up with the concept of the family room 45 years ago, it was a family-only space that wasn't dressed for company. Today it's still casual, but it's handsomely attired as well. After all, this is the room we're really living in anyway, so why not give it comfort, function... and great style, too?

Idea packed kitchen and bath

IMAGINE, FOR A MOMENT, what a 21st century kitchen and bath might be like. Forget about gee-whiz gadgetry and high-tech, glossy finishes. Chances are, tomorrow's kitchen will look much like today's. The differences, we suspect, will have less to do with ultrasonic dishwashers and voice-activated jetted bathtubs than with a host of forward-thinking ideas that turn everyday tasks into some of life's simple pleasures. Designed for the New Home 2000, a Pacific Coast Builders Conference display, this kitchen and bath take traditional styling and timelessly efficient floor plans into the next century with unexpected but delightful innovations. There's no need to wait for the year 2000.

The second time around

Transforming a shabby fishing shack into a cheerful charmer required more than a remodeling.

BH&G Home Plans To Buy

Better Homes and Gardens magazine has blueprints available for the innovative Second Time Around home design shown on pages 141-148. If you do not want to purchase complete blueprints for the 1,652 square foot home at this time, but are interested in more information about the home, we suggest the Study Plan.

Sun-Resistant Fabrics

Today's big windows can create big problems for fabric coverings, unless you invest in fibers that catch rays without succumbing to sunlight damage.

Nutrition information

With each recipe, we give important nutrition information. The calorie count of each serving and the amount, in grams, of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, and protein will help you keep tabs on what you eat.

BH & G kids

It's February, a month to celebrate being in love. Fun-loving families can make Valentine's Day memorable with games, projects, and surprises that start at the breakfast table and last until bath time. Turn the page to see how...

Do-It-Yourself Valentines

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

A weekend stint of babysitting the grandchildren prompted Editor Earl Reeves to conclude that the generation gap is at its widest point in the last hour before the children head off to bed.