July 1995

between friends

fireplace fillers

It's been months since you revved a fire in that dark hole in the wall. Ready for a new view? Here are five ways to create room-renewing focal points-- without adding to the summer heat.

BEDROOM makeovers

Does your bedroom put you to sleep... before bedtime? Time to wake up your style! These rooms sound the reveille with color, fabric, and a few special high notes.

Raising Good Citizens

THE "3 Rs" OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP: RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, AND RESOURCEFULNESS

She's Got Rhythm

Watch any child banging pans and bottles, singing to herself, or jammin' on air guitar-- and you'll see that kids are natural musicians. But harnessing all that creative energy into formal music lessons requires an investment of time, money, and enthusiasm from the entire family.

Energy Boosters

You struggle out of bed in the morning, feel like a nap after lunch, and barely make it through the evening before falling into bed. In your quest for the "good life," do you feel just plain worn out?

Health On The Go

Wherever you go this summer, overseas or to a neighboring state, remember the Boy Scouts motto and be prepared. Pack a list of your family's medications, blood types, doctor's name and address, health insurer address, and policy number.

Lazy Days of Summer

Kids love these play structures, and you can sit back and watch from the outdoor bench. These designs are three of our readers' all-time favorites. They're easy to build with our plans, and they'll be the envy of your friends and neighbors.

Porch setting

Old-fashioned favorite

TEST GARDEN TIP

high summer color

Celebrate summer's pleasures-- fireworks, watermelon, and family reunions-- against a backdrop of blossoming color. In the warm weather garden palette, there are blooms in hues to suit every fancy, from sizzling pink cinerarias to gleaming white daisies, above. Brighten July's lingering twilight by weaving some of our colorful favorites into your garden.

ULTIMATE laundry room

So, spending the afternoon in the laundry room isn't your notion of a great time. We figured as much. That's why Better Homes and Gardens and Whirlpool put together a wish list of laundry room features that go beyond the basics. While the ideas may be downright dreamy, our creation is no pie-in-the-sky endeavor. You too can build a laundry in which it's a pleasure to spend time.

fresh and friendly decorating

Creating a home that welcomes with open charms is easy when you put your decorating to this homeowner's test: Do your furnishings live as great as they look? These do. Just ask Mulligan the dog, who snuggles happily on stainproofed chintz.

weekend decorating

Oh, what a difference a weekend makes. With a little effort, any room with that worn-out, "thank-goodness-it's-Friday" look at week's end can be refreshed and ready to delight you (for months to come) by Sunday.

lakefront inspiration

Great design, careful planning, and plenty of elbow grease are more important than deep pockets when it comes to building your dream vacation home. After they knocked down the tiny old family vacation cottage. Pastor Ron Held and his wife LaDon built this glorious view-filled charmer for about $70,000. "It sure wasn't easy," Ron relates. The Helds' whole family-- who were enlisted to help build the house-- would surely nod in agreement. But the results are just astonishing. Let their successful story inspire you.

A House for All Ages

It's Christmas in July!

It may be warm outside, but now is the time to get a head start on gifts to make for Christmas. Browse this winter wonderland of readers' favorite projects and order our exclusive patterns and plans to whittle away at that gift list.

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.

All Sorts of Salmon

Your market may offer up to a half-dozen kinds of salmon. Often, you can use different kinds interchangeably, but sometimes your recipe, your budget, or the occasion may point to using a certain kind.

Bug out

WINDOW WORDS

BIODIVERSITY BEGINS AT HOME

DO YOU KNOW?

BH&G Kids water fun!

Splish, Splash! Isn't it great to get wet on a hot summer day? You can jump into a pool, relax on a raft in a lake, charge into the waves at an oceanside beach, or soak your friends with a cold blast from a water shooter. Turn the pages for some "cool" ideas for fun you can have in July with nature's own refresher-- water.

auto update

Car buyers worry about on-the-road safety and personal security these days. Dual air bags and antilock brakes are practically the price of admission for manufacturers. Many models already meet the government's 1997 side-impact rules. Other protections include traction control, reinforced pillars, crumple zones to help absorb the energy of accidents, child-proof door locks, and emergency call-in systems.

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

Christine and I have learned from experience that a travel souvenir fits under the heading of "junk" depending on who bought it and how much it cost.