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Are Your Trees Safe?

Falling trees are frightening — and worse, they pose a safety risk not only to your property, but to you and your family, too. Although you can’t predict storm damage, you can examine the trees on your property and…

The CDC Creates A Zombie Pandemic Graphic Novel

Anyone who’s caught the first season of The Walking Dead on AMC knows that the CDC played a vital role in handling the zombie pandemic of which the heroes of the story are trying to survive. The show is…

Treehouse: The Green Home Improvement Center

It’s finally happened. The green building movement now has a retailer to call its own, Treehouse. Treehouse opened last week in Austin, TX and is the country’s first home improvement center that will sell only sustainable and healthy-living products.…

Green Planet Paints’ Remarkable Claim

We’re always on the lookout for new products — and when they’re eco-friendly, we consider that a bonus. So when we stumbled across Green Planet Paints, we were intrigued by the claim on their website. Green Planet Paints are…

Protect Your Hands with Ansell Gloves

Protective gloves are one of the best investments for a do-it-yourselfer. They not only protect you from cuts and scrapes but also from damage due to chemicals as well as simply keep your hands clean so at the end…

How To Store Your Mower For The Season

If you haven’t already stored your lawnmower for the season, you’re likely preparing to say farewell to this weekly chore until warmer temperatures return. Before you stash your mower, there are several things you can do to help keep…

Our Halloween Hall Of Fame: Best Seasonal Projects

As we head into the weekend for Halloween, now’s the time to make sure your house is fully decked out for any spooky festivities. And for those of you on the East Coast, you’ll likely want to find some…

Make These Two Small Changes And Save Big On Energy

Colder months typically bring increased concerns about energy costs, which can vary widely depending on your heating source. The good news? There are two small things you can do to help prevent energy leaks, meaning you’ll rack up noticeable…

Built by Kids Decorated Pumpkin Contest

Built by Kids is running a pumpkin decorating contest and the top prize is a $100 gift card to Lowe’s and a $25 gift card to the runner-up. All you have to do is post your decorated pumpkin to…

Update Your Kitchen In Time For The Holidays

During colder months, and especially throughout the holidays, your kitchen will likely see much more traffic and activity as you prepare meals and host guests. If your kitchen is in need of a little pre-holiday update, don’t worry —…

The 2,000 Uses For WD-40

WD-40 – it really is a magical substance, isn’t it? Sure, you probably reach for the familiar blue and yellow can when you need to quiet a squeaky hinge or add a little extra grease to a sticky situation.…

Kohler Numi: Would You Buy A $6,500 Toilet?

When we say a $6,500 toilet, we’re talking specifically about Kohler’s Numi toilet. And you’re probably shaking your head in disbelief as you read the title of this post, right? But stay with us. We’re not necessarily advocating a…

Use Space Heaters Safely

October is Fire Prevention Month, and organizations like the American Red Cross are distributing information to help people lessen the fire risks within their homes. As the temperatures start to drop, many turn to space heaters to provide additional…

Lowe’s Closing Stores and Cutting Jobs

Say it isn’t so! One of our favorite retailers, Lowe’s, is closing 20 of its U.S. locations and cutting about 2,000 jobs. This is a move to improve profitability and we hope it doesn’t get any worse for them.…

Bring The Workshop To The Table This Holiday Season

Believe it or not, the holidays ARE right around the corner, which means so are many a gathering of friends, family, food, and events that call for gifting. Whether you’re hosting a major fete in the upcoming months or…

Your Pre-Holiday DIY Checklist

You’re probably scowling at me because I mentioned the holidays, but the truth is that they’ll be here before we know it. And if you’re expecting family and friends to drop by, now is the time to tackle DIY…

Make a Wish at the Genie Blogger Summit

Today I’ll be heading out to Berlin, Ohio to The Genie Company headquarters for their Genie Blogger Summit, and there are hashtags and Twitter handles galore for you to follow along on this adventure into Amish country. If you’ve…

Don’t Want To Paint Wood Trim? Try Staining It

If you live in an older home, it’s likely that you have wood trim in at least one (or all) rooms of your house. We’ve talked before about the pros and cons of painting wood. For purists, painting older…

20 Ways to Upcycle an Old Yoga Mat

We here at Charles & Hudson are always looking for ways to be as green as possible in our everyday choices, as well as be as economical as possible too. So when it was time to replace our old…

Searching For Inventive Wall Art? Try Ixxi!

It’s confession time, C&H readers. When I was younger, I used to unabashedly decorate my bedroom walls using posters pulled from magazines and Scotch tape. Lots and lots of tape. I may or may not have drawn a few…

The Business Of Being An Accidental Landlord

Due to the housing market of recent years, many people are finding themselves in a pickle when trying to move — either they can’t sell their house, owe more on it than it’s worth, have out-priced themselves with renovations,…

Our Top Picks From Lowe’s New Kobalt Tools Line

Last week, I had the great fortune of traveling to New York City for the debut of Lowe’s expanded Kobalt Tools line. Although the home improvement giant has offered Kobalt tools for years (Kobalt started in 1998 as a…

10 Things NOT To Do To Keep Your Home Safe

Now that it’s officially autumn and fall projects are finishing up as the cooler weather sits in, it’s time for a reality check. Before you know it, winter and the holiday season will be upon us once again, and…

Introducing Built by Kids – The ABC’s of DIY

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks around here, but we’re finally ready to pull the cover off our new project, Built by Kids! We launched the site on Labor Day and the next day my wife Laura went…

Create Your Own Giant Ruler Height Chart (For Free!)

I’m sure we all have similar memories growing up of standing with our backs straight against a wall while our parents marked our height with our names and the date, creating a timeline of childhood growth. While these places…

When To Inspect Your Fire Extinguishers

In addition to installing smoke alarms throughout your home, you may opt to keep a couple of fire extinguishers on hand in case of an emergency. Yet fire extinguishers, like most other things in your home, need to be…

Keep Your Gutters Debris-Free With Gutter Filler

During a rainy Saturday morning last weekend, my husband and I found ourselves at the hardware store to stock up on picture- and art-hanging supplies, as well as a masonry bit and, the motherlode of all finds – a…

Create Your Own Invisible Floating Shelves

I don’t know how the weather is where you live, but here in Kansas City, we’re in for a chilly and rainy weekend – the perfect time to knock out a few DIY projects! The newest one I’ve added…

Would You Create Your Own Carpet With Pencil? This Guy Did!

File this one under “simply amazing.” Artist Jonathan Brechignac has undertaken an incredibly ambitious project. He’s spent more than a year creating carpet for his home using a Biro pencil. That’s right — a pencil! I learned about the…

Take A Peek Inside The Columbus Idea Foundry

Last month while enjoying the exploits of the Tool Race we also had a chance to tour through the Columbus Idea Foundry, the host of not only the race, but the birthplace of many of the modified tools that…

How To Seal Your Driveway

Before the temperatures start to dip too low, you may want to consider sealing your driveway. Periodically applying a sealant will help protect your driveway’s condition, and is an especially good idea if you live somewhere with hot summers…

Say Hej To The New IKEA Family Loyalty Program

One of our favorite Swedish retailers, IKEA, has reccently launched a new program called IKEA Family, a free membership loyalty program with a good deal of benefits for cardholders. During our family’s end-of-summer sojourn to the great big blue…

Why You Should Buy A Weatherproofing Kit

When it comes to winterizing and weatherproofing, some simple materials can make a big difference in your home’s interior temperature — and help you conserve energy, too. Maybe you have drafty windows and can’t afford to replace them. Or,…

Get A Sneak Peek At 2012 Flooring Trends

2011 is slowly winding down (eeeekkk!!), so that means we’ll start to see more trend forecasts emerge for 2012. If you’re considering a flooring purchase within the next several months, we’ve got a sneak peek at next year’s flooring…

Do One Thing And Save On Your Energy Bill

As rising energy costs continue to put strain on homeowner budgets (especially as we head into cooler months), saving energy is not only a great idea for the planet — it will help you save money, too. Luckily, saving…

5 Fun Labor Day Weekend Projects

Here are a few of our favorite projects that would be great to tackle this labor day weekend. Choose an indoor or outdoor project and go for it! 1. Paint Your Own Wall Mural 2. Build a Flower Window…

The Disney UP House Gets a Real World Treatment

One of our favorite animated movies of all-time is “UP”, and central to the movie is the house that the old man decided to move with him as he went exploring. You can now see a real life version…

Top Picks For Fall Paint Colors

With fall quickly approaching, you may have the urge to change something in your home. Personally, I find myself spending more time on decorating, de-cluttering and organizing my abode in the weeks before winter, almost as if I’m preparing…

New Beginnings at the Dahl House: Nesting Series

With the help of some great contributors we’ve covered some elements of nursery design and preparing for a baby as well as recycling a crib and tips for doing-it-yourself while pregnant. We’ve put a lot of these tips into…

Power Tools On Fire: Welcome to the Tool Race

This past weekend we had the absolute joy of attending the Third Annual Ohio Tool Racing Championships in Columbus, Ohio, and we could not have been more impressed. Run out of the Columbus Idea Foundry, the concept is that…

DuPont WeedFree Landscape Fabric is Going in the Sandbox

We got tipped to a new product from DuPont that promises to eliminate the problem of weeds in our garden. Their WeedFree Premium landscape fabric supposedly provides a strong defense against weeds and helps promote healthy plants and shrubs.…

Giveaway: Fish Foam Premium Glass Cleaner

We’ve been using over the counter window spray cleaners for years. Some work better than others but many of them leave a lot to be desired. From running to streaks, cleaning windows isn’t always as easy as you’d think.…

Trucks of Tool Bloggers: Made in the USA

I’ve often shared my love for my Ford F150 and apparently I’m not alone. I took a quick survey of fellow tool bloggers who were more than eager to share their trucks with me and how they felt about…

Get Stuff Done During A DIYcation

It’s been awhile since we checked in with our good friend, the fabulous DIY Diva. And when we did, she gave us a brilliant idea: the DIYcation. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? If you have a lot of things…

Slide Heavy Appliances with the Help of Windex

We are the proud owners of a new Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer from Lowe’s. We had them delivered and stacked, but the problem is, once stacked they become even heavier and more difficult to move. Fortunately the delivery…

Bid On A Pink Custom Range From BlueStar

What could be better than whipping up a first-class meal on a state-of-the-art gas range? How about if the proceeds from the appliance’s auction benefit breast cancer research? Chef Marcus Samuelsson (the winner of Top Chef Masters season 2…

DIY With Disabilities

We’ve often talked here at Charles & Hudson about things like universal design, how to DIY with temporary medical conditions (read: pregnancy), and what to do if you’re mid-project and injure yourself. But something we haven’t touched much upon…

How To Buy a New Matress

Last Tuesday marked a monumental day around our humble abode — the long-awaited arrival of our new bed. The glorious piece of furniture (including mattress and box springs) was a wedding gift from my dad and stepmom, and it…

Our Inaugural Run With FrogTape

About a year ago the blogosphere was all abuzz about FrogTape, a new painters’ tape product with paint-blocking technology purported to stop paint from bleeding under the tape. With that in mind, the point of the tape was to…

Why You Should Go To A Really Really Free Market

This past weekend we had the chance to check out our city’s monthly summer Really Really Free Market — as in, yes, everything really, really is free — and we’re digging this latest urban trend. Really Really Free Markets…

Would You Try Edible Spray Paint?

File this one under the “What will they think of next?” category. And yes, you read the post title right: today we’re talking about edible spray paint. Thanks to the team at Shelterrific for alerting us to this fascinating…

Learn A Few Tricks From The New IKEA Catalog

Today felt like a holiday when we received our mail — the new IKEA 2012 catalog sat innocently in our mailbox, its near pristine pages just crying out to be thumbed through. While we are pretty avid IKEA shoppers,…

Boost Your Home’s Curb Appeal With A New Garage Door

Whether you’re considering selling your house or simply want to freshen up your home’s exterior, you can’t go wrong with installing a new garage door. In fact, this project consistently ranks high on Remodeling magazine’s Cost v. Value report.…

Pet Peek Fence Portal: A Window for Your Dog

Maybe dogs wouldn’t be so aggressive or bark so much if they could see what was beyond their fence? Well the pet peek could be the perfect solution. It looks easy to install and if you’ve got a curious…

Barbie’s New Dream House: Complete With Solar Panels!

The Barbie dream house — such a splendid creation, isn’t it? I know I confessed my extreme tomboy tendencies yesterday, but I also had a Barbie dream house. Mansion is a more accurate description, and I spent hours concocting…

Concrete Lego Blocks Are The Real Deal

Growing up, I was quite the tomboy. And looking back at my preferred toys, it’s no surprise that I now write about home improvement and DIY. Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, blocks and a pint-sized tool kit topped my list…

Should You Paint Your Roof White?

During the sweltering days of summer, painting your roof white seems like a fantastic idea. The idea is to make your roof more reflective so that it doesn’t absorb as much heat, which will keep your house cooler–and likely…

Paint Your Own Wall Mural

Our friend Nick has a passion for music and wanted to incorporate this into the design of his new home. You can take his same concept and create your own wall mural using a design of your choice and…

Upcycle Your (Recalled) Drop-Side Crib

My daughter will be turning one here at the end of August, and as a child always in the 95th percentile of growth with no sign of slowing down, I know her babyhood is quickly ending while her toddlerhood…

Keep Your Grass Green During A Heat Wave

I’m about to make a strong statement: I hate summer. Don’t get me wrong – I love spending time outside, swimming, dining al fresco, going to the lake. But Kansas City (and much of the country) is in the…

Windows May Be Your Home’s Weak Spot

When it comes to home security, you can easily invest a lot of money in a high-budget alarm and monitoring system. Yet there are also several budget-friendly things you can do to boost your home’s protection. One of your…

Stain Your Cabinets With Coffee Grounds

We love finding creative uses for common household items. Take coffee, for example. It’s delicious, and for many of us, it’s the fuel that keeps us going throughout a hectic day. And better yet? You can use it to…

Create Your Own Fertilizer With Weeds

As soon as I saw the title of Garden Rant’s post, “Cool Stuff To Do With Weeds,” I was hooked. Because, after all, there aren’t a lot of productive things you can do with weeds–well, besides kill them, that…

The Big Lebowski House is For Sale…Dude!

“The rug really pulled the room together…man”, and with that the adventure began. One of our favorite films of all time, The Big Lebowski, begins in the Dude’s house, his bathroom to be exact and ends with his rug…

Keurig Platinum Single Serve Coffee System Review

We’re big time coffee fans and need at least one cup (usually two) to help us get going in the morning. Nothing beats coffee from a French press of just grounded fresh roasted beans but sometimes we just don’t…

Keep Your Cool–And Save Money–With A Cool Roof

If you want to lower your energy costs and make your home more energy-efficient, there are a lot of little steps you can take: switching to CFLs, installing a programmable thermostat and switching to low-flow faucets, for example. Yet…