http://www.sheknows.com/authors/kristin-chessman/articles Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:39:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/shopping/articles/817527/Trends-and-decoration-ideas-for-boys-rooms Are you looking for decorating ideas for a boy's room? Pirates, dinosaurs and trains, oh my! A room can say a lot about a person. And for kids, expressing their personalities by decorating their rooms is a great way to show independence and define who they are. That’s why it’s important to let your son play a role in decorating his space. Ask for his input on paint colors, or his top three choices for overall themes. Help him understand what’s within your budget, but after you’ve set the ground rules, let his imagination run wild! Check out these top trends and decoration ideas to give your son his dream room! http://www.sheknows.com/shopping/articles/817527/Trends-and-decoration-ideas-for-boys-rooms Kristin Chessman Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:28:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/shopping/articles/817515/Top-5-trends-in-boys-clothes This fall, just about anything goes for boys' clothes. From preppy cardigans to military jackets, boys have plenty of diverse options from which to choose. A few things you'll be seeing more than others -- such as the colors of the season. According to fashion experts, gray is the new black, though black and navy hues also dominate the racks, along with splashes of red. Keep reading to learn which boys' style trends we think are too cool for school! http://www.sheknows.com/shopping/articles/817515/Top-5-trends-in-boys-clothes Kristin Chessman Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:29:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/shopping/articles/817514/Top-5-trends-in-girls-clothes With so many fun and feminine trends available for girls' clothes, we asked some fashion experts to help us hone in on the crème de la crème. Right now, it’s all about the details. From ruffled skirts to shirring and shaped waists, girl power reigns supreme this fall. Read on to find out which five trends your fashionista may be sporting this season! http://www.sheknows.com/shopping/articles/817514/Top-5-trends-in-girls-clothes Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:24:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817508/Top-tools-to-build-an-eco-friendly-laundry-room If you’re looking for a way to save your family’s hard-earned money and lessen your carbon footprint, look no farther than your laundry room. By swapping out your standard washing machine and dryer for high-efficiency models, you’ll notice a savings in your energy bill and detergent costs. Learn how these energy-efficient appliances and tools can help your home go green. http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817508/Top-tools-to-build-an-eco-friendly-laundry-room Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:57:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817500/Top-10-laundry-blunders Tissue in the washer? Check. White socks turned pink? Been there, done that. Orphaned socks? Yup. Even laundry veterans have to deal with laundry bloopers every now and then. Read on to discover the top 10 laundry blunders and find out how to avoid them. http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817500/Top-10-laundry-blunders Kristin Chessman Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:59:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/817498/Fun-and-messy-activities-with-your-kids When’s the last time you and your kids had some good, messy fun together? Set aside an afternoon for the entire family to wear their oldest, grubbiest clothes and get down and dirty! From water balloon fights to making mud pies, we’ve got the best family fun tips. Talk about family bonding! http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/817498/Fun-and-messy-activities-with-your-kids Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:35:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817497/Guide-to-buying-eco-friendly-appliances You’ve decided to invest in your home—and the environment—by swapping out your old appliances for eco-friendly ones. Kudos to you! Changing to energy efficient isn’t just good for the earth, it’s also great for your pocketbook. But with all the appliances and cleaning products touting their eco-friendly reputation these days, how do you know which ones are legit? Check out our tips on what to look for when purchasing eco-friendly appliances and products. http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817497/Guide-to-buying-eco-friendly-appliances Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:29:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817495/Ways-to-make-laundry-fun-for-the-family The words “laundry” and “fun” don’t typically go in the same sentence. For most of us, laundry is just another chore on our endless to do list. Spice up your mundane laundry routine and involve your family by having some fun with it. Check out these creative ways to turn laundry time into family fun! http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817495/Ways-to-make-laundry-fun-for-the-family Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:17:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817494/Teaching-kids-to-do-laundry Your children are never too young to learn laundry basics. Not only will they learn responsibility, but it’ll also prepare them for college life. Plus, an extra pair of helpful hands in the laundry room will lighten your load, and who can argue with that? Follow these simple steps to teach your kids how to do laundry, minus the mess. http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817494/Teaching-kids-to-do-laundry Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:13:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817492/7-Stubborn-stains-and-how-to-remove-them Too many of our favorite shirts, pants and dresses have fallen victim to spills, overzealous eating, and other accidents. Don’t let stains have the upper hand! Meet the 7 nastiest stain offenders and discover how to remove them for good! http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817492/7-Stubborn-stains-and-how-to-remove-them Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:06:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817491/Real-moms-share-their-tips-for-laundry Let’s face it—keeping up with a household full of dirty laundry is no simple task. Moms are expected to battle the toughest stains, organize clothing, and prevent socks from disappearing. What’s a busy mom to do? We asked real moms to share their tricks of the trade. Find out what works and what doesn’t with these 7 simple laundry tips. http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817491/Real-moms-share-their-tips-for-laundry Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:01:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817489/Best-stain-fighting-products Plenty of products promise to remove your toughest stains, but which types of products deliver the best bang for your buck? We investigated the world of stain removal and selected our favorite types of products to help you fight the clean fight! http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817489/Best-stain-fighting-products Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:54:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817487/Top-10-laundry-room-essentials What’s in your laundry arsenal? It’s important to pick the best products and organizational pieces to make your laundry routine as simple and efficient as possible. To help you do just that, we picked our top 10 laundry room essentials to keep you organized and prepared for the toughest laundry battles! http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/817487/Top-10-laundry-room-essentials Kristin Chessman Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:45:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/817486/How-to-remove-stains If you have a household full of kids and pets, chances are you’ve dealt with your fair share of stains. Ketchup, spaghetti sauce, grass, paint—you’ve seen it all. But are you treating your stains effectively, or making them worse? Read up on these easy tips for giving your worst stains the boot! http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/817486/How-to-remove-stains Kristin Chessman Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:04:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/817175/U-S-News-World-Report-releases-2011-top-college-rankings U.S. News & World Report recently released their “Best Colleges” 2011 rankings of national universities. Last year, Harvard and Princeton tied for top honors -- but only one ranked first this year. Find out which schools made the cut, plus, learn how to find the right college for your teen. http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/817175/U-S-News-World-Report-releases-2011-top-college-rankings Kristin Chessman Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:16:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/817123/How-to-set-up-parental-controls The Internet can be an amazing resource for information, education, social networking, and news. But for parents, the endless possibilities of the Internet also may be an endless nightmare. Though nothing beats attentive parental supervision, it’s not always possible to watch your child’s every move. Stay alert and keep your children safe by following these simple steps to setting up effective parental controls. http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/817123/How-to-set-up-parental-controls Kristin Chessman Sun, 15 Aug 2010 15:55:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/817116/How-to-secure-your-internet-connection Although Internet connections are becoming more convenient for consumers, they’re also becoming more inviting to hackers. For instance, a wireless network, which allows you to access the Internet virtually anywhere in your home, also may be accessed by neighbors or even hackers, unless it’s secured. Understanding how to secure your Internet connection will help protect your personal documents and prevent identity theft. Follow these easy steps to secure your connection now. http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/817116/How-to-secure-your-internet-connection Kristin Chessman Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:34:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/817110/How-to-improve-your-computer-s-performance Frustrated with your computer’s slow, inconsistent performance? If you’re tired of playing the waiting game with your PC, it’s time to put on your tech hat and diagnose your computer’s ailment. Before you embark on your computer fix-up, back-up any important documents, pictures, and music to play it safe. Then follow these simple steps to improve your computer’s performance and increase its life span. http://www.sheknows.com/how-to/articles/817110/How-to-improve-your-computer-s-performance Kristin Chessman Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:36:00 -0700 http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/816892/Best-cleaning-products-for-busy-moms Who has time to spend hours a day scrubbing, cleaning and washing? Certainly not most moms we know. Limit your cleaning workload with the help of these productive cleaning products, tailor-made for moms like you! http://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/816892/Best-cleaning-products-for-busy-moms Kristin Chessman Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:49:00 -0800 http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/816759/10-Freshen-up-tips-for-the-home Sick and tired of your outdated curtains and drab paint colors? Then it’s time to freshen up your home with these 10 simple, inexpensive tips. Not enough time to do it all right now? That’s okay. Aim to accomplish one or two freshen up goals each season to keep your home current, chic and inviting. http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/816759/10-Freshen-up-tips-for-the-home Kristin Chessman