What's your home and garden like?

Open a magazine, almost any magazine, and there they are - architecturally unique homes, lush lawns, and gardens awash with colors, shapes and sizes to die for. Not a blade of grass or a leaf is out of place, the back yard patio is entertainment ready at all times and the home, monogrammed hand towels and all, is inviting guests to drop in anytime.

Who lives like that?

I don't. In one breath, I like the idea of having a home like that and in the next, I think about the work to keep it all up. Our house is not big and our property more natural than manicured and I can't keep up with what we have.

I know, I get to choose how I spend my time but when it comes to swim meets, family outings, writing or a trip to Grand Avenue and Golden Fig fine foods my choice is clear. The weeds can wait. And wait they did. In fact, they are still waiting. I have one weed along the front step (welcome!) that is almost as tall as the kid. When it hits eye level I will weed.

I love the idea, the look, the feel and the smell of a mantained property but I don't love the work. Here's a glimpse at a snippet of our outdoor to-do list:

Wash windows and power wash deck
Weed flower beds and split perennials
Remove the overgrown madness around the big garage
Landscaping on front and side of house
Trim the trees and remove a ton of strangling grapevines

See why I prefer to head to St. Paul?! I can rationalize this all away - it's unsafe to weed in 102 degree weather, once I am in the house I don't see the overgrowth and weeds, no one ever visits us anyway and, here's the best one - in a few months, it'll all be under a few feet of snow.

Too bad rationalization doesn't kill weeds. I am off to Home Depot for a powerwash-like sprayer and some Roundup to tackle the beasts.

Better Homes and Gardens I am not.

Photo credit iStockphoto

As second nature as social media is to some, it is still new territory for others.

HR professionals are on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook as individuals and on behalf of their organizations. The job seeking public is developing profiles, joining groups and liking pages in an effort to connect with these HR pros and their companies in the hopes that the two will meet for a mutually beneficial outcome.

When I was asked to comment on proper etiquette for contacting HR professionals through social media, all of my chatter came down to this: be respectful of yourself and others at all times.

Some of the questions and quick-shot answers are below:

Is it acceptable to contact an HR professional through LinkedIn or Twitter? What about Facebook?

Yes. Take a look at their LinkedIn or Twitter profile. If their profile is private or they request not to be contacted, honor that. Many utilize Facebook for their recruitment efforts - others do not. Hot tip: do not weave a tangled web of friends to try to gain access to an HR professional with a private profile.

When contacting HR reps, ensure your state who you are, why you are contacting them and what information you are seeking. Don't underestimate the value of this first impression.

Is it wise to link your personal social media accounts or blogs to LinkedIn?

Importing your blog into LinkedIn is a powerful way to engage a wider audience. Think through the content you are importing into LinkedIn. Do your personal social media accounts present a professional image? Do they support your professional goals? What are your objectives?

I choose not to import the content into LinkedIn profile on a regular basis. Facebook pictures of my daughter swimming 50m fly would be of little professional value to my network.

How should you manage your image on your blog to not offend potential employers

Be accountable for what you say and how you say it. Some employers are looking up candidates on social networking sites and may think twice about hiring someone with something perceived as negative in their profile. Why? Your on-line actions can say alot about how you conduct yourself in real life.

Highlight your skills, your experiences, your ideas and your challenges. Don't be afraid to offer points of view and challenge assumptions - professionally.

What would you add? What words of wisdom would you offer to someone looking to manage their online image to land a great job?

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Home, Garden and To-Do Lists: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl