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

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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

Sweet Spots: A Day in the Life Sunday

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Sweet spots . . . we all have them.

Sweet spots are not necessarily unique to you, in fact, they can be day to day happenings everyone experiences. What makes them "sweet" is that they are right for you. You notice them, you thrive on them, and you are inspired by them when the next person may not even bat an eye in their presence.

When it comes to sweet spots, three biggies come to mind for me right now.

Collaboration

I recently spent a few days in Scottsdale, Arizona. When I wasn't talking employee engagement I was learning a little about the publishing and consulting worlds from 2 smart women over margaritas, guacamole and cheese dip. Talking to, working with and bouncing ideas off of other smart women? When it comes to energy, ideas and inspiration, it really doesn't get any better than that.

Strength

I am a reluctant exerciser. I have a new appreciation for weight training for strength. For cardio, I enjoy running. You wouldn't believe me if you saw how often I am on the machines, but running outside is what I enjoy most. There is nothing like settling into a rhythm, quieting my mind and enjoying the movement, strength and quiet of an outdoor run.

Family

I heart my family unit. The days are c-r-a-z-y with early morning wake-ups and each of us heading to our separate destinations. We coordinate, plan, adjust and connect to get done what we need to do and to get to the places we need to go. Lounging around on lazy Sundays with nothing to do but be together in the same space at the same time? Sweet.

A little more sweetness . . .

. . . creating opportunity for others, stepping out of my comfort zone (even when the execution turned out less than spectacular), spa days, girl's nights, bike rides, Bella Cucina, and Bailey's.

So tell me, what sweet spots do you have?

Index Card Credit: Jessica Haagy