Lifestyle

How To Increase The Curb Appeal of Your Home

Published

5 years ago

June 22, 2021

Whether you’re doing seasonal upkeep or preparing your home for sale, creating curb appeal starts at the front yard. In many regions of the country, homeowners are looking for ways to add curb appeal and create a welcoming yard.

As a homeowner, you know that first impressions make a difference – especially for potential buyers. If you are seeking to sell your home, you’re probably weighing and balancing out the big questions of cost, landscaping effort, and expertise.

Here are key ideas to keep in mind for adding curb appeal.

Boost Mental Toughness

There are many issues when it comes to front yards. Some are very shady, while others have full-on sun. If you’re facing drought conditions and water shortages, your lawn may be looking sad and tired.

That’s why it’s important to have mental toughness, a concept popularized by former NFL player, Roy Hall. Hall is a motivational speaker devoted to helping others in his community to overcome life challenges. He encourages people to be strong in responding to challenges, saying: “Life is 10-percent what happens to you, and 90-percent of how you respond to it.”

Before you jump into landscaping, consider your attitude. Boosting your mental toughness is the most important place to start.

With a ‘can-do attitude, you’ll be charged up and ready for action.

Fill With Flowers

There’s nothing like perennials to add color, beauty, and a sense of home.

Depending on your climate and space, use perennials to fill in the big sections of your yard. They’ll add punches of color that will return year after year. Then, fill in smaller sections with annuals for immediate bursts of color.

Naturally, consider water usage. Pick plants that do well in drought-like conditions.

Add An Arbor

Are you looking for a way to highlight the entrance to your home? Add old-world charm with an arbor over the entry gate. This may help you create a dramatic entrance, while also adding some security for your home.

An arbor is a perfect place to support climbing plants such as roses, clematis, or vines.

Add a Flagstone Pathway

Do you have a charming cottage-like home? If so, you can highlight this look by adding a curving flagstone pathway. This walkway may add an element of anticipation and surprise to walking up to the front door.

Of course, along the walkway, you can plant interesting flowers, herbs, and ground cover. One of the fastest-growing ground covers is creeping thyme. Depending on your climate, this is a quick way to soften the edges and fill in the gaps between flagstones.

Choose Xeriscape

If you’ve had it with watering, you will find xeriscaping appealing. Drought-resistant plants and shrubs, such as ones that grow in a Mediterranean climate are a very attractive solution. Some communities are asking homeowners to cut down on water usage by opting for drought-tolerant plants.

As you may not be familiar with all the possibilities of plants, and setting up low-flow drip lines, get help from an expert. Just do a quick search to find a landscaper for “landscaping near me.” A local landscaper can help you pick the best water-wise plants that can thrive in your climate. You’ll have a beautiful, lush yard and a lower water bill.

Pick Ground Cover

If you have unsightly areas near the house, you can fill in these spots with fast-growing ground covers. These plants come in all varieties – some thrive in shade, while others are sun-loving.

Ground covers are especially useful near home because they don’t grow against the house. In the long run, this means less mildew, rot – and less maintenance.

Add Beautiful Features

A front yard is a great place for adding beautiful features that can be highlighted by staging but also come with the home once fancy furniture is removed from the patio. These may include a fountain, pool, or water feature. It may include a birdbath, bird feeders, or bird-friendly plants. Depending on your climate, you may be able to attract unique birds such as hummingbirds.

If you have the room and inclination, consider filling in odd corners or shady spots with a sculpture. Perhaps you have an artistic streak that’s waiting to be explored. Or you may know a local artisan who you could work with to design a piece specifically for the spot in your yard.

Also, consider the very simple solution of adding a bench, hammock, or sitting area. With a place to sit, you may just find yourself stepping outside for a cup of morning coffee or tea – in your garden.

Lifestyle

Fozia Rashid’s Vision for a Future Where Every Woman Is Heard and Respected

Published

6 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Michelle Langton

Progress often starts with someone who refuses to accept silence as the only option. Many women experience unfair treatment at work, yet feel they have nowhere safe to turn. That gap, the distance between speaking up and being supported, is where real change is still needed, and it remains one of the biggest barriers to true equality today.

Fozia Rashid knows this firsthand. After raising concerns about serious misconduct in her own workplace and losing her job as a result, she saw how isolating it can be for women who try to do the right thing. That experience pushed her to create She Speaks Out, a platform designed to give women clarity, tools, and a voice during some of the most challenging moments in their careers.

From the beginning, her aim was not to build another information site. She wanted a space where women could feel understood, where complicated processes were broken down into simple steps, and where no one felt that reporting misconduct meant stepping into a dark tunnel alone. Her HR training helped shape this approach, turning what is often overwhelming into something practical, direct, and genuinely supportive, especially for women who feel lost navigating workplace policies.

Her long-term vision stretches far beyond offering resources. Fozia wants She Speaks Out to help shift the culture around how women are treated at work. She believes that when women share their real experiences, discrimination, dismissal of their concerns, or subtle daily biases, it exposes patterns that organisations can no longer ignore. This focus on storytelling is not about sympathy; it is about awareness. Stories make the invisible visible, and visibility forces change in a way that statistics alone rarely can.

A key part of her mission is amplifying those voices so they reach people who can influence policy and workplace culture. She hopes the platform will push employers to rethink how they respond to reports, how they support employees, and how they build environments where women don’t fear retaliation for raising concerns. She wants leaders to understand that equality is not a slogan, it is a responsibility that requires honest action and genuine accountability.

Fozia also envisions She Speaks Out playing a role in larger societal change. She wants the platform to encourage companies to review their internal practices, improve reporting structures, and train managers to recognise and address problems rather than avoid them. She hopes the platform will support the push for stronger workplace protections and help challenge outdated beliefs about women’s roles, abilities, and credibility. The goal is simple: fair treatment should not depend on who you are, but on the basic respect every employee deserves.

As the platform grows, she aims to build a strong community where women can connect, support one another, and encourage those who feel unsure or unheard. A community where experiences are shared openly, not whispered privately. She believes that building solidarity among women is one of the most powerful steps toward lasting equality. When one woman speaks up, it can be dismissed. When many do, it becomes a movement that organisations cannot afford to overlook.

For Fozia, the future is not just about better policies or clearer reporting tools, though those matter. It’s about creating workplaces where women don’t have to prepare themselves for resistance every time they raise a concern. A future where safety and respect are not exceptional, but expected.

And through She Speaks Out, she is steadily pushing that future forward, giving women what she once needed most: a place to be heard, believed, and supported without hesitation, and a reminder that they never have to face these challenges alone.