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

When Seasons Shift: Dr. Leeshe Grimes on Grief, Loneliness, and Finding Light Again

Published

4 days ago

February 22, 2026

Michelle Langton

Some emotional storms arrive without warning. A sudden change in weather, a holiday approaching, or even a bright sunny day can stir feelings that don’t match the world outside. For many people, the hardest seasons are not defined by temperature; they are defined by what’s happening inside, where grief and loneliness often move quietly.

This is the emotional terrain where Dr. Leeshe Grimes has spent her career doing some of her most meaningful work. As a psychotherapist, registered play therapist, retired U.S. Army combat veteran, and founder of Elevated Minds in the DMV area, she understands how deeply seasonal shifts and unresolved grief can affect people. Her upcoming books explore this very space, guiding readers through the emotional weight that can appear during different times of the year.

What sets Dr. Grimes apart is her ability to see clearly what many people overlook. Seasonal depression, for example, is usually tied to winter months. But she often sees it appear during warm, bright seasons, the times when the world seems happiest. For someone already grieving or feeling disconnected, watching others travel, celebrate, or gather can create its own kind of heaviness. Sunshine doesn’t always lift the mood; sometimes it highlights what feels missing.

The same misunderstanding surrounds grief. Society often treats it as a short-term experience with predictable phases and a clean ending. But in her practice, Dr. Grimes sees how grief keeps evolving. It doesn’t disappear on a timeline. It weaves itself into routines, memories, and milestones. People learn to carry it differently, but they rarely leave it behind completely. And that’s not failure, it’s human.

Her approach to mental health centers on truth rather than pressure. She encourages clients to acknowledge the emotions they try to hide: sadness that lingers longer than expected, moments of joy that feel out of place, and the waves of loneliness that return even when life seems stable. Instead of pushing for quick recovery, she focuses on helping people understand how emotions shift and how to care for themselves through those changes.

Much of her insight comes from her military years, where she witnessed the emotional toll of loss, transition, and constant survival. She saw how people continued functioning while carrying pain that had nowhere to go. That experience shaped her belief that healing requires space, space to feel, to speak, and to move through emotions without judgment.

In her clinical work today at Elevated Minds, she encourages people to build small, steady habits that anchor them during difficult seasons. Journaling helps them recognize patterns and name what feels heavy. Community support breaks the cycle of isolation. Therapy creates a place where emotions don’t have to be minimized or explained away. And intentional routines, daily sunlight, mindful breaks, and calm evenings help rebuild emotional balance.

Her upcoming books expand on these ideas, offering practical guidance for navigating both grief and seasonal depression. She focuses on helping readers understand that healing is not about escaping pain. It’s about learning how to live with it in a healthier way, honoring memories, acknowledging loneliness, and still allowing room for moments of light.

What makes Dr. Leeshe Grimes a compelling voice in mental health is her ability to bring language to experiences that many struggle to explain. She reminds people that emotional seasons don’t always match the weather and that there is no single path through grief. But within those shifts, she believes there is always a way forward.

The seasons will continue to change. And with the right tools, compassion, and support, people can change with them, finding steadiness, softness, and light again, one step at a time.