grandkids

Landscaping Designs Can Ease Stress From Sandwich Generation Issues

by Kaye Swain

Hooray! Spring is springing, leaves are greening, and buds are blooming. It's one of my two favorite seasons of the year! It's a great time to take the grandkids for a scooter ride around the block, do some spring cleaning in the house, and, perhaps, have a chat with our elderly parents about simplifying their landscaping designs to make it easier for them to care for.  :)

Spring is great for talking with elderly parents about simplifying their landscaping designs

For that matter, it's a good time for us to look at what's going on in all of our Sandwich Generation families, assess our current and probable future situation, and decide if we need to make any changes to our own landscaping designs.

When my dad was in hospice and one of my daughters was going through a difficult pregnancy, the roses didn't get trimmed and the fruit trees didn't get picked. For one year, it wasn't too bad, but it did add a bit of extra stress. If it looks like things might be a little more busy than normal this year, simpler landscaping designs can help de-stress our lives just a bit.

For more great photos of gorgeous spring views, delightful green landscaping designs, daffodils, grandkids, and more, check out Moomettes Magnificents , 5MinutesForMom, and Shak and Jill.

And also, we would love to have you sign up for the FREE SandwichINK Real Estate Info email updates…

Tagged as: elderly parents, grandkids, hospice, landscaping designs, multigenerational real estate, Real Estate, Sandwich Generation issues, senior home care giver

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Concrete Curbing is Loved by Grandparents and Grandkids

by Kaye Swain

Whether we or our aging parents live in the homes we own or use them as rental properties, it’s always wise to think of them as the investments they are. That means keeping up with maintenance repairs, painting and carpeting them when necessary, and making sure the landscaping designs stay looking neat and nice. That way, if caregiving needs require an unexpected change, you’ll hopefully be able to rent or sell your home fast and easy. It’s always easier to find house buyers for a well-cared-for property than for one that is looking rather unkempt.

One simple and fairly inexpensive way to add to the good looks of your landscaping designs, while making them easier to mow, is to add concrete curbing.

In my hometown, there are several companies that provide this service. You can hire them to come out and pour a variety of unique and interesting concrete curbing designs around your flowerbeds and trees. You can choose circles, squares, or other geometric designs. With a wide choice of shapes, sizes, and materials, your landscaping designs are sure to be complemented by whatever choices you make.

It really makes your yard look “snappy,” to quote my senior mom. I love the way it outlines and delineates the different areas around the house. It also makes the yard look so much neater after it’s been mowed.

I chose wide curbing with my grandkids in mind and they loved it. It was as much fun as the balance beam in my granddaughter’s gymnastics class. They thoroughly enjoyed taking turns walking on it all around the yard. Who knew such a great investment could also be so much fun!

I have two money saver tips for this project:

  1. Check the homeowner’s coupon books that come to the house periodically. They frequently have discount coupons for these concrete curbing companies.
  2. Talk to all your neighbors and find out if anyone else wants this done. Some companies will offer a discount for a multi-house order. One of my neighbors and I joined together, got lovely curbing in our front and back yards, and enjoyed a better price as a result.

Concrete curbing is an inexpensive way to enhance the landscaping designs of the house. With some special planning by Sandwich Generation caregivers, it can even add to the playtime fun for visiting grandkids.Those are the kind of win-win experiences I love!

Tagged as: caregiving, concrete curbing, elderly assistance, grandkids, landscaping designs, property investments, sell your home fast

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