A {Guide} for Mamas Who Mow

Call it initiation.  Baptism by fire?  Whatever it is, it’s home ownership.  And cutting the grass is part of it.  I feel like I’m part of a new club, that gets even smaller when I look down the street and don’t see any other women cutting the beautiful lawns.  But then I have conversations with other women and hear how many of them love cutting the grass.  What gives?  

I guess I drew the short straw for this particular chore.  The hubs has crazy outdoor allergies, so I’m the delegated lawn-guy until our Little Man is old enough to take it up for himself.  But I haven’t cut the grass since 10th grade when I used my dad’s lawn equipment.  Surely lawn mowers have changed from the days of pull-starts and pouring spilling gasoline all over everything?  Are there tricks to taking care of the lawn to make sure I’m getting the most curb-appeal for our buck?

I can’t be the only mama cutting the grass!  Here’s my guide for #momswhomow.  While it’s not the best of all the home-keeping tasks, there’s got to be a way to make it somewhat enjoyable.

The basics

1. Pick the right equipment. Take some time to research the equipment options.  After a trip to my home improvement store, I had a much better idea of what I wanted and what made sense for our yard.  Battery-powered vs. gasoline.  Pull-start vs. push-start.  Self-propelled vs. push lawn mower.  I now know the differences.  Battery-powered, push-start, self-propelled.  No one’s trying to be a super hero here.  You’re already having to cut the grass, let’s make life a little easier, shall we?
2. Learn how to use it.  Make sure to read the instruction manual for putting equipment together and operating the mower, trimmer, and anything else you picked up.  You’ll be able to quickly fix things when a problem comes along.
3. Change up the pattern. There really is something to cutting patterns into your lawn!  If you cut your grass the same way every time, you create ruts in your lawn and the blades of grass will begin to lean one way.  Always start by cutting around the outside edge of the yard then work on mowing the lawn.  Working on the pattern will help make the time fly by!
4. Don’t cut it too short.  It can be very tempting to cut the grass really short, thinking that by cutting it short you won’t have to cut it as often.  But really you should only cut off 1/3 of the ideal height of the grass.  (So if your grass type is ideally 4″, but say your lawn is at 4.5″, you should cut the grass so that it is a little under 3″.)  Some grass needs the length and shade from other blades of grass to develop a healthy root system.  If you cut it too short, the grass has to focus on regrowth rather than developing roots.

The accessories

This is what you need so you’re not miserable while your cutting the grass:

1. Music you can move to. Make sure you have groovin’ music you can move to, not something that will have you dragging.  I always hit my steps while I’m cutting the grass.  Meghan Trainor, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry.  Because, girl power.
2. Dirty tennis shoes.  Cut the grass in your worst shoes, and leave them in the garage when you’re done! 
3. Garden gloves. Protect your hands while you cut the grass.  Your hands can really take a beating from working the lawn mower!
4. Protect your skin.  Especially in the summer, wear your sunscreen.  After a few hours outside, you won’t want to have to deal with a sun burn too!  If you’re prone to mosquito bites, don’t forget the bug spray!
5. Celebrate a job well-done! Because really…that’s a lot of work when all is said and done.  Play in the backyard with your kiddos, put the sprinklers on, enjoy a cocktail, grill out.  

I can’t be the only mom trying to find a little joy in cutting the grass!  Tell me, what helps you get through this chore at home?