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JULY 2024
How Summer Jobs Shaped My Career LESSONS FROM THE LAWN
My career got an early start on top of a riding lawn mower. I was only about 5 when my dad bought the mower that would kick-start the profession I’ve enjoyed for years now. While the yard work I did for my dad and neighbors as a kid is far behind me, those summers spent working taught me lessons that still guide me today.
decorative stone, it transforms an outdoor space right before your eyes. The same is true about mowing a lawn. I still love that immediate gratification you get after working on a yard. In many careers, you must wait to see the fruits of your labor.
Summer jobs can show us the value of hard work, how to communicate with others, and the importance of responsibility. As my son begins to take those early rides
Very early on in my life, I began to equate work with getting the results you want, and I think it’s a beneficial thing for young people to
develop and explore. It’s better to learn this principle sooner rather than later, so I feel grateful I could do this at such a young age. My son, Andrew, has taken many rides with me on the mower, and I want him to start taking on more tasks at Anthony’s Lawn Care soon. One of my goals is to get him at some of our job sites to pick up sticks. I want to help him pick out something he wants to save up for so he can learn firsthand how rewarding it can be to work toward a goal.
on the mower with me, I can’t help but reflect on all the great things I took away from my childhood jobs.
It all started with those rides on the mower with my dad. I enjoyed that for years. Then I started helping out with yard work, landscaping, and snow removal in the cold months for our house and neighbors when I was 7 or 8. I loved the job, and being part of this team was a big deal at my house.
Jobs like this were the only way for me to earn money as a kid because my parents didn’t just hook it up. They wanted me to have an opportunity to learn about hard work. So, I had chores and housework to do most of my childhood and quickly realized the law of cause and effect at an early age. If you put in good work, you get good results. And that means you have the potential to earn some money. I liked the feeling of getting paid after giving a task my all, and more than that, I felt a sense of great accomplishment in what I could achieve. When you work in landscaping, you actually get to see the results right away. When you trim back overgrown shrubs or install
While I didn’t realize right away that landscaping would be my career, those early experiences working for my dad helped shape the man I am today. Summer jobs or first jobs teach us the value of a dollar, how to manage our time, and that it feels really good to work hard. When you can do this at a young age, it doesn’t just give you spending money; it gives you an avenue to do good for others and use your talents to help people. I still feel the same sense of accomplishment when I see a yard transform, and yes, I still love riding that mower!
—Anthony Hilb
AnthonysLawnCare.com • AnthonysTreeRemoval.com • 812-345-5694
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From Swampy to Stunning
Get Trail- Ready
If prepared for the elements, you can enjoy hiking year-round. But if you embark on a trail in the extreme heat without the means to handle it, you place yourself on a perilous path. Heat, unlike cold, cannot be mitigated by simply bundling up. From maintaining proper hydration to donning the proper attire, here are three tips to ensure your summer hikes are safe and enjoyable! REMEMBER HYDRATION AND SUNSCREEN. Staying hydrated is key in any season, but it is especially vital when the summer heat beats down on you! Pack extra water for your hike and have water in your vehicle after you finish. If you are tired of lugging around extra water bottles, a hydration pack can help you carry extra H20 hands-free and take sips while on the move. To reduce the risk of painful sunburns, apply sunscreen to all exposed skin areas. Additionally, take a break every 40 minutes to reapply sunscreen as needed. AVOID HEAT EXHAUSTION. Heat exhaustion is the preamble to heat stroke, and its symptoms include headache, dizziness, muscle cramps, and copious amounts of sweating. If you experience these symptoms, seek out rest and shade immediately ; it’s a surefire sign you need to lower your body temperature. Once you stop sweating altogether, you should start worrying because that is a symptom of a life-threatening heat stroke! CHOOSE THE PROPER PATH AND ATTIRE. When hiking in the summer, it’s best to pick a path with ample shade. Alternatively, you can hike in darkness. Night hikes, illuminated by headlamps and flashlights, are a great way to escape the summer heat and experience the trail like never before. If you want attire that reduces your temperature and provides more protection, try wearing UPF-rated clothing to block harmful rays. Picking the right time, place, and attire can help ensure your summer hike is a scorching success! TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SUMMER HIKE
TRANSFORM YOUR YARD WITH PROPER DRAINAGE
Water is essential for a thriving garden or impressive front yard, but too much of a good thing could wash away all your landscaping plans. Standing water in your yard is bad for your lawn, encourages mosquitoes to gather, and can even damage your home. Ensuring proper drainage around your house is necessary for creating the landscape of your dreams and preserving it for years to come. By utilizing the correct techniques, you can address many common drainage dilemmas. BUILD UP LOW GROUND. Some areas of your yard with low or sunken spots may hold water and drain slowly. You can build up those points by adding organic material like topsoil so that it’s slightly higher than the rest of the soil around it. If the water continues to sit there, repeat the process several more times. Once you’ve built that spot up, you can sow new grass there. AERATE THE LAWN. If your lawn has had a lot of use and foot traffic, the dirt could be too tightly compacted to absorb water well. To help address this, you can use an aerator to make holes in the soil. The aerator will pull plugs of dirt from the ground, allowing water to reach the roots and prevent water from puddling in your lawn. This method is beneficial in areas like Indiana, which has high clay content in the soil. ADD DRAINAGE STRUCTURES. For DIYers, you can build several drainage structures to help alleviate standing water in your yard. You can create a rain garden by selecting moisture-loving plants that absorb and slow water down. To do this, you should excavate 2–3 feet of soil and build a berm and basin for overflow. Or you could create a dry creek bed, a shallow trench with stones or river rocks. These allow water to move through your yard without washing out soil and flow to a drainage area.
Anthony’s Lawn Care has the tools and expertise to improve your yard’s drainage. Call us today at 812-345-5694 for a free evaluation.
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AnthonysLawnCare.com • AnthonysTreeRemoval.com • 812-345-5694
FROM LAWNS TO LAYUPS
ANTHONY’S LAWN CARE ROOTS FOR YOUTH BASKETBALL EXCELLENCE
When we aren’t busy working with roots, we’re rooting for youth basketball in Bloomington! Here
This opportunity came our way when the city contacted us about becoming a sponsor. We believe in providing for the community that has given us so much. Many people in the area hire us to do landscaping at their homes, and one of our top goals is to take excellent care of customers. By supporting youth sports here in Bloomington, we aim to empower young people to pursue their passions and stay active and healthy. When youth participate in sports, they reap many long-term benefits, both mentally and physically, for themselves and their families. Youth sports also help build leadership skills, foster the importance of teamwork, and improve academic success. We hope the young athletes on our local youth basketball teams will bloom and pay it forward by being involved community members. As we look forward to another season of slam dunks and team spirit, Anthony’s Lawn Care remains dedicated to nurturing both our community’s landscapes and our future leaders. Seeing the positive impacts of our sponsorship for these young athletes fills us with pride and joy. Let’s keep growing a vibrant Bloomington, on and off the court! Go team!
at Anthony’s Lawn Care, we constantly seek out ways to
support the community and give back. With our passion for planting seeds and love of basketball,
partnering with a program that helps young people grow and thrive seemed like the perfect match.
For three years, we have been a proud Slam Dunk sponsor of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department’s youth
basketball league. This program teaches children from kindergarten to middle school with basketball fundamentals and opportunities to play the sport. These teams work hard, hustling in weekly practices and games throughout their season, comprising seven games in total.
CHECK IT OUT! We also offer junk hauling!
Take A Break
ALIEN BALLPARK CHERRY FIRECRACKER FLAG INDEPENDENCE ORCHID PADDLEBOARD PATRIOTIC SUNDAE SUNSCREEN TRAMPOLINE
Call for More Information!
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AnthonysLawnCare.com • AnthonysTreeRemoval.com • 812-345-5694
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812-345-5694 AnthonysLawnCare.com AnthonysTreeRemoval.com
PO Box 5427 · Bloomington, IN 47407 What’s Inside? 1 The Value of Hard Work Learned Early 2
Your Guide to Preparing for Summer Hikes Banish Standing Water From Your Lawn 3
Our Slam Dunk Sponsorship Is Nothing But Net! Take a Break 4 Tips for a Stress-Free Backyard Barbecue
Grill and Chill
Host a Summer Barbecue for Everyone
Enjoying your own party can be more complicated than it sounds. Backyard barbecues are a high point of summer, but hosting one you enjoy with your guests requires planning. “If swimming is on the agenda, consider protecting new or light-colored indoor furniture with water-resistant covers so guests in wet swimsuits can sit wherever they want without stressing out their host,” says Calla Quinn, a TikTok influencer who recently posted tips on hosting up to 50 friends at your home. Another tip she shares is using of portable misting fans in dry climates. These devices create a fine mist to refresh passersby in seconds, and they are especially popular on patios and decks. If attendees offer to bring something, don’t hesitate to accept, and be specific about what you want — from lawn chairs to beach towels.
Martha Stewart recommends having a stain remover on hand to manage stains and cloth towels that guests can use to wipe up spills.
A stylish yet simple way to serve hors d’oeuvres and side dishes to complement your grilled entree is to assemble or have catered a charcuterie board.
These feature finger foods such as meats, cheeses, olives, spreads, fruits, nuts, chips, and crackers. A fully stocked charcuterie board adds a decorative touch while keeping guests well-fed for hours, adding what Quinn calls “a real wow factor.”
Expert hosts also recommend a self-serve bar for casual summer
gatherings. Consider filling several 3-gallon drink dispensers with popular options. Depending on your guest list, you might offer family fare such as lemonade,
And to make sure your day ends well, look for disposable, compostable bamboo or wooden dishes. Searching for “eco-friendly tableware and cutlery” should turn up some good options. This one last detail can go a long way toward supporting sustainable living while ensuring you don’t spend any valuable party time cleaning up broken glass or washing dishes.
iced tea, ice water, or premixed cocktails like strawberry vodka lemonade or passion fruit margaritas. Martha Stewart suggests allowing amateur mixologists to concoct their own beverages by setting out bottled juices, artisanal sodas, and kombucha.
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AnthonysLawnCare.com • AnthonysTreeRemoval.com • 812-345-5694
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