If you have left the ground bare, something will grow on it.

You can try the smothering technique. Place cardboard or many layers of newspaper over the area and on top of that add an organic mulch like wood chips, grass clippings, shredded leaves etc.

The idea is that the vegetation underneath will be smothered/killed by the cardboard and the mulch will keep to a minimum any new weeds. You can plant right through this material.

So I should dig everything up and put newspaper down. How long will this take to kill the grass underneath? Should I do it now, while its still hot? Anyone have pictures of what this looks like when done? all these areas are in front of my house. What im picturing is not so pretty. although if it will get rid of the grass/weeds, I really dont care.

With the smothering method there is no need to dig anything up again. You might wish to mow the area if you have tall, stiff vegetation there now, but otherwise you just lay the cardboard over the top of the vegetation you want dead and then place mulch over that.

It isn't unattractive at all because it is covered with mulch so just looks like a mulched garden area.

How long it takes to kill the vegetation varies as the plants basically die from lack of sunlight and the heat trapped underneath the cardboard can accelerate their death. Generally figure 2-6 weeks for everything underneath to die. This doesn't mean you have to wait to plant though.

Just cut an opening in the cardboard to put in a plant and then cover well with mulch. The cardboard is never removed, it will decompose over time.

Have you mulched? A good thick layer of mulch really makes a huge difference against weeds and prettier than newspaper. Also you need some sort of border if you don't have it, In CA here burried boards seem to be the method of choice but I think that's because the grass isn't aggressive, in TX I used bricks and yanked any ones that made it past. A good barrier really does help.