I got a roomba for christmas, one of the higher end models with upgraded mapping/navigation. The concept is great and it works well enough to justify (imo) the $700 price tag, but it doesn't work well. It fails more often (clogs, stuck, doesn't find its way back) than it works as intended from start to finish. Still beats regular vacuuming myself so I'm keeping it but the idea of putting lawnmower blades on that thing is just scary. That said, mowing the lawn is a chore. I do it myself, generally once a week(ish) when the lawns are growing well, less when the climate is less favorable. I'd prefer a landscaping company do my yard, but finding/hiring one that does a good job at a reasonable price and is reliable has just been too much of a challenge to bother with. I currently have a self propelled Honda mower, I got it because it was supposedly "the best" per the collective wisdom on the internet and it is pretty good, does a much better job with leaves and such than any other mower I've had. Lawn products are something I would only investigate purchasing on an as needed basis, like when stuff breaks and needs to be replaced. Hypothetically, if there was a self mowing product that worked well, could navigate the hill I have in my front yard, and could be trusted to not kill people I'd buy it in a heartbeat at $700 or even double that.

A lot of people probably think “oh that’s in China”. It could easily happen anywhere. It is very scary. They have cameras everywhere and are able to recognize people on the street within an 80-90% accuracy. They can use this to keep people from being able to fly, buy a house and many other things. And where does the line get drawn as what those in charge deem as “bad behavior”. I’m sure there are people here that think it couldn’t happen here or it would be a long ways away. Technology is everywhere and it’s increasing. There are cell towers popping up everywhere, we have smart phones and cars that have gps that can track where we are. Even our appliances are becoming “smart”. Refrigerators, thermostats, electricity meters on our homes, speakers, radios, personal assistants (Alexa). I’ve even seen a cat box and an instant pot with WiFi. They are working on rolling out 5g internet. There just isn’t much info on the effects of all of this on humans. I know it may sound paranoid and I don’t mean for it to. I’m just saying we just need to pay attention to things going on around us. We’re all so busy. One day we may look up and wonder how things have changed so much and how we didn’t notice. I just wanted to bring this up to see your thoughts on it to have a civil conversation.

Much of your distraction likely stems from your passion and excitement for design! While a burden, it is also a positive thing. In the design world, typically the best place to start is finding inspiration. This can be a tough thing to force, but for school, it's a necessity in efforts to meet assignment deadlines. After finding inspiration through magazines and online resources- Pinterest can be a great resource for this- determine a concept for your design and stick to it. Keep reminding yourself of the design concept as you make your selections. Doing so will put necessary limits on some of your distractions. When you find yourself getting distracted, give your self a break and take a quick walk. Take LOTS of these mini-breaks. It helps refresh and refocus your mind. For this assignment specifically, focus on the knowns -there aren't many- before trying to determine the unknowns. A web search for " modern color schemes" or "modern design" will help ignite the process. Given this color selection is for a young family, consider low maintenance colors and finishes, some relating to an inspiring yet calming environments, and those that are good for resale value. Best of luck to you!

Just a couple photos. I don't want to photobomb your thread. :-) I have many photos of my others, but I'll stop here. Give them a try! I find them happy and easy to grow in my garden and I really don't do anything other than water them and a little chicken manure in early spring--just a little. That's either a best thing for your plants, or you just killed them all substance ime. We have long hard winters here. Just mentioning in case that matters. I really don't know. I'm enjoying all the gorgeous photos everyone! Gives a fatigued heart something to smile over.