Keep the yard loose the grass.

[badmomma]

Simple idea for curb appeal. I recently got to looking at my
yard and realized that we have to much grass. I love it but
it takes a long time to mow.
You can take areas of your yard and use ground cover to
eliminate the grass. It not only does that but it adds color
and character to the yard.
There are many options you can go with flowers that spread
or maybe even a moss for cover. There is also ivy or perhaps
even an area that is covered in stone with a few strategically
placed plants.

[missmanors]

If you have that much yard, you might consider looking at your yard the way you look at the inside of your home, and make 'rooms'. Start simply by just perhaps adding a bench to a corner of the yard, and 'decorating' the area with a few plants. If time and money permits, add a trellis or archway behind the bench and plant a couple of climbing plants there.

As time goes on, just adding a few things per year will have your yard a showpiece. You can have fountains, and other water features, and different focal points for each 'room'.