What's Up Wednesday ⋆ Growing Up Kemper

Last Wednesday of the month? It means it’s time to team up with Shay, Mel, and Sheaffer to do a What’s Up Wednesday! Excited to talk life lately, exciting finds, and so much fun that I have in store!

What We’re Eating this Week

Summer can be so tricky to make dinners with busy schedules, events, and hotter than h-e-double hockey sticks days here in KC. We do a ton of BBQ here, but I still like to slip in a light summer pasta every once in awhile. I found this awesome Lemon Garlic Chive Angel Hair pasta at our local Overland Park farmer’s market, but the possibility is there to make regular angel hair and add lemon, garlic, and chives to get the same flavor. The recipe that I made with it is KILLER and is the perfect way to add a little meatless pasta dish into your summer recipe box.

Lemon Chive Pasta with Asparagus

12 oz Lemon Garlic Chive Pasta

1 lb. Asparagus

4 Tablespoons butter

3 Green Onions, finely chopped

4 basil leaves, finely chopped

2/3 cup half and half

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Boil 6 cups of water in a large pot. Add in asparagus and boil until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove asparagus from water, keeping the cooking water. Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add in the green onions and basil, cooking for about 4 minutes. Stir in half and half and asparagus and heat gently, not allowing the contents to boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring asparagus water back to a boil. Add in lemon chive pasta and cook for about 8 minutes. Drain and add into the sauce in the skillet. Stir together and heat for a few minutes to allow all ingredients to marinate together.

Stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve immediately.

What I’m Loving AND What We’ve Been Up To

I just had to add these two together because what I’m loving is all that we’ve been up to this summer! I saw this quote recently and to say it hasn’t entered my mind each and every morning would be a lie.

The days are long guys, but the years are so darn fast. Relish the crazy and soak in these babies because it’ll be gone before we know it!

So here are some of our favorite things we’ve been doing and I’ve been loving!!

Soccer Saturday’s

Anything trains these boys can get their hands on….and did you catch them playing together? You bet I did!!

Those park dates on REPEAT!

Trying our very best to keep something of a garden going through the desert environment we suddenly live in.

This was just too cute not to add in here somewhere, right?! 🙂

And catching playdates with all our friends before back to school creeps in.

What I’m Dreading

This week is always such a hard one for our family. The last week in July has 3 dates that hit me like a ton of bricks and just paralyze me suddenly and unexpectedly through the days. July 23rd would have been my dad’s 61st birthday, but he passed in August of 2012 from cancer. July 25th marks five years since my mom passed away, and July 29th would have been my mom’s 65th birthday.

Never an easy week, but one that makes me hug my babies a little tighter and appreciate all the love and all the good that I have around me. I miss my parents more now than I did then, but I’m so strong in my faith that they are always still with me and I can see so much of them in my boys. God made sure some of their amazing qualities got passed along so they are still very clearly right alongside me.

5 Things I Learned from My Mom

What I’m Working On

Since the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is still chugging right along, I’ve been working to find a new round of #NSale Dupes. These are spot-on, and less expensive, versions of some of the favorites (and typically the pieces that are SOLD OUT!) from the Nordstrom Sale. I did a post last week of #NSale Dupes and even added an extra one in there as I found more deals.

Can you even tell which one is NSale and which one isn’t?!

Tomorrow I’ll post a new round of awesome dupes that will make it look like you spent your life savings at the Anniversary Sale…for way less money! 🙂

What I’m Watching/Reading

I talk about the Braverman family like they are my next door neighbors. I toss around the crazy idea of having four kids because of this show and I am convinced that I can and will be Camille as a grandmother. This show has my heart and I wouldn’t have it any other way! 🙂

What I’m Listening To

Quiet. 🙂 In just a few weeks we are going to be starting our whole main level remodel so I’m going to soak up those quiet moments when I can get them before it’s all hammers and seventeen guys in my house! Check our our Fixer Upper Home Tour to see what we are starting with.

If you’re someone who is in the market for a sweet little fixer upper yourself, I just shared my advice on how to pick the right one and if the decision is really your cup of tea.

I’ll be sharing some of my inspirations and design plans soon!!

What I’m Wearing

Ohhh sweet #NSale. I was so excited, found some adorable pieces, picked my favorites, purchased maybe a little too much, and now I’m fully prepared for fall to come. 🙂 Not the easiest thing when you get booties, cardigans, and slouchy sweaters when it’s still 90 degrees outside. Can you give me just a little taste of fall, please? My wardrobe is ready!!

The Nordstrom Sale continues on until August 5th so you have plenty of time to shop! Here are some of my favorite picks Under $50 and Under $100. From those picks, I found my very favorites were their athleisure pieces on sale, because I’m a stay at home mom who lives on the floor, sooo….leggings for days. 🙂

These Zella leggings are so cute and different from your typical black or gray leggings, and the Zella jacket is so soft, so sturdy, and just BEAUTIFUL! This collar on the jacket may possibly be my favorite from the sale!!

The leggings here are super comfy, the Adidas tank is such a cute classic (and it’s loose so such an easy, breezy trendy tank to wear), but this wrap sweater is SUPER soft! Perfect to throw over your workout tank during the chilly months or to curl up in the chair in and read instead of worrying about that “getting sweaty” stuff. 🙂

What I’m Doing this Weekend

Two of my girlfriends and I are heading up a huge School Supply Drive for students in the Kansas City, MO public school system. We are prepping for about 450-500 students to come through after this weekend and collect everything from backpacks to pink erasers, Lightning McQueen pocket folders to Moana notebooks. We’ve worked for months getting ready for this weekend and I am one part stressed and one part giddy to see all the families that we are helping to get ready for such a special time of year.

What I’m Looking Forward to Next Month

DEMO DAY!!!! It’s coming guys and I just can’t wait!! If you’re looking to sneak a peek at any of my inspiration ideas, check out my Pinterest boards and you’ll quickly understand what this little fixer upper is going to look like in four months! www.pinterest.com/growingupkemper