Weekend Update {8.9.21} ⋆ Growing Up Kemper

I cannot believe that it’s already August 9th and NEXT WEEK my oldest will be heading to kindergarten. It’s been a busy week soaking up the last days of summer, getting prepared for school to start, and getting a few projects done around the Kemper house. Here’s what we’ve been up to this weekend!

I shared my newest home remodel project this past week (linked below!), and I’ve been busy cleaning and clearing out our garage all weekend. Before I can even get my head wrapped around the final organization details, I need to know just what we need to organize in the first place. I can’t know how to properly hang pieces, reorder shelves, or store toys until I can actually find those spaces among the chaos.

My New Month, New Project post showed great progress in the clean out phase, but we hit a major milestone this weekend…Jerod and I can BOTH park our cars in the garage. This is the very first time we’ve ever been able to do that since we moved in fall of 2017. That’s a long time to park outside for Jerod. A lot of cold mornings and steaming hot summer afternoons. But with a little work, a couple of incredible, budget-friendly cabinets, and plenty of trips to the donation center, and we’ve got both vehicles fitting in the garage!

Wow, I am so ready for this to look better!

This week, we are really hitting our goals before we head off to the lake on Thursday. I’m going to start to scrape the ceilings and maybe even be able to fix the drywall pieces that have been damaged or removed over the years.

This weekend was one for the ages. One word: GARTH. I got to go and see Garth Brooks at Arrowhead and sing my heart out, lose my voice, and have one of the greatest nights of my life. That man is not only one of the most exciting performers, but I’ve never sang along with someone with so much heart. He feels everything, he sees us all, and he genuinely appreciates each one of his fans.

And he talked to God. Multiple times during his performance, he looked straight to the heavens and he spoke to God. In a time of unrest, having someone we admire and look up to was standing there talking to God. No fear of judgement, no worries about opinions. He just stood there was thanking God for all of his blessings. My heart was fuller, my mind clearer, and I had just the time of my life.

So while we were singing every song in that 3-hour concert along with Garth, Tricia Yearwood, and Martina McBride, my sweet babes spent the night with my in-laws. Having a night away with my husband and having such a great time doing so, it makes me so refreshed to wrangle those little loves the next day. I couldn’t wait for them to get back on Sunday! By Thursday, I’ll be ready to pull out my hair. But Sunday, we had some fun!

This picture makes me giggle so hard! 🙂

And I finally got a project checked off my list that I’ve been meaning to do for so long now. Years ago, I started doing Large DIY Engineered Prints of my kids and hanging them in the front room under our This is Us sign (linked in post). But now years have gone by and I needed to update those pictures. Mya is no longer a 6 month old and somehow those boys have aged, as well. Time is a thief, guys. It’s a real thief.

So I snapped a few pictures of the kids against a blank wall, lightened them with the Lightroom app on my phone using a black and white filter and then toying with the exposure and contrast until I got it just right. I upload them on Staples.com as a blueprint in a 18″ x 24″ size, and it will be delivered to my house in a week!

Those are the projects I love, the weekends I live for, and the little faces that make my heart whole.

Hope your weekend made you a little happier and feel a little more calm!

If you missed last week’s blog post, I shared my newest home remodel project, as well as introduced the newest Monday post: Weekend Update. I’m excited to share all sorts of fun ideas this upcoming week!

Weekend Update

New Month, New Project: Garage Remodel

The following are the most visited pages and top sellers this past week across all my channels. Each is linked at the number below the images.

Top 5 Sellers This Week:

Click on each picture to be taken directly or click on the following numbers: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

Some of the great sales that hit this weekend that you can still score deals on your Monday!

AMAZON: I love the Daily Deals section that you can score products for amazing prices. My #2 Best Seller last week, the wooden beads, are marked down 41% today for only $9.99!

ANTHROPOLOGIE: They’re holding their 30% Throws and Blanket Sale – score this highly rated Faux Fur Blanket in so many great fall colors.

BALLARD DESIGNS: It’s 20% off sitewide, even some of their new fall collection!

GAP: Up to 50% off their back to school styles, meaning you can score major deals for your little ones and teens! I have never found a pair of jeans that fit better on my boys than Gap jeans. Plus, all their uniforms are on sale.

KIRKLAND’S: 20% off one Regular Priced Item with code SUMMER + Up to 50% off Wall Art. I love this Acrylic Wall Calendar to get you ready for the upcoming school year and this fun Bat and Moon Halloween Plaque for the upcoming holiday!

LOFT: It’s Loft’s biggest sale of the season – 60% off most styles + teachers get an additional 15% off! I get so many compliments on these jeans that I’ve worn all season and can’t wait to transition them into fall with some cute booties.

OLD NAVY: Up to 50% off kid’s styles – I’m a huge fan of Old Navy kid’s shorts because they have the built in cinching waist buttons on their shorts. A huge win for those skinny waists! If you’re looking for yourself, I am in love with this new Hooded Sweatshirt Shift Dress! What a great piece to wear with a pair of white sneakers and a jean jacket. The perfect cute outfit!

POTTERY BARN: Check out Pottery Barn’s sale items for almost 70% off some favorites. If you’re looking for personalized Christmas stockings, they’re on sale for $18.99 right now and you won’t run into backorders in the coming months!

SERENA & LILY: The Summer Tent Sale is in full force which means plenty of bedding, towels, and pillows are majorly marked down. I’ve been eyeing this Cavallo Blue Tile Duvet which is now marked down to $170 (from $428) for their king!

TARGET: There are plenty of school supplies, dorm, and storage deals happening now, as well as $10 off $40 spent on children’s clothing. Not on sale quite yet, but I’m excited to share all my favorite Hearth and Hand fall pieces that were released today! Check back tomorrow for all my favorites online now!

WORLD MARKET: Outdoor pieces are starting to be marked down up to 40% off online right now – making these Natural Eucalyptus Zaragoza Chairs (set of 2!) on sale for $129!

Let’s be friends on all my social media channels!

Instagram // Pinterest

Have a great week, everyone!