This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot. Thoughts are 100% my own.

I am building a Pergola!  Yes…Me!  I couldn’t be more excited about it.  Earlier I shared my planning process so if you missed that, hop over and catch up!

Now that I have everything planned, I get to go shopping and make sure everything is prepped!  
You can also print off my pergola shopping list below!

I told you in my last post that my shopping trip included hugging, eye rolling and total freaking out. Let me paint a little picture for you about my shopping experience at The Home Depot. {Don’t worry…read on…}

Prelude:  My husband has been out of town forever…{yes forever}, so that reads: I am tired and haven’t thought in peace for about forever {yes forever}. My dad agrees to meet me at The Home Depot on a Saturday morning to help corral the kids while I shop and to help me get everything I need and load it in the truck with me.  {greatly appreciated}

Just remember how cute their faces are as you read below :)

We get to The Home Depot…on a Saturday morning and it’s buzzing with fellow DIY’ers ready to tackle their projects.  There are orange carts and flatbeds flying around in a busy scurry. You can hear the beeping of the fork lifts and cherry pickers.  I lectured my kids the whole 10 minutes it took me to drive there.  “Stay by me. No running around. Sit on the cart quietly.  Don’t ask 1000 questions, Don’t touch anything, Sit quietly.  Follow directions.  FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS PURE SIT QUIETLY. Just let Mommy get what she needs for her pergola and let me actually “think” in peace!”  They were good and sat on the cart for about 2.7 minutes.

My dad heads with the kids to the lumber section and I head over to the concrete section and I grab four bags of concrete and load them on my cart. {notice how I say “grab 4 bags” like it was nothing – those things weigh more than me!}

Then I hear it…the ABC’s.  Being sung loudly.  Extremely loud.

“That can’t be what I am hearing?” I think to myself.  Then I know.  I know. for sure. it’s EXACTLY what I am hearing because now the English version is over and it is now being amplified in Spanish “a, be, ce, che, de, e, effe…..”  So I put on the big guns and push my concrete loaded cart hastily {well as hastily as you can push concrete} over to the lumber section.  The singing is getting louder.  I turn the corner to the aisle and I see my youngest standing in the middle of the aisle singing yelling the ABC’s at the top of his lungs.    Apparently he enjoyed the acoustics of The Home Depot and felt this was the appropriate time to warm up his vocal chords!  I’m making my way up the aisle at lighting speed and I realize that he’s not the only one singing…the rock star Home Depot guy is singing with him!  Not even kidding!  They were drawing a crowd.

It was then I realized that this trip was pure awesomesauce!  I didn’t have to worry, I didn’t have to panic, I could just let my kids be themselves while I shopped.  They finished their duet and then did the appropriate male congratulatory gesture of knuckle bumps and high fives and my son went back to being kind of quiet, assuming his spot on the cart and the young worker kept on to wherever he was going in the first place!  Thank you awesome Home Depot employee!

In the mean time, my dad and another Home Depot associate, Vance, were busy digging out 4×4’s from the racks.  It’s really important to get straight boards that are not cracked, bowed, or have too many imperfections since these will be holding up my beautiful pergola.  If you put on end on the ground and the other up to your eye you can look down the board to see if it’s straight {my kids started singing again by now!}

Say hi to my Dad!

While he picked out the perfect 4×4’s I headed next aisle over to get the 2x6x10’s that we were using for the cross beams.  I had a really nice guy named Steve help me.  We had to dig through a pile of boards and he helped me find 14 perfect boards!  He also didn’t care how picky I was.  He simply put it back and helped me dig out another one.

Did you know you can also get your boards cut right at The Home Depot?  Sure can!  Here Steve is finishing up a few cuts for another customer!  I love that, it helps out those who don’t have saws at home and need boards cut!

When all the lumber was loaded on the cart, we were going to check out.  My kids hop on my concrete cart and I am struggling to push it and then Vance (the associate helping my dad with the 4 x 4’s) says the most beautiful words that have ever been spoken to me in a Home Depot.  Are you ready for them?  “Did you know we have these post stakes? So you don’t have to dig holes and pour concrete?”

“What?!? You be crazy” I think was my reply and he shook his head and took me over to where they were located.  Low and behold were these beautiful gray painted glorious stakes that would make my life complete!.

OK maybe a little of an exaggeration but at that moment I heard angels singing.  And then I hugged tackled  him.  Well it was more like a shrieking teen meeting Justin Beiber.  I think I may have even told him I loved him.  {Sorry for freaking you out Vance…and invading your personal space!}  My dad is totally rolling his eyes at me by this point.

Say hi to Vance!

You just read how much I crabbed about the concrete in bags…can you imagine how much I’d crab when I had to dig holes and set concrete???  I mean I’d totally do it for my beloved pergola but I would have totally crabbed about it the whole time.  I’m honest.  THANKS VANCE.  He even put my concrete back for me after I clung for life to the stakes!

So I have to give my shopping trip a triple million thumbs up.  Everyone was so nice. The cashier was efficient, the workers were ROCK STARS and Vance may have just made the cut to be included in my will!

Now that I have all my supplies purchased, I am going to take some time to prep.  I want build day to go as smooth as possible so I am going to make sure I have all the supplies we need gathered in one place and accessible.  I want to make sure all power tool batteries are charged, extension cords are found and we have a good area to work that is clear of extra clutter (like our patio set!)  Get the area clear and ready to rock!

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Tools that we will need to complete the weekend Pergola Project include:

• Circular Saw
• Compound Sliding Miter Saw
• Power Drill
• Jigsaw
• Power Sander
• Nail Gun
• Level(s)  Flat Level and a post level
• Square
• Tape Measure
• Marking Pen
• Ladders at least 2
• Stain (I prefer water seal)
• Paintbrushes/old rags for stain
• Eye Protection
• Hearing Protection
• Sunscreen

Click Here for a printer friendly version of my full supply list!

Tip:  This corner/post level was clutch during our build.  My dad brought it over…totally worth picking one up if you don’t have one!

If you have helpers coming over, it’s also nice to have water chilling in a cooler and some sandwiches for lunch! :)

Stay tuned…next post we will #DigIn and BUILD!  I am so excited to see it taking shape since it has been on my wish list for so long!  Stay tuned, you won’t want to miss it!  Be sure to sign up for The Home Depot’s Garden Club.  Great Savings and a helpful community to get your yard looking amazing!

Pin this post so you will have it handy when you are ready to build one of these beauties in your backyard!

Just to reiterate how awesome The Home Depot is…my kids just asked me when we can go back!  They despise shopping so that is like the best compliment ever!   You can get in touch with The Home Depot at any of the outlets below!

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YOU CAN FIND ALL MY PERGOLA POSTS HERE INCLUDING BUILDING AND THE FINAL PROJECT 

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.

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