Back to School Tradition: Grown Up Girl Bonding Day

For the 5th year, Bug and I celebrated the pending start of school with our "Grown Up Girl Bonding Day." We started the tradition way back before she entered preschool and it is one of our favorite days all year long.

We spend the day doing whatever Bug wants, over the years, we've gone to build-a-bear, done some shopping, worked on projects, gone to movies... but there are a couple of things we always do, get our nails done and eat lunch at Noodles and Company.

Here is what we did today...

First up - Nails.

Next, lunch at Noodles & Company, if you have a Noodles & Company near you and have never been, don't go - it is addicting. If you don't have one, be grateful - it is addicting, especially for a Carbavore like myself. (Note the cheese on Bug's chin... seriously, the stuff rules.)

Next, a little creativity, but Bug did not fall far from the tree, she requested paint your own pottery this year. I'll be sure post pictures of our projects when I pick them up.

Then off for just a bit of shopping, she'd been really wanting a pair of boots that she saw a couple of weeks ago. I surprised her by saying we could go pick them up.

How could I say no to a trip to Cold Stone Creamery???

And while all this was going on, the boys were having their very own Boys Day Out. So Bug decided we should get home and bake them chocolate chip cookies.

The cookies were followed by a tummy ache. Yikes, bad mommy moment. But she recovered in time to decorate her very first binder. Just the plain pink wouldn't do...

So we grabbed the scrapbook paper and went to town.

And that was our day today. I can't believe my little bug starts 1st grade tomorrow.