American Girl Place

This past Tuesday my mom, sister, and I took my niece to the American Girl Place in Chicago to celebrate her 7th birthday.  The weather was beautiful, the store was filled with little girls and their dolls, and we had a great time.  We explored all three floors - filled with various dolls, furniture, clothes, and accessories, and Amanda chose birthday gifts from my mom and me.  Her doll, Kirsten, had a busy afternoon also.  We dropped her off at the Doll Hair Salon to get her hair done and a facial (cleaning any dirt and smudges off).  There were quite a few dolls in line, so it took quite a while.  The highlight of our day was having afternoon tea in the cafe.  Everything was very elegant and we enjoyed little sandwiches and scones with pink lemonade and tea.  In addition to the dessert tartlets,  Amanda received a heart-shaped birthday cupcake with a candle and we sang "Happy Birthday" to her.  It was a great "Girls Day" birthday celebration!

Taste of Chicago

My sister and I took her two youngest kids downtown Chicago this past Monday for the "Taste of Chicago" festival. The kids made souvenirs and got their faces painted and we all sampled different foods. We heard a Broadway concert and ended the evening with a ride on the ferris wheel. The weather was perfect - what a wonderful way to spend a summer day!