6 things to do with your girlfriends before summer ends!

Summer is coming to a bittersweet end and I have to tell you that it's been a great one. My family and I experienced and did so much this year. Slightly exhausting but definitely more exhilarating as blogging has afforded us some really great experiences that will forever be a part of our memory book.

Having that said, I am sharing SIX fantastic things to do with your girlfriends before the Labor Day flags wave. Yes, there's still time!

One - Go check out the musical Aladdin with your littles! The girls and I teamed up with Helen and her eldest daughter for a fancy girls' night complete with juice for the nuggets and prosecco for the mommas. It was a fantastic opportunity to get dressed up and experience city life mommy/daughter style. The girls were mesmerized and us moms truly enjoyed the show as well.

Olivia wants to go back again so we're searching for Wicked tickets for our next adventure come the holidays!

Two - Kick it old school style with a backyard BBQ and a rowdy round of drinking games. Our dearest friends are often the ones we've known the longest and my husband's crew are some of the most amazing humans I know. They are a "YES" to everything and all around solid people. I cherish all of our outings but nothing beats a casual BBQ with friends. We cooked the food and they brought the cocktails. 

No one remembers the end but hey...parents deserve a break, too and everything leading up to the flippy cup tournament was an utter blast!

Three - Paint the town red, white and blue! There's nothing like a town parade and we've got one of the cutest. Merging my city friends and my suburban friends proved to be one of my favorite days this summer because we spent it laughing and catching up with our babes in tow. Fourth of July always proves to be a long day but dang it, it's FREE. We start with a morning parade and gobs of candy followed up with more BBQ action and gorgeous fireworks at night. 

The kids are exhausted, we're exhausted but nothing beats a local holiday. Pairs well with rosé, too!

Four - Get out outta dodge with your girls! Everyone deserves a break and this year we were presented with a girls' only trip to Guadalajara. Nothing short of amazing but if you missed it...here are the posts! More bonding moments than I could count and more laughs than my stomach could handle. Pair that with a colorful culture and some truly unbelievable sites and you'll be planning your next trip on the flight home. I guarantee.

Five - You're not too old for Lolla! It's been years since I've returned but this year my friend, Jen invited me along on Sunday and it was a trip. Joined by our other friend, Jen, we people watched, ate, sipped wine and enjoyed the fantastic weather. Sure, I felt slightly older than past years but I have to tell you that summer in Chicago is the bee's knees. Add gorgeous weather and a denim jacket and you've got yourself THE most perfect night! Special thanks to Uber for getting me home safely!

Six - Somewhat of a last hurrah was last Friday's Pool Party hosted by Jen at the W Lakeshore #WetDeck. Spa treatments, more rosé, <sensing a trend here?> some delicious bites and some pretty lively banter and what you have there is the recipe for a tremendous Summer Friday. Probably my first and last of the season but definitely couldn't have come at a better time. 

Special thanks to Helen for these snaps -- click the carousel to see more!

There you have it - 2017's Greatest Hits. Of course, there was so much more but I thought I would share a few snippets as moms need in on the fun, too. 

Did you master your Summer Bucket List? What did I miss?

Check out today's link ups: Pink Sole, Musings of a Housewife, Fashionista Momma, More Pieces of Me, The Foley Fam, Watch Out for the Woetsmans Fizz and Frosting, Style Elixir, I Do deClaire, Garay Treasures, The Mummy Chronicles, The Pleated Poppy, Tucker Up, Get Your Pretty On, Shopping My Closet Mix & Match Fashion, Penniless Socialite, Sincerely Jenna Marie, Living in Color!