After a week filled with heartbreaking news headlines (I'm sure you've seen them all), we decided to take a break from screens this weekend. Last night, we headed to Charlotte for dinner, so we could celebrate my birthday and my mom's birthday. We had a lovely meal at Maggiano's Little Italy- one of our favorite family restaurants. It's attached to one of the higher-end malls in our area, and our daughters know that the American Girl store is there.

Sadly, our Charlotte American Girl store is closing in a couple of weeks. S has been rather upset about the store closing and hoped we would be able to visit just one more time. While it wasn't in our plans to turn around and go back to Charlotte on Saturday, Sacha agreed to the girls' request. Before I knew it, we were back on the Interstate, headed back to the mall, where we had just dined fourteen hours earlier.

We're long-time fans of American Girl. I still have my original Kirsten AG doll from my childhood. She was one of the first five dolls ever released. Now, American Girls has so many dolls, even customizable ones! S has five AG dolls, accessories, and books, and loves the store for the interactive shopping experience. She even got to have her birthday party at the AG store last year, which I'm glad we did, considering the store is now closing.

C has her own Bitty Baby doll, and her daddy bought her her very first Wellie Wisher doll during our Saturday store visit. I'm not completely sure what came over him, but he was very generous in allowing the girls to choose clothing, accessories, and a new doll. It helped that the store was having a 30% off sale. If you can get to the Charlotte AG store before it closes in mid-February, it's worth the trip. The store was mobbed, so just prepare yourself for crowds. There were lots of little girls dressed up to get their last Charlotte AG store experience, and the Doll Salon was packed! It's still a great opportunity to save on AG products, though, especially if you're shopping for birthdays or shopping for the holidays.

It was sad, even for me, to walk out of the store one last time. I remember the first time we took S to the AG store when she turned five. She got to pick out her own doll for her birthday, and she absolutely loved wandering the store. I was pregnant with C at the time, and it was such a special experience for us. As sad as it is for our local store to close, it's not a forever goodbye, but rather a see you soon, as we'll have to travel to ATL or NYC for our next in-store AG experience. NYC, here we come!