P&G Back-to-School Boston Event for Moms – one perfectly happy day!

Boston P&G Back-to-School Event…

I may be a Grandma of 10, going on 11, but even Grandmas get caught up in the extraordinary excitement of kids going Back-to-school.  There is something in the late summer air that spells S-C-H-O-O-L.  It’s new shoes and backpacks (filled with new notebooks, pencils, crayons, etc.) and haircuts and class assignments and that special first-day-of-school outfit. It’s those innocently beautiful questions of Kindergartners and the oh-so-casual questions of high-schoolers.  It’s car pool and bus schedules to finalize; and serious food shopping for favorite lunches and snacks.  And it’s settling on new bedtime schedules and rules that flew out the windows on warm, lazy summer mornings.

Hey, wait!  Back-to-School’s a lot of work for Moms and Dads!

I remember these days long-ago. I remember them from the perspective of both Mom and teacher; getting my kids all ready for the big day AND getting my classroom ready for my high school English classes… wanting everything at home and at school to be perfect.  Perfect is a tough assignment, but perfect is what we as parents and teachers strive to achieve, knowing that FIRST DAYS set the tone for lots of days to come…

– Here’s a photo of (l-r) Audrey and Jane... first day of school, 2nd grade and Kindergarten, 1985 – Audrey is now a Mama of 5 (4 boys, ages 5, 6, 7, 8 and a new baby girl) and Jane is expecting her first baby in February!

But perfect can be harrying, too; and when given a bit of time to stop and think, Moms’ hearts fill with all the little first-day things… like all the little fears for our kids and our feelings of watching our kids growing up.  Independence vs. Dependence.  Happy and maybe a teeny bit melancholy.  This is when we need other Moms the most.  This is when we sit on the stoop (well, maybe a long time ago!), make a phone call to a good friend or get in on a chat to share, to laugh, to exchange stories of Mama wisdom and experience.

This is when we need a perfectly happy day of pedicure pampering!  Step in P&G’s Back-to-School Event on Boston’s Newbury Street at Mini Luxe.  I was lucky enough to come along for the ride with my daughter Audrey, the event’s host, and my new baby granddaughter Victoria…

As Audrey says of the day: “It was PERFECTION. And then… on top of that, to find out that I would get to see some of my favorite blogging friends, it was even better! It was a perfect work assignment… hands down! I just loved being able to spend an hour with my fellow bloggers, getting pampered and talking about Back-to-School time for all of us. The beauty of sharing with other moms is that we ALL get it. When it comes to preparing for BTS time, it was pretty amazing to see that none of us take time for ourselves. We’re all so geared and amped up for our kids that we just forget to take the time to allow a little “down time” for us. It was an eye opener… and lots of us made Back-to-School resolutions for ourselves that we WOULD change that!

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Just take a peek at these perfectly happy smiles!

It’s the little things in life that often make the B-I-G things so much easier.  It’s old friends and new friends and blogging friends and friends-in-the-same-boat sharing, laughing, tossing out wisdom and experience and empathy for the Mama who’s sending off her baby to Kindergarten… or the Grandma (that would be me!) who’s been there, done that, but still gets goose bumps and heart flutters when seeing the grandkids head Back-to-School!

It’s a bit of down time, as Audrey puts it… to breathe, relax, take it all in, refresh, rejuvenate and to feel the beauty  of the moment and the camaraderie of those who are living it, too.

It’s taking special time to understand how special these moments, and these next days and these next adventures are to your kids, too.

Thank you, P&G, for one perfectly happy day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Audrey

Audrey McClelland has been a digital influencer since 2005. She’s a mom of 5 and shares tips on her three favorite things: parenting, fashion and beauty. She’s also a Contemporary Romance Author.

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3 Comments

  1. 8.20.13
    Karen said:

    Looks like a fun day!! I’m excited for the kids to go back to school. We’ve had a fun summer but they are looking forward to the regular schedule and also to see their friends more. I’m excited to have a schedule of my own so I can blog more.

  2. 8.21.13
    Jane said:

    Such a genius idea to let moms get some “me time” in during the crazy back-to-school time! It sounds like everyone had a blast!!

  3. 8.21.13

    I’m a bit jealous of all of Miss V’s adventures! She’s quite the lady about town <3
    I'm glad you had a great time- Audrey is SO much like you- beautiful, determined and razor sharp! I can't wait for her new show (sorry for the plug), and I hope you and Mom are featured as RI's most amazing women to live by (yes, they can use that as the segment title 😉 )!

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