Day in the life is good... but keep it rotating or people will forget who's up and lose interest. QOTD are good too. Maybe questions that are topical or related to current events could get actual discussion going rather than just a series of posts that don't respond to one another.
Another thing I think would promote bonding are threads like "everyone post a picture of your SO/furbaby/Halloween costume/wedding dress/etc" I think people really enjoy sharing stuff like that about themselves, and pictures are great for getting to know each other. People will start to associate certain things as they get more familiar with one another - like "Oh, that's the girl with the chinchillas" or "She's the one who got married in Vegas" and it gives glimpses into each other's personalities.
I'm officially Waiting again so I'll come on over to the main board and make myself useful.