American Girl Joyful Jewels Dress for Dolls

When I first saw American Girl's 2015 holiday doll outfit collection, I was immediately drawn to the Joyful Jewels outfit. There is just something so fun and festive about a red party dress; whenever I see it, it puts me into a holiday mood!


When I received a sample of the Joyful Jewels Outfit to review, I got to see the beautiful detail and fell in love with it even more. The dress has a red velvet bodice with a neckline adorned with gems, sequins, and a taffeta overlay. The skirt is red tafetta and tulle, with a taffeta bow. This dress is sugar and spice and everything nice, but it's also fire and sass and a whole lot of class.

Note that the black shrug is not included in the outfit; it is included in the Holiday Accessories set (review coming soon!).

The outfit also comes with shiny black t-strap shoes and a red headband. Just look at the detail on the jeweled headband!



You can also get the matching girls' dress so your American Girl and her doll can match! It's really the perfect outfit for a holiday tea, holiday party, Nutcracker performance, music recital, or family holiday gathering at Hanukkah or Christmas. The girls' dress is on sale right now for $47 (down from $68) which is a really great deal.


Disclosure: I received a product sample to review. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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More photos of Grace Thomas, American Girl of the Year 2015

Each new year brings new beginnings, new opportunities, new adventures.... and a new American Girl doll!  Each year American Girl seems to bring out a doll that really resonates with girls, and this year is no exception. I feel a close kinship with this year's Girl of the  Year, Grace Thomas, because she loves to bake, and she loves to travel.  Paris is one of my favorite cities!  We were so excited when American Girl sent us Grace to review -- check out some photos of Grace below:

Like all American Girl dolls, Grace stands 18 inches tall, with molded face and limbs, and a soft body. She comes with a printed shirt, pink miniskirt, grey boots, a doll bracelet, and a book.

Grace has a beautiful face, with blue eyes and a light dusting of freckles.

Grace has long brown hair with a side braid and sideswept bangs. The Pea wants bangs like Grace!

Grace's shirt is a screen-printed tee with a glittery Eiffel Tower design. One sleeve of the shirt has a Grace applique.

Grace's grey suede boots look so stylish and comfortable. I wish they made those in adult sizes.

Grace comes with a doll charm bracelet.  The charms symbolize the things that Grace loves: travel, the Eiffel Tower, cookies, her dog. The bracelet is a bit tricky to put on, but once it's on, it won't come off easily.  It looks great on Grace's wrist!

I can't wait to dress Grace in different outfits and get her started with her baking!  We've made some adorable sweet treats out of polymer clay.  Stay tuned for future Grace Thomas posts and more photos.... and in the meantime, check out my photos of some of the Grace Thomas playsets at the American Girl store!




Disclosure:I received a sample for review. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Once Upon a Zombie Dolls

Every time I pass by the doll aisles in a store, there seem to be more and more monster dolls popping up.  It's scary how quickly they have taken over!  In fact, I'd say the monster doll craze is catching up in popularity to princess dolls -- so it was only a matter of time before someone combined the two.

Once Upon a Zombie dolls are zombified versions of your classic fairytale princesses.  They're based on the Once Upon a Zombie children's book and web series, which follows the adventures of Caitlin Rose Fletcher as she tries to figure out why the Fairy Tale Universe is turning into Zombie Land.  The characters are exquisitely drawn, and the six dolls based on the book  -- Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, The Little Mermaid, and Belle -- really do a great job of bringing their characters to life.  Or should I say afterlife?

We had the opportunity to review Zombie Rapunzel, and I have to say, the undead have never looked so pretty.  The Pea is really into dolls, and she thinks Zombie Rapunzel is to die for!  Zombie Rapunzel has light gray skin and violet eyes.  She has thick, coppery hair, twisted into a ponytail that reaches her ankles.  Her makeup and princess outfit are done in shades of violet.

One feature that is notably different from many dolls in stores is her feet.  Zombie Rapunzel isn't tippytoeing as high as she can go, so she can't wear those ridiculous, sky-high platform or stiletto shoes that most dolls seem to come with.  In fact, Zombie Rapunzel doesn't even come with shoes!  Not sure whether that's a good thing or not, but at least it's accurate: I doubt if zombies even care about shoes.

Zombie Rapunzel's face is beautiful, with just the right mix of sweetness and goth.  I love how she still has a wide-eyed, innocent look, not a bratty, pouty, self-entitled, smug look that so many dolls seem to have these days.

No detail has been spared, down to the rips and tears in Zombie Rapunzel's dress or the stitches on her mouth, forearms and legs.

Zombie Rapunzel is fully articulated, with joints in her neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees (note: her waist and ankles do not move).  She comes with a doll stand so you can style her in your favorite zombie pose.  The Pea likes to change her pose every day!

Zombie Rapunzel is a beautiful, collectible-worthy doll, and from what I can see, so are the rest of her undead friends.  It's almost impossible to believe that Zombie Snow White would prefer brains to apples, or that Belle should technically be more scary than her Beast!  These Once Upon a Zombie dolls are priced on the lower end of collectible dolls ($19.99-$24.99), and in my opinion, the price is totally justified.  So far, I've only seen her and her fellow zombie princesses for sale on Sears.com, the Wowee online store and Amazon.com -- but I'm hoping that more and more stores carry this line!


Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions.. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Disney Princess Build-A-Bear: a special friend for your little princess

One of the things that keeps kids coming back to the Build-A-Bear Workshop is their every-changing character line.  They are always launching new cuddly critters and furry friends for kids to stuff and adopt.  This year alone, they have introduced a make-your-own Spongebob Squarepants, his best friend Patrick, Kennel Pals Pug, Tropicolor Teddy, Peace & Love Bear, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony... and my favorite of all the new friends, the Disney Princess Bear!

The 16" Disney Princess Bear was introduced in January, and she is the sweetest, softest, cuddliest bear ever.  She comes in a cotton-candy pink color, with a sparkly purple crown attached to her head.  Her left bottom paw has an image of the Disney Princesses and her right bottom paw is printed with pastel princess crowns.

I recently made a Disney Princess Bear (courtesy of Build-A-Bear) at the Build-A-Bear store in the Downtown Disney shopping area of the Disneyland Resort (check out my Downtown Disney Build-A-Bear post for photos of some of the exclusive Disney-themed items at this very special store!).  It's always fun building a friend at Build-A-Bear Workshop because you get to customize him or her every step of the way by adding sounds, scents and heartbeats.  Also, every friend comes with with a satin heart that the child embeds into its body, as well as a customized birth certificate and Find-A-Bear tracker ID.

My Disney Princess Bear turned out perfect!  Actually she's The Pea's Disney Princess Bear now, and her name is Allie.  She decided to cut off the sparkly crown (because princesses like to take their crowns off sometimes!) but the crown is perfectly intact (we just snipped the stitching that attached the crown to Allie' head) so it can be pinned on whenever Allie wants to wear her crown.  Because Allie is the color of pink cotton candy,  I gave her a cotton candy scent.  I also added a beating heart and a fun sound feature -- you can add sounds like a beating heart, a kissing sound, a giggle, a voice saying Happy Birthday, a message you record yourself, or even a song.

Yup, this Disney Princess bear sings "Call Me Maybe"!  The Pea can't help dancing whenever it plays.  Check out The Princess And The Pea:

You can find the Disney Princess Bear at your nearest Build-A-Bear workshop or online.  Don't forget to pick up a Disney Princess costume to dress your new bear in -- after all, every princess needs a fairytale gown!

Visit my Flickr page for more adorable photos of the Disney Princess Bear and other furry friends at the Downtown Disney Build-A-Bear Workshop!

Disclosure: I  received a complimentary Princess Bear and outfit for review. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Build-A-Bear Workshop in Downtown Disney

A few weeks ago, Build-A-Bear Workshop invited me to build a Disney Princess Bear, and since I knew I would be visiting the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, I absolutely knew I had to build the bear at their Downtown Disney location.  I have always wanted to visit that store to check out their Disney-themed merchandise, so the timing couldn't be better.

The Build-A-Bear Workshop in Downtown Disney has everything you can find in a regular Build-A-Bear store, with added pinch of pixie dust to give it a bit of Disney magic.  The store is spread out over 2 floors, with cute bear sculptures adorning the walls, ceiling and stairwell.  Giant Mickey ear hats form display boards at the top of display shelves.  Everywhere you look, there are Disney-themed clothes and accessories for Build-A-Bear friends.   You can find some Disney-themed merchandise in regular stores and some online, but you'll find the full set here, plus some items exclusive to this store.

For example, the Downtown Disney District Bear is exclusive to the Build-A-Bear Workshop in Downtown Disney.

The Minnie Mouse Inspired Bear is not exclusive to Downtown Disney, but once they stop selling it in regular stores and online, they will continue to sell it at Downtown Disney.

The Downtown Disney store is the only Build-A-Bear Workshop where you can build your own stuffed dinosaur!  A portion of the second floor is devoted to Build-A-Dino animals, clothes and accessories.

Here's a sampling of the dinosaurs you can make: Triceratops, Spinosaurus, Stegasaurus, Diplodocus, Velociraptor, Apatosaurus, Stegasaurus, Carnotaurus and T-Rex.  The Sabretoothed Tiger and Wooly Mammoth are also part of this collection, even if they aren't dinosaurs.  I even saw the most adorable caveman and cavewoman outfits, which I assume can't be found anywhere else.

This store sells Disney costumes galore.  You might find some at regular Build-A-Bear stores, and others online, but only the Downtown Disney store stocks such a variety.  They had

• Mickey  
• Minnie 
• Cinderella
• Sleeping Beauty
• Snow White
• Rapunzel
• Tiana
• Ariel
• Belle 
• Tinkerbell
• Winnie the Pooh
• Piglet
• Tigger
• Stitch
• Car
• The Red Queen

I've saved my favorites for last, and I'm including photos:

Buzz and Woody!

The Villains: Ursula, Cruella de Ville and Captain Hook!

Pirates of the Caribbean!

Star Wars: Jedi Knight and Darth Vader!

Alice and the Mad Hatter!

And for those days when your Build-A-Bear doesn't want to wear a costume, Build-A-Bear also offers Disney-themed everyday clothes and accessories.  Like the Disney costumes, you can find a small selection online and an even smaller selection in stores, but it's all here at the Downtown Disney store.  The girly outfits are so cute:  Minnie headbands, Minnie princess ears, Minnie purses, Tinkerbell and Disney Princess tees, even Minnie underwear!

If you have a son, don't worry.  Not everything in the store is pastel and glitter.  There are tons of unisex and boy-themed outfits, including Mickey shoes and character tees.  I saw Mickey, Donald, Pluto, Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars tees, as well as Mickey ears, a Pluto cap and a Goofy hat.  Little girls aren't the only ones who can get matching outfits for themselves and their Build-A-Bear friends :)

The Build-A-Bear Workshop in Downtown Disney is truly a special store.  It's definitely worth stopping by while you're visiting Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Resort.

Visit my Flickr page for more adorable photos from my visit to the Downtown Disney Build-A-Bear Workshop!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Disney Princess Bear, outfit and accessories from Build-A-Bear Workshop. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Tips for a great party by American Girl

Happy 20th Birthday, American Girl Magazine!  American Girl is kicking off a yearlong celebration with a special Cover Contest where readers can enter to appear on the 2013 Best of AG special issue.  They're also starting 2013 with a birthday-themed issue (Jan/Feb 2013) featuring fun facts about American Girl readers and a special "Then and Now" section that looks back at how girls' lives have changed (or stayed the same) in the past 20 years.  Their special birthday issue has lots of tips and tricks for throwing the best birthday party ever.  Girls will enjoy tips for frosting cakes, ideas for one-of-a-kind snacks (I can't wait to try their Crispy Cake made with marshmallow rice krispy treats and candy sprinkles!), decorating do's and don'ts, and readers' birthday cake drawings.

You can purchase American Girl Magazine's birthday issue at AmericanGirl.com, or subscribe to American Girl Magazine so your daughter doesn't have to miss a single issue. American Girl also has some fun birthday themed activities (check out the online invitation maker!) on the American Girl Magazine Play! section, as well as in the American Girl Magazine archive.  In addition, American Girl has given me some more tips that will help every girl plan and enjoy a successful birthday party:

1) Make the party list early.  For many girls, this is the toughest part of planning a party.  Make it easier by giving yourself time to think about it.  Review the list with your parents and then mail or email invitations.  Be sure to ask those girls you invited not to talk about the party around others who weren't invited.

2) Plan ahead.  Don't try to wing it during the party by thinking up activities as you go.  Keep in mind that if you're making a craft and using paint or glue, you'll want to finish early so that everything can dry before the end of the party.

3) Have a family plan.  Which rooms are off limits?  Make a plan for siblings and for pets, too.  Hint: If your siblings must be around the house that day, make them part of the party crew.  If your little sis is involved by taking coats or helping to serve food, she might be less likely to disrupt your party.

4) Make room for fun!  Put wastebaskets and recycling bins where they're going to be needed, such as next to the food table or craft table.  If you plan to use any equipment such as a DVD player, a speaker system, or a video-game console, make sure that it's working properly and that you know exactly how to operate it.  And be sure to remove any breakables.

5) Can't-miss crafts to make:

Thread assorted beads onto elastic cording and tie a double knot when the string fits around your wrist.  Instant friendship bracelets!
Knot fleece strips or ribbon pieces around hair elastics.  Instant hair accessories!

6) Can't-miss things to do:

• Silly hair styling
• Movies
• Balloon volleyball
• Scavenger hunt for things in magazines
• Group singing games

7) Light the way.  Having a slumber party?  Put a night light in the bathroom, and keep hallways lit.  When your friends first arrive, give them a tour of the house so they know where everything is.

8) Make your own!  Sundae bars are always popular food treats.  You can also create make-your-own bars with toppings for:

• Hot pretzel toppings
• Tacos
• Nachos
• Popcorn
• Mini pizzas

9) Always let sleeping girls lie.  Have a separate "snooze room" for girls who want to go to sleep.  That way, sleepy girls can go to bed while night owls can stay up and play.

10) For tons of fun mix-and-match party ideas, check out the special 20th birthday issue of American Girl magazine!



Disclosure: I received a review copy of the latest issue of American Girl Magazine.  Party tips (in italics) is provided by American Girl. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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American Girl Purple Party Outfit for Girls

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed American Girl's Purple Party outfit -- and now here's the review for the matching girl's dress!  The Purple Party Dress for Girls is a perfect match for the doll's version.  Like the doll's version, it's made of a deep purple taffeta, which has a smooth, elegant sheen.  Like the doll's version, the skirt is lined with emerald green organza, which keeps the skirt nice and full.  It's a simple yet elegant dress, full of subtle details that give it a festive touch:  the pintucks at the waist, the black piping at the waist, the velvet bow.  Not too frou-frou or too girly, but definitely feminine and definitely a special occasion dress -- just the way The Pea likes it

The dress is very well made, and fits very nicely.  I'm somewhat bummed that the dress is Dry Clean Only, but that's a personal preference, and I know that most special occasion dresses need to be dry cleaned.

See how well the girl's dress matches the doll's dress!  You can also buy a matching headband for girls (the doll's outfit comes with the headband) and a black velvet jacket that's identical to the doll version in the Holiday Accessories set.

The Pea and Caroline are going to look so pretty for all their holiday parties :)

** Giveaway alert: don't forget to enter my Holiday Gift Guide giveaway for a set of American Girl stickers!


Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information (in italics) was taken from the American Girl website.. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Purple Party Outfit for Dolls by American Girl

When you're dressing your little girl up for all your holiday parties this season, don't forget to include her American Girl doll!  Their Purple Party Outfit for Dolls is guaranteed to get your little girl and her doll right into the festive holiday spirit.  How do I know? Because American Girl sent us one to review!

Here's what comes in the box:

• Purple taffeta dress
• Satin headband with a triple-layered bow
• Black tights
• Purple patent shoes
• "Loyal" charm 

The "Loyal" charm is a pink square that goes on the My American Girl doll's charm keeper necklace (every My American Girl doll comes with one).

Doesn't Caroline look festive in the dress? I love all the tiny details, from the neat, flat waist tucks and the black piping to the deep green lining -- just like what a real girl's holiday dress would have! Don't forget the teeny black bows on the shoes...  I'm not crazy about the huge velveteen bow, I think it's disproportionately huge, but hey, it's for dolls so I guess some features do have to be exaggerated -- and it does look cute, especially with the black tights.  

Stay tuned for more photos of our American Girl dolls in this dress, including photos of The Pea wearing  the matching dress for girls!


Disclosure: I received a sample of the Purple Party Dress for Dolls to review. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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