Dolls Archives - Rave & Review

The tradition of a Corolle Christmas continues

I’ve been thinking a lot about traditions these days. With my kids we’ve had 8 Corolle Christmases now, and I had at least a half dozen Corolle Christmases growing up. That’s 14+ years of Corolle dolls and accessories under the tree as the present that wows, and I can’t help but feel incredibly grateful. You … Read more

New from American Girl: the aloha spirit with Nanea Mitchell

I want to raise global kids, so I must show how in times of crisis we help each other. Whether that’s our neighbors, our friends, our community, fellow countrymen, or it’s those around the world in places we’ve never been that need our help, I want them to do whatever they can to lend a … Read more

American Girl debuts Create Your Own dolls and accessories this July

Having blond hair and blue eyes as a child meant that just about every doll looked kinda like me. I never had to search the toy shelves or special order a doll just to find one that I could relate to, and I never really realized how lucky that made me until I was out … Read more

Corolle dolls are adventure-ready

Our vacations almost always include water, which isn’t that surprising considering we’re literally surrounded by water here in the Pacific Northwest. The one problem with spending so much time at the beach and lake is that there are certain things that just aren’t water-friendly, like electronics and toys with small parts. Thank goodness that Corolle … Read more

Z Yang events this Saturday at American Girl stores in NYC, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, and DC

Have you heard the news? American Girl just released their newest contemporary doll, Z Yang last week. “Z” {short for Suzie} is Korean American and hails from Seattle {every girl in the PNW, including my two littles, is squealing right now}. Not only do I adore that she’s from Seattle, I love that Z is a stop-motion vlogger, which is my oldest’s dream job. Fans have come to know and love Z as the star of the American Girl’s immensely popular web series, Z’s Crew. In the web series, Z loves staying connected with friends and sharing a good story through her stop motion videos.

American Girl fans: DIY Tenney and Logan inspired tin drum craft

Are you as crazy excited about American Girl's new contemporary dolls, Tenney Grant and Logan Everett, as we are? We've literally been counting down to their release for months, and we're so thrilled they are finally here. To celebrate their release, we came up with a Tenney-and-Logan-inspired DIY project to make a tin drum so you can start a band just like they did.

I'm going to walk you through the steps to make your own drum, including two handy little printables you can use to add logos to your American Girl-inspired drums.

To start with, you will need to gather your supplies:

2 large tin {or tin-and-cardboard} cans – we used milk substitute tins, but you could repurpose coffee cans, formula canisters, powdered drink containers, or whatever else you have on hand.

2 long threaded rods (or bolts), 8 nuts, and 12 washers – for securing the drums together

2 printables – for covering the cans {you can download those below}

Scissors, tape, ribbon, and a small drill {optional, you can use scissors if your can is thin enough}

Introducing Logan Everett, the first ever 18″ boy doll from American Girl

He’s here! He’s here! I feel like we’ve been waiting forever for the release of the new American Girl doll, Logan Everett. The rumors have been swirling for months that a boy doll was in the works and I think I got roughly 50 messages asking if it was true. I’m happy to say that the rumors were true, and Logan Everett arrived this month at American Girl on Valentine’s Day. If you know my son, you know he’s one of the biggest fans of American Girl that there ever was. It started when my daughter got her first doll when she was 4 and he was only 2, and that love has grown exponentially throughout the years. He was crazy excited when he was given a boy Bitty Twin we scored second-hand, but I always wished there was an 18” boy I could buy for him. You should have seen his face when his sister and I surprised him with his own Logan Everett doll at the Seattle American Girl café last week. Not only was he over the moon excited, but so was his sister who has been dying for him to get his own doll for years and years. She had been plotting since before Christmas about how she could get him a doll if they came out with a boy and Logan was everything she had hoped for for her brother.

Playing and learning with American Girl: Melody’s microphone and piano playsets

After spending so much time this year learning about the new BeForever character, Melody Ellison, I wanted to get the kids something special this year to celebrate. With so many awesome choices in the Melody collection, I debated for a bit whether I wanted to go with one of her playsets or an outfit or two.In the end, I decided that adding to our Melody collection with a toy they could play with was the way to go. I chose Melody’s Microphone Set paired with Melody’s Electric Piano because the kids were specifically drawn to them at the Seattle American Girl store after they realized that they actually really work.

When I think of my biggest wishes for my daughters, at the top of that list is that they always understand that their voices are powerful. Their voices unfortunately have the power to hurt others, but they can have the power to make someone feel loved and special. It’s up to them to use their voices for good. And, just like they can choose whether to use their voices to hurt or to help, their voices also have the ability to make a real difference in the world. Melody Ellison™, the newest BeForever™ doll from American Girl, is learning the power of her voice and has arrived just in time for my daughters to really learn from her unique story. Her story is full of life lessons that give us a glimpse back into our past as well as ways to empower our girls to make a difference in the future.

Introducing the WellieWishers line at American Girl

As you know, we're huge American Girl fans around here. So, whenever the brand debuts something big, we get lots of messages and questions asking about the new products. Such was the case this past month when American Girl introduced the new WellieWishers line to their already full product offerings. If you've been wondering about the line and excited to learn about the new dolls, this is the post for you.

About the WellieWishers

American Girl describes the WellieWishers as a sweet and silly group girls that are helping kindness and friendship bloom. The line has 5 main characters: Willa, Kendall, Ashlyn, Emerson, and Camille. Each friend brings something unique to their group, but they all have the same common goal: to be a good friend. To better understand each others' perspectives, they are encouraged to take a step in each others' wellies {aka boots}, a spin on the idea of "taking a walk in each others' shoes".

Their signature wellies and their flair for fashion make them really popular with both kids and adults. Every time we've visited the Seattle store since their release, the WellieWishers area has been swarming with parents and girls picking out their favorite doll while fawning over the cute accessories and fun details. And, I can't really blame them, the line is adorably enticing.