A big thank you to American Girl for sending Blaire Wilson and her accessories to be adored. We have played a lot, learned a ton, and made some goals based on Blaire’s storyline and collection.

Somedays, my childhood seems like eons ago. In this day of tech literally everywhere, it’s hard to remember what it was like before we had screens in our pockets, on our freeways, in our cars, and in every location we visit. I longed for my own kids to have that blissful near-screen-free childhood that I enjoyed, so I made it happen when my oldest was born.

Yes, my husband and I have phones and laptops. And, as a family we have TVs, and more tablets that we should, as well as connected devices. But those personal devices go dark at family time, the TV only comes on for special occasions when the kids are awake, and the kids only get a *kids* learning tablet for plane rides that last longer than 3 hours. Call me strict, call me over-the-top, whatever. I can take it.

But, you can’t really argue it hasn’t been successful in our family. Our days are spent doing exactly what you should do in childhood – imagining, experimenting, learning, and connecting. My kids are exceptionally close, they have abnormally long attention spans, and they never would think to utter the words “I’m bored”.

As a family, we have aligned ourselves with brands that support this idyllic childhood, encourage togetherness, and foster wholesome family values that are sadly missing in much aimed at kids these days. American Girl is hands-down one of our very favorite brands for this very reason.Not only does it encourage all that we value and strive for as a family, it as a brand is also constantly changing along with our quickly changing world. As technology becomes so prevalent and it seeps into literally all aspects of life, I love that American Girl provides good old fashioned fun that also keeps up with the times and shows girls that connection and friendships are more important than anything else.

I was so incredibly excited when I found out the newest American Girl’s Girl of the Year has the same struggles my kids do – finding a balance of technology and electronics in our increasingly “connected” world. Her story opens kids’ eyes to the fact that “connected” doesn’t always equal “connection” and  that part of being a good friend is learning when to put down the electronics and just be present.

American Girl’s newest Girl of the Year™, Blaire Wilson™

Launching on January 1, Blaire—a young chef-in-training who loves bringing people together—joins American Girl’s family of characters and timeless stories designed to help girls think about their own character and who they want to be. A natural people person, Blaire excels at gathering people around the dinner table but needs help finding balance between the digital world and the real world—like many people today. Through Blaire, girls will learn the importance of staying connected to the people they care about and that this means more than clicking and swiping—it means truly being there.

Blaire’s story unfolds in a chapter book series written by Jennifer Castle and published by Scholastic. In the two books, available now, Blaire loves to put her cooking and decorating talents to good use on her family’s sustainable farm and bed-and-breakfast in upstate New York. When the opportunity to plan the farm’s first wedding arises, Blaire jumps in with gusto. However, between overextending herself to create the perfect farm-fancy event and a newly diagnosed food sensitivity that makes her self-conscious, Blaire finds herself more engaged on her devices than at real-life gatherings with others. Ultimately, through the help of her family and friends, Blaire finds a healthy balance and learns the value of being fully present at every occasion.

Blaire comes to life for girls via a beautiful 18-inch doll, featuring bright green eyes and curly red hair. Blaire’s world features an array of outfits, accessories, and products that reflect her life on Pleasant View Farm, including a sweet lamb and piglet, festive party decor, and Blaire’s Family Farm Restaurant, with everything needed to play out a show stopping farm-to-table celebration.

And, did I mention the adorable animals in her collection? A lamb, a silkie chicken, and even an adorable pig that we are all in love with. My farm-loving kiddos are in heaven dreaming of being surrounded be these cuties. 

I personally love the pig more than any other AG animal ever, but this chicken is also top of my list.

There’s just so much to love about Blaire and her accessories. I would have positively flipped for this line when I was a girl and I am looking forward to many, many years of playing with my girls with their own Blaire and all of her animals and accessories. 

More fun with Blaire

* Blaire Online Play: Girls can visit http://play.americangirl.com/play/girl-of-the-year/blaire for book excerpts, games and activities, and Blaire’s Life at Pleasant View Farm Vlog posts from her family’s sustainable farm, featuring delicious recipes, gardening tips, cooking and craft videos, and more.

* Blaire’s Family Dinner Series: To promote mealtime togetherness, families are invited to attend a Blaire-inspired dinner series at select American Girl retail restaurants across the country in 2019. Parents can visit americangirl.com/stores to learn more or make a reservation.