Seattle Loves McKenna, the 2012 American Girl Doll Of The Year

Last year we were celebrating the opening of the new Seattle American Girl store, which just so happens to be minutes from our home.  This year, we’re celebrating another AG Seattle first – the honor of being the official home of the 2012 American Girl Doll of the Year, McKenna.

If you haven’t met McKenna yet, you might be the only one.  McKenna is one of the fastest selling dolls in the American Girl line, especially here in Seattle.  But, it’s hard not to love McKenna and her very relatable story.

McKenna is a gymnast who tries very hard but is still having problems at school.  She’s embarrassed to get tutoring help with her schoolwork but knows that it’s the only way her parents will let her continue with gymnastics, which she loves.  When she breaks her ankle during a meet and needs a cast and crutches, she finds it hard to manage tutoring with her friendships, schoolwork, and gymnastics, and must learn to rely on others for help. 

But, beyond the story, the McKenna doll is truly gorgeous and has all sorts of accessories, including gymnastics gear, a beautiful loft bed, and pets that she adores.  My daughter was eyeing her from afar as soon as she was released into the Seattle store and was thrilled when one of the employees got her down and let her see McKenna up close.  It was then that we found out that McKenna was from Seattle, and I knew we needed her. 

I also knew that we couldn’t just wrap McKenna up for the upcoming birthday, we needed to do something big to celebrate.  So, we made reservations at the American Girl café with grandma, an aunt, and a cousin and planned to give her the doll at the store surrounded by family. 

It turned out to be a great plan, because everyone really enjoyed going to the store and eating in the café together and then shopping after.  My daughter was absolutely speechless when she saw her McKenna doll, and started jumping up and down with joy.  Right after lunch, she ran with McKenna out to the main store and checked out all the McKenna accessories together. 

My son even got a loaner doll for dining in the cafe, which was a HUGE hit.  I think he might need a doll for himself as well.  American Boy store next?

As much as we wanted to get a few of her accessories to go with the doll, the ones we wanted most were out of stock {I told you she was popular}, so we just looked and made notes of what we wanted next time from the McKenna collection.  While my daughter would really love the loft bed, I love the gymnastics outfits and have plans to get her one before the doll is retired at the end of the year.  We did end up getting a doll brush and cleaning kit {just in case} and my daughter was honestly pretty thrilled with just that.

And, since the day McKenna came home with us, my daughter has kept her in perfect shape, even though they have done a lot of playing together.  I was a bit worried about her long hair, picturing it turning into a big, frizzy mess, but am happy to report that she still looks brand new after weeks and weeks of play – which quite often includes somersaults.  Thank goodness after those somersaults my daughter takes care of her McKenna doll as they taught her at the AG salon, which I think speaks to the love that exists between the two.

In fact, my daughter is so in love with McKenna that she has gotten very into her story and even asked for a McKenna outfit for her birthday so they could match while they play.  Luckily, she has the best grandma ever, because she got just what she was asking for and now that’s the only thing she wants to wear each day {side note: buy the McKenna outfit big for your little one.  It stretches quite a bit and can be worn long, so it’s best to get something to grow into}.

While I love the imaginative play that McKenna has inspired in the past few weeks, I also love that she has sparked a love of gymnastics in my kids.  Although I won't be signing them up for the Olympics this year, I do love that American Girl dolls have achieved yet another "first" in our family and exposed them to the basics of gymnastics in such a fun and meaningful way. 

McKenna may be retiring in just a few short months, but I know she is going to be a lifelong friend for my daughter.  Whether it's a day out in McKenna's hometown of Seattle or it's a lunch date at the American Girl Cafe in Chicago or New York, these memories we are making are ones that my daughter will remember forever.       

If you are someone who lives in Seattle or loves Seattle, I would highly recommend picking up McKenna before she is no longer available.  Some of her items are currently backordered, but you can always order them online or over the phone and they will ship when they are back in stock.  For this reason, I would buy early for birthdays and holidays and plan ahead for McKenna purchases.  I know I'm going to be buying the gymnastics set well before the holidays so I can surprise my daughter this Christmas.

You can check out the full McKenna collection here, including the new movie that comes out this month!

And, if you are in the Seattle area, I would highly recommend checking out the new store.  While it is smaller than the other two stores we've been to, the level of service there is truly awesome and it really is an experience like no other.  Even if you are looking for a personal shopper experience as my friend Allison at Mommy Rambles was, the Seattle store staff is really amazing and takes time with each girl that comes in.  Since we all know service can make or break a store, I love that their employees treat each and every purchase like a big one – because it certainly is to the little girl buying her new doll or accessory.

A big thank you to American Girl for sending McKenna for my daughter to adore.  Cafe lunch and accessories were all purchased by us – because we love McKenna and AG.  As always, all opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.