Introduce Your Little Girl to the Fun & Music of The Beatrix Girls Pop-Stars Dolls!

Thank you to The Beatrix Girls for providing a prize pack for our giveaway prize and for sending an additional prize pack to me as a thank you for sharing these fashion dolls and their new music CD with my readers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Brayden, the purple-haired lead guitarist and songwriter of the pop-star girl band The Beatrix Girls has already been welcomed into our home.  Our 7 year old daughter saw her in the tween clothing store Justice and knew that this doll was what she wanted to spend her birthday money on.  Now she looks forward to adding the other three 12" fashion dolls to her collection.

Each of The Beatrix Girls (Lark, Ainsley, Brayden, and Chantal) has her own personality.  They are all empowered, goal-oriented girls who know what they like and know who they are.  A fun way to introduce your little girl to The Beatrix Girls is to watch the short Beatrix Girls webisodes available on their website, www.thebeatrixgirls.com, like the one below . . .


In addition to Justice stores, you can find The Beatrix Girls dolls at Toys"R"Us, Walmart, Amazon.com, and other major toy retailers.  When you purchase a doll, be sure to look for the VIP pass on the packaging that has a code to join the Trixie Fan Club, which allows your little fan to download free MP3s from The Beatrix Girls and more.

Other fun ways to learn more about The Beatrix Girls . . . 

• Listen to clips of the original songs from The Beatrix Girls' new album Meet the Beatrix.
• Read the official Beatrix Girls Blog.
• Watch music videos and webisodes on The Beatrix Girls YouTube Channel.
• Checkout The Beatrix Girls on Instagram!

Enter to win a Beatrix Girls prize pack . . . 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Green Holiday Gift Idea: HABA's Pure Nature Doll "Leafy Pixie"

If you've been reading my reviews, you know how much I love earth-friendly products and companies. HABA is just such a company. They were kind enough to send me the Pure Nature Doll Leafy Pixie from their new line and I was happy to get this doll for my 10 month old niece to play with.

HABA's 2012 line of Pure Nature Organic toys give caregivers eight perfect gifts for their little ones, each of which is made with the softest textiles and polyester filling wrapped with cute pastels. The name "Pure Nature Organic" assures you that they are made with the highest quality cottons for both the threading and the outer fabric. All these toys are produced to be hygienic, washable, and naturally resistant to mold.

The Pure Nature Doll Leafy Pixie is a plush pixie doll with an adorable face and soft body. He's extra cuddly with his soft body and he's just the right size for little hands at 8 inches tall. When I gave him to my niece, she immediately went to her mouth, as expected, and I was happy knowing that I could trust there were no harmful chemicals and no rough parts that would harm her. She loved chewing on him and swinging him around, and he held up well to her abuse. Sometimes organic cotton toys can be flimsy, but that's not the case with this toy. HABA has done well to create a sturdy, but safe, line of toys and I am thoroughly impressed.

HABA products can be found nationwide at many specialty retail and online stores. To see a complete list, visit HABA's website at www.HABAusa.com. The Pure Nature Doll Leafy Pixie retails for $17.99.  You can also find HABA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Thank you to HABA USA for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Finding Balance With Asperger's: Button Up Betsy . . . a Fun Fine Motor Skills Toy

Anything that helps build fine motor skills is a plus for my son, Quinn. But, when that thing makes fine motor building fun, that’s all the better. Button Up Betsy from the Therapy Shoppe is a playful way to work on those skills as well as teaching body awareness and dramatic play skills.

Betsy is a 14” fabric doll with 13 double-sided pieces of colorful clothing and accessories. These pieces button to her body on her head, torso, hands, and feet. Kids have tons of fun creating outfits and even changing her hairstyle with pigtails that button on and off! She has dresses, different facial expressions, purses, a guitar, roller skates, and more to give kids hours of playtime with a unique twist. As an added bonus, the entire set it machine washable.

Button Up Betsy is imaginative, entertaining, and completely unique as well as very well made. Quinn really loves this doll, even though it is technically marketed for girls. He’s had a blast playing with her different clothes and creating scenarios in which she’d wear each one. He also likes doing silly things like placing her face pieces onto her hand buttons or putting pigtails on her feet. She’s literally provided hours of fun for him and I doubt he’ll be losing interest any time soon. His friends (boys and girls alike) have commented on how much the like the doll as well.


Button Up Betsy can be purchased at www.therapyshoppe.com. She retails for $23.99.

Thank you to The Therapy Shoppe for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Little Mommy Dolls Playdate and Birthday Party Ideas

Our now 5 year old daughter received her first Little Mommy Sweet As Me doll for Christmas when she was just about one year old and has added several more dolls to her collection since.  These 14" dolls are the perfect size for a toddler or preschooler and much more affordable compared to most 18" dolls.  In fact, if you are considering an in-store 18" doll party, but are not quite sure you can afford it, you may want to consider hosting a Little Mommy birthday party in your home.  There are lots of free printables, activities, and tips to help you plan a special day for your little girl in the DIY Little Mommy Day activity kit.

Our daughter and I were invited to try some of these DIY activities during a Little Mommy playdate.  Mattel provided my daughter with a Little Mommy doll and a Fashion Pack outfit plus another doll and outfit for a friend.  After she decided on which friend to share this exciting treat with, she had to wait patiently for the day of the playdate to finally arrive . . .

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Prior to the day of our playdate, I prepared some activities to take along with us.  Since our playdate would have likely lasted 2 hours at the most, I chose to make the Little Mommy doll birth certificate for both dolls and the Little Mommy memory game.  To make the birth certificates more personalized for each "little mommy", I printed the blank certificates on my home printer, cut them out, and pasted them onto sheets of colored construction paper that coordinated with the colors in the certificate well.  Then I printed, cut, and pasted an image of each girl's doll onto the same sheet of colored paper.  Images of the most recently released dolls can be found in the Little Mommy Scrapbook Kit, like our daughter's Little Mommy Sweet As Me "Rock Me Baby" Asian Doll.  I easily found an image online of the Little Mommy Sweet As Me "School's Cool" Doll, which would be going to her friend.

I had decided to print, cut, and paste the Little Mommy memory cards onto construction paper, as well.  If you print them out on regular white paper, then the players can easily see the printed images through the back of each piece of paper.  You can avoid this by printing the cards out on heavy cardstock.  I think the colored paper backing framed the cards nicely.  I ended up drawing smiley faces on the backs of the cards so that the girls could easily lay out the cards without any of them being upside down or sideways.  You could use stickers or glue the Little Mommy logo on the backs instead.  I also chose to print out two sets of cards since there were only 12 cards per set.

I have to say that my daughter's friend was thrilled about receiving the doll and the outfit.  Her attention was on other things, so only my daughter completed the birth certificate activity during the playdate.  She ended up naming her doll Nancy (after Fancy Nancy) and filled in the whole certificate herself.  She even drew in little footprints in the designated space at the bottom.  The next time I saw her friend at school, she had brought her Little Mommy doll in to show her teachers and the whole class.  Then she told me that her Mom had helped her fill out the birth certificate the night before and she ended up naming her doll Curly Shirley.

Even though our daughter had played memory before, after her first game with these cards, she has asked to play again and again.  I think these sets of Little Mommy memory cards would make great party favors for your guests to take home.

The Little Mommy Day Facebook app features Rosie Pope, host of Bravo’s “Pregnant in Heels”, and includes the following tips and activities . . .

• Little Mommy Day! Event Guide
• Little Mommy Day! Invitation
• Little Mommy Day! Pretty Patterns & Decor ideas
• Little Mommy Day! Giggle Grahams Recipe
• Little Mommy "My Little Scrapbook" activity
• Little Mommy "My Little Birth Certificate" activity
• Little Mommy "Photo Memories" Family Tree activity
• Little Mommy Flashcards activity
• Little Mommy "My Little Hand & Footprints" activity
• Little Mommy Day! Memory Cards game

To find out more about Little Mommy dolls, fashions, and accessories, visit LittleMommy.com and Little Mommy on Facebook.  You can purchase Little Mommy products at the Mattel Shop, Toys"R"Us, Amazon.com, and most major toy retailers.

Thank you to Mattel for providing complimentary product samples of Little Mommy dolls and fashions for our playdate and for providing additional product for our contest prize.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

Hearts For Hearts Multicultural Collectible Dolls

As you may already know, I am a huge fan of educational toys.  I have found that not too man dolls fall into that category.  That is one of the things that makes these Hearts For Hearts Girls dolls unique.  Not only are these dolls from various countries around the world, each doll wears clothing and accessories that reflects her culture and comes with a mini biographical book for you to read with your little girl.  This book describes the doll's homeland, family, and her dreams.  Everything about this doll, from the packaging to the website are designed to teach young girls about how capable girls are and how each girl can change the world for the better.

Out of the six dolls from around the world currently available in the Hearts For Hearts Girls doll line, we received Rahel from Ethiopia and the Clogging with Dell Deluxe Fashion Set . . .

Rahel came fully outfitted in a bodysuit, a sarong, sandals, necklaces, and bracelets.  Also included with this doll were a mini book, a comb, and a Hearts For Hearts Girls bracelet.  Although the adjustable heart bracelet was meant for my daughter to wear, it was far too large for her.  She ended up deciding that it would make a better necklace for her doll instead.  The Deluxe Fashion Set we received, which fits all 6 dolls, came with a country-style dress, clogging shoes, a floral hair accessory, a pie, a thermos, and a jelly jar.


Some ways we used our Hearts For Hearts Girls doll to educate our daughter:

• We asked her what was different between her and her new doll.  (Straight vs. curly hair, light skin vs. dark, eye color, clothing, etc . . . )
• We asked her what she and her doll may have in common.  (Both have moms, likes wearing jewelry, likes to play, likes to learn, likes to draw, likes to eat pie, etc . . . )
• We showed her where our home is located on the globe and then showed her where Ethiopia is located.

If you like to give or receive gifts that give back to the world, you should put the Hearts For Hearts Girls dolls on the radar for anyone who might be shopping for your little girl this holiday and remember this doll line when you are shopping for others.  A portion of the purchase price from each doll sold gets donated to help provide things that should not be considered luxuries to girls around the world, such as food, books, and medical supplies.  This would also be a great toy to purchase and donate to Toys For Tots or another toy drive because it would double the benefit of your donation.

Our daughter loves Rahel and has no idea that she is a learning toy.  I think she would love to collect all the dolls in this series, which includes Rahel from Ethiopia, Nahji from India, Lilian from Belarus, Tipi from Laos, Dell from the U.S., and Consuelo from Mexico.  You can purchase Hearts For Hearts Girls dolls and the Deluxe Fashion Sets from Playmates Toys, Target, Walmart, Amazon.com, and other major toy retailers.  Each doll retails for approximately $29.99 and each outfit retails for $12.99 to $17.99.  Also visit Hearts4HeartsGirls.com to learn more about the mission and for fun games and activities.

The Hearts For Hearts Girls doll, Deluxe Fashion Set, contest prize, and information have been provided by Playmates Toys through MyBlogSpark.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive one Hearts For Hearts Girls Doll and one Deluxe Fashion Set (Both items will be chosen at random for you).

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Take a look at the 6 Hearts For Hearts Girls dolls. Then leave a comment telling me the name of the doll whose life you think your daughter would love to learn more about. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 1 extra entry, "Like" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here with the link to your Facebook profile.

4)  For 1 extra entry, "Like" Hearts For Hearts Girls on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.


5)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

6)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post AND using the hashtag #MyBlogSpark. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

7)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

8)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, November 7th, 2011 at 10:00pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Review: Disney TANGLED Rapunzel BRAIDING FRIENDS Hair Braider Doll

Since our family attended the screening of the Disney movie Tangled in November, our daughter has been mesmerized by the Rapunzel Braiding Friends Hair Braider doll by Mattel every time she saw the commercial air on television.  Little did she know that Mattel sent one for her in plenty of time for her 4th birthday in January.  Out of the many gifts she received that day, this doll was the very first toy she asked to be opened.  When I did open it for her, I was so pleasantly surprised to find out that this toy was designed to be battery-free!

I must say that this toy has many parts and it was not easy to remove from the packaging.  It is the price we pay for having everything to remain looking so perfect while in the box.  I just wanted to warn you in case your child is usually less than patient.

Overall, this toys is well-designed to be user-friendly for a child.  Without any assistance, the braider creates braids in the doll's hair that is looser near the top and tighter towards the bottom.  Rapunzel comes with hair that is pre-bundled into two sets of 3 strands, which are held together by mini elastics.  Each strand is looped through a plastic piece that plugs into the flowers held by the rabbit, raccoon, and squirrel, who are built into the hair braider doll stand.

Once the strands have been plugged in, your child can turn the crank to magically make the woodland animals intertwine the strands into a braid.  If you desire a more even braid, then you will have to work the braid upward with your fingers to make the pattern tighter towards the top of Rapunzel's head.

Both my daughter and I were very pleased with the Rapunzel Braiding Friends Hair Braider doll.  Her dress is exquisite and her long hair is beautiful.  The doll comes with a hairbrush to help keep Rapunzel's hair "untangled", 3 plastic hair clips, and extra mini elastics.  Another thing I have to point out is that Rapunzel's shoes were not easy to get on her feet, so there is very little worry of them falling off and becoming lost.

If your little girl is highly anticipating the release of the film Tangled on Blu-ray/DVD at the end of March, this doll would be a wonderful gift to accompany that movie.  You can find her at the Mattel Shop, Amazon.com, Toys "R" Us, and other major toy retailers.


Thank you to Mattel for sending us a complimentary product sample to base this review upon.

My Photos (W/E 12-11-10)

You probably already know that I take an abundance of photos of my children. I have since they were born. So it is no wonder why I sometimes think I have created three hams. Out of the three, my daughter is the only one who comes to me once in awhile and says, "Take a picture of me!" You would think she has her fill of staring at the business end of my camera lens.

"Go Ahead . . . Tell Us How Cute We Are!"

Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.

Silly Monkey Stories: Where's Sitting Bull?

If you have read Silly Monkey Stories throughout the past two years, then you know why we have nicknamed our only daughter "Sitting Bull." She has a tendency to have a stoic expression on her face when she does not approve of what is happening, like trying to take a photo of her when she is not in the mood.

The photos below were a delightful exception. Usually my husband has to make faces and act as silly as possible to draw a smile out of her. This was not the case on this monumental day. Our daughter was all smiles and let her personality come out without much coaxing at all. I took about 30 photos of her that day and I kept the majority of them.

Click here to learn how to participate in Silly Monkey Stories.

Click here to read all my Silly Monkey Stories!

If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!

Holiday 2010 Review: Sweet Surprise Strawberry Shortcake Doll

My daughter will be turning four in two months. It seems like overnight, she has transitioned from being only interested in cuddling and nurturing her dolls to being obsessed with changing their clothes and combing their hair. So she happily traded her Strawberry Shortcake Baby Berry Kisses doll for the Sweet Surprise Strawberry Shortcake. This doll can have her make-up changed with a pen filled with ice cold water . . . no batteries required. Although this doll retails for approximately $22.99, I have seen some excellent sale prices for her during the holidays. For example, I have seen her for just $13.97 on Walmart.com .

Sweet Surprise Strawberry Shortcake comes with the pen, a comb, 2 hair extensions, 4 hair clips, and 2 sheets of stickers.

To use the pen, I just needed to fill it with water and leave it in the freezer for about 10 or 15 minutes. It does not hold too much water, so the freezing process is quick. When ready, my daughter just touched the spongy tip to the doll's face. It took a few seconds for the ice to begin to melt.

The difference in the make-up was subtle. The doll's eye shadow, blush, and strawberry beauty mark grew a little bit darker. The most obvious change was that the doll's lips became redder. Once the areas began to return to room temperature, the colors quickly changed back.

My daughter's favorite thing about this Strawberry Shortcake doll is that she smells like strawberries and she has long silky straight hair, which is much easier to comb than some of her other curly-haired dolls. She also loved decorating the doll with the included stickers. My daughter did struggle with the hair extensions and hair clips. She had trouble making them stay in place, but all she needs is a little practice.

I think this doll is a perfect transition toy for preschoolers who are not quite ready for smaller scale fashion dolls. I would love to see a doll like this come with one or two additional outfits or perhaps have them available to be purchased separately.

To view the full line of Strawberry Shortcake toys, visit Hasbro.com and HasbroToyShop.com .

Thank you to Hasbro for sending us a complimentary sample product to base this review upon.