Today is American Girl Emily Bennett's birthday. I always loved Emily because she has such a cute meet dress, and she looks quite a bit like my own daughter. Alas, I couldn't afford to purchase her before she retired, and I haven't really found a comparable doll I can use as a stand-in. I did, however, find an old Battat doll at the thrift store ($6) who looks quite a bit like Molly. Her hair is a little more reddish and she has brown eyes instead of gray, but the bangs look similar, and I think my mock Molly looks pretty close once she has the braids and glasses. What do you think? Since the weather has been so cold here lately, I dressed her in this DIY ice skating outfit I put together.

Leotard, Leggings, and Skates: My Life As ice skating set (on clearance for $5 after the Winter Olympics) from Walmart 
Coat: Springfield Collection. I folded the bottom of the long coat under to make it look shorter so her cute skirt would show, and I added some decorative snowflake brads for buttons.
Muff: Home-made with a piece of white fleece.
Glasses: Hand-made by me with wire I had on hand.

Her hair was pretty messy, but actually in pretty good condition. I tamed it with a little bit of water and fabric softener, brushed it with a wire brush, and flattened the bangs with a hat before braiding it into that classic Molly style. Now our "fake" Molly is ready for some real fun!

Look what I got for $3.80!

I haven't been to a Kohl's store for a while, but when I stopped in today I was delighted to find some great clearance bargains, including this Dollie and Me dance set. It was 90% off the regular price of $38, which ended up being just under $4! I bought two of them, so I was able to clothe both my daughters and their dolls all in matching outfits for under 10 bucks. These seem to be a pretty nice quality, but the fit of the leotard is a little off. The neckline was way too big for my youngest daughter, so she probably won't be wearing that part for a while, but she loves the tutu skirt. The color and sparkle make it great for dress-up play or an easy costume. This would make a great fairy skirt, and I was thinking I could add some snowflakes to make an Elsa ice queen tutu.

Here is the doll dress on Saige. It's all one piece with a leotard and attached tutu skirt. I like the overall fit on an AG doll, and it should easily fit other brands. It's too short for a dress, but it makes a nice dance outfit, especially with some tights or leggings.

I bought these two sets plus a pair of shorts and a skirt, all for under 14! My receipt said I saved $111!! Overall, I think it was a very good value. Kohl's also has some cute girl and doll pajama sets on sale right now for around $13. The regular prices for the Dollie and Me line are too high in my opinion, and I have found that the quality is not as high as other brands of matching sets I've purchased. If you can find them on clearance or on sale through Zulily, though, I think it's worth it. Definitely not bad for under $5! You couldn't even buy the doll outfit for that, even with a coupon! The change of season is a great time to hunt for clearance bargains. If you find some good ones, be sure to let me know.

I love collecting mini dolls, while my daughter prefers the 18 inch variety, so I am excited to see a growing number of doll lines that fall somewhere in between. I call them "midis" because they seem to be right in the middle in three categories: size, cost, and age range. These dolls are between 8 and 14 inches tall, and they often have bigger heads than bodies. The cost is usually between $10 and $20, and they are geared for ages 4-8 or so. I like seeing dolls that look like little girls rather than baby dolls or adults. Most of a girl's doll-playing years fall in between preschool and tween age, so why are there so few dolls to reflect that?

These dolls from Fisher-Price represent characters from the Dora and Friends line. The picture on the box next to Dora (far right) shows the contrast between the original Dora and the newer, more mature version. I am glad the Powers That Be decided to keep both personas. Personally, I like the more grown-up look. I think she looks more realistic, but still sweet and innocent and not too teen-looking. These dolls are 8 inches tall, but because their heads are quite a bit wider than their bodies, they look like they can share clothing with the American Girl minis. The shoes actually look about the same too, which would be great because those things are so hard not to lose. The hair looks nice. It's long enough for some real play and styling but short enough to stay relatively nice. The diversity of characters is nice too. For my visually-impaired daughter, this style works really well. It's small enough to carry around, but the enlarged facial features are easier to see. I also like the bright colors. 

Here is a closer view of a couple of the dolls, which come with a charm that can be used the Talking Dora and Smartphone. How creepy is that large preschool Dora head in the background? These dolls are just under $8 at Walmart. 

The Dance Party dolls are more expensive at $15, but they come with more accessories. The TV show and the characters promote problem-solving and friendship, and there are some really cute e-books available for free on Android. There is also a boy character named Pablo, who is (not surprisingly) missing from the doll line-up.

Next we have these mid-size LaLaLoopsy Littles. The price-tag is much easier to swallow than the full-sized big sisters, and the clothes look like they would also fit AG minis. These two characters respresent Snow White and Cinderella, and I just love their apple and pumpkin "pets." I have never liked this brand (I think the movie Coraline ruined those button eyes for me) but these are undeniably cute. My oldest daughter adored the pink princess and kept trying to sneak her into our cart. 

The biggest of the midis are these new "Lil" dolls in the My Life line. They have toddler-type bodies with longer hair, much like the Bitty Twins. At 14 inches, they're just bigger than most baby dolls and smaller than the American girl Bitty Babies and Bitty Twins. The outfits are just adorable, and I think they could easily share clothing with average-size baby dolls like Circo. There was a birthday girl, a ballerina, and a pajama princess. I like the diversity in skin tone and hair, though I'm not crazy about the face mold. The mouths look a little too much like an infant to me. I think these dolls would make great little sisters to 18 inch dolls and would be a great first doll for younger girls. They are currently selling for about $13 at Walmart. 

I am always on the lookout for new clothing ideas for my mini dolls, so I was pleased to find the Printable Doll Clothes site. Elizabeth, a talented designer and doll collector, offers a variety of patterns to quickly clothe a variety of doll sizes. She also includes plenty of pictures, tutorials, and even videos to show you how to use the different pieces to create amazing outfits. I used the free dress pattern from the sample section and adapted it several different ways.

For Felicity's dress I cut a wider inner circle from the circle skirt piece to widen the waist and make it a little shorter. I also cut a couple of slices out of the circle to remove the excess overlap. I used the waist band piece for the headband and the two straps taped together for the sash. I kept on her shift to use as the bodice.

For Ivy's Asian-inspired dress, I used the extra pieces i cut from the skirt to make long sleeves.

For Rebecca's simple shift dress, I only used the top pattern piece, leaving some white at the bottom to add length. Then I cut slits to make fringe. I cut the waist band in half to make extra strap pieces so I could use two on each side for sleeves. For a finishing touch, I cut a larger heart from the skirt piece to decorate the top.

Elizabeth provides specific instructions for using her patterns to fit a variety of dolls. You can read the instructions for the AG Mini Dolls here, and 18 inch dolls here. Head on over to the Printable Doll Clothes site to check out the other outfit collections, which you can purchase in the PDC Etsy shop.

As an early childhood educator, I understand the importance of doll play, but sometimes I underestimate its power, especially for children with special needs. My daughter, who has a degenerative eye disease along with several other health problems, goes to a special school. We are blessed that the school is not too far away, and she receives free transportation, but she has to get up early to catch the van an hour before school starts. Getting ready for school can be very difficult, and some days she just won't cooperate.

Today was one of those mornings. She didn't want to get up, and she would not do anything I asked. When I tried to give her an asthma treatment, she started kicking me and hiding under the blanket. I was just about to start yelling at her, but I know from past experience that this tactic doesn't work at all, so I tried to just stop and think how to best help her. Then I spied her American Girl doll across the room, and inspiration struck. I held the inhaler in the doll's tiny hand and adopted a small, high-pitched voice that I thought might come from someone 18 inches tall. "This is Saige. Can I give you your medicine this morning?" To my amazement, it worked. My daughter stopped kicking and allowed the doll to administer her inhaler. When Saige buttered her toast, she ate it right away. She even let Saige brush and style her hair. Giving my daughter her seizure medication is one of the most difficult parts of the day, but she took it with no fuss after a warning from Saige that if she got medicine in Saige's hair, it would get ruined. She didn't spill a drop, and Saige even gave her a high-five afterward.

I was skeptical if this type of pretending would work with a nine-yr-old, but it was like magic. Having the doll help her get ready took away the element of a power struggle. My daughter was refusing to obey me because she wanted to prove that she had control, but she didn't have anything to prove to an 18-inch piece of plastic. It kind of put a buffer between me and her. "Ok, I am doing this, but not because YOU asked." Even though she knows her doll isn't real, it's comforting to pretend that she has a comrade who's on her side. I was trying to make her get ready as her mother, but the doll was able to help her as a friend.

Fifteen minutes later, my daughter happily trotted out to the van after saying goodbye to her doll, and then it was my turn to give Saige a high five. Doll play is definitely a powerful thing for children with special needs, but it is because it gives children a sense of their own power in a world that is so often out of their control and leaves them feeling helpless. Who knew 18 inches of plastic could do that?

As I strolled through the toy aisle at Walmart today, I saw some super cute Barbie items to enhance doll play. My girls don't play much with Barbies, but many of these accessories would be perfect for mini dolls, especially the new Our Generation modern minis. 

This Girl Scout Barbie doll was my absolute favorite. She comes in blond or brunette, and she's all decked out in her uniform (Barbiefied with plenty of pink, of course) and ready to sell everyone's favorite cookies!

My daughter has been a Girl scout for 4 years, and I think she would adore this set. Barbie's uniform even matches my daughter's, since she's a Junior this year. I love the tiny cookie boxes and the bag. Isn't Barbie a little too old to be a girl scout, though? Maybe she's just a really enthusiastic cookie mom. Anyway, the background and accessories would work great for AG or OG mini dolls or other dolls with a younger look.

At under $15, I think this set has great play value, if you can manage not to lose those adorable but ultra-tiny cookie boxes. I really may have to purchase this one.

There were several small accessory sets, including a glam microwave, glam breakfast tray, and glam vacuum set. The food sets are neat because the tray has little grooves you can fit the other pieces into so they don't fall off and get lost. The microwave comes with popcorn and pizza, and the breakfast set has a tea kettle, strawberry pancakes, and heart-shaped waffles. The little utensils are especially made for Barbie to hold. The cleaning set was kind of cute, but who really plays vacuuming with Barbies? Maybe if I had a "glam" pink vacuum I would clean more. 

These larger sets are great for recreating scenes from the hilarious Life in the Dreamhouse series, and they would also work great for other mini dolls. The camping set has two dolls, along with a campfire and sleeping bag and a few smaller accessories.I really love the Tiki set. It has a little snack hut with a stool, drinks, and a volleyball for lots of beach fun. The tropical background on the box is very nice. It comes with Skipper, but I can't tell if the Chelsea is an actual doll or just a picture. These sets are about $25 each, and there were several other sets as well, including a bicycle, a clubhouse, and a school set. If you need ideas to enhance your small-scale doll play, head on over to Walmart and check out these fun sets!

A recent perusal of the Pottery Barn Kids website led to the exciting discovery that a Gotz boy doll is once again available at Pottery Barn. The Gotz 18 inch dolls have been available for several years, along with mini dolls more recently. There are about four main dolls with different hair, eye, and skin colors, and special edition dolls have also been offered. There used to be a boy doll (named Henry) pictured on the website, but he has not been available for sale for quite some time. I keep hoping PBK would bring back their boy doll, and they finally did!

The new doll is named Parker, and he seems quite similar to Henry, but his eyes look darker. I really loved Henry's outfit, as it looks exactly like my son's school uniform, and I love the red shoes. The new (sportier) outfit also looks cute, but I wish there were more pictures or a more detailed description on the website. I can't tell what his shirt looks like under the letter-man jacket, but it looks like it has a collar, so it may be a white button-up shirt. If so, that would add some nice versatility to his outfit. The shoe color is also not clear, but I think they are a more muted color than the cute red ones. I like his hat, but it totally obscures his hair so you can't see the style. Maybe I will have to try to find one of these little guys in my local Pottery Barn store so I can check him out more.

Since the company created a completely new character rather than just bringing back Henry, I would like to have seen a little more diversity. The eyes are slightly different, but the complexion and hair look nearly identical. I would like to see a different skin tone or hair color/texture, or at least some freckles or glasses. Currently, there is quite a variety of girl 18 inch dolls available from Pottery Barn, so it's disappointing to see the lack of creativity with the boy doll. Overall, though, he is very cute and seems to be good quality, so I'm just glad to see a boy doll offering again from a major retailer. Parker is currently available for $99, but I am hoping to see some sales closer to Christmas.

There are also several other 18 inch Gotz dolls available, and as they bring in new characters, a few of the older versions are on sale. I saw some cute outfits too, including a cat costume and a birthday outfit. The regular mini dolls are not currently available, but they do have a princess, prince, and royal guard mini doll, selling for $24 each. You can also buy a royal carriage and horse to go with the set, and there is a full-sized princess doll and carriage as well. 

My local Barnes and Noble store does not have the new Beforever mini dolls yet, but they did have a few of the old versions stashed on a bottom shelf. I spotted one forlorn Molly peeking out from a row of smiling Isabelles, and I knew I had to bring her home. So I used my storytelling money and purchased her as a birthday present to myself.

Here she is in Raggedy Anne's pinafore, which makes me think of Molly's birthday dress. Welcome to the clan, Molly!

The Printable Doll Clothes site inspired me to make more paper doll clothes, so I decided to combine and adapt a few free printables to make this Anna costume for my mini Felicity. 

The bodice is an embroidery reference pattern by MomoKurumi at deviant art, and the skirt is from a Disney paper craft from the Disney Family website. 

I cut a slit up the back of the bodice piece and trimmed it down for a better fit. Then I taped the bodice together at the sides, placed it on the doll, and taped the back closed.

I cut out the skirt piece and then trimmed it just below the tabs so it would fit around the doll's waist. Then I placed it on the doll and taped it together in the back.

Here she is wearing Cecile's black boots and a little pink cleaning cloth for a cape. I couldn't do the signature braids because I want to maintain Felicity's original hairstyle, but I think she still looks cute.

Today is my birthday, and Saige made me breakfast! Unfortunately, she will have to be in the kitchen all day to make enough of those eggs to fill me up! They are the perfect size for my mini dolls, though. I assembled this quick table from a cup, a paper plate, and a doily.The eggs, plates, sign, and place mats are from the wonderful breakfast kit I got as a prize from Doll Diaries. This set is so cute, and it works for mini dolls or full sized dolls. You can purchase it from the DD Etsy shop here.