Beauty and the Beast Belle dolls review

Holly is totally enchanted by Disney princesses at present. She spends a lot of time in imaginary play upstairs in our playroom re-enacting scenes from movies. These two Belle dolls by Hasbro inspired by the new Disney Beauty and the Beast movie have been a total hit and they allow her to play two different roles in her make-believe world - that of Belle the villager and Belle the princess.

The Beauty and the Beast Village Dress Belle is dressed in a traditional blue checked and silk-style dress to match Belle as she leads her life in the village before she meets the Beast. She has a simple hairstyle that Holly likes to try and keep tidy and she comes with a pair of brown boots. I have caught Holly singing while playing, just like daydreamer Belle!

Enchanting Ball Gown Belle is dressed in her finest golden dress and is ready to be swept off her feet. She comes with a tiara, a golden necklace and a pair of golden slippers fit for a princess. This dolls arms and elbows move so that you can pose her into dance positions.  Holly likes to play with both dolls at once and swaps their shoes and dresses over until her heart's content!

I think Enchanting Ball Gown Belle looks very grown up and her simple face features remind me of the live action movie much more than a cartoon style doll would. Somehow the dolls give off a mature feeling which means that Holly's games don't seem quite so childish. Belle's hair, of course, has not stayed anywhere near as neat as it was when the doll first arrived, and I've had to pick that necklace up off the floor at least a million times in the last month!

Village Dress Belle costs around £17.99 at Argos and Enchanting Ball Gown Belle costs around £38.99. The difference in process is mainly due to the magical-looking dress but I guess also to do with the arms and movement. Holly definitely plays with this doll more than any other in her collection.  Both Belle dolls are inspired by the live action version of Beauty and the Beast.

U Hugs Customisable Dolls Review

U Hugs dolls have been a massive hit in our house with both Lara and Holly. We were sent two to review but I will admit that when browsing Toys R Us for birthday present ideas last weekend, I was tempted to add to the girls collection. U Hugs dolls from Flair are brightly coloured, stylised dolls which feature lots of little removable pins for clothes, accessories and styling so that you can mix and match them, chop and change them and change them until your heart's content.  And my, oh my, Lara changes her U Hugs around a lot.

U Hugs are designed for children from about 6-10 years old and I think Lara (nearly 7) is just about the perfect age to appreciate them.  She likes the bold style and less girly colours but is still drawn in by the need to dress, tweak and create her own styles for these dolls.

The U Hugs dolls come in their own presentation pack with about 12 different pins such as jewellery, hair accessories, clothes, eyes, lips etc.  Their arms, shoes and even their body are also pins.  Each pin (more of a plug) is easy to rotate out of place and push back in again.  It took Lara a little while to get the hang of it and she needed help at first but now she knows how to twist them in and out herself and only asked for help with the cloak/shawl type things which do require quite a bit of dexterity to line everything up into place.

I think U Hugs probably do work best when you have a couple that you can mix and match.  Each box gives an idea of shapes and pieces you can change to totally change the doll's character - they even recommend new names.  Lara and Holly both like the idea that you can move hair and eyes from one coloured doll to another.  Given the care and attention that Lara takes choosing the next combination of clothes and accessories, I think I may have a little fashionista on my hands.

I recommend keeping the box of your U-Hugs doll to keep all the pins in, some of them are hard to find once they've been put to one side.  If you are looking for a very sneaky place to store them - some of the dolls have a little cavity inside and even a patch on the body can be popped out and swapped for another one to cover over the little secrets stored inside.

I think U Hugs are a very clever set of dolls that appeal to girls who think they are "too old" for traditional dollies!  Find out more about the U Hugs characters on their Youtube channel.

Barbie Spin 'n Ride Review

In our house, Barbie has now become a firm favourite with both of my girls, aged 3 and 6.  The girls quite regularly will role play and make games up with their Barbie dolls as an occasional game, but it isn't very often that a Barbie toy becomes the primary focus for a few days in a row.  the Barbie Spin 'n Ride set is a bit of a change to this, in that both Lara and Holly seem to return to this play set each evening to play - I think it has a bit more of a "toy" appeal than a "I'm another Barbie doll in my set of role play dolls" appeal.

The Barbie Spin 'n Ride doll is a little bit different from most Barbie dolls in that Barbie has a fixed outfit (a pair of blue jeans) and movable limbs with rotating knee joints.  Barbie sits on her own bike which steers and moves just as a real bike does.  Alongside her ride her two puppies on their own skateboards, one of them even spins around and around as Barbie pedals.

Both girls enjoy attaching and detaching the puppies and their skateboards from the main bike and there also seems to be a strange fascination with taking Barbie's cycle helmet on and off!  I think its a little disappointing that the bike won't stand alone without the puppies riding alongside (you have to hold it to balance it... or else whoosh it REALLY hard across the floor) but to be honest, most of the time the girls want Barbie to be accompanied by her pet pals!

Holly struggles to grasp why her other Barbie dolls can't use the bike and also keeps trying to take off Barbie's special boots.  But despite this, she has formed an attachment to this doll - I think this is something to do with her big sister having recently learned to ride and having received a new bike for her birthday.

Barbie can be taken off the bike and played with, as any other Barbie doll would be, but I think this doll is a little bit special.  OK, she's not wearing sparkly glam clothing, but her appeal is very different and it has hit all the right notes with my two girls.

The Barbie Spin 'n Ride Pups set costs around £24.99 and is available from Smyths Toys.

Disney Fairies Sky High Periwinkle Review

Right now, pretty much everything Lara owns or wears is related to either Disney Princesses or Disney Fairies. This Disney Fairies doll is a great little toy that Lara has really enjoyed playing with in our garden.

Sky High Periwinkle, and her fairy friend, Sky High Tink are both new flying dolls from Jakks. While, in their packaging they look like delicate little things, I think they are probably best suited to outdoor play because they are surprisingly mobile! Pull the flower cord on the stand and see Periwinkle or Tink fly magically into the sky... apparently they can fly as far at 10ft (hence the outdoor recommendation!)

It took Lara about 20 minutes to get the hang of the pull-cord mechanism and, until she had mastered it, Lara was very frustrated. But once Lara had learned the technique she needed to pull the cord on the flower-shaped base, she wowed in amazement! Lara genuinely thought it was magic and I wasn't about to correct her.

I later caught Lara skipping around the garden talking to herself (or maybe she was talking to Periwinkle) and pulling that spin cord whenever she could before rushing off to pick up the fairy and play again. This toy definitely encourages imaginative play and I think it is actually quite refreshing to see a spinning, flying toy for girls as I think it is a concept I've seen a lot before in traditional boys toys. When you pull the cord, the fairy spins so fast that her wings rise, allowing her to fly into the air.

When this Disney Fairies doll is not in use, she can sit quietly on her flower stand which will sit well on a flat surface.  I would say that the only frustrating thing about this toy was the packaging which took me about 30 minutes to fight my way into.

Sky High Tink and Sky High Periwinkle are recommended from 4 years upwards and cost around £18.99.

Barbie Design and Dress Studio Doll Review

Lara was a very lucky girl this year - Idealo sent her a birthday gift, the Barbie Design and Dress Studio doll and fashion kit as part of their research into top toys for 2013.  This was Lara's first Barbie doll and I think it was a great introduction because it appeals to her strong creative side.  Lara spends most evenings tucked away in our dining room drawing, cutting, sticking and generally creating works of art and the Barbie Design and Dress studio encourages that.

The Barbie Design and Dress Studio features one Barbie doll (with a very impressive pair of heels that make me cringe simply looking at them) and a removable necklace.  She comes with one plain pink dress and a kit of 4 more different coloured dresses for you to design and decorate as you wish.

Each dress has a very simple shape and is encased in a small paper packet that makes you think of fashion drawings.  The kit includes two stencils for drawing patterns on the fabric, three different coloured pens.  There are also a few sparkly stickers for the finishing touches to a dress.  When your child has finished designing and decorating the dress, they simply slot it out of the paper packet and dress up Barbie.  They can make different dress designs for different occasions!

I think the concept is great; originally I was worried that once those 5 dresses had been designed then all you really had left was a simple Barbie doll but I've found out now that I can buy top-up sets of dresses and stickers to give the set a new lease of life in the future, should we need it.  I would say that I found the pens to 'bleed' a little on the fabric so it was quite hard for Lara to get a very accurate design but it may just be that she is a bit young to get the most from the stencils and pens (the set is recommended for age 5+).

The Barbie Design and Dress Studio has been a perfect introduction to Barbie for Lara because it it a lot more than just a doll or dress-up toy.

Corolle Baby Doll Accessories Review

It has been a little while since we first met Lara's doll, Rosie.  Lara is a little doll tester for Petalina and Rosie, a Choquettes toddler doll by Corolle, came to live with us shortly before Christmas.

 

From day one, Lara wanted to mother Rosie!  She scrounged bottles and nappies from me so that she could look after her baby girl!  Lara was recently sent the Corolle Les Classique Baby Accessories Set so that she could look after Rosie until her heart's content.

The Corolle baby accessories set comes in a handy carry bag (a changing bag perhaps?) with a fleece blanket, dummy, milk bottle, spoon, bowl, bib, toothbrush and toothpaste, baby lotion and two disposible nappies all designed for use with dolls.  The set is specifically designed for Corolle's baby dolls but most of the items work well with any doll of any size (only the dummy wasn't suitable for Rosie but then she is supposed to be a toddler so shouldn't really need a soother at her age!!!).

 

Lara's imagination has really run wild since she got her accessories set.  I don't think she had considered feeding her toys before but since she got a bib, bowl and spoon for Rosie, all of her toys now eat meals regularly.  Mainly picnics though.  The set has also brought a renewed interest in her doll's pram which she received when she was about 18 months old and had barely used since.  Rosie quite often gets tucked up in her fleecy blanker in the pram with the changing bag tucked underneath the buggy... just like I do!

It is amazing how such a small set of accessories makes such a big difference in terms of role play for Lara and so I've been browsing the large range of other doll's accessories on the Petalina website for further inspiration.  The toothbrush alone has proved a hit.  If you've watched our Toothbrushing Tips video then you will know that one of the things we recently tried to get Lara to brush her teeth was to encourage her to teach her own toys how to brush their teeth and this little toy toothbrush and toothpaste is perfect for that.

Now the only problem we have is that Holly thinks that some of Rosie's belongings are hers!

A Traditional Fair Trade Rag Doll

Meet Mia. Lara's new rag doll. Mia spent much of this weekend having picnics in Lara's room with Rosie the doll, Babs and Bob the bears and Tiger.

Rosie instantly appealed to Lara and I'm sure it is due to her simplicity. She is a simple, traditional Fair Trade Rag Doll from Llama Fair Trade. The dolls and their clothes are handmade in Sri Lanka under fair trade conditions with working benefits that you or I would recognise as standard but which, in the developing world, are still hard for employees to obtain.

Llama fair trade don't just sell dolls, they have a wide variety of fair trade products from across the globe such as cosmetics, stationery, musical instruments, bags and home wares.

Mia the doll came with a handmade outfit but Llama fair trade also sell a set of additional outfits for the large dolls to wear. The set comprised around 4 complete extra outfits including coats, dresses, skirts and tops and there are several different sets to choose from, including some for male dolls. The outfits came on a tiny little coat hanger which Lara has hung next to her fancy dress costumes on her own hanging rail. Lara loves taking the clothes off and putting new ones on. I am pretty sure she has inherited this trait from her Auntie... I remember her doing much the same when we were little.

Mia herself has a nice firm face with big rosy cheeks and soft, pliable limbs that makes it easy to get them in and out of the outfits. She needs a little help to sit upright at the picnic mat among Lara's other friends. The arms are sewn on and I would say that Lara is perhaps a touch too young to understand how careful she may need to be when putting the clothes on in order to protect the doll, it feels a little delicate in this area.

I love the simplicity and the credentials of this rag doll. I also already own a soft cuddly bear made by the same employer (imajo) in sri lanka and he is Holly's favourite. I'm really happy with the quality of both.

Mia costs £14 and the spare set of clothes cost £8.25 from Llama Fair Trade.

Petalina - Corolle Chouquette Toddler Doll Review

I mentioned a little while ago that Lara was going to be a doll tester for online doll boutique, Petalina. Well, a couple of weeks ago a gorgeous Corolle Chouquette Blonde toddler doll came into Lara's life and here is what she thinks of it...

When Lara first set eyes on her new doll, an unforseen level of calm descended over her. Instead of rushing to rip open the box, Lara asked me very politely, "Mummy, can I play with her?" and it left me almost speechless! Since then, I've really noticed that when Lara is playing with her Corolle doll, that she is much more well behaved than normal. Very weird, but very welcome.

Lara named her doll Rosie after one of her best friends at nursery. Rosie is very much part of the family now. Lara likes to change her nappy (clearly, although Rosie is a toddler, she isn't yet potty trained!?!) and brush her hair with the brush that came with the doll. Lara also enjoys "styling" Rosie's hair. I say this in the loosest sense of the word... it normally involves clips and hairbands shoved in at all angles in a wild mess. Lara has obviously inherited my own hair styling skills.

Rosie is a Corolle Chouquette Blonde doll who is styled slightly older than a baby. She has blinking blue eyes and a simple outfit of a lightweight vest and bloomers that is easy for Lara to take on and off. She also came with a stretchy pink headband but I don't think Lara approves of it (she won't let me put a headband in her own hair and she obviously feels the same way about her doll!)

The Corolle Chouquette Blonde doll currently costs £54.99. She has a soft fabric body that makes her flexible and comfy to carry but has shaped vinyl limbs which are ever so slightly scented to make her seem like she has that 'baby' smell. Rosie can sit unaided when Lara wants to style her hair. Rosie the doll is small enough to fit into Lara's toy pram.

Lara has clearly taken to Rosie very well because she has the great honour of being allowed to spend the night in Lara's bed - something previously reserved for her two favourite cuddly toys only.

Fairy Tower Dollshouse Review

I had been on the lookout for a REAL dolls house for Lara. We come across a fair few plastic or 'play' dolls houses in our blogging travels but I really wanted something a little more grown up for her, something that would really stretch her imagination and role play skills and keep her interested for a year or more.

Then, as if the dollshouse fairies had been watching me, www.dollshouses.co.uk got in contact and asked if we would like to try out their Fairy Tower dollshouse which is part of their wide range of children's dolls houses.

dollshouses.co.uk sell wooden dolls houses and thats what makes them stand out for me. This Fairy Tower looks and feels like a really good quality item that will last both Lara and Holly many years to come. Building the house was pretty painless and it now feels very strong.

We were also sent a set of three Truth Fairy dolls to live in the house. Lara likes to tuck them into their tiny beds complete with duvet and pillow sets and place them down to sleep in the drawers under the tower! We have already had a lot of use out of this dolls house and I expect there to be hours and hours more entertainment in it.

The Fairy Tower seems to capture the imagination of adults and children who come to visit. Even Lara's grandparents wanted to play! It comes with a table, two flower-shaped chairs and a small set of wooden crockery so that you can host tea parties! One of our teacups was damaged on arrival but we fixed it easily with superglue.

I love the colours on the Fairy Tower - it is painted with pink flowers and water lillies. I also like the fact that there are lots of cubby holes for your child to explore with their dolls - stairwells, arches, tunnels, drawers and towers. The flower on the top of the tower whizzes round.

The Fairy Tower costs just £32.99 and the set of three budkin dolls costs £12.99 which I think is a bargain compared to the big brand high street names. Both are made by wooden toy specialist, Le Toy Van.

dollshouses.co.uk also sell more traditional dolls houses and accessories as well as castles, garages, arks and pirate ships!

Lara is a Petalina Doll Tester

In our house Lara is just as likely to be found bashing things with big sticks or getting muddy in the garden as she is to be found baking pretend cakes in her kitchen or tucking her toys into bed.  I don't consider her to be particularly girly but I'm sure that there is something in a little girl's genes that means, regardless of upbringing, they like to bake cakes, play princesses and cuddle dolls.  I've never bought Lara a doll.  It just never seemed the right time even though I know she is always playing "mummies and babies" at nursery with her friends.

But now is definitely the right time.  I have very fond memories of my own Tiny Tears dolls who came into my life at about the same age as Lara is now.

Lara and I have been invited to pass on that dolly gene by Petalina.  Petalina sell dolls of all shapes and sizes to suit all budgets and tastes.  They also sell dolls clothes, accessories, furniture and lots of generally lovely bits and pieces.

Lara and I are both pretty excited about her being an official Petalina little doll tester so stay tuned for reviews and competitions over the coming months.  Lara's doll arrived in the post this morning so I can't wait to show her when she gets home from preschool.

Silver Cross Rag Doll Review and News of a Comp!

Over the past couple of months Lara has really developed her imagination through role play. Yesterday she told me she had spent the day at nursery being a doctor to the poorly babies! Lara has her own dolly who she likes to look after at home. Her name is Beth (or Goldilocks depending on what mood Lara is in) and she is a Silver Cross traditional ragdoll.



Beth came beautifully presented in a large white gift box that would make most little girls squeal with excitement when they opened it. I saw the Silver Cross ragdoll gift boxes on display in my local John Lewis last week and they looked fab. Beth is soft and squishable and has a delicately decorated face that makes her look so gentle and peaceful (especially when she is tucked up in her Silver Cross pram!)



Lara loves taking her ragdoll's coat off (and then getting me to put it back on again) and settling her to sleep in her own pram. One of Lara's absolute favourite things about the Silver Cross rag doll is that she has cute little bloomers which Lara can take on and off so that she can change the doll's nappy! Admittedly, Lara would also love to be able to take off the doll's shoes and she finds it frustrating that they are sewn on. I think Beth is beautifully made and I'd rather like one for myself - they have a small range of beautiful dolls from £25 to £35.



Silver Cross are currently running a competition on their facebook page to win one of 5 Pop Classic Lightweight Pushchairs. All you have to do to enter is like their page and then answer one easy question and provide your email address. The competition runs until Friday 16th December.