Sales and News (Disney Store, American Girl, Tuesday Morning, and More)

Hey guys! I thought I'd post this morning before my full, crazy day. We have a potluck at the church and a special Memorial Day service tonight. Then the girls and I will most likely be spending the night at Mimi's with Mimi and my mom. That way, Mimi can watch the girls while Mom and I shop the 50% off sale at Goodwill tomorrow.

I just wanted to share a few sales and things I've noticed around town that might interest you. First off, at my local Target, the live action Disney Cinderella dolls by Mattel are on clearance for $27.90 instead of $39.99. I've decided to hold out and see if they'll go down any lower. I might miss them since there are only about five of them left, but that's okay. I don't really need a Mattel Cinderella (but it would be fun to have one). ;) They don't appear to be on clearance in any other stores.

Interestingly enough, the dolls are not on clearance on Target's website, so I don't know if they'll be on sale in all Target stores.

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In other news, Tuesday Morning has had some fun things in stock lately. The Madame Alexander Favorite Friends dolls, which share my Maggie doll's face mold, have been showing up for around $30 there. If you like this face mold, this is an excellent price. Usually they're priced at around $60 or $70, which in my opinion is too high considering the less-than-stellar quality of their hair. Here are a few shots I got of the dolls currently in my Tuesday Morning:

This one is labeled "Favorite Friends Doll Factory". 

She has a face just like Maggie's. I love her adorable jacket. :)

This doll is not actually labeled as a "Favorite Friends", but she should be comparable to the other doll. She's got quite the outfit. Lots of mix and match possibilities there. :) 

I tried to get a picture of her face without catching the reflection on her clear plastic, but it was pretty much impossible.

Another look at her outfit. 

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For those of you who are fans of the original releases of the Ever After High doll line, Tuesday Morning and Ross are really good places to shop right now. You can find the initial dolls, the "Getting Fairest" line, and sometimes even "Thronecoming" or "Legacy Day" dolls for around $12.99-$14.99. These are a great price, and now that the dolls are being re-released with fewer accessories and lower quality outfits, this is the time to snag these original ones. 

Some of the dolls currently on my Tuesday Morning shelf. 

Some of you may not be aware that the Ever After High dolls now have new packaging and simplified outfits and accessories. For example, I found a Dexter Charming a few weeks ago at Walmart in the new package. Here he is:

Now compare him to my original release of Dexter (which I still haven't managed to review yet):

See the differences?

Aside from the smaller box, this Dexter has no scarf and a jacket with less detail that looks rather cheap. He has no backpack either. 

A closer look at his outfit:

And what happened to his hair?

Granted, this "munchkin style" on the first doll was a bit over the top, but the completely flat style of the newer release doesn't exactly work either.

I've seen similar cutbacks on other new releases. The dolls are missing their rings and their purses. Many of the dolls that had fuller, curly hair now have flat, simplified styles. It's very disappointing to see Mattel take this shortcut route. :( 

On the same day I found Dexter, I was thrilled to finally see a Lizzie Hearts in person, even in the newer packaging:

Then I noticed something "interesting". Check out her hands, especially the one in the background: 

Did you notice? They gave her two right hands! I've seen this at least one other time on a different EAH doll in someone's YouTube review. I thought I should point this out so you can check hands when you buy a new doll. Make sure she has a right AND a left!

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The big news in the American Girl world is that Caroline is retiring, a new 1950s BeForever doll named Maryellen Larkin will be released later this year, and the "My AG" line has now been renamed "Truly Me". Also, three new Truly Me dolls have been released, along with some new clothing and accessories.

I think Maryellen is going to be adorable with her green eyes and strawberry blonde/light red hair. Some of the outfits on the covers of the books look adorable. I'm sure she'll have some really fun accessories, too.

You can get a small preview of what she's going to look like from these photos of the mini doll and books:

Mini Doll

Book Set

Like many others out there, I'm sad to see Caroline go so quickly. I hope to get her Spencer and Hat set before she's completely gone, but we'll see what happens.

As far as the Truly Me line, I'm actually a bit relieved that the name has changed again. It's super hard to search for "My American Girl" on any sort of secondary market, because it brings up everything with American Girl in the title. Also, "American Girl Truly Me doll" sounds a lot better than "American Girl My American Girl doll". ;) 

Here are the three new Truly Me dolls: 

Truly Me #62

(Picture found HERE)

Truly Me #62 has the Sonali mold, dark hair, medium skin, and beautiful amber eyes. I'm not in the market for any more AG dolls (I've run out of space!), but if I were, she is the one that would come home with me. She is my very favorite of the three new releases. :)

Truly Me #63

(Picture found HERE)

Truly Me #63 has the Classic mold, blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes.

Truly Me #64

(Picture found HERE)

Truly Me #64 has the Jess mold with the special Ivy eyes (which had more detail around them), dark hair, light skin, and brown eyes.

This is #54, who is not a new doll, but her eyes now feature the extra lines of the Ivy mold, just like #64.

(Picture found HERE)

There is currently a Truly Me sweepstakes going on with weekly prizes. For details about this and other AG news, you can check out their Facebook page HERE. 

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Finally, just for today, there are some great sales going on at Disneystore.com on dolls, toys, and more. I'm sure they'll have a new promotion tomorrow for Memorial Day, but I thought I'd mention this to you guys in case there's anything there you're interested in. You can see all of the sale items HERE. 

P.S. Am I the only one who holds my breath and scrolls through the whole sale when I see the Fairy Godmother and Lady Tremaine dolls on sale? I'm really hoping one of these times that the Prince and Cinderella set will go on sale, too. ;) I'm not thrilled with their serious faces, but I love their clothing. I just don't want to pay the full $70 for them. ;) 

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I think that's all for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with your families. In the middle of the festivities, swimming, barbecues and sales, please stop to remember the fallen warriors who bravely fought for our country. That's what this holiday is truly about. Which sounds rather hypocritical after I've just spent an entire post talking about sales and toys. :{ I do feel, however, that it's important to stop and be thankful for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be free. May we never forget.

Disney and Madame Alexander Dolls on Costco.com

Okay, I know I just did a "heads up" post this morning, but after visiting Costo.com, I thought I'd do one more quick one. ;)

I noticed that the adorable Madame Alexander 18" dolls from Costco are on the website:

Original image HERE.

Original image HERE.

Original image HERE.

Original image HERE. 

 Be sure to click the links below each doll to see them closer and get more details.  These dolls have the same face mold as the "My Life As" dolls from Walmart before their face mold change this year.  They also do NOT have those (in my opinion) annoying bendable arms and legs, so they'll be a lot sturdier and easier to play with.

If you have a Costco in your area, you might want to check there first, because these dolls are on sale for $19.99 at my local Costco, but they cost $24.99 online (plus $7.99 shipping).

I also noticed that Costco.com has a line of Disney Princess and Me dolls available for a really great price.  For $38.99 (plus $8.99 shipping), you get a doll in her traditional outfit, plus an extra outfit and (in some cases) accessories.  These haven't made an appearance at my local store yet, but I wish they would. ;)

Here are the four dolls:

Rapunzel with an extra Ballet Oufit

Original image HERE.

(Interestingly enough, on Costo.com it lists this as Rapunzel with an "Ice Skating Outfit". ;)

Ariel and Sleepover Accessories

Original image HERE.

Cinderella and Tea Party Accessories

Original image HERE. 

Belle and Picnic Accessories

Original image HERE.

My favorites are Cinderella and Belle because of the fun accessories included with them. :)  I have not seen these sets in person, so I don't know about the quality or anything.  I have had both a DP&M Belle and a DP&M Rapunzel in the past, though, and thought the dolls were sweet.  Their hair isn't the greatest quality (I would DEFINITELY recommend braiding Rapunzel's hair right away!), but with careful maintenance should do okay. ;)  Their faces are really sweet, too.  They don't fit AG clothing, but they can share clothing with BFC Ink dolls.  You can see my earlier review of the DP&M Rapunzel doll HERE. 

I hope this helps some of you with your Christmas lists. ;)  Happy Shopping!

    

Fun Finds Around Town

I'm not sure how things are looking in your own towns and cities, but things are definitely gearing up towards Christmas in my neck of the woods.  Here are a few goodies I've found locally that might interest some of you. :)  By the way, some of the photos in this post are not as high in quality, as they were taken with my cell phone (which is NOT a smartphone). ;)

My first recent find was at Walgreen's, of all places.  (Incidentally, it can also be a great place to find older mini Lalaloopsies.) ;)  My mom and I popped in to find some "Lice Shield" lice prevention shampoo after the whole head lice ordeal, and of course I walked through the toy aisle. ;)  I was so excited to find this ginormous Fluttershy brushable for just $9.99! :D

So cute! :) 

Here she is out of her box.  Hmm, I need to work on that mane a bit. ;) 

She stands at approximately 8 1/2" tall, which is a lot bigger than the standard Fashion Style ponies (like the Fluttershy in front on the left).  She towers over the regular brushable-sized ponies (like the little Fluttershy in front on the right).

She also looks ADORABLE on my Fluttershy shelf with my other Fluttershys:

Another great My Little Pony find this week was at Walmart.  They finally got in the Wave 11 blind bags! :D

I was so excited to see this overflowing box! :D  There was another box next to it, too.

Armed with my codes from the Strawberry Reef Blind Bag index, I started sorting through to find the ones I wanted.  I was even able to help another mom with a little pony fan of her own.  She saw me studying each bag carefully and asked if they were numbered or something.  We had a great visit, and she went home with three Breezies and Royal Pin. :)  I went home with Flash Sentry, Cheese Sandwich, Royal Pin, Cloud Chaser, and one Breezie (I'd found most of them before she approached me). :)

Here's a look at this series' packaging.

Here they are!  Sorry, I couldn't find Royal Pin and Cheese's collector cards. :}

I was really looking forward to adding Cheese Sandwich to my collection.  They did a great job capturing him in figurine form. :)  I would love to find one of these to give to my brother as a gag gift for Christmas.  (He's a big Weird Al fan, and was not that thrilled when he heard that Weird Al voiced Cheese Sandwich.) ;)

Here is Lilac Breezie.  I have to say, I'm not that impressed with the G4 renditions of the Breezies.  Especially when you compare them to G3's versions (which you can see HERE).  I don't care for the way these new Breezies' eyes are painted or the way they're designed.  It took me quite a while to get her to stand.  She's very top-heavy, and her legs are rather weak and flimsy.  I can't see the wings lasting very long with kiddos playing with them, either. ;)

Here's her collector card.

Flash Sentry in pony form.  Unlike a lot of MLP fans, I actually enjoyed Flash in the first Equestria Girls movie, so I was looking forward to adding him to my blind bag ponies.

His collector card.

Cloud Chaser shares a mold with Flash Sentry and the previously released Thunderlane.

Cloud Chaser's card.

Here's Royal Pin, who shares Shining Armor's mold.  I really like the way they painted his eyes.

Little Gal asked me to take a picture of Royal Pin and Rarity together.  She's decided they make a good couple, since they're both unicorns and his card talked about how he liked making fashions for his friends. ;) 

For those of you into American Girl and other 18" dolls, Costco is the place for you. ;)  They have some great things in stock.

The first item I saw was their AG pet display:

The pet sets are $29.99 each, and include a food and water dish for the dogs as well as an activity book.  The three options are the "Funky Terrier", the "Fancy Pomeranian", and the "Preppy Sheepdog".  I'm not 100% sold on the names, but I do like the pets themselves. ;)

The Sheepdog and the Pomeranian are my favorites.

The other exciting Costco find has to do with BeForever.  I'm really bummed, because I took a picture of the BeForever display with my phone as well, but I forgot to save the photo before I put my phone back in my pocket. :}  Thankfully, my mom picked up one of the sets for herself, so I'm still able to share a few pictures.

This is what Costco has in stock: sets of all three BeForever books, a cloth and metal bookmark, and the coordinating mini doll with a plastic doll stand.  They are selling for $39.99.  If you're looking for both a new mini doll and the new books, this is a great deal.  The books sell for $10 each, and the mini dolls are $25 each, so you're getting a discount of around $15.  The only downside is you don't get the little mini book the mini dolls normally come with.

Here's a better look at adorable mini Sam (who happens to be on backorder until November on the AG website).

She came with her two regular books and her Journey book (the "choose your own adventure" story).

Here's a closer look at the bookmark...

...and the metal rose charm at the end.

My Costco had all of the current BeForever mini dolls with their books:  Caroline, Samantha, Rebecca, Addy, Kit, Kaya, and Julie.  If you're in the market for these dolls and the new BeForever books and you have a Costco in town, you might want to swing by and check it out. ;)

I was thrilled to see the return of Madame Alexander dolls with nice faces at Costco this year. :)  As many of you may already know, the "My Life As" dolls from Walmart recently changed their face molds.  For an excellent review on the new dolls, be sure to check out Emily's post on The Toy Box Philosopher HERE.  The two most interesting things I learned from Emily were that the My Life As doll heads now only turn from right to left instead of tilting at different angles, and that the Madame Alexander Company is no longer producing the My Life As line. :{

While the new My Life As faces are cute in their own way, I really prefer their previous molds...which just happen to be the molds used for the Alexander Girlz dolls at Costco this year:

So adorable!

Here's a closer look at this doll's sweet face.  My favorite Madame Alexander 18" doll face mold is still the previous Alexander Girlz mold (the same face mold as Maggie's), but this one is a close second.  I'm not surprised the former mold is not being used at Costco anymore since the MA company has now started using it for their Favorite Friends dolls.

The back of the box shows all four dolls available.  The six pieces mentioned under the picture include the doll herself, a raincoat, a dress (which is completely hidden under the coat), tights (or they  might be stockings...I'm not 100% sure), boots, and an umbrella (which seems slightly small for the dolls but looks great when folded up).

Each of the dolls have at least a slight wave to their hair, which means it will be harder to keep nice and maintain (these dolls are not known for their hair).  That being said, their outfits are adorable and they are priced quite reasonably at $24.99.  The other thing I see as an advantage is it looks like they do not have the odd, rubbery flexible legs and arms of the My Life As dolls.  This makes them easier to pose and less smelly. ;)  Usually when the dolls have this posable feature, it is advertised on the box, and the box said nothing about bendable arms and legs.  Yay! :) 

I hope I've helped you with some shopping spree ideas, either for yourselves or for some early Christmas shopping for others. ;)  

Next week and throughout the coming month I'll be plugging away at my draft posts.  Here are a few things you have to look forward to:

Mini BeForever Addy review! :D

Lalaloopsy Tinies Walmart Exclusive Set review.

A look at the three outfits my mom bought at AG Place.

Um, so I kinda caved when I saw these sets on Disneystore.com and went ahead and spent my Disney gift cards. :}  They just came in the mail today, and I can't wait to open them and take lots of pics! :D

Funny thing is, one of the reasons I got the wardrobe sets is that I missed this set.  Well, the day after I placed my order, my aunt happened to be at our closest Disney Store and they had ONE SET of these original mini dolls!  She agreed to pick one up for me, and my mom was a sweetheart and paid for them. :D 

So, reviews galore coming your way!!  Which one are you the most interested in reading about?  Which of my fun finds around town has you the most excited?  I look forward to hearing from you! :)