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! :)

Updated Info on Madame Alexander Costco Dolls and AG Pets

Okay, I had to run to Costco today to get some groceries (bummer, huh?), ;) so I got a chance to check out the Alexander Girlz dolls and American Girl Pet Sets there for myself.

First, the Alexander Girlz dolls.  I was mistaken in the price.  They are actually retailing for $28.99 (I've since corrected my information in my previous post).  The good news is that there is an actual reason for the price jump.  Each doll this year comes with an extra outfit!  So really, $3 more for an extra outfit isn't so bad. :)

There do appear to only be 3 different dolls this year, and unless they change things, it looks like there will not be a variation of each hair and eye color in each outfit.  A bit of a disappointment, but from a marketing perspective I can kind of understand.

I was able to snap some closer pics with my cell phone.  Sorry they aren't the best...the glare from the plastic on the boxes was really strong! :{  At least you'll get a better idea of what's available, though.

First, we have this lovely blonde-haired, blue-eyed darling.  She is dressed in a pretty princess dress with a bodice that reminds me of Rapunzel's with its laces.  I love her cute pink bow, too. :)  She comes with a lavender tutu styled skirt topped with silver ribbon, a sparkly white shirt, and a golden tiara.  The tiara was my youngest daughter's favorite part.  It is made of cloth. 

Here's a close-up of her pretty face.

Next we have this little cutie, who comes dressed in her equestrian outfit, which includes a riding hat.  Her extra outfit is a dress and tights ensemble in purple.  I guess she doesn't mind being a girly girl when she's not riding. ;)  The only thing I'm unsure of with this gal is her odd little topknot on her head.  It's basically a sort of bun with long strands coming out.  I think this hairstyle would come out as soon as she came home, if she was going to be at our house. 

Here's her close-up.  Sorry for the glare on the box! :(  Her eyes are blue and her hair is a nice light brown shade.  I must say, I really appreciate the fact that they did a brown hair/blue eye combo.  My oldest daughter has light brown hair and blue/green eyes, and loves it when dolls look like her.  It's really hard to find a less expensive play doll with brown hair that doesn't also have brown eyes.  I have a feeling she'll be really excited to see this one (although she'll wish she was wearing one of the "prettier" outfits). ;)

Now we come to my favorite one of the group.  I don't know what it is, but there's something with this mold about the brown hair, brown eye combo.  And of course, her white ballet outfit is so adorable that it definitely helps. :)  Her extra outfit looks like an extra dance outfit with tights, a black bodice, and a pink tutu.  It also has a purple short-sleeved hoodie that really doesn't match at all! ;)

Here's her close-up.  These pics really do not do the dolls justice, but I just wanted to give you at least an idea of what they were like. :)  As you can see from the pic, her hair is a darker shade than the blue eyed brunette.  Sigh...if I had more space and lots of spare cash, this one would sooo be coming home with me!!

These dolls tend to go pretty quickly, so if you're interested in getting one, I'd suggest buying one sooner rather than later.  Although, if you're willing to risk it, they usually have a pretty amazing sale price after Christmas if there are any left.  I think one of our acquaintances got one for $10 one year!

As far as quality, these dolls are not up there with AG (I mean, you are only paying $29 after all!).  But for a play line doll in the less expensive category, they are one of the best.  Heaps better than the hideous Springfield Collection dolls at Michael's (sorry if I'm offending anyone who owns them...I just REALLY don't care for their faces!).  

The main downsides to these dolls are their hair, which is pretty icky quality, and the fact that they have a different body style than AG dolls, so you can't restring them in the same way.  Neither problem is all that tragic, though.  They can be rewigged very easily (like my Maggie doll), and even though you can't fix them the same way you fix an AG doll, they hold up pretty well. 

My 3 daughters all have Alexander Girlz dolls.  They received them at the ages of 4, 2, and 18 months.  All three dolls are still in great shape.  Their legs are looser than they were originally, but all three can still stand.  Their hair is pretty bad, but I figured I'd wait to rewig until the girls were a little older. :)  And just in case you're wondering, my middle daughter is gentle with her toys, my oldest is gentle with them now (but wasn't as careful when she was younger), and my youngest is not very gentle with her things.  She isn't abusive or careless with her toys, but she's three and is still learning how to properly care for her dollies (which is why she does NOT have an American Girl doll yet!). :)

Here is what there dolls look like today, 3 years later:

Not too shabby, considering the life they've had! ;) 

If you want to hear more of my thoughts on these dolls, I reviewed them in both of my Doll Comparison Posts, HERE and HERE.

Now, moving on to the American Girl pets! 

Here are some pics of the ones my mom picked up:

Sugar (for my middle daughter)

Sugar comes with a book called "Sugar's Super Sweet Postcard Set".

Ginger (for my youngest)

Ginger comes with "Ginger's Spice of Life Crafts".

Honey (for my oldest)

Honey comes with "Honey's Guide to Puzzle Fun".

I tried really hard to get pics of their faces, but the way they were packaged, they were looking right in the corner of the box.  It made it pretty much impossible to get a good head shot! :{  So, after Christmas, when the girls get to open them, I promise I'll do a more comprehensive review! ;)

I've never purchased an AG pet before, but I was reading some of the reviews on the American Girl website.  There were a lot of people commenting on how hard and un-poseable these pets are.  Good to know, since they look all squishy and cuddly.  Like I said, though, I'll give you a fuller review when they're opened.  

I found myself falling in love with Pepper, the husky.  Hmm, maybe my dolls need a pet! ;)   

Hope you enjoyed the post.  Be sure to check back later this week for a post on the new Madame Alexander Friends Boutique dolls in Walmart for this year! :D

New Madame Alexander Girlz Dolls and American Girl Pets in Costco! :)

Okay, I know I said I was leaving, but I wanted to give everyone one more heads up before I left. :)  My mom and aunt were in our local Costco yesterday, and they had this year's new Alexander Girlz dolls by Madame Alexander.  They look so cute!! :D  I can't wait to go and see them in person.

Here's a pic my mom snapped on her phone and sent to me:

My mom didn't see any other dolls besides these three.  She said that the blonde has blue eyes, one of the brunettes has brown eyes, and the other brunette has dark blue eyes (I'm not sure which brunette is which).  From the picture, it looks like we have a princess, a ballerina, and an equestrian. :)  I hope they bring out an African American doll, like they normally do.  I'm also curious to see if they repeat last year's trend of having a blonde and a brunette in each outfit.  I thought that was a great idea, but maybe they didn't make enough last year to make it worth it this time around. 

This year, they are retailing for $28.99 plus tax.  I'll be sure to get more info to you as it comes my way. :)

The other exciting thing my mom and aunt discovered was that they had American Girl pet sets for just $13.99 plus tax.  Each set came with a pet and a little book.  The pets did not have their collars or name tags that they come with on Americangirl.com, but for the price it's worth it...at least in my humble opinion. ;)  I wanted to get the word out now, because stuff like this usually goes pretty quickly at Costco. 

At our Costco, they had Sugar, Honey, Praline, Ginger, and Pepper.  My mom picked some up for the girls.  I don't have time to take pics of them before I go (especially since they're being put aside for Christmas, and the girls are all up and about), but as soon as I get a chance, I'll get some pics of them on here. :)

Hope you guys get a chance to check out all of the fun new stuff.  Happy shopping...or at least happy window shopping! :D 

Madame Alexander/AG News from Costco plus...MY BEAUTY AND THE BEAST BLU-RAY IS HERE!!! YAY!!!

Hi guys!  Finally made it to Costco for groceries today...despite the risks.  Any time you take 3 girls 6 and under into Costco after school you're just asking for at least one melt-down moment...either from them or me!! :}  We actually survived and had a pleasant time looking at all the Christmas stuff and toys before we did our shopping.  I wanted to tell you about some of the things we saw.

First off, we saw the beeauutiful Alexander Girlz dolls by Madame Alexander.  There were 5 different dolls:  2 blondes (1 with bangs and 1 without), 2 brunettes (1 with bangs and 1 without), and 1 African American doll.  There were 3 different outfit variations.  Each doll came with her own MP3 player, headphones, digital camera, and a pair of sunglasses with a holder.  What's even better is that I checked Costco.com and they have them on there, so I can post pics to show you what they look like! :)

First off, here's the African American doll:

I love her jacket and cute black boots!

  

Here's the first caucasian doll variation, in blonde and then brunette:

Just to let you know, the bangs look much better in real life. :)

And here's the second caucasian doll variation, in blonde and brunette once again:

I really liked these boots, too! :)

Aren't they cute?  They're even better in person.  Even though I basically have this doll, I'm tempted to buy one every year at Christmas because their faces are so beautiful! :)  I especially loved the outfit on the dolls without bangs (the boots are adorable!) and the outfit on the African American girl.  The only complaint I have is that every year, the African American doll comes with her own different outfit, while the other dolls have a couple of variations.  I wish they'd do a version of each doll in each outfit, giving the buyer more choices. 

I would highly recommend these dolls as a starter doll for a little one, especially after purchasing my Madame Alexander Friends Boutique doll.  The Alexander Girlz dolls have held up really well for my daughters (the youngest was 18 months old when she got one!), more than I think the FB doll would.  Just remember that their hair is not too great, so plan on re-wigging some time in the future.  If you're a collector, the hair will last a little longer. 

One more thing:  online they're listed at $34.99, but in the stores they're only $24.99.  So if you have a Costco nearby and a Costco card (or know someone with one), it is definitely worth buying one at the store instead of online. 

I also saw that they just got in the American Girl book and mini doll sets that have all 6 books and a mini doll included.  What's really fun is that they even have Kirsten and Samantha dolls, even though they're retired.  It's $35 for each set, which isn't bad considering the price of each item by itself (sorry, there weren't any pics online, but I figured you should all know what those look like).  ;)

Finally, in more personal news, drumroll please, my Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray is here!!!  I'm so excited!  Of course, I don't actually have a Blu-ray player, so I can't watch any of the special features yet.  [For those of you wondering why on earth I got a Blu-ray of Beauty and the Beast when I don't have a Blu-ray player, the answer is: 1. I'm a total Beauty and the Beast nut and I knew there would be more special features on the Blu-ray than the DVD; 2. The DVD isn't being released for another month and I can't wait that long!] ;)  I'm planning on watching the movie tonight (it came with a DVD copy of the movie as well).  I'm hoping to go to my mom and dad's tomorrow, since they have a Blu-ray player.  Once I check everything out, I'll be sure to do a review.

The inside:  this is the Blu-ray disc that contains the movie itself.

Here's the second Blu-ray disc with all of the special features, and then the DVD disc with the movie.

Have a great upcoming weekend, everyone! :)  Hope you enjoyed the post.  And plan a trip to Costco and check out those gorgeous dolls!! :)