Best Pals Dolls

Any of you that know me in person know I am a sap. I am nostalgic, can be a little retro, and have no problem sharing with anybody that I still have my favorite childhood doll and bear (Emma and Elizabeth)~ they have moved twice with me and always remain close (whether that would be in my closet or in my heart). Honestly, if I didn't already share a bed with my husband and two mini dachshunds, I am pretty sure I would still sleep with Emma and Elizabeth.

Imagine my excitement when I met Kathy and Janet Lennon (yup, of Lawrence Welk Show and Lennon Sisters fame!!!) to hear about their beautiful toy line.  Best Pals is a little girl's dream. Literally.  Sisters Kathy and Janet have created exact replicas of their childhood ragdolls, handmade just for them in 1949 by their nana and mom.  HOW COOL IS THAT?! 

It gets better, these dolls are CUTE! They are soft and sweet. They are made of safe materials. They are vintage and retro and eco-friendly.  Want to know something more amazing? They are UNDER $30. And they have friends (even a boy doll!!!)--there are multi-cultural "Pals", holiday dolls, mini dolls, and paper dolls.  These precious little dolls take us back to a much simpler time, a time when we named our dolls, we dressed and undressed them, we nurtured and loved them, had tea parties with them (yup they have that too!), sang with them (of course there are cds!!), and just plain old used our imaginations to play!

My daughter has the brunette doll, "Kathy", and LOVES her.  She sleeps with her, takes her to babysitting, and to the park.  We feed her "ba-bas", help her go "night-night" and cover with with "blank-dees" (blankies).  Ava looks for her baby before bedtime and has a full-on tantrum if she's not in her crib.

  

There are a lot of cool toys out there today, but I will always love a sweet simple baby doll that teaches a child unconditional love.

Thank you very much to KatJan, Inc. for providing me with a "Kathy" original doll to help facilitate this review.  I was not compensated monetarily for this review.

Play Mobil Fire Chief and Car

Many of you will be so totally excited to relive your childhood through toys this holiday season. I know that is one of the biggest and unexpected perks since becoming a mommy~ I cannot believe how many of the same toys are still around to share with my daughter.

Today's toy is by Playmobil~ specifically, the Fire Chief and Car.  This is a 45-piece set that retails between $19 and $23.  The set comes with one rescue worker, and one vehicle.  The car is a jeep-style convertible that holds many tools needed to complete a rescue mission~ a mega phone, cones, first aide kit, fire extinguisher, laptop, etc.  This toy is amazing by itself or can be combined with any of the other toys in the Rescue series, and would also pair well with some of Playmobil's other sets; Hospital, Life in the City, and Transport, just to name a few!

Playmobil's toys are known for being made with safe, quality materials that are durable and beautifully made.  All toys are colorful and appealing to children of all ages (my one year old totally wanted in on the action---though she'll have to wait to play with this one, the pieces are small and are a choking hazzard).  As a mom and a teacher, the most appealing aspect to me is the imaginative play that is facilitated by the variety of toys, themes and accessories.  No batteries are required, no lights flash, there are no buttons to push...just old-fashioned creative fun---mommy likes!

As mentioned above, due to small parts being included, this toy is recommended for children ages 4-10.

A huge thank you to Playmobil for providing me this toy to help facilitate this review.  I was not compensated monetarily to write this review.

Welcome!

Welcome to Baby in the Kitchen's Holiday Gift Guide!  Check back often for reviews on the HOTTEST toys this year!