Disclosure: This post is sponsored by American Girl.
One of the things I have loved most about having a little girl is being able to relive moments from my childhood.
It’s been really special handing down toys that I played with (and sometimes even my mom and grandma played with) and experiencing things with her that I did growing up. For her birthday this year, I refinished the dollhouse that my grandpa built for me and surprised her with it. There are a few more things I’ve been waiting to give her when the time is right. One of those things is my American Girl, Samantha.
I’ll admit I wasn’t much of a doll person growing up. But I loved my Samantha doll. She was it for me. I vividly remember the Christmas that my two girl cousins and I asked for American Girl dolls. Oh, that feeling of pure joy and excitement when I ran downstairs on Christmas morning to find Santa had brought not only Samantha but her beautiful brass bed and a closet that was filled with clothes (and now I’m realizing just how good Santa was to me that year!). My cousin Lauren got Molly and my cousin Erin got Felicity. All three dolls matched our personalities perfectly and we took them with us everywhere. (Did anyone else have an original doll? Who did you have?)
Fast-forward 20 years and I am blown away by all of the amazing things American Girl is doing. Did you know that you can take your doll to get her hair done, go shopping and grab bite to eat? Wow, times have changed from picking an outfit out of a catalog and waiting six weeks for it show up in your mailbox!
In the next few weeks Miss E and I will be having a little mommy/daughter date and I am really looking forward to it. We’ll be headed to the American Girl store to watch the new Isabella movie. I know she is going to LOVE getting her doll all dressed up and ready for the outing. Have you taken your daughter to any of the American Girl events before? Any tips?
American Girl is the perfect place to spend your summer break making memories. You’ll also find summer exclusives in the store, restaurant, and salon! Click here to learn more about the events at your nearest American Girl store.
This post is sponsored by American Girl.
About Taryn Whiteaker
Hi! I’m Taryn! The voice behind Taryn Whiteaker Designs. I launched this brand over 11 years ago when I became a stay-at-home mom. What started as a small craft and mom blog eventually grew into a full time design and DIY site. My goal has always been to inspire others (especially women!) with design ideas, DIY tutorials, entertaining ideas and give you the tools you need to complete them yourself!
Have fun! I just got back from a trip to the AG store in Chicago with my 6 year old and it was one of my favorite days ever with her. She loved it!! My only tip is to plan ahead what you want to spend, and communicate that to her if she’s old enough to understand. My daughter wanted to get a matching outfit, which I’d committed to, but I did not think any of the clothes they had there were cute enough to justify the price. Luckily I’d set dollar limits in advance and she was able to understand that we were not going to spend money on the outfit for her, rather, we got her doll an extra outfit and accessory. Plan to do all of the fun stuff too, lunch at the cafe, hair salon, etc., or else the trip will just end up being a quick shopping trip.
So cute! My nieces have American Girl dolls and I always buy accessories for their christmas presents
My favorite memories from childhood involve my dolls! I know your mommy/daughter time will be wonderful!
I never got an AG doll but I loved reading the catalog – their dolls are beautiful!
I got SO nostalgic reading this. I also had a Samantha growing up and she was a treasure to me. My sisters and I have so many great memories of playing with our American Girl dolls and reading the books. I love that you are able to share the experience with your daughter! PS – I set foot in an American Girl store a few years ago and my mind was just about blown. Good thing for my parents that we were limited to the catalog — with 4 daughters, they would be broke!
My girls LOVE their AG dolls and take them everywhere with them. They kinda look like them too and I’ve been known to talk to them from the back of the sofa thinking they were my dds!!