My girls love American Girl Doll. They’ve loved them since our first trip to the American Girl Doll Store in Chicago when they were just little girls. Since then, they’ve been American Girl Doll obsessed. It was not surprising to me when my Gabs told me that she was excited for AG doll of the year Blaire Wilson and I’m assuming she’s not the only one so we’re hosting a giveaway.
I’ve always had a special place in my heart for American Girl Dolls because I remember my niece playing with them when I was in college. But I’ve really loved the fact that each American Girl has a story to tell. I like women and girls of substance and American Girl never disappoints.
Disclosure: We were generously sent an American Girl Doll of the Year Blaire Wilson to review and 1 to giveaway. All thoughts, opinions and my daughters’ love for all things AG is our own and authentic.
This year’s Girl of the Year (GOTY) Blaire Wilson is no exception. She’s a young chef-in-training who loves bringing people together. Ms. Wilson joins American Girl’s family of characters and stories designed to help girls think about their own character and who they want to be.
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Meet American Girl Doll of the Year Blaire Wilson.
A natural people person, Blaire excels at gathering people around the dinner table, however, she needs help finding the balance between the digital world and the real world. Sounds familiar. I can definitely relate to this digital debacle that Blaire finds herself in. My girls relate to this as they are getting older.
READ ALSO: The Day My Teen Girl Told Me How She Really Felt
Through Blaire, girls will learn the importance of staying connected to the people they care about. This means more than clicking and swiping—it means truly being there. This is something that I still struggle with myself as a mother and a digital content creator. It is hard to find that balance between really immersing myself in my job and being present in my life; for my children and my husband. I have to stop myself often and just disconnect from the online world. The last thing I want to do is miss what’s going on in the real world. Being present for the moments, even the little ones, is what means the most.
Blaire Wilson is an everyday girl who thrives in using her many talents to make meaningful connections with others.
This is a lesson that I’ve been teaching my girls. Be present and connect with people in the real world. Don’t get me wrong, the online world is amazing. There are so many opportunities for connection and growth there but nothing can ever replace face-to-face connections.
Blaire’s story unfolds in a chapter book series written by Jennifer Castle and published by Scholastic. There are two books available now. Blaire loves to put her cooking and decorating talents to good use on her family’s sustainable farm and bed-and-breakfast in upstate New York. She loves watching cooking shows and spending time with her mom in the kitchen. She looks for inspiration online and saves her favorite cooking and decorating ideas. This sounds so familiar, Gabs and Bella do the same. We watch cooking shows on the weekends as a family and the girls can pin recipes with the best of them.
When the opportunity to plan the farm’s first wedding arises, Blaire jumps in with gusto. However, between overextending herself to create the perfect farm-fancy event and a newly diagnosed food sensitivity that makes her self-conscious, Blaire finds herself more engaged on her devices than at real-life gatherings with others. Like most of us, she’s learning the balance between time on a tablet and real-life connections. Ultimately, through the help of her family and friends, Blaire finds a healthy balance and learns the value of being fully present at every occasion.
READ ALSO: The Art to Being a Good Mother
Blaire comes to life for girls via a beautiful 18-inch doll, featuring bright green eyes and curly red hair. Blaire’s world features an array of outfits, accessories, and products that reflect her life on Pleasant View Farm, including a sweet lamb and piglet, festive party decor, and Blaire’s Family Farm Restaurant, with everything needed to play out a show-stopping farm-to-table celebration.
Some important guidance that our girls can learn from Blaire Wilson (GOTY)
Guidance for girls today. Blaire Wilson is learning to bring her creative ideas to life, while also finding time for ever-important, real-life relationships.
Staying connected. Sharing a meal, sharing a talent, sharing a story. Spending time together grows relationships, and Blaire teaches girls that real-world interactions are the best kind of social media.
Inspiring creativity. Expressing herself through cooking and decorating not only allows Blaire’s confidence to grow, but it serves as a chance to give joy to others.
Finding balance. Discovering creative inspiration online is exciting, however, Blaire must learn to keep a healthy combination of tech time and real-time with friends.
Fans can learn more about American Girl of the Year 2019 Blaire Wilson at the following events and activities:
- Blaire Online Play: Girls can visit http://play.americangirl.com/play/girl-of-the-year/blaire for book excerpts, games and activities, and Blaire’s Life at Pleasant View Farm Vlog posts from her family’s sustainable farm, featuring delicious recipes, gardening tips, cooking and craft videos, and more.
- Blaire’s Family Dinner Series: To promote mealtime togetherness, families are invited to attend a Blaire-inspired dinner series at select American Girl retail restaurants across the country in 2019.
The Blaire collection became available on January 1, 2019, at americangirl.com; at all American Girl retail locations nationwide.
Want to learn more about Blaire Wilson, connect with American Girl
Facebook: @americangirl
Twitter: @American_Girl
Instagram: @americangirlbrand
Pinterest: agofficial
YouTube: American Girl
I am giving away one American Girl Doll of the Year, Blaire Wilson. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post and enter using Rafflecopter. For extra entries, please see Rafflecopter below. Good luck.
98 comments
I have to be intentional about it. Put the phone down. Play with my daughter. It’s the little things.
It really is. I think being intentional and doing things with purpose is the only way. Especially doing what we do, it’s so easy to get caught up in the online world and ignore what’s right in front of us. I tend to stop working at pick up time and log back on after the kids go to bed.
I make sure to spend time outdoors with my kids!
I love this. I am the same. I feel less distracted when I’m outside with nature. I find my focus is more on what I’m doing and who I’m with and, tbh, if I’m outside around water…I just completely unplug.
I make sure to spend time with my family outside of the house.
I always find that I am more focused on the present when I’m outside of my house. Less distractions and less likely to fall into a pattern.
Oh man. I try to put myself in the moment as best I can. Focus on what’s right in front of me. But it’s definitely not easy. I think 99% of my time is spent unintentionally lol. Working on it.
Hey, that’s all any of us can do is try! I have the same issue. I am working so hard on being intentional and purposeful in my life choices.
I stay present by disconnecting from electronics and social media. It’s so easy to end up consuming those things 24/7 and missing out on life’s small moments. To help avoid this my daughter and I do our bullet journals together every night. It’s been a great bonding experience so far.
I love that you and your daughter do your bullet journals together. She will remember that forever.
I stay present by enjoying hobbies, such as arts and crafts… especially with my kids.
THis is such a good way to stay focused and engaged, especially with your kids.
I spend time with my daughter and play with her
Isn’t it the best? I cherish the time with my girls.
I spend lots of time playing with my daughters and participating with them in their hobbies like sewing and cooking.
That’s so nice. Not only are you being present, but you are also helping them explore their hobbies and making it feel important and special.
I stay present by really listening to my kids.
This is so important. In a world where everyone is talking over one another, when you take the time to really listen, it makes all the difference. Just think of how amazing it feel to be heard. You go mama!
I spend time with my family
I spend time with my family…
IS there anything better? Well, except for maybe a full body massage in silence 😉
By listening to each other!
That’s the key. Sometimes we have to stop talking long enough to hear the other person. That is truly being present.
you have to be intentional. Put the phone down and look and listen to your family.
Meal times , both making and eating are great way to interact too.
Quality time probably sums it up, not a little but a lot
Yes. We always do meals together and no phones are allowed, for anyone. I am working on being more intentional.
I make sure to give both my kids their own special Mommy time each day, without phones, tv, tablet etc. I also find that when I am doing physical activities with my kids we all enjoy our day more, so playing outside, running around the basement, going to indoor trampoline parks etc.
That is great. I am the worst at figuring out how to give each girl their own mommy time. I always feel like I’m cheating someone and the little one doesn’t get why they should each have “special time” she feels like it’s better when we’re all together. Keep doing it. I love that you’re staying so physically active with your kids. SUch a great example for them.
I go for walks with my family and we talk while we enjoy nature
This sees to be a common way that lots of people are reconnecting and staying present by leaving the tech behind and staying present with one another.
I exercise every day and try to get outside in nature to stay present.
Great ways to stay present. I too am working on working out more. I just feel clearer mentally when I do that.
I remind myself that life is short and to enjoy the moment.
This is great because we all tend to forget this. all the time. Just simply remembering that is a game changer.
Leaving the electronics behind and enjoying walks and talks together with my kids.
Yes, nature is a great way to unplug and be present. I love long walks or bike rides with the family. Or just hanging at the beach.
I work on concentrating on the moment rather than rethinking the past or worrying about the future. It takes practice, but I’ve become much more mindful of the present.
This is awesome. And it is so smart. I have realized that Worrying is a useless emotion.
I try to spend as much time as possible with my grandkids. We love playing games, crafting and just being together.
I love the idea of crafting. The girls and I used to do a lot of crafting when they were smaller. Now, they are so busy with extracurriculars. I think I want to bring back some kind of crafting. Maybe we can start knitting or something together. Something where we are just still and talking.
I try to spend as much time playing and reading with my kids because those are the memories I have from when I grew. I want my kids to have those great memories
Sweet. There is a book that I read to my girls that they both loved. It’s so funny, it wasn’t the typical book. It was called Mrs. McNosh Does the Wash and they will still ask me to read it to them, at 11 and 13 and I happily oblige.
I take a time out and try to focus on myself and on my family and build from there
That’s all any of us can do. I swear being cognizant to remember to be present is probably the best thing we can do.
This is perfect. We all forget to focus on ourselves, especially if we have kids. I know for many years, I have been putting myself least and finally, this year, I am really trying to remember that I have needs and they deserve attention. Without caring about myself, how am I supposed to care for my children and also, what kind of example am I for my daughters?
I make time for myself every day by meditation and going outside and walking. I take time during the month to make monthly activity boxes for my Grandchildren. I fill them full of activities to do when they have spare time. I seal them with love and send them one each month and some of the things are for when we get together. They love it and I love enriching their lives with ways be creative and have fun too.
That is so great. Also, I love that you make monthly activity boxes for your grandchildren. You are #GrandmaGoals for sure. You go, girl!
I always make sure to put phones away and talk to my family, we all really enjoy nights in together just talking
Us too. I stop working from pick up until they go to bed. It’s the only way that I can have my head all in the game. Also, I find that when I try to do both, neither are done well.
I spend time with my family making memories.
What kinds of activities do you like to do to make memories? Anything special that your family likes to do?
I make sure to have a couple hours of quiet time each morning before the children wake up.
Aren’t those the best? I love that time when the kids are asleep and I can just be and think. It’s the only time of the day, I feel like my mind is clear and uncluttered with all the things that need to be done.
I stay present by lots of interaction! 🙂 During these cold winter months, we play a board game every night during the week! Sometimes really short ones or a game of cards. Just something to do together! We also love to take drives and look for wildlife. He has taken an interest in taking pictures of the animals…so we are doing that together!
I love these ideas. I love board games during the cold months. I think anything that gets us off the phones and paying attention to one another is perfect.
I keep present in my life by knowing we have today but tomorrow we might not. Being present ensures I am getting the most out of life right now.
Exactly, living like tomorrow is not guaranteed can keep us present.
I stay present by spending lots of quality time with my four grandchildren.
Sounds like the perfect way to stay present.
Wow she is stunning. It is really great that American Girl uses REAL people to promote their products, too. It just looks like their dolls are much higher quality than others.
I love that too. I love the backstories for all of the AG dolls.
I make sure to take time to,improve my health.
We all need to be better at this.
I stay present by focussing on the moment. You are given only so many moments and they are only that age for a millisecond it seems. Instead of doing h things ater, d do them now when you can. Enjoy the smiles and laughter. Those are memories you will look back on as will they.
100% why put off til tomorrow what we can do today.
I try to take it day by day, just focus on this days tasks, not worrying about what tomorrow will bring.
This is the best thing any of us can do. Live like nothing else is guaranteed.
i try to stay postive in life!!!
What a great outlook. This is my word for this year, “positivity.” I’m trying to stay more positive in my life too.
We enjoy each day as if it is a new day to start over. We also train and compete with our dogs on a regular basis, so getting out with them as a family keeps us present and grounded.
Love this and love that you even include the fur babies. Also, how cool that you compete and train with your pups.
I take each day separately and make sure those around me know I am available to talk whenever necessary.
I love that you make sure they know you are available. That’s a win for everyone. Just remember that they are there for you too!
I’m working on it, honestly. As long as I can connect one-on-one with each kid and my husband, and grab a couple minutes with a mug of tea to collect my thoughts, I figure it’s a win.
It is a win. You are smart to be able to prioritize.
I try to stay present by taking some “me” time every now again to just breathe and take a break. I can focus better on my kids.
We make sure to put all technology away and spend time together.
This is so hard- i try to leave work at work and at least try to eat dinner together every day
I stay present by spending quality time with children and grandchildren. I also like gardening and playing outside with my dogs.
The best way for me to be present is to turn off social media for an hour or two a day and have conversation with my family members!
Yes, social media steals our time and our attention. I love social media but I need to find a way to balance.
I stay present by taking a good bath, and just calming myself
I haven’t been able to do this since I’ve had kids.
I spend quality time with my grandkids having fun without TV or electronics. We especially like to get outside swimming, hiking and riding bikes.
I think its pretty common that once we get outside and away from our electronics, it’s so much easier to focus on one another.
Lots of playing with my dogs and girls…and LOTS of laughter!
Laughter is the best. I think the more we laugh the better life is.
I take some time for myself, might be getting my nails done or trying a new restaurant.
That sounds heavenly. I need to make more time for this.
I stay present by reading with my children and taking them out to play with me
I love this. Reading with kids feels like going on a vacation or escaping to our own magical land.
I am trying to be more present in life by setting aside time for my spouse, kids, and myself separately. It has helped a ton so far!
I am still trying to figure out how to separate our time.
By praying for others. It’s hard to find quiet time in a house with three kids, but if I ask them to pray with me, they stop what they are doing and pray.
That is a great way to be present with your children. I find prayer to be a sort of meditation and look inward.
I try to stay present by being mindful.
It’s the best we can do, remember to stay aware and in the moment.
I stay present by putting down the electronics a few hours a day and enjoying nature with my dogs
I stay present by reading and surfing the internet to see the news.