I will never, ever forget that Christmas morning when my sister and I woke up to something we had been dreaming of all year long – our first store-bought baby dolls. Waiting for us on our stocking-lined fireplace were two special dolls laid out in two matching doll beds. I will never forget that first hug, the sweet vanilla scent of a brand-new Corolle doll, and the feel of the velvety party dress she was wearing. I’ve seen 28 Christmases now, but that year still remains one of the most vivid Christmas memories I have ever had.
Although it’s been years and years since I played with dolls, I don’t know if I can ever get rid of that special Corolle doll. There is something truly magical about a girl’s first doll, but when that memory is preserved by a classic doll that can be passed down for generations, it makes the memory that much sweeter. Now that I am the proud mom of a darling little daughter who loves all things pink, I finally understand how happy my mom must have been to watch us race to the fireplace that morning.
When you’re buying something for someone to keep forever, you want to make sure that it’s a brand you trust so you know that it will withstand years and years of play. You want a company that has the highest quality products and the strictest safety standards, and you want a company that has a variety of accessories and gear that allows you to expand on the initial gift down the road. The Corolle brand is all of that and more and provides decades of open-ended and creative play for your little one. Corolle creates dolls and accessories that grow with your child as their interests and abilities change and ensures that whatever doll you choose can be customized with the growing needs and desires of your child.
A company such as Corolle that has a thick catalogue of dolls and accessories that would make just about any girl giddy with excitement offers so much more than simple baby doll sets. They offer just about any accessory or doll your little one has been dreaming of, as well as dozens of other sets that they have never even imagined existed. I actually didn’t realize that they carried so many lines of dolls, nursery items, and accessories until I was given a Corolle mini catalogue at the Time to Play Showcase, and fell in love with numerous items including the Corolle Stroller and Baby Sling so my daughter could really be a mini-mommy on the go.
Ever since that day my daughter has insisted that I “read” it to her numerous times a week. Even though very little of the catalogue is readable and a good portion of what is can’t be read in English, she absolutely loves it and I find her flipping through it all the time. Because even the booklet of Corolle dolls was immensely exciting to her, I knew she was going to be thrilled to finally open her Bebe Do doll and accessories, so much so that we even had the video camera rolling while she opened it. And we couldn’t have been more correct in that assumption.
From the moment she opened her Corolle doll and covered her in sloppy toddler kisses, my daughter has never been far from her Bebe Do Baby, but I find that the longer she plays with her the more I see a real relationship begin to develop. My daughter currently spends most of the day pushing her around in her adorable pink stroller through our living room, dining room and kitchen. In fact, the Corolle doll stroller might actually be credited for finally encouraging her to walk on her own and do so with confidence, since she was much more interested in it than any of her traditional walking toys and preferred to toddle after her Bebe Do over any other activity.
But, even though pushing the stroller around and carrying her Bebe Do in her Corolle Baby Sling has been her main playtime activity for the last few weeks, there are moments when I see her start to really interact with the doll and I see a loving and caring side begin to emerge within her as well. From careful bottle feedings to time spent dressing her in her snowsuit and wrapping her up to rock her, it’s really exciting to see my daughter develop her nurturing side. I love that playing with dolls is time we can spend together teaching her about the wants and needs of others and helps my daughter learn empathy and understanding.
Until now, I had never really considered a doll a learning toy, but I have completely changed my mind. Not only are dolls great for teaching about compassion and care, they are also great ways to learn dressing oneself, being gentle with peers, and offer great opportunities to discuss feelings and more abstract ideas that are hard to get across to a toddler. I love that when my daughter accidentally drops the Corolle doll, she knows that the baby needs kisses and love and that she assumes that when she is hungry the baby must be as well, and tends to give her bottles right around lunchtime each day.
And, of course, watching her with her Bebe Do has become one of the highlights of my day and something that I am looking forward to for years and years to come. Who knew that one very special doll going to a very special girl would make me so sentimental and nostalgic? I guess there’s a bit of me that never really outgrew dolls, I just outgrew playing with them. Lucky for me, I have the perfect excuse to play with them all over again.
Corolle has classic dolls for all ages and stages, but these are some of my absolute favorite Corolle products:
Bebe Do Gift Set comes with the Bebe Do 14-inch soft bodied doll with eyes that open close for bed and play. Complete with a super soft pajama set, a bunny to snuggle with, a bottle with a screw on top, and a mini picture book that can be read in multiple languages, the award winning Bebe Do Set is sure to become a favorite.
The Corolle Floral Doll Stroller is just like a real umbrella stroller and can be pushed and folded just like mommy’s. As adorable as it is irresistible, the Corolle stoller fits dolls up to 17 inches and can be used for years, both on the go and at home.
The Red/Fushia Baby Doll Sling by Corolle is a babywearing mama’s dream. Besides encouraging the babywearing tradition I am so firmly in favor of, seeing a little one with their special doll in a sling just like mommy’s is absolutely heart-melting.
All the Corolle doll fashion accessories that are absolutely adorable and great for encouraging your child to dress themselves. I just love the jeans and blouse set, the pink party dress and the red snowsuit and think they would look cute on any baby doll.
One Rave and Review reader will win one of the coolest Corolle sets ever! To enter, just visit the Corolle site and tell me another product (or products!) you would love to own or share your own Corolle memory.
Winner will receive:
Bebe Do ($70 value)
Pink Floral Stroller ($30 value)Outfit, Red Snow Suit ($23 value)How cool is that?!?
This Giveaway is CLOSED, thank you to all who have entered and congratulations to Yvonne, the winner of the Corolle Gift Pack!
A big thank you to Corolle for sending their Bebe Do Set and accessories to be reviewed, and for offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers. No type of monetary compensation was received for this Rave Review.
