ChiIL Mama's Sage and her Caroline doll at American Girl Place Chicago ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama and American Girl author Kathleen Ernst! Bring your Caroline books and your mysteries for Kit, Josefina, Kirsten & Molly down to American Girl Place TODAY 7/2 from 1-3pm. FREE and open to the public. Signed books are special and it's awesome to meet the authors behind the stories you love. Click here for our past Kathleen Ernst and Caroline coverage from her Chicago signing last year.
The Caroline books and doll are some of our favorites!
ChiIL Mama is so excited we'll be catching Kathleen Ernst for a video interview. This will be the first Co-Interview I've done with my 10 year old daughter, Sage, asking questions too! We'll have that right here for you to enjoy shortly.
Summer Author Tour: Meet Kathleen Ernst
Celebrate summer reading with American Girl! From heartwarming fiction to just-for-fun activities, we create the books girls love. This summer, your girl can meet author Kathleen Ernst! She created the Caroline Abbott series about a brave girl growing up during the War of 1812. Free and open to the public. For girls ages 8 and up.
ChiIL Mama's 9 year old American Girl, Sage, loves to shop at Water Tower Place but runs away when I try to talk puberty
ChiIL Mamahad a chance to check out The Care and Keeping of You 2 and it's an excellent and welcome resource fromAmerican Girl. It's funny and fact filled without being boring or heavy handed. Families have so many different levels of openness, permissiveness, and religious and cultural differences surrounding raising tweens. We love that the author, Dr. Cara Natterson, frequently encourages girls to go to their parents for the final word. And on the universal changes she nails it, providing anecdotal stories tweens can relate to, and loads of reassuring info to allay anxieties about what's normal.
(Disclosure: Thanks to American Girl for sending us a copy of the book to review. All opinions are our own.)
Chat with THE CARE & KEEPING OF YOU 2 author Dr. Cara Natterson on Facebook every Wednesday at 7pm (central time) through April 24th. Join us to learn how to discuss puberty with your growing girl—plus enter for a chance to win a prize package featuring a signed book (mobile entry not available):http://on.fb.me/16wdR3v
Sure, it's fun having a tween daughter when you're shopping at The American Girl Doll Store, but it's a bit less of a joy when it comes to discussing the facts of life, growth and change. Sometimes physical maturity comes before emotional maturity and kids do NOT want to talk about this stuff. With puberty hitting lots of girls younger than ever, though, even 7 & 8 year olds need to know what's up, so they won't fear the unknown or worry something is wrong with them. Someone I know well started her period before anyone told her what to expect and she thought she was seriously ill, and stressed out about it for months before her mom found the hidden evidence and told her what was up. No little girl should have to go through that!
I was clued in early and I've been open with my own son and daughter with age appropriate info since they were toddlers, so there'll be no huge shocks. Still, my 9 year old gets embarrassed and runs away when I try to engage with her about puberty, and she hid the first Care & Keeping of You book deep in her closet and turned bright red and said it was "inappropriate" when I asked her where the book disappeared! I told her there's nothing more appropriate and that change is a beautiful and natural part of growing from a little kid into a woman. She may not want to hear about adolescent mood swings or menstruation from me, but it's a relief to know she's covertly reading the books on her own. Thanks American Girl Co. for making this an easier subject to broach and getting great information out there for all of our girls!
We've been thoroughly enjoying this year's American Girl Doll of The Year 2013.... my daughter's namesake, Saige!!!! My daughter's been saving up all her "helpful works money" (allowance) for Saige's outfits, art set, accessories and pets. She's got her fingers crossed for Saige's hot air balloon for her 10th birthday, May 11th!
American Girl of the year, Saige, and ChiIL Mama's daughter, Sage,
both creative, artistic 9 year olds!
ChiIL Mama's elated to announce our American Girl Saige doll/book set winner: Jennifer M! We'll be sending our winner a private e-mail as well, in case there's any confusion as to which Jennifer M won. We had an enormous, enthusiastic interest in winning our Saige doll/book set with 7,740 entries!! Thank to all our readers who entered. You rock!
Be sure to check back with ChiIL Mama(two ii's...one L...all fun in Chi, IL and beyond) for lots more nationwide toy, game, & book reveiws and giveaways and free Chicago area show tickets. We'll also be running many more American Girl features this year, including more author interviews, book reviews, new releases and photo filled features. If you don't want to miss out, click the following to like/friend/follow us onFacebook,Twitter, Pinterest,YouTube &Google +to be the first to know about nationwide giveaways, Chicago shows, and more.
Check out the main American Girl site for videos, free games, amazing historical & contemporary girls, and loads of excellent books. ChiIL Mama's Saige doll/book giveaway has ended, but we'll be running exciting Saige features all year and there are still sweet giveaways, contests and philanthropy opportunities running at American Girl. Here at ChiIL Mama we've always been impressed with the ways American Girl gives back to communities, empowers girls, and supports literacy. This year they're also stepping up to support the arts!
To
support Saige’s message of preserving arts programs in U.S.
schools, American Girl is sponsoring a school grant contest and
partnering with Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading
nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education.
American
Girl’s “Shine On Now” charitable initiative will provide
financial support to the organization's Arts Education Program, which
provides arts
education professionals with the information, materials, and
resources they need to enrich student experiences with the arts.
To
further engage girls, American Girl is introducing the following
Saige-related initiatives:
Elevate
the Arts School Grant Contest:Starting
January 1, elementary art teachers can enter to win one of thirteen
grants totaling $45,000 for their schools’ art programs by
submitting a digital image of a hot-air-balloon-themed art project
and a written essay that conveys why the arts matter in their
schools. Entries must be received via the online form by May 31,
2013.
Soar
with Saige Sweepstakes: Girls
can share their artistic talents by downloading a hot-air balloon
template from americangirl.com/girloftheyearand
creating a colorful design using crayons, markers, or pencils. All
balloon artwork sent to American Girl by April 1, 2013, will be
uploaded to an online hot-air balloon mosaic and automatically
entered to win one of ten prize packages.
Saige
Learning Guide:American
Girl has teamed up with Americans for the Arts to create this free,
downloadable curriculum, which encourages children to draw on their
imaginations and discover how creative they can be. Students in
grades 3 to 6 will enjoy reading Saige’s stories and doing the fun
art activities outlined in this curriculum. Activities for parents
to engage in with their kids are also available via Americans for
the Arts’ website: AmericansForTheArts.org/go/AmericanGirl.
Saige
Retail Events: Girls can take part in Saige-themed events at
American Girl retail stores nationwide, including painting
demonstrations,
free craft activities, photo opportunities, and delicious
Saige-inspired meals.
The
Saige collection will be available through American Girl’s
catalogue, at americangirl.com,
and at all American Girl retail locations until December 31, 2013 only. To learn more about the
Saige contests and promotions, go to americangirl.com/girloftheyear or
American Girl’s Facebook page at facebook.com/americangirl.
To request a free American Girl catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005.
About
American Girl
American
Girl Brands is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel, (NASDAQ:MAT,
www.mattel.com), the world’s leading toy company. Since American
Girl’s inception in 1986, the company has devoted its entire
business to celebrating the potential of girls ages 3 to 12. American
Girl encourages girls to dream, to grow, to aspire, to create, and to
imagine through a wide range of engaging and insightful books,
age-appropriate and educational products,
and unforgettable experiences.
In meeting its mission with a vigilant eye toward quality and
service, American Girl has earned the loyal following of millions of
girls and the praise and trust of parents and educators. To learn
more about American Girl or to request a free catalogue, call
1-800-845-0005,
or visit www.americangirl.com.
About
Americans for the Arts
For
more than 50 years, Americans for the Arts has led the national
effort to ensure that every American has an opportunity to
participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Championing the
cause of the arts and arts education in communities across the
country, the organization dedicates itself each year to providing
programs that help foster an environment in which the arts can thrive
and contribute to the creation of more livable communities; generate
more resources to support arts and arts education; and build
individual appreciation of the value of the arts. From their offices
in Washington, D.C. and New York City, they proudly serve more than
150,000 members and stakeholders annually. Learn more at
www.artsusa.org
or
by calling (202)
371-2830.
It was a great pleasure to interview Valerie Tripp, American Girl author, with my 9 year old daughter, Sage. Valerie was one of their original authors and is still a prolific writer. Her American Girl books about Felicity, Kit, Josefina, Molly, Samantha and others are well loved and read around the world. Check out her insights on encouraging reading, her own writing process, and the historical figures she helped bring to life in the imaginations of readers world wide. October 2012.
Day #11 THURSDAY 12/13/12 WIN FIVE Great New Releases from American Girl. ($55)
The gift of instilling a LOVE of reading is one of the best gifts ever. American Girl books were the first series to spark a love of the written word in my reluctant reader, and as a mom and a writer, I was ecstatic that she went for such a great line of books.
American Girl topsChiIL Mama's Great Gifts List.American Girl has an impressive commitment to literacy and philanthropy. They publish an exciting array of books that get girls interested in reading and engaged with history. And of course the dolls and accessories are adorable, well made, and so much fun to collect.
Check back with ChiIL Mama for loads of great American Girl coverage. We'll have all the breaking new for you about the new 2013 girl of the year after December 28th! We'll have more author interviews, photo filled features, and giveaways, too. We also have another Valerie Tripp video coming up soon, with excerpts from her wonderful brunch talk, a cafe birthday party feature, Kathleen Ernst's Chicago book signing video and stills, and more.
American Girl is huge on literacy and encouraging girls to grow mentally and physically. This view inside the front doors of American Girl Place Chicago always makes me want to move in and live here. With a towering two story book shelf and a cozy balcony nook to read in, I could be content for years!
Give the gift that will spark her love of reading!
#1 Diary of a Wimpy Kid Hardback Book ($14) #2 $100 Psychobaby Gift Certificate ($100) #3 Go! Go! Sports Girls Doll ($20) #4 XBOX 360 WIPEOUT 3 game ($50) #5 7 kids' CDs including punk favs for kids($90) #6 DAVIDsTEA winter loose tea collection & mug ($45) #7 Multilingual Chicago 12 weeks of kids' language classes & an adult language boot camp ($420) #8 Lalaloopsy 3DS Carnival of Friends game by AcTiVision & a Mini Peppy Pom Poms Collectible Character Sew Sleepy #6 of Series 8 ($42) #9 3 of our favorite video games for PC or Mac/Wii/DS ($86 value) #10 ChiIL Mama's Holidaze 12 Days of #giveaways
#11 FIVE Great New Releases from American Girl. ($55) #12
American Girl tops ChiIL Mama's Great Gifts List. American Girl has an impressive commitment to literacy and philanthropy. They publish an exciting array of books that get girls interested in reading and engaged with history. And of course the dolls and accessories are adorable, well made, and so much fun to collect.
Look Ma! No lines!
We were given an amazing opportunity with Mastercard's Priceless Chicago perks. The last weekend of October, we got to meet and interview author Valerie Tripp, shop at American Girl Place Chicago an hour before the store opened to the public, and have a fabulous brunch at the American Girl Cafe! It was a priceless experience to share with my 9 year old daughter.
Author, Valerie Tripp, was personable and wonderful. Mastercard is offering another special early access/brunch for purchase by the public in December. We'll have all the details as soon as they're available. This one will be exclusively for Citibank Mastercard holders, so get your plastic ready, or apply today. Highly recommended! It was truly a treat to meet Valerie Tripp, one of the original American Girl book authors and personal, long time friend of company founder, Pleasant. Valerie is a prolific writer whose American Girl books about Felicity, Kit, Josefina, Molly, and Samantha are well loved and read around the world.
Samantha, Sage, Caroline & Kanani share brunch at the famous & fabulous American Girl Cafe
Something Old/Something New: We enjoyed a fabulous brunch in the American Girl Cafe with many press and blogger friends, their daughters and lucky members of the Mastercard holding public. Before we went, my daughter Sage had trouble narrowing down just which American Girl dolls would get to come along on our adventure. That morning she was elated to open her brand new historical character doll, Caroline, so of course she decided to bring her. We had saved Caroline for the day of our Mastercard Priceless Chicago brunch and let the excitement and anticipation build. Then, of course, Sage also wanted to bring her Samantha doll and books for Valerie to sign. So, we had one of the oldest, original Pleasant Company American Girl Dolls and the very newest of the collection on board. Finally, Sage wanted Kanani--the Hawaiian girl of the year from 2011 along for a trip to the salon. Her long, lovely hair does tend to tangle when the doll is well loved and played with often. So she joined our special shopping day, too! Kanani's wearing a vintage American Girl Olympic Suit with a medal (from gymnast McKenna's 2012 collection) from our recent meeting with real Olympic Medalist, Aly Raisman, also at American Girl Place, Chicago, a few weeks before. We also have McKenna, they gymnast doll of the year 2012, but Kanani resembles Sage more closely, so she chose to dress her as a gymnast instead.
Although her messy buns were cute and matched Sagezilla's own gymnast buns, the doll was in need of some pro hair styling help! We'd never been to the Doll Salon before and left quite impressed. For $20, Kanani left with a super cool lattice style, two long fishbone braids, and patriotic ribbons to match her Olympic suit! After:
Check back with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. We will be publishing our original video interview with Valerie Tripp along with some footage of her brunch talk in the very near future. We'll also have a big American Girl book give away up this month, an American Girl Cafe Birthday Party feature, and more. If you've got a young, American girl in your life, this opportunity truly is a priceless day out together! *Thanks again to Mastercard for brunch with Valerie Tripp, a $50 gift card to use during our fun day, and early access to the store. Thanks to American Girl/Mattel for providing us with books, dolls & magazines to review and great giveaways for our readers over the years. All opinions are our own.
Here at ChiIL Mama, we were super stoked for September, because we got to welcome the newest American Girl historical Doll, Caroline. But the fun doesn't stop there! October brings Caroline book signings, cute Halloween doll costumes, Caroline's celebration dinners, a meet n greet with the author of the historical Molly books, a Caroline hero video contest, and so much more!
**We're very excited that the author of the Caroline books, Kathleen Ernst, will signing at the Chicago store October 13th from 1:00pm-3:00pm.**
We were lucky to catch an early sneak peek at her Meet Caroline book and eagerly raced through it. This cliff hanger of a mystery drew us all in and left us wanting more. We naturally had to pay a visit to our local, Chi-Town American Girl Place at Watertower and buy the sequel which we're enjoying now! It's this view below that makes me wanna move in and live at American Girl Place! I've been a book lover since I was a child, and seriously wish my real house looked like this, with a cool, two story, "book tree house". Sure, the collector dolls and all their adorable accessories and sets are fun. But, the American Girl books make me happy as a mom. I trust them to get the details right, and provide entertaining, educational, quality stories that encourage the qualities I encourage in my own young girl. The historical girl books are well researched, in fact, Kathleen Ernst, author of the Caroline books worked as a curator for Old World Wisconsin so she's got a rich store of knowledge of the past! She's even written an adult mystery series set there. For loads of cool history and background info about the Caroline books and the year 1812, we highly recommend checking out author Kathleen's blog right here. My American Girl at Old World Wisconsin with 3 generations of our family. We paid a visit to Kathleen Ernst's former workplace this summer, and we'll have a photo and video filled adventure feature right here at ChiIL Mama in the near future.Old World Wisconsin was quite impressive and highly recommended.
Sagezilla wrote her first book report of the school year on Meet Caroline, complete with a cool,slick presentation on Prezi. Here's her take on the book, as a nine year old girl. Sage Words:
ChiIL Mama's take: My daughter and I read Meet Caroline within days of each other and I was as engrossed in the story as she was. It was fun to discuss the story together and speculate on how the tale continues. Caroline's a smart, caring, brave little girl. She's got spunk and isn't afraid to speak up when she feels an injustice is going on. When Caroline's father is captured by the British before they even got word that war had begun, the young girl finds herself at home with 3 generations of women. She's relentless in her quest to bring her dad back home, and at the end of the first book she performs a selfless act and gives up something special and valuable to save her town. At first I was a bit leery about the 1812 date, as choices and roles for women and girls were so much more restrictive then. However, author Kathleen Ernst does a fabulous job of empowering her women and girls while still staying true to history. After her father is taken prisoner, her mother steps up to run the shipyard and Caroline helps, despite some initial disbelief from locals that they could handle it. Grandma, who lives with them, is wise and amazing, too, with valuable nuggets of insight for Caroline. I was also a little concerned about the backdrop of war, but this series doesn't glamorize the conflict. The focus is on the village and on worried people on both sides who fervently want peace. We can't wait to read the rest of the series. We just bought Caroline's Secret Message, the 2nd book. As a mom, I'm thrilled my daughter's excited about reading and has found a strong role model in Caroline she can empathize with. The historical American Girl books are a true gift, as they bring history alive, spark imagination, and personalize the past in a way that dry accounts and facts just don't do. After reading Meet Caroline, my daughter is also now jazzed to go to museums and historical sites to learn more about the early 1800's. Works for me!
Have you ever had to be brave? Enter our contest by creating a video clip (up to 60 seconds) about a time you felt like an everyday hero. You can tell a story, re-create a moment, or even act out the scene with your doll. Ask your parent to upload your video here by October 31 for your chance to win.*
Then come back November 5 to vote for one of our six finalists and help choose the winner of our grand prize, which includes a trip for four to Washington, D.C.; an extra-special day at the American Girl store; a Caroline doll, books, and accessories set; plus a VIP tour of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to learn more about life in Caroline's day.
We're extra excited to meet Valerie, since we just bought 4 American Girl DVDs and Sage has been using her own "helpful works money" to buy them. We were pretty jazzed they were temporarily on sale for just $5 each instead of $15. It worked out perfectly since $5 is exactly what she earns each week. She just watched Kit, Samantha & Molly's movies and is now eagerly reading three Molly books, though Kit is her favorite. Her grandparents still live in Cincinnati, where Kit is from, and her grandma grew up there during the late 1930's and 40's, not too long after the time Kit's books and movie take place.
We have lots of exciting American Girl features coming including book reviews, author interviews, a photo filled Cafe Birthday party feature, monster cake fun from the fall American Girl magazine, and much more.
**Thanks to American Girl for sending us books, magazines and dolls to review and give away to our readers. All opinions expressed are our own and we are not financially compensated.
