Lalaloopsy Sew Magical Mermaid Doll Coral Sea Shells {Review & Giveaway}

While my daughters have always enjoyed playing with a wide variety of toys — everything from loud and active to quiet and calm — there is no doubt that they continually return to their dolls.

They feed them, they walk them, they rock them, they dress them... they love them. There's just something about a young girl making a connection with a doll that allows it to have a permanent place in her life as a friend and confidante, while giving her a sense of responsibility and pride.

This was demonstrated again this past fall with the arrival of our first Lalaloopsy doll, as the entertainment and fun that my girls had with this brightly-colored, cheerful doll lasted long past the amazement about her oversize head and twistable hair.

Which is exactly why I knew that the newest Lalaloopsy addition, Coral Sea Shells, would bring the same laughs and cheers... with the bonus astonishment over the ability to include her in a location that dolls often don't go: the bathtub.

Giving a new twist to rag dolls, Lalaloopsy dolls are designed with the story that they magically come to life when their final stitches are sewn. Each of the ever-expanding line of characters has its own unique personality and characteristics that comes from the fabrics that were used to make them. As Coral Sea Shells was sewn from a swimmers bathing suit, she loves to imagine she is a mermaid while playing with her friends in the water.

As we pulled this Sew Magical Mermaid Doll out of the packaging, Big Sister E and Little Sister B were already excited about her button eyes, change of clothes and friendly pet blowfish.

Right away the girls loved Coral Sea Shell's soft blue mermaid outfit but were eager to change her into her polka dot swimsuit so that she would be ready for a bath. Unfortunately we found that while they were able to remove both outfits, getting Coral dressed was a little more difficult do to the sleeves on the mermaid tail and, in particular, the tie on the back of the swimsuit.

While the girls would be happier if they were able to do the entire process on their own, with a little help from me, Coral has still been able to wear both pieces multiple times and has gone on plenty of adventures both in and out of the water.

During those trips into the tub, not only do the girls love being able to play and splash with Coral, but they are always quick to point out how much fun it is to watch her hair change colors. As it starts out pink when dry and warm (or room temperature)...

...it only takes running her under cold water (or dipping her into a bowl of ice water) to see her hair change to a darker purple color.

Both kids have had plenty of fun dipping Coral back and forth between the tub and a bowl of cold water to see her hair change and continue to comment on how magical she is because of it!

At the same time, Little Sister B has especially been drawn to Coral's pet blowfish and loves to suck in and shoot water out of his little fish mouth throughout the tub.

After bath time is over, we are sure to lay Coral's clothing out to dry and prop her so that any excess water that has collected inside her large head can run out of the drain hole on the back.

As with our past experience with Lalaloopsy, Coral Sea Shells has proven to be a  fun addition to playtime. My kids have enjoyed her rag doll qualities (being able to pose her arms and legs into various positions) and I have appreciated that she is colorful, cheery and easy to clean.

I also love that all Lalaloopsy dolls promote the idea that it's okay to be yourself and be different by being sewn from various fabrics, as this is always a quality all little girls need to hear. Each one has a signature "Sewn on" stamp right on the bottom that corresponds with a holiday - it's appropriate that Coral Sea Shells' date is March 22nd, World Water Day.

Retailing for $29.99, this Sew Magical Mermaid is recommended for ages 4+ and can be purchased in stores near you, online from Little Tikes (the parent company) or on Amazon. You'll find much information about the full line of Lalaloopsy dolls, their world, games, wallpapers and much more at Lalaloopsy.com.

And, thanks to their generosity, one person will get to bring the rag doll fun to their house (and tub) as well, because...

One lucky person will win a Lalaloopsy Sew Magical Mermaid 
Coral Sea Shells Doll!

(Enter with the Rafflecopter form below - if you don't see the form, click here! If you have any problems entering, there is a video tutorial found here that can help.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A big thank you to Little Tikes for providing a Lalaloopsy Coral Sea Shells for me to review as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.