Pictured above is my Maplelea Doll, Brianne.(She is holding a great dollar store gem a Canadian Flag which you can get a package of 4 for $1.25.) In Canada our 18 inch doll is available from a company called Avonlea Traditions Inc, more commonly known as "Maplelea" . The Maplelea Girls collection consist of 5 Canadian Dolls from different parts of Canada. They are avalible through Maplelea.com (click for website). They are priced very similarly to the American Girl dolls and have a lot of really nice and affordable items to go with each doll. Maplelea dolls each come with a 64 page journal, and when you order items for your doll from Maplelea you receive journal pages to add to your dolls journal. As Canada has two official languages each journal page comes in both French and English.
I recently heard from a mother who chose to purchase her daughter the Maplelea Doll named Leonie. Leonie is the French Canadian doll available from Maplelea .The reason she bought Leonie for her 7 year old daughter is that her daughter is in French immersion and she thought that this would encourage her daughter in her studies. She was right. She tells me that her daughter only speaks in French to her doll and translates family dinner conversation to her from English to French! Maplelea Dolls also come with journals sharing their stories and giving girls areas to write their own thoughts and wishes in. She tells me her daughter also writes only in French in her journal.
Many other Canadian girls are discovering the joys of Maplelea Dolls as well. I teach a group of girls regularly crafts for their dolls and two of my core group have a Maplelea Doll. One of them has two and an American Girl doll. I love the soft girl like look of the American Girl doll and that each American girl doll really has her own look. The Maplelea dolls are all very similar looking and their eyes are set in a way that is very different to the American Girl dolls. The hair on the Maplelea Dolls are all very long which is fun to style and brush, however the American Girl doll hair is easier to manage. Both require a wire wig brush and the same type of care.
I am thrilled to have both types of dolls. I try to feature both of them as often as I can. I love the message that these best friend dolls from both companies offer. I like that these dolls are a more natural looking doll then many other girl dolls and toys on the market.
One of the many things I like about the Maplelea Girl Collection is that in Canada where our postal rates are so high, shipping on any order in Canada is a flat rate of just $9 weather you order the least expensive item in the catalog or the entire thing! I am looking forward to purchasing shoes and a few other Brianne items for my doll in the coming weeks, knowing my shipping costs will be under $10 also helps for sure.
I am glad that on Canada day I have the freedom to write this blog, spend time with my family and enjoy all that Canada Day has to offer. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Canada day and I look forward to Celebrating with my American Friends and Family in a few days on July 4th.
Happy Canada Day to ya my friend!!!
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