Cupid Asteria from Monster High

Happy Valentine's Day!  I don't usually write a special post for this particular holiday (not sure why?) but I got a comment on my Lucky Doggy review with a few suggestions for Valentine-themed dolls, and that inspired me!  Besides, I feel a lot of love and gratitude for all of you, so what better way to show it?

I did a big review of the new G3 Monster High dolls when they first came out in 2022, but haven't done a great job of keeping up with all of the subsequent releases.  However, I've enjoyed several of the G3 character interpretations enough to purchase the dolls--with vague intent to review them, but also simply to enjoy them.  My favorites so far have been Venus McFlytrap, Catty Noir, Jinafire Long, and Cupid Asteria.  Can you guess which one from that list gets her time in the spotlight today?

G3 Monster High Cupid Asteria ($24.99)

Shopkins Li'l Secrets by Moose Toys

Thank you so much for all of the words of comfort and affirmation in the last review.  I love this community.  You guys keep me sane.  As if things in the world weren't explosive enough already, Andy and I spent the last week thinking about whether or not we should move to another state.  We'd like to be closer to our kids, and as nice as New Jersey is, it doesn't really feel like home.  So that's a whole thing.  I'm actually on a train right now, headed back to New Jersey after looking at a house that we're considering.

Being on the train gives me an excellent chance to finish up this review, though!  It's been in the works for too long.  Back in November, when I reviewed Polly Pocket, I got an anonymous comment encouraging me to look at the Shopkins Li'l Secrets.  These are discontinued miniature playset toys with the same basic idea as the Polly Pocket compacts--but with a locking mechanism feature on the cover.  Sounds pretty cool, right?  I thought so.  I purchased a few Li'l Secrets sets right after reading that comment, and have been eager to investigate ever since!

Shopkins Li'l Secrets by Moose Toys, 2018.

Winx Club Dolls by Playmates Toys

My country is in a shambles right now, and it can feel hard to do everyday activities.  But I continue to forge ahead with my reviews because it helps me to balance the bad with some good in my life.  I hope the blog offers a retreat for others of you in the United States right now, and for anyone in other countries dealing with the toxic fallout. 

Today I'm going to be looking at the newest Winx Club dolls.  I'm not a lifelong fan of the Winx Club franchise, but I started to appreciate this magical fairy world back in 2012 when I reviewed Believix Bloom by Jakks Pacific.  I became even more invested in 2014, when I compared an Italian Witty Toys Bloom to the dolls from Jakks Pacific.  By now I have a decades-long interest in the evolution of these dolls, and I was particularly excited to see the newest version of Bloom, the spunky redhead who's at the center of the Winx Club stories:

Winx Club Bloom by Playmates Toys, $17.99

Lucky Doggy by Orange Toys

I was so excited earlier this winter when I discovered the Woof & Co. plush dogs at Walmart.  I felt like they were unique and adorable newcomers to the doll market and I gave them a mostly glowing review.  My only complaints were that they have cheap (and sometimes unattractive) clothing, and no head articulation.  And there were a few irritating manufacturing defects as well.  But overall, I was really impressed that Sunny Days Entertainment had come up with such a cool toy.

But, as it often happens, one of you shed a whole new light on the situation.  I got an anonymous comment that the Woof & Co. dogs are basically knockoffs of the European Lucky Doggy line by Orange Toys.  I absolutely hate that I featured the copycats (dupe dogs?) before I even knew about the originals.  Sheesh.  So, as soon as I learned about Lucky Doggy, I rushed over to my trusted European doll source, Dolls and Dolls, and ordered a few of these plush pooches for review:

Lucky Doggy Yoyo by Orange Toys, ~$45.

Quick Look: Moodles by Sunny Days Entertainment

Happy New Year!  As one of my New Year's resolutions, I decided to add a different kind of review to the mix.  I'm going to call these new reviews Quick Looks, and the idea is pretty simple: once or twice a month, I'll post something shorter than normal.  This will offer a faster reading experience for you, and a better turnaround time for me.  I also think it'll encourage reviews of products that I might not normally consider--simpler dolls and toys, or maybe little projects and updates that I want to share.

My original intent was to limit myself to only fifty photos for each of these reviews, and call the series Fifty Photo Friday or something like that.  But the reality is that a specific photo limit is too prohibitive.  As an example, I tried to keep today's review to only fifty photos and ended up needing sixty five.  That's not bad for me, though, considering that my typical reviews have about two hundred pictures.  

To kick off the Quick Look concept, here are sixty five photos of some very silly and unusual little dolls called Moodles:

Moodles Zoey by Sunny Days Entertainment, $24.99.

Maplelea & Me by Maplelea Girls

I'm here in the nick of time to finish out December (and 2025!) with one last 18-inch doll review.  This time, I'll be looking at a Maplelea doll, which isn't something I've done since my Saila Qilavvaq review in 2014.  It's certainly past time for me to check in with this brand and see what's new.

This is sort-of an addition to my advent calendar series, but I had to cheat because there's no official Maplelea advent calendar.  I wish there was, because I feel like this company would do an outstanding job with the design and execution of such a thing.  Maybe they'll consider it for the future?  I'd certainly buy something like that.  For now, I found a cute handmade calendar that I'll share with you at the end of the review.  Mostly, though, this post will be all about Maplelea & Me KMF43:

Maplelea & Me KMF43 ($115).

Merry Christmas From Lena and Ian!

Lena asked me the other day if she could do a quick blog post for the holidays.  I think she's worried that she's put her professional life on hold for too long--but I'll let her explain what's been going on around here.  I'm going to take the day off!

Christmas 2025.