Congratulations to Jen V.! Jen is the winner of the Adorable Kinder giveaway!
I just fell in love with a little brown haired girl with green eyes, an Adorable Kinder doll named Mari. This fabric (“rag”) doll is simply adorable. A doll-maker myself, I appreciate how well made this doll is, with attention paid to detail. Simple lines, sturdy clothing, and charming details make this an heirloom doll that can be loved and played with by each generation.
A Doll Made to Be Loved
One thing I love about this doll is that it is made to be loved. She is washable, made entirely of fabric with non-allergenic 100% polyester stuffing and contains none of the plastic parts that make other dolls less than cuddly. Attention has also been paid to the areas where dolls of lesser quality receive injuries at the hands of active children. For instance, the hair is sewn securely and then anchored with glue. Little hands can pull and tug but no one is going to yank this doll’s hair out (the fate, sadly, of the first doll I ever made).
The sturdy clothing is also entirely washable and interchangable between the dolls. The dress is made from red cotton with no fancy embellishments but uses contrasting fabrics with a subtle tone-on-tone print. The hair has a unique “do” but is still simple and appropriate. She looks like a little girl whose mother took extra time with her hair this morning. The hairbow, also, is simple but well-made and removable. Additional clothes and accessories (as well as seasonal and holiday clothing) are available to be purchased separately.
I should note, too, that this is first fabric doll I have seen that has ears–another small detail that makes this doll so sweet. The fabric body has no small parts to rip or break off (the mitten-like hands can be loved by little hands without losing a doll finger) and the face has no buttons or embellishments to pull off.
Kinder School
Each doll is part of a large group of kindergarten friends that form the Adorable Kinders School online. There is a doll for each letter of the alphabet (M is for Mari) and each doll comes with an internet key-code to register for the online school. Educational games are available for grade levels through 12th grade and children graduate from grade to grade with their dolls as they play.
The Story Behind the Dolls
Artisan Aranza Zamora began making dolls at the age of 16 and continued to hone the concept for Adorable Kinders until many years later when she was a mother. Her oldest child, Ivan, worked with her to create the dolls and the educational website and to test and market the product. As they started to enjoy some success, Ivan died from a rare heart condition at the age of 24. Aranza put the dolls away until a few years later when she was persuaded to try again and to make the dolls Ivan’s legacy.
The story is such a tender one that it made me choke up just to read about it. I thought of each doll I have made and the love that went into each of them. I started making dolls because of the wonderful memories I have of the fabric doll my mother made for me. Now when I look at this sweet little doll I think of a mother pouring her love and memories into it as a legacy for her beloved son. I know I’m sentimental, but it just makes me hug little Mari a little closer. In fact, the more I look at the doll the more I want to keep her for myself rather than give her to my daughter!
Enter to Win
Win an Adorable Kinder for a lucky little girl on your Christmas shopping list.
This giveaway is open to the U.S. and will end on October 30, 2009.
Enter the giveaway by visiting Adorable Kinders and coming back to comment on this post and let us know what your favorite doll is.
Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions for a complete list of our contest and giveaway rules.
Additional Entries
Once you have commented on this post, you can earn additional entries by doing any of the following. Make a separate comment on this post for each extra entry you qualify for.
Subscribe to the Busy Mommy RSS feed
Blog about this giveaway and link back to the giveaway post
Twitter about this giveaway
Become a Busy Mommy Facebook Fan
Post a link to the giveaway in your Facebook Status clicking on the share link at the bottom of this page
Busy Christmas Giveaway Event
The Annual Busy Christmas Giveaway Event is featuring so many great products this year that we had to start it early!
Visit the Busy Christmas Giveaway Event page to see all of the giveaways and find out how you can earn extra entries into this giveaway, and every other giveaway during the Busy Christmas Giveaway Event from October 1 – December 11.
Related posts:

21 Days Left
14 Days Left 
I loved the Dulce doll. It would be perfect for my little girl.
I am a Busy Mommy fan on facebook (andrea kruse)
I posted this giveaway on my facebook page (andrea kruse)
Tweeted!
http://twitter.com/notimeMom/status/4961389584
I like the Brittany doll…she looks like my daughter, my daughter even has an outfit that looks like hers. She will flip if she got that for Christmas!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Busy-Mommy-Surviving-Motherhood-One-Mess-at-a-Time/89415077103#/posted.php?id=1533642928&share_id=157280749421&comments=1#s157280749421
Facebook post (Amanda Starr)
Facebook fan Amanda Starr
http://twitter.com/AStarrAMama/status/4971205148
subscribe
http://twitter.com/AStarrAMama/status/4971420764 about the Busy Christmas Giveaway
Posted on facebook about the Busy Christmas Giveaways http://www.facebook.com/pages/Busy-Mommy-Surviving-Motherhood-One-Mess-at-a-Time/89415077103#/posted.php?id=1533642928&share_id=161066670046&comments=1#s161066670046
I Love the Evelyn Doll! Looks just like my neice and would love to win this for her for Christmas!
I am a subscriber!
I’m a facebook fan
Shared the giveaway on Facebook!
tweet!
http://twitter.com/SweepsCat713/status/4971679250
Blogged your giveaway!
http://littertidbitsfrommschat.blogspot.com/2009/10/adorable-kinder-dolls-giveaway.html
I love the Kathy doll for my daughter
.-= Sara´s last blog ..Gimme gimme gimme! =-.
subscribe rss
.-= Sara´s last blog ..Gimme gimme gimme! =-.
tweet http://twitter.com/SaraMama/status/4981309964
.-= Sara´s last blog ..Gimme gimme gimme! =-.
I like N Natalia.
blogged http://ceeceeblogger.blogspot.com/2009/10/busy-mommy-media-adorable-kinder.html
Tweeted http://twitter.com/cdziuba/status/4998866695
subscriber
Facebook fan Carol P Dziuba
I posted this nice giveaway on my Facebook page. I had no idea the sad story behind the dolls, but am glad to see such beauty come from such sadness.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=752204468&ref=nf
I would love to win Dulce or Qiana for my 3-year-old niece. It’s really nice to see dolls with all sorts of skintones and hair types.
These are so adorable! My favorite is the Evelyn
18 inch Rag doll. This doll looks like my daughter!
Thanks so much.
I’m a subscriber.
Thanks again.
I like the Thomas doll!
I love Qiana! She looks just like my little ones.
And I’m a subscriber
Opri’s my fave.
http://twitter.com/AStarrAMama/status/5005839884
The Brittany Doll is just adorable. I would like to win this for my grand daughter.
I like the Natalia doll
I subscribed to your feed via google reader.
I tweeted. http://twitter.com/kathyluman/status/5007799303
I became a Facebook Fan.
I would choose the Hope doll
I posted a link to the giveaway on my facebook page.
I shared about the Christmas Giveaway Event on my facebook page.
I love the evelyn
beautiful doll, was my grandmothers name and my daughters middle name
My one year old would love her
Favorite would be Natalia. As she looks like my girls.
I LOVE THE HOPE DOLL
i actually really Love the Mari Doll!
she’s just adorable and perfect for a gift!
Fan on your Facebook!::
http://www.facebook.com/erinxduh
Subscriber to your feed!!
I like the Vianca doll.