Crafty One?

I built a castle.

When you're a parent, you'll pretty much do anything to make your kid(s) happy (within reason). You have such a keen interest in their likes and dislikes, and seeing them happy just makes your day. Kids can be SO fickle, andwhen they find a toy that they just adore, mom and dad go all-in. Many parents will feel compelled to buy the hottest new toy and all of the accessories that go with it simply because their little ones played with one during a play date.

That is pretty much what happened... We went bananas on some toys for Bee. You see, Bee likes to watch short videos on YouTube hosted by DisneyCollector. One day, we all became aware of the Disney Magic Clip dolls. The dolls are the Disney Princesses, and their dresses are interchangeable, so you can mix and match as you please. 

"What a fun little toy," I thought. Maybe we can get some when Bee turns three. I hadn't seen the dolls in the store before (well, I wasn't actively looking for them). In the past, I made it a point to stay far from the toy department at Target, and whenever we've gone grocery shopping, I hope that Bee doesn't notice the nearby Toys R Us while we're in the parking lot.

Bee and I went over to our friends' house, a little over a month ago, and she finally saw and played with a Magic Clip doll in real life. Destiny.

I have generally railed against the whole princess bonanza that exists in the realm of girls' toys and life. My own mom is quick to tell me that I was all about princesses when I was little. I think she exaggerates. The most princess-y thing I had was a canopy bed in a checkered pastel print. It was dreamy.

Anyway, Bee loved playing with that little doll, so I decided to pick (only) one up during my net trip to Target. I was hoping that I could choose from the full range of princesses (Mulan and Pocahontas included), but the supply was meager. Bee had a choice of two, and good old Cinderella came home with us.

No less than one day later, hubby was online ordering a set of seven princesses (Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Belle, Tiana, and Rapunzel) in addition to Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. Three days after that, I was back at Target, and looking for Princess Merida.

Of course, the dolls don't come with a carrying case. But they have to have a home, right? Well, I wasn't willing to shell out triple digits for a play set, so I grabbed a leftover box from the Honest Company and got to work building a castle. It was really fun, and Bee loves to sit and play in it. I even added on a slide after she and Hubby had the dolls using books for the same purpose.

It's been around 6 weeks, and she's SO into them. She plays with them every day, multiple times a day. Hubby even ordered some backup dolls in case of future mishaps. It's on and strong with the princesses here. I give in.