Ginger Snaps 'Lil Man" Hip Baby Rag

Lil' Man Cotton Onesie

Ginger Snaps Lil Man Baby Designer Onesie is a deliciously soft garment made of the finest cotton fabric. Ginger Snaps' baby bodysuits include unique images that celebrate brown skin hues with a soulful vibe. This adorable onesie features a lap shoulder neckline and a 3-snap closure conveniently positioned for ease of changing!  

These hip rags are preshrunk to stand up beautifully to constant wash and wear and the hemmed double stitched sleeves and diapering area help to keep the Lil' Man onesie smooth forever. Any baby will feel at home in this cute and cozy heavyweight 100% cotton onesie. Available at 4Kids Like Me.com now

Skin tone, adoption and black children: Is colorism an issue?

African-American children make up 30 percent of the 500,000 children currently in the American foster care system, despite being only 14 percent of the U.S. population. On top of being over-represented, these youths are less frequently selected for adoption compared to other kids.

Could the skin tone of black children play a role in whether they are chosen — especially if the family considering them is black? Mardie Caldwell, founder and CEO of the Lifetime Adoption agency, says this is true — and that this bias is exclusive to African-Americans.

“We’ve found that many African-American families have definite preferences for the type of children they want, whether it’s newborns [or older children], and also in terms of their physical appearance,” Caldwell told theGrio. Continue reading at: http://thegrio.com/2012/03/08/gloria-king-of-executive/

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What, No More Asian Play Dolls?

Well, it's a sad state of affairs over at Middleton Doll since the Madame Alexander takeover. Shipments have been pushed back, entire doll lines have been discontinued and the new Dealer Order Form for the holidays DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY ASIAN PLAY DOLLS.

That's right, the current holiday order form does not have one Asian play doll. In fact there are precious few dolls of color, period. The only play dolls of color available for the holiday are Savannah, Hailey and Bailey (all available in Black and Latina) and Keydon (only available in Black). That's it!!

We do have a few Middleton Asian play dolls in stock (left over from last year), so if you are interested, now is the time to purchase as they won't be coming back.

In addition, the new Middleton NOW dolls DO NOT INCLUDE ANY DOLLS OF COLOR. Middleton NOW dolls are the larger, higher end play dolls. For the past couple of years they have included Chillin', Tiny Cheer, Butterfly Dreamer, Cami (shown left), and others. This year, there will be none.adame Alexander has a poor track record of producing quality play dolls of color. Looks like they are hoping to craft a new Middleton Doll in their own image.

It may be time for some letter writing. The addresses are below, not that you asked.

Jane Abrahams, Marketing Director
Gale Jarvis (Ms.), President

Madame Alexander, 615 West 131st St., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10027, Phone: 212-283-5900

Make sure your CC the president, if you choose to write to the marketing director.

Before You Grab That Bottle of Baby Lotion

Did you know that many of the chemicals in skin care products, when applied to the skin, can be absorbed directly into the blood stream? This can be more dangerous than if the products were actually eaten because chemicals ingested through the skin do not get filtered by your liver or digestive system!

Children are at even greater risk of suffering the consequences of exposure to dangerous chemicals, because their skin is 30% thinner than adults (on average) and can absorb greater amounts of chemicals from the skin surface. They breathe in more air (and air contaminants) relative to their weight than adults, and the blood-brain barrier that helps block chemicals from penetrating brain tissue is not fully formed until a baby reaches 6 months of age. In a 2007 study, the Environmental Working Group (EEWG) found that, "Every day children are exposed to an average of 27 personal care product ingredients that have not been found safe for kids. ... and overall, 77% of the ingredients in 1,700 children's products reviewed have not been assessed for safety."

In fact, 54% of children's products marked as safe and non-toxic contain one or more of 20 top ingredients of concern in children's products, including chemicals linked to allergies, nervous system problems, cancer, reproductive risks, and hormone disruption.

In 2007, EWG surveyed more than 3,300 parents to find out what shampoos, lotions, bath soaps and other personal care products their children use. The results were used to help EWG produce a Parent's Buying Guide to help parents navigate around bogus claims and find safer products with fewer ingredients linked to allergies, cancer, and other concerns for children.

We have prepared a handy, pocket HealthySkin^™ Shopping Guide to help you choose safe personal care products for your children. The packet guide is available FREE to Insider Subscribers. Subscribers should send a SASE to:

Dolls Like Me
HealthySkin Shopping Guide
6B Caldwell Ave
Summit, NJ 07901

Not an Insider subscriber? Subscribe today at dollslikeme.com. You will be automatically entered into our monthly giveaway sweepstakes. Winners are announced in our Insider News Bulletins.

Allow 4 weeks for delivery.

Source: Environmental Working Group.

Win Spanish Bingo, Flashcards & "Spanish for Kids" Language Set

Subscribe to the Dolls Like Me Insider News for a chance to win one of three Spanish language sets valued at $33.95 each. Each giveaway set includes eeBoo’s award-winning Spanish Bingo and Flashcards along with Gallopade’s Spanish for Kids. Parents looking to introduce Spanish to children at home or who are looking for fun, meaningful ways to support in-school Spanish instruction, need look no further than the bilingual products at Dolls Like Me. We understand how important edutainment activities are for today’s busy families and our Spanish language products are just the thing to help jumpstart your child’s language learning. Hurry, contest ends midnight EST, September 15, 2009.

Sneak Peeks

Wow! New Multicultural OrigiNolls Promise to add Style and Grace to any Space
The manufacturer brought these fresh, funky cuties to our attention and we could not wait to tell you about them. Today we’re introducing OrigiNolls™ -- a unique global village of multi-ethnic, fashion theme resin dolls. The series of twelve 8-inch collection dolls are beautifully handcrafted, combining culture and fashion. Their solid, quality construction and fresh, funky wardrobes are a reflection of today's realities.
Available online, exclusively at Dollslikeme.com, these cute character dolls are composed of phthalate-free solid resin, with a look and style that every young woman (as well as the young at heart) can relate to.
Lynette Opoku, designer and brainchild behind OrigiNolls says, “Clearly there is not one kind of girl in the world, the OrigiNolls reflect just that.” OrigiNolls are sure to be one of the hottest collectible trends this fall, with an educational element and Website that helps build self-esteem by teaching young women to appreciate themselves and others, while encouraging them to dream, grow, aspire and imagine beyond their dreams. Lena and Miika are our favorites. You'll have to check them out online to decide which ones are your favorites.
These cute collection figures are priced for every collector and budget -- $14.95 each or $159 for a complete set of 12. All twelve OrigiNolls are available for pre-order at DollsLikeMe.com and will start shipping October 1, 2009.Shown from left to right are Miika from the Caribbean, Gianna from South America and Lena from India. The collection also includes nine additional dolls representing other major regions of the world, including Japan, China, America, Spain, Africa and Europe. For more information or to pre-order the OrigiNolls collection, visit dollslikeme.com.



Coming Soon to Party Near You... The Princess and the Frog Partyware Featuring Disney's First Black Princess, Tiana

We're hyped about Disney's upcoming movie. We think an African American princess is way overdue (BTW, so is a Latina one!). We're thrilled that little girls will be able to envision themselves as Princess Tiana this fall as they sample cake, cookies and petits fours served on THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG party ware. (Take a sneak peek at the new The Princess and the Frog line, featuring Princess Tiana HERE).We've ordered the complete range of The Princess and the Frog party ware, including goody bags, party favors, invitations, plates, cups, napkins, candles, streamers, blowouts and much more - sold individually, or as a money-saving party pack. Super-affordable, the individual items range in price from $1.99 - $5.99. A pack of eight 9" party plates (shown) is $3.79. (Take a sneak peek HERE.)Also coming to Dolls Like Me this fall are Princess Tiana dress-up costumes and a complete line of The Princess and the Frog books.


Why not try one of our complete party packs that have all of the party supplies you will need for your child's party and much more?


Our range of multicultural boys and girls party themed packages is growing rapidly, and includes Uzuri's TREY, PENNY & PEPPER and PRINCESS AMIRA along with Nickelodeon’s GO DIEGO, GO and the upcoming NI HAO KAI-LAN.



Dolls Like Me is an online specialty toy store featuring a full line of better multicultural toys, books, baby gifts and party supplies. Join our mailing list for new product announcements and private "Insider ONLY" sales here.


Earth-Friendly, Bamboo-filled Multicultural Bye Bye Baby Bunting Infant Dolls

Babies love to touch. They love to see, feel and taste – it helps them feel secure (although nothing beats mommy). These multicultural, earth-friendly, Bye Bye Baby Bunting infant dolls are warm, cuddly and safe. Made in the USA by Imogen’s Garden, these sweet babies are composed of 100% cotton chenille and wool felt, and stuffed with naturally antibacterial bamboo*. They have safety eyes and a hand embroidered smile -- the perfect playmate for your wee-est ones (we do still highly recommend adult supervision for play dates). Did we mention they are hand-washable? Each doll is handmade from start to finish by the artist, so slight variations will occur making your doll uniquely yours. Bye Bye Baby Bunting is available as a boy or a girl, and in Asian, Black or Latino skin tones. Cost: $18.50 at dollslikeme.com.*The bamboo story begins with its naturally antibacterial property, which is retained by the ultra-soft finished fibers. As the fastest growing plant on earth with the ability to absorb 2/3 more carbon dioxide and release 2/3 more oxygen than any other plant, bamboo is the clear leader among plant species for positive environmental impact. Bamboo is processed into luxurious fiber using pollution-free methods with little waste. It is truly a green product that lives up to and beyond expectations.