Hearts For Hearts Dolls: Explore other cultures and help a cause #MyBlogSpark {Review/Giveaway}

If you have a daughter, you might have heard her talking about Hearts for Hearts dolls.  My 10 year old latched on to the Hearts for Hearts doll that I received from Playmates Toys via MyBlogSpark and excitedly jumped up and down, begging to open her.  Why was she getting so excited over a doll?  She told me she'd seen them on TV and wanted one "sooooo bad, Mom!"

Who are the Hearts for Hearts Dolls?


Have you met them yet?  My daughter met Tipi, who is from Laos.

• Meet Consuelo from Mexico City. Colorful and warm, Consuelo provides aid to hungry children who are homeless and live on the streets near her parents´ bakery.
• Meet Lilian of Belarus. Determined Lilian provides aid to girls whose parents must find work in the big city and are forced to leave their children with orphanages.
• Meet Dell from the heart of Kentucky´s Appalachian Mountains. Dell creates music and knitwear to share with others in need of warm clothing.
• Meet Rahel of Ethiopia. Rahel, who dreams of becoming a doctor so that she can make a real difference for people in her region, journeys with her family into the wilderness of Ethiopia to help bring back aid to her community.
• Meet Tipi from Laos. Based on a real girl who shares her art and storytelling with others through dancing, drawing, and puppetry, Tipi leads her school in a mural contest in hopes of winning much-needed books for her class.
• Meet Nahji who hails from Assam, India. Brave Nahji breaks tradition to bring courage and education to the girls who work in the tea fields of India.

 What I liked about the Hearts to Hearts dolls

As I researched the doll, I loved the idea that for every purchase, a donation is made through one of their charitable partners, World Vision.  The donation goes to help girls in that country.

I also liked that each girl has their own story, which makes the idea of proceeds from purchase more tangible to me.  You aren't buying a doll, you're helping a real someone in your doll's country. Having the doll makes it easier to picture someone you're helping.  Instead of some faceless person you don't know, you have Tipi from Laos or Nahji from India to draw inspiration from.  You're helping someone just like the doll your daughter has come to know and love.

Another aspect that I liked was that you receive a code with the doll that will unlock online activities.  Some are already free, but the code will only expand upon the site's enjoyment and foster a bigger connection to your Hearts for Hearts doll.  Why I like this is that for younger children, you don't have to let your child go online to enjoy the doll.  However, for older girls, they will love the online interaction. 

I'm hoping that they expand the clothing and accessories at some point.  Tipi arrived with an accessory set including a doll sized pie.  It was so cute and didn't look or feel cheap or shoddy to me.

Buy them!  In case you were wondering how to Purchase a Hearts For Hearts Girls Doll, you can go here: http://bit.ly/ShopH4HG

Priced under $30, Hearts for Hearts dolls are affordable as gifts or to collect.

Want to win?  I know you do!  The giveaway winner's prize pack will contain:

• One Hearts For Hearts Girl, accompanied by a friendship bracelet, story booklet, donation for girls in need through partner World Vision and a special product code your daughter can use to unlock a free membership to the Hearts For Hearts Girls website, which provides access to the "myHeart" page and an array of games and activities.
• An outfit that is authentic to one of the Hearts for Hearts Girls´ culture, in which your daughter can also dress her doll

Giveaway:  This giveaway will run through 9/29/2011 at 11:59 PM with the winner being drawn via Random.org on or about 9/30/2011.  Winner will have 48 hours to respond to an email asking for further information.  If winner fails to respond within that time frame, a different winner will be chosen.  This contest is open to US residents only who are 18 or older.  Please ensure that your email is provided within at least one comment or that your Google profile is public.  I must have a way to notify you if you are selected as winner.  Mandatory entry is required before any extra entries are considered.

Mandatory entry:  Which Hearts for Hearts Girl would your daughter most like to meet and learn more about?

Extra entries:  Each action is an extra entry and each action you perform must be a separate comment.  For daily entry options, leave a comment each day for the action you performed.  If you already liked/subscribed/follow, please leave a comment stating so.

• Like Hearts For Hearts Girls Facebook http://on.fb.me/H4HGFbook

• Like Making Ends Meet on Facebook

• Like Blog POP on Facebook so you can keep abreast of new developments as we move closer to our 'Christmas Wishes' event in early November.

• Subscribe/be Subscribed to Making Ends Meet via email (right side bar)

• Be/Become my Google Friend via Google Friend Connect (right side bar)

• Share this contest with your friends on Facebook.  Please leave a link to your FB post in the comment.  You can do this entry daily.

• Tweet this contest out to your friends on Twitter.  Please leave a link to your tweet in the comment.  You can do this entry daily.  (Note: Sharing tools are at the foot of this post.)  Suggested tweet:  Meet the Hearts to Hearts girls and enter to win a Hearts to Hearts doll of your own!  #MyBlogSpark #giveaway #toys http://ow.ly/6ylW1

Thanks for entering and good luck to all.

Disclosure: The Hearts For Hearts Girls doll, and information have been provided by Playmates Toys through MyBlogSpark.