Review Time! Lottie Dolls' Kid Activist Doll

  Finally! This review is finished. (Some of you may have seen it when it was accidentally posted before it was finished. Well, it's back, and it's done this time!) It seems like there has been something preventing me from finishing every day, not least of all my lack of a computer, and our constantly faltering internet. I'm still using Ken's computer, and it's still complete crap.
  Today we're looking at another doll I recently received from Arklu/Lottie Dolls. She's the Kid Activist doll.

She's a  'kid activist', based on Amariyanna 'Mari' Copeny, an activist from Flint, Michegan.

Mari with the Kid Activist doll.

Mari became known as 'Little Miss Flint' when she began campaigning for clean water in Flint, after their water crisis.

At eight years old, Mari wrote to President Obama, inviting him to come and see what was happening in Flint for himself.

   First I want to menton the change from the last time I received items from Arklu, back in 2017. Back then, the doll and carded outfit arrived in a box that was way too big, and stuffed with gigantic wads of paper. This time the dolls, Kid Activist and Fossil Hunter Lottie, arrived in a just the right size box, and a bubble envelope. I think the box was a better idea.  Much more environmental than the last time. (They were shipped separately because they were in the midst of being restocked and I think they arrived at the warehouse at different times.)
  The Kid Activist doll is part of the Gold Collection.

I'm still not sure what that entails.  Her box also has the Lottie motto, "Be bold, be brave, be you". As I said before, good advice.

Apparently she's actually named Meg.

  Her box has little windows on the sides so she can be clearly seen.

Her box is sealed with two little tape circles. When they are peeled, her insert slides out easily.

She's attached to plastic pieces that are only taped in back.

Here she is, free of her insert and plastic thingies.

She has a great mass of hair. Beautiful!

I can just imagine what would happen f I tried to comb it though! Disaster! Lottie dolls don't come with a comb or brush, so maybe that will discourage kids from brushing her hair.

  Her jacket has an iron on that says "Stand up".

And the jacket is a great, thin fabric that is very in scale. It allows the jacket to lay naturally. Lottie dolls have wonderful fabrics that are almost always to scale.

 Her shorts have stitched 'pockets', (not real ones), and a real button that's just for looks.

Her shirt says "Kids Voices Matter".

I always taught my kids to stand up for what's right, and told them that doing what's right isn't always doing what's easy.That came up when the kids at school made fun of them for being vegetarian.
 The Kid Activist also has white tennis shoes.

They're cute little shoes with realistic tread on the bottoms.

They slip on and of easily, but stay on well.
 She wears some elastics on her wrist that I think are supposed to be like friendship bracelets.

 For her hair, she has a tiara, like the one worn by Mari.

She comes with a bullhorn, for speaking out at public events.

It has a handle her hand fits in.

She also has a sign, which, unfortunately is only made of cardboard.

It has a cut out in the handle so she can hold it.

But I didn't use it.

Since this is a toy for kids, I think it would have been a good idea to have made the sign from something a little more sturdy. Now that I think about it, it would have been a pretty great idea to have included a few blank signs to, so the kids could make their own signs, for things they feel strongly about. Of course,you can make your own signs out of cardboard too, but something more lasting would be nice.
 The paper included with the doll tells a little about Mari and some of the things she has managed to accomplish so far in her young life.

 Very inspiring. You're never too young to stand up for what you believe in. Next I want a Greta Thunberg doll!
Like other Lottie dolls, this doll is jointed at the neck, shoulders, and hips, and has bendable knees.

The arms can move out from the body, and the legs can move out from the hips, as well as back and forth, as you can se in the photos of Meg with her accessories, above.

Her arms don't bend.
  Meg has a different head sculpt than Lottie,as you can see from this picture of her next to Fossil Hunter Lottie, which I reviewed recently.

She has a broader face, a more pointy chin,and more of  smile. She also has quite a set of eyebrows!  I think she has the same head sculpt as Junior Reporter Sammi, which I reviewed a while back.

  She has the same body as Lottie though.

  I love that Lottie dolls are more than just hair play and princesses. It's kids like Mari that should be inspiring kids. I love the sweet faces on the Lottie dolls. They have great clothing that is well made. They usually come with interesting accessories that relate to their character. I was a little disappointed that Meg only came with a megaphone and a cardboard sign. I'm not sure what else I would have had her come with that would have suited her. Maybe a bottle of water? Surely there's something else. I'll tell you how much the Lottie dolls appeal to me: I have trouble deciding which I like most. The Fossil Hunter appealed to me because I was always interested in fossils myself, and I would have bought that doll for little Fuzz, because Fuzzy always answered the 'what do you want to be when you grow up?' question with, "A paleontologist."  I was interested in Meg because I thought the 'kid activist' doll was a wonderful idea. The Lottie dolls are a bit high priced for what they are,but, as I have said before, the interesting and unique subject matter is worth a little extra. There are princess dolls all over the place. But how many Fossil Hunters or Kid Activists are there?
  Mari is now 13 years old, and still an activist. She has raised money to help underprivileged children, providing school supplies, Easter baskets, Christmas toys, movie screenings, and books, and has managed to give out over a million bottles of water  You can go to Mari's page HERE. You can read a recent interview with Mari HERE.
  You can find Kid Activist Meg on the Lottie website,(Click there for the website, and  HERE .for the Kid Activist doll. Click HERE to join Club Lottie for free printables, offers, and news. Click HERE to read the Lottie blogs, with some good insight on why more childlike and diverse dolls are healthy for kids. 

What Happened to That Post?

  Some of you may be wondering what happened to the review post on the Kid Activist doll by Lottie. Some of  you will not have seen it at all. Don't worry. It will be back. The truth is, it wasn't even meant to be posted yet! It wasn't finished. It got posted by accident. I will be finishing it and reposting it. So if you read the unfinished version, please revisit the final version when it's reposted. Lottie Dolls provided the doll, and I'm sure they would appreciate it if you give the post another chance!
  As for my trip to Georgia, that will be covered in a post very soon. Stick around.

Review Time! Lottie Dolls' Fossil Hunter Lottie

  Hey! Today is a review post. I have to say beforehand that I took complete unboxing pictures,but they are on my computer. I can get it on as far as the pictures, but no internet. That means I can't send the pictures to Ken, and put them on his computer. I also have a bunch of things to do before I go to Georgia, so I don't have time to retake them. This will have to do.
  I was recently treated to two dolls for review by Arklu, who make Lottie dolls. Today's post is the first of them. Even though I received the dolls for free, I will be honest in my review, and tell you exactly what I think of the doll.
  First, let me tell you a bit about Lottie dolls in case you don't know. Lottie believes in letting kids be kids. I think kids grow up too quickly these days, and Lottie doesn't encourage precociousness with big lipped, over made-up, scantily dressed dolls. The dolls' bodies are "based on the average proportions of a nine year old child rather than an adult woman". The website also says, "Lottie dolls celebrate childhood and promote the empowerment of children by encouraging kids:
*to be themselves
*to play--imaginatively and adventurously
*to have fun!

Kids - in all their glorious, heart-warming and life-affirming diversity - inspire us every day:

• Kids who refuse to be put into boxes
• Kids who aren’t going to wait until they’re grown up, to change the world
• Kids who’ve decided that the moment is now!

And we want to encourage all kids – regardless of gender, ability or ethnicity - to follow all their dreams."    e toys and dolls are one in the same.

   Here's another quote from their website that I love.
"The reason why we have three male dolls in the Lottie Dolls’ collection? We want our toys to be representative of real kids’ lives and have lots of real-life boys and girls have fun playing together! Our boy dollhouse is the same as our girl doll house, all of our boy doll clothes fit our boy and girl dolls. We believe action figure toys and dolls are one in the same."
   I love that they encourage kids to use their imaginations, something I don't think kids do enough in these times of video games and such things. I like that they are dolls that are children. Kids try to be too old now,and having a child doll to see themselves in, rather than an adult, is good for them. Some of their dolls are based on ideas sent in by kids.Another thing about Lottie dolls is, they offer dolls that are not only ballerinas and princesses. Their dolls represent all sorts of things kids might be interested in, and encourage girls to be interested in things usually associated with boys' interests, like today's doll.
  When I was a kid I LOVED dinosaurs. I still do! I was always fascinated by history and science. I considered being a paleontologist or an archeologist  when I was little. That's not common amongst girls though. Girls have traditionally steered away from science and math. It was (stupidly) assumed that females couldn't be as good as males at things like math. These days it's been realized that girls can and should be encouraged to be involved in STEM activities. (STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.) The old stereotype is being fought, but sometimes there are backtracks, even in toys.  Remember the controversy over Talking Barbie from the 1990's saying, "Math is tough."?  (For the record, math was my best subject in school. It's not 'tough', it's just boring.)  I like that Lottie encourages STEM interests. (I think the character of Ellie Sattler in "Jurassic Park" probably helped little girls realize they could be a paleo-scientist too.) Fossil Hunter Lottie is an example of a doll that encourages STEM interests.  Her box says she's from the 'Gold Collection'.

I'm not sure what that is. It also has the Lottie slogan, "Be bold. Be brave, Be you." I like that slogan. Everybody should feel they can be themselves. The box has a handle, for carrying. There are little side windows in the box so she and her things can be seen well. The back of the box shows what she comes with. Her box was sealed with two small tape circles, which peeled up easily. The insert slid out with no problem. The shaped plastic that held Lottie was only taped on the back of the insert. What really held Lottie in was elastics around her neck and ankles. They can be broken when pulled, and the feet can be pulled out of the ankle one, so kids won't need scissors. Her accessories were taped to the insert. The plastic bags were taped closed. Easy to open.
 Fossil Hunter Lottie is a kid interested in fossils. To quote "Jurassic Park", she's "a digger". She has her tools: a rock pick...

... a trowel...

...and a magnifying glass.

The best thing about the tiny magnifying glass is, it actually works!

And she has her fossil finds.

  Also included are small cards telling the story of  Mary Anning.

Mary, born in 1799 is described by Wikipedia thus: "an English fossil collector, dealer, and paleontologist who became known around the world for finds she made in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Channel at Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset in Southwest England."
  Also included is a paper with information about female paleontologists,

On the back is various information, including advice on hunting your own fossils.

And they can all be carried in Fossil Hunter Lottie's back pack. The back pack is made of felt. It has straps with buckles, but they are just for looks. Seems to me it wouldn't have been much harder to just make the buckles usable. Even as a kid, I liked realism.

The bag closes with Velcro.

On the positive side of that subject, the  backpack has tiny real side pockets, and Lottie's things can actually go inside.

Lottie is 7 1/2 inches tall.

  She wears a blue shirt with a pink insert at the neck, and a picture of her fossil find on the front.    .

She also has khaki cargo shorts.

The pockets on the sides are real, not just for looks. She could really put stuff in them. Small stuff, but stuff.

Both the shirt and the shorts close in the back with Velcro. I like the Velcro Lottie Dolls uses. It's thin, so there's no giant lump on the doll's back,(or between the back pack and flap, for that matter), and yet it holds really well. Why don't all doll manufacturers use this kind?
  Lottie's other large piece of clothing is her vest. It's green, with a yellow lining with white polka dots.

I like most of the clothes on Lottie dolls. They're cute, and well made, and even use cloth with a weave that's actually in scale in most cases. I like the look of this vest, but it doesn't lay well. It wants to hang open and looks too bulky to fit properly. I think it's lining is too thick or something.

Her shoes are brown ankle boots, the type worn for hiking,etc.

She has orange and white striped socks too.

The socks make the boots fit very tightly. They're hard to get on and off. I was afraid I was going to break the doll's leg trying to get her boots back on. (A kid might really do it.) The boots could have done with one of those slits up the back that make them easier to get on and off.
  She has a khaki hat too, It fits on her head well, and stays on.

The doll has a very cute face, with a tan skin tone, big brown eyes, and long, straight, dark hair.

With her big eyes, she reminds me of an anime character.

Lottie dolls don't come with combs or brushes, but this doll's hair is easy to comb. And even I can't mess it up!

Her knees bend, but not much. It would be nice if they could bend a bit more, but this type of doll leg just doesn't. Even Barbie's don't bend much any more. Back when they bent very realistically, the plastic contained dangerous chemicals that made it more pliable. That was stopped, which is a good thing, but that's why they don't bend as well these days. Lottie's legs bend enough for her to look okay sitting down. I guess that's all she needs.

Her legs can also move out to the sides. Her arms swivel too, so she has quite a range of movement with them.

She can wear her backpack, and carry all her stuff in it.

  I wish her arms bent so she could use her accessories better. I don't think kids would have a problem with her though. She offers plenty of play possibilities.
  You can find Fossil Hunter Lottie on their website HERE. All in all, she's a cute doll, with fun accessories, and a great idea behind her. I like her clothes. I like that this doll arrived in a smaller box, with less packing than the Sammi doll I received a few years ago. She's cuter than the blonde Lottie I have. You can see her, and read my review of Junior Reporter Sammi by Lottie Dolls HERE.  I still think the $24.99 price is a bit high for a small doll and accessories, but the reason could be that the company is based in Ireland. The unusual themes of some of the dolls make the price seem more worth it. I would have bought this doll for Fuzzy way back when. Of course, what would have happened would have been that Fuzzy's Fuzzy the Doll would have stolen the accessories.
  To read more about the story behind Lottie dolls click HERE. You can go to the Lottie Dolls website HERE. Sign up with your email and receive updates about new doll releases. Your kids will be allowed to take part in competitions and suggest ideas for new dolls, accessories, and activities, Your child can also receive free printables weekly. Click HERE to join Club Lottie for free printables, offers, and news. Click HERE to read the Lottie blogs, with some good insight on why more childlike and diverse dolls are healthy for kids. 
  That's this review finished! I hope you enjoyed it. I was trying to get things done early because I had to leave for Georgia to help Lori move.. I was worried I wouldn't get the month's play set post in time, or the Doll Book of the Month Club post done before I left, since I would be gone when it was due to be posted But I worked my butt off, and got all three posts done before I left, and scheduled them to go on while I was gone. Then, of course, none of them posted like they were supposed to. but now I am all caught up. There will be another review post  soon, a post on my Georgia adventures, and very soon, a review of the latest from Maru and Friends. Stay tuned!