This post is sponsored by Sivan Social. All comments and opinions are my own.

One of the most memorable gifts I ever received came when I was a young girl. A special gift from my grandmother, who passed away in December 2016, my American Girl doll is one of those childhood toys I have kept and treasure to this day. My sister and I were each gifted one of the original five American Girl dolls, and from the moment we unwrapped those beautiful dolls, we were in love with them. Our dolls were more than that- they represented girls like us, living in different time periods, going through the motions of day to day life. Our dolls and their stories brought us joy, hope, and encouraged us through the message that girls could do anything. I hoped and prayed that I would one day have my own little girl to share my beloved American Girl doll with.

I was blessed with my second child, a girl, in 2016, and my wish for a girl to pass my treasures onto was granted. It has done my heart so much good to see my precious girl develop a love for dolls. She cared for her dolls so tenderly, that I knew I could trust her with my American Girl doll, Kirsten.

Beanie loves brushing Kirsten's bangs, and we try to keep her in one of her original outfits.

American Girl dolls are one of those gifts that a lot of moms dream of being able to give to their girls. I used to pour over the American Girl catalogs, and was absolutely blown away by the amazing dolls and accessories that came long after I received my beloved doll in the '90s. I feel privileged to have an American Girl doll, and I know my sweet girl loves having one, too- though she does love to play with my doll.

American Girl Truly Me Doll #88 Sparkle and Shine

This holiday, gift a truly special gift to the special kiddo on your list. I remember how absolutely proud and filled with joy my grandmother was when she presented American Girl dolls to me and my sister over 25 years ago. My sister and I hold these dolls dear, and we bonded over the dolls through the years, as well.

American Girl may have started out with just a handful of dolls in their collection, but through the years, they have added so many amazing dolls, with awesome and inspiring stories. I love their messages for girls, but truth be told, American Girl dolls are perfect boys and girls. All genders are represented, and so are the many different things that make us truly unique.

This doll has no idea how much love she'll be getting from Beanie on Christmas morning!

I personally love the American Girl Truly Me line of dolls, which allows you to choose a doll that looks like your child, or has a feature close to your child's heart and/or personality.

I had such fun looking through the American Girl website. I must have spent hours looking at all of the dolls, and would loved to have bought them all, but I chose a doll that I knew my sweet girl would absolutely love to pieces.

The Truly Me #88 Doll is absolutely beautiful! I chose her for Beanie because she looked like my sweet girl, with an added touch of whimsy with the cotton candy colored hair. Beanie is always asking me if we can color her hair, so I knew she would appreciate this blonde, blue eyed beauty with the blue and pink strands of hair.

Each Truly Me doll comes with The 18" Truly Me™ doll has lifelike eyes that open and close smoothly, realistic hair that can be styled, a soft cotton body, and a movable head and limbs made of smooth vinyl.

She arrives wearing:

A star-print dress

A nylon bomber jacket with a star graphic on the chest

Pink molded glitter sneakers

Book

This sweet doll is $140.00.

Play time!

There's nothing sweeter to me than my daughter asking me to play American Girl dolls with her. The dolls play well, no matter their age. Kirsten is an original, and Luciana is just a couple of years old. I've been amazed by how well Kirsten has faired through the years, and my sister's original Samantha doll is also in fantastic shape. These sweet dolls are so dear to me, and American Girl will always hold a special place in my heart, as I'm sure it will my daughter's. While we had planned to take Beanie to the amazing American Girl doll store in NYC for her birthday this coming April, we know that trip will have to wait. We can, however, bring the magic of American Girl dolls home for the holidays, thanks to easy online ordering and fast shipping from American Girl!

You can find the perfect American Girl doll at AmericanGirl.com, just in time for the holidays. American Girl offers free shipping on orders of $135 or more. Don't forget the accessories! There are so many fabulous accessories for the dolls, like clothing, furniture, and play sets, which would make awesome additional gifts and stocking stuffers.