All photos courtesy of American Girl
It’s that time of year again—American Girl’s 2019 Girl of the Year has arrived. Blaire Wilson is a red-headed chef-in-training who loves spending time offline (as in sans the screens) with friends and family.
She struggles to balance her online social life and responsibilities in the real world, and craves more face time. So Blaire uses her chef skills to bring family and friends to the dinner table at her family’s farm. This year, American Girl is striving to “promote mealtime togetherness as a healthy alternative to today’s digital distractions.”
“We’re proud to introduce fans to our 2019 Girl of the Year, Blaire Wilson—an everyday girl who thrives on using her many talents to make meaningful connections with others,” says Julia Prohaska, vice president of marketing for American Girl. “Building and maintaining supportive relationships with family and friends is central to Blaire’s story—a message we think is important to champion among girls today. In an age where families are often striving for quality time together, we hope Blaire inspires everyone to make a New Year’s resolution to connect more regularly with the important people in their lives and make their time together this year really count.”
The Blaire doll (which will only be available during 2019) features green eyes and stands 18” tall, and has a variety of accessories, outfits and other products that relate to her life on Pleasant View Farm. Kids can read about her adventures on the farm from two different chapter books, which features Blaire’s cooking and decorating skills and takes place on her family’s sustainable farm (and bed-and-breakfast) in upstate New York. She’ll put her skills to the test when the farm hosts its first wedding, plus learn how to be present throughout the hustle and bustle of each day.
American Girl fans can check out Blaire online for book excerpts, games and activities including vlog posts of Blaire’s time at her family farm, plus recipes and tips on gardening, cooking and crafting. In addition, American Girl will host Blaire’s Family Dinner Series at select American Girl retail restaurants to promote families eating together.