Family Style
GIVEAWAY: Holiday Barbie 2011
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Congrats to Sarah S., Stacy M., and Jessica A. — and thanks to everyone for entering!
I’m not ashamed to admit that I loved playing with Barbie — any kind of doll, really. I played with her hair (which, by the way, was never as nice as it is now!), dressed her up, and cruised her and her pals around the living room in a hot little convertible — in the most girliest of girly ways.
It wasn’t about her unrealistic plastic body or unrealistic standard of beauty, and it truly caused me no self-esteem damage whatsoever. I just loved the glitz and the glamour, unapologetically. And every single year I was given a holiday Barbie. It was a tradition, which was shared with all of my cousins too. It was an expected yet exciting gift — except for one thing:
I wasn’t allowed to play with her.
They’re collector’s items! Keep them in the packaging!, our parents would say.
And then one day our basement flooded, ruining every single smiling Barbie trapped in a soggy, un-collectable box.
Besides how bitter I obviously still am, I loved getting a new glamorous holiday Barbie every year, and I only wish I could have played with her when I had the chance. So we’re giving you the chance to carry on the tradition with your little girls with the Holiday Barbie 2011.
We’re giving away THREE Holiday 2011 Barbies (in a gorgeous gold-and-green gown designed by Robert Best), which is sure to be hot ticket item this year.
TO ENTER: Leave a comment below on why you want to carry on this tradition, or leave a comment with your own Holiday Barbie memory. (Want an extra entry? Click on the “tweet” or “Facebook like” button above.)
We’ll pick THREE winners next Tuesday, December 13 at 12 a.m. EST and make the announcement here on Wednesday morning.
Oh, and there’s one condition: Let your daughters play with her!
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55 Comments
Rebecca commented on Dec 06 11 at 9:33 amI know I collected Barbies when I was growing up because I had 3 brothers and no sisters to play with. There were a few that I kept in their boxes and I have them still stored away almost 15 years later. I want my daughter to have something special to her like those Barbies were to me!
Kellie O commented on Dec 06 11 at 9:43 amI want to carry on this tradition for my little girls! This would be a nice keepsake for them to have!
Melissa commented on Dec 06 11 at 9:44 amI also had a Holiday Barbie-just one-and was never allowed to play with her. In fact, even now-as a married woman and mom of 2, my mom will not allow me to bring her to my own home. Why? She could be worth money someday and I’d probably let my little girls play with her. We’d LOVE to win one, just to play with. :)
Tiffany H. commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:01 amI remember as a little girl getting Holiday Barbies for Christmas, and yes, my mother would never let me take them out of the box. I now understand why. Back then I thought “why on Earth is she doing this to me!!??” I have three little boys, and have hopes to someday have a little girl… I would love to pass on all my past Barbies and memories to her. I would love to share all my past dreams and sit down and play my all time favorite past time with her. Playing Barbies was a time where nothing else mattered and you could be anything you wanted to be, and have everything you wanted…. it was so much fun! Holiday Barbie is the prettiest of all, and why wouldn’t I want to pass this down to my future daughter!!? And if I never receive the gift of a daughter, I would be glad to pass this down to my future niece!
Tiffany commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:04 amWe didnt have much money when I was a kid so I never got to have a holiday Barbie. This year I was going to get one for my oldest daughter since we now have three girls but last week our car died and needed almost three grand in repairs so it is going to be a lean Christmas and New year and we probably wont be caught up til Valentines day if that soon.
cathi schlosser commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:08 amBarbie is my idol. Who doesnt want to look like Barbie
Amy commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:13 amMy girls 4 & 3 love playing with all their dolls but Barbie always gets top billing around our house.
Simone Graham commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:24 amI never had gotten one of those special Barbies *sigh* but having a little girl, I for sure will get her those AND let her play with them!
Tiffany commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:26 amTweeted https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/o0tiffyo0/status/144072901417648129
Kristel commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:31 amI never had a Barbie when i was growing up. I grew up in former Soviet Union, and I got my first (and only) Barbie-like doll (not a real Barbie) when I was already about 13 years old (from a distant relative in Australia).
Kristen W. commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:44 amI loved my barbies when I was growing up! I hard the dream house, car, clothes, etc. I cannot wait to pass mine down to my daughter this year and that would would be the perfect addition this year!
Laura commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:51 amI had lots of Barbies and I loved playing with them. When my mum thought I was too old to play with them she put them up in a shelf and I started going to my neighbours house (3 years younger!!) to play with hers. When my brother was around one my mum thought it’d be a good idea to let my brother play with them… They died within a week. I was so devastated!
Lacy commented on Dec 06 11 at 10:52 amNever once did I receive a Holiday Barbie for Christmas. ;-) Almost every year, as a child, I would ask my mother if I could have her for Christmas. Every year it was the same reply: “You cannot play with her, she has to stay in the box, and it will probably be your only gift under the tree.” “What kind of present is that,” my 5 year old self thought! Not that this scarred me for life or anything, but oh, how I also LOVED the glitz, glamour, and girliness of Holiday Barbie and STILL remember how bad I longed for her when I see her on store shelves this time of year! I now have a daughter, she is too young to appreciate Barbie, but someday she will understand all things feminine and fab…like Holiday Barbie! And YES, she will get to play with her!!!!!
Julia commented on Dec 06 11 at 11:00 amI didn’t have any Holiday Barbies growing up, though I have several Holiday Barbie Hallmark ornaments! I collected several “special” Barbies and kept them in the box by my own accord. My dad wants me to let my daughter play with them but I’m saving them for when she’s older, I had them on shelves in my room growing up and I loved looking at them. My dad would love it if we won this doll and my daughter actually plays with it! :)
Teri commented on Dec 06 11 at 11:19 amI had one barbie when I was a kid. I loved her dearly. I would love for this to be my daughter’s first barbie.
Jessica Andrade-Aparicio commented on Dec 06 11 at 11:39 amI never had a holiday barbie, but I will start this traditon with my little girl, this is her first xmas so it would be very memorable to explain which one would be her first and why the tradition started, I hope we do win one but if not thanks so much for the idea.
Nicole commented on Dec 06 11 at 12:06 pmI have always collected these barbies and now my mom has passed on the tradition and bought my daughter one every year. So far they are still in the boxes but I think that I am going to let her play with them during the holidays…. Love the barbies and how beautiful they are. Puts a smile on my face and makes me think of my childhood! Would love to get this doll to surprise her!
arely colin commented on Dec 06 11 at 12:15 pmi love barbies, i want to give my daughter barbies on her birthday
Jim commented on Dec 06 11 at 12:17 pmMy sisters never really played with Barbie when we were kids, but I’m making up for that now as a 38 year old guy who collects dolls. :) I have zero idea how it happened, I just sort of fell into it and the more I learned about the whole world of collecting, the more I fell in love. ALL my girls get deboxed, styled, and displayed. That’s the only way to play! And my nieces love to come over and play Barbie with me. Needless to say, I have the best house. :)
Janna commented on Dec 06 11 at 12:18 pmMy daughter is only two months old, but I can’t wait to play Barbies with her. So much fun! And the holiday Barbies are always so glamorous.
Sabrinab commented on Dec 06 11 at 12:19 pmI still love Barbie and I’m 53 , i played with my Barbies all the time when I was younger !! I have 2 granddaughters and 1 of them loves Barbie , the other one loves books !!!
Kelly L commented on Dec 06 11 at 1:32 pmI would love to win the holiday barbie for my little peanut. She is just starting to play with dolls and I can’t wait to pull out my old barbies for her to share in what I loved to spend my many hours doing as a child!
Lena Naef commented on Dec 06 11 at 1:32 pmI want to carry on this tradition with my daughters because Barbie is an icon that represents class, elegance and sophistication.
Donica Graham commented on Dec 06 11 at 1:33 pmI too was given a holiday barbie every year. I absolutely loved her and as you did, admired her thru the box. I’ve recently discovered these Barbies are much better loved out of the box. I’d love to start this tradition with my daughters, but allow them to play with their dolls! I’d love to win and be able to give her to my oldest daughter.
Sarah commented on Dec 06 11 at 1:42 pmMy 3 year old is obsessed with Barbie dolls. She would love this!
Jessica commented on Dec 06 11 at 2:00 pmThis is our first year with Barbie, and thats the big thing my little girl has been asking for. My sisters and I had Barbies growing up, and I’m so excited to make new memories with my child that will last her lifetime too. The holiday Barbie is gorgeous!
Yvone Scott Partin commented on Dec 06 11 at 2:49 pmI was not allowed to ask for the holiday Barbie my mother told me to ask for something to play with .Why would you ask for a barbie you are not supposed to open? Well Cause I honestly would have open and played with her. If I were to get this Barbie for my little girl it would come out of the package for sure. However the holiday Barbie would go up with the other Christmas themed toys. Those only come out for that part of the year. I love see her face light up when we get the Christmas books and toys out while I am setting up the tree for decorating.
Michelle Stewart commented on Dec 06 11 at 4:06 pmI too was given a holiday Barbie every Christmas, but not until I was old enough to be done playing with them, so It wasnt a problem for me to not take it out of the box. I still love checking out all the new barbies! I now have 4 daughters of my own and would love to get the tradition going with them. In fact Iam going to give each of them one of my Holiday barbies that have been in the boxes since the 90s for Christmas this year (which they can open or not, its up to them). It would be so exciting to win this years Barbie to go along with the others!
tin cc-ong commented on Dec 06 11 at 5:04 pmI loved Barbie as a kid — now my daughter is slowly getting to the age where she can play with Barbie –
We got her one and … (I guess it’s instinct) I started combing and fixing Barbie’s hair! (My daughter loves the accessories.)
She’s getting one more for Christmas — and I think this is going to be the slow start to her own Barbie collection. ^_^
(If we win the Christmas Barbie, I will let her take it out of the box. ^_^)
Libbie commented on Dec 06 11 at 7:29 pmBarbie’s are the best. I’ve had a Barbie since the day they began. And I’ve given Barbie’s to my daughter, now 30, since she was 3. A tradition that I would like to give to my grand children. Hopefully, I win this Barbie to give it away!
Gita prasad commented on Dec 06 11 at 9:08 pmMy daughter will b turning 2 next week and she does not own a barbie yet. I would love for this to be her 1st barbie ESP since she is a holiday baby
Lisa commented on Dec 07 11 at 2:51 pmI would love to win this Barbie for my grand daughter who has bounced from house to house in the last year. We have just started setting up a room for her here and she loves Barbie!
miranda commented on Dec 07 11 at 7:42 pmI played with barbie as a lil girl. My lil girl was my miracle baby born in2010. I wasn’t supposed to have children. I bought 2010 barbie. She loved it so I will continue this tradition of how my mom bought it for me…
Kim commented on Dec 08 11 at 11:48 amI never had this tradition but it would be a great tradition to start. I’m sentimental and I love collecting. I only hope my daughter is the same way.
ericka martin commented on Dec 08 11 at 6:42 pmMy daughter would love this. She is so in love with Barbie. She says that Barbie teaches her that she can be anything.
When I was little, my mom traveled a lot. I remember traveling with her sometimes around the holidays. She’d be really busy with business meetings and I remember playing with my favorite Barbie’s. I only had a few, but they kept me company traveling. I remember pretending with them, dressing them up and thinking they were really my best friends.
I’d love to carry on the Barbie tradition with my daughter.
Adrienne commented on Dec 08 11 at 6:54 pmHuge Barbie fan and did the holiday Barbie collector thing for a few years. I was the same, not letting them play wiTh them. I have three girls so “collecting” has become more like hoarding :). I would love to win so one of my girls could enjoy playing with her.
Jessica commented on Dec 08 11 at 6:59 pmI would love to win this so much! When I was young, my Mom made sure I would get the holiday barbie each year for Christmas. I always took them out of the package and played with them. It was more fun to me. I actually purchased on craig’s list some of the same barbies I had, NIB for my daughter. She’s too young now but I plan on giving her holiday barbies for Christmas. It will be fun to see her play with the same barbies I had, but new. On a side note, I like the African American barbie. In the 80′s they just didn’t have it down, but they do now.
Jody Deaton commented on Dec 08 11 at 7:02 pmI loved Barbies growing up……such a fun outlet for imaginative play! Barbie represents strong, independent and beautiful women everywhere!!
Terri Werner commented on Dec 08 11 at 7:18 pmAs a child…I had an older brother and became a Tomboy. I played Indians, cops, cowboys, I climbed trees….I was never given a Barbie. I owned one doll….Little Drowsy. I had 3 sons…once again I felt like the perfect Mom because I could play with them like I did when I was a kid.
Terri Werner commented on Dec 08 11 at 7:21 pmOops…didn’t finish. After a grandson…I now have a little granddaughter. Scarlett is two 1/2. She is a girly girl…..LOVES Barbie….doesn’t own one. I would love this to be her first.
Scotti commented on Dec 08 11 at 11:13 pmI would love to win this! I was raised in a low incone home with only my Dad around, so I only got the generic barbies. I never had a holiday edition barbies. Now I am a parent and would be buying barbies but I only have a son. I do however have a precious niece and if I was to win this she would be the lucky recipient. I of course would have the condition that Auntie hets to play with her too. :+) I hope you pick me. This would definitely make up for all the christmas’ I spent wanting a barbies. Thank you for the entry!
arely colin commented on Dec 10 11 at 11:03 amhttps://twitter.com/#!/al_arely/status/145534096427335680
tweeted
arely colin commented on Dec 11 11 at 12:02 pmhttps://twitter.com/#!/al_arely/status/145911156618444800
tweeted
Kristin commented on Dec 11 11 at 12:12 pmI got Holiday Barbie in 1988 and she was the one Barbie I would not play with. I loved her!!! One day I came home from school and my younger sister was brushing her hair…I was so mad :( lol I need a new on…who cares that I am 32- I love Barbies. And I love when my son gets invited to a girls birthday party…it means we get to pick out a Barbie.
tiffany andrews commented on Dec 11 11 at 12:17 pmI would love for my daughter to start a tradition of recieving the holiday barbie each year! What a joy this would bring to her as it has to me for so many years!
Nell Easley commented on Dec 11 11 at 12:44 pmI had a Barbie when I was young as did my daughter,I have a granddaughter on the way so would to win this to put back for her til she gets old enough to enjoy her.
sarah s commented on Dec 11 11 at 1:49 pmMy daughter was born this year and I can’t think of a better way to start the barbie collecting tradition than to get her the 2011 holiday barbie! I know I would love to have one from the year I was born!
Stacy Mekelburg commented on Dec 12 11 at 8:10 amAs a child my Grandma would always buy me a very special Barbie. I would love to carry on that tradition with my 5 Year old and have her get that ! special Barbie every year. I would always look forward to it ever Christmas….My Grandma is no longer with us but I bet she would be smiling knowing I wanted to carry on her special little tradition….
arely colin commented on Dec 12 11 at 9:43 amhttps://twitter.com/#!/al_arely/status/146238753365700608
i really want to win
Delia commented on Dec 12 11 at 11:44 amI’ve always loved barbie, still do actually. I just recently gave my daughter my old barbie dolls and would love to add to her collection.
lindsey commented on Dec 12 11 at 9:10 pmWhen I was a little girl my grandma would buy a holiday barbie for all of us girls. I miss that thrill and excitement of what her dress would look like.
Pam commented on Dec 12 11 at 9:20 pmI had one holiday Barbie. I opened her and played with her and loved her until she was falling apart. I don’t believe in collecting toys. They are meant to bring children joy. I want to win so my little girl can have her very first Barbie. Who knows, maybe it’ll be all tore up and falling apart from all the love and adventures my daughter will take her on.
Caroline commented on Dec 13 11 at 8:25 amWe are just getting into Barbie’s and I think that this would be a fantastic tradition to start for my 4 year old!
Jessica Andrade-Aparicio commented on Dec 20 11 at 2:09 amOMG!!! Can’t believe we won this will def. Be my daughters first and most unforgetable xmas memory. Thanks so much for the beginning of sharing this tradition with my baby girl.
Stacy Mekelburg commented on Dec 20 11 at 7:21 pmGot a e mail saying we had won the holiday Barbie…I am so excited to be able to be giving this to my daughter…Thanks Babble!
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