Whew!  What a super busy time of the year it is for most moms.  I know it is for the "doll mom!" 
With each new spring comes our new spring line of doll clothing and useful items.  That means that everywhere I look, I see dolls and their "stuff."   What a wonderful place to work!!  Unfortunately, even though I love working with dolls, even I have to take some time off.  Enter family road trip!
While I prepare for the upcoming trip, my girls pack the dolls that will accompany us and the necessary clothing and accessories.  In times past, this was disastrous!  By the end of the trip, some expensive article would be missing, dad would be upset and a little girl would be heart broken.  Sometimes the lost article would turn up months later, under a seat in the minivan among the french fries and crayons and sometimes the lost article would never resurface.  As a mom, it was another one of those difficult moments in life that I knew was avoidable so I set out to solve the problem.
Mission: travel bags and cases that actually work!
Among my favorite items is our antique reproduction doll trunk.  It has been a staple both here at My 18 Inch Doll and in my family.  The classic style is paired with function to provide a safe haven for dolls and their things.  After investing a large sum of money into clothing, shoes and all the other tiny things that our dolls need, I sought a way to protect them.  Protect them from becoming eternally lost, chewed by the family dog, taken by a toddler sister or simply collecting with the dust bunnies under a bed.  All the little drawers in the trunk are perfect for storing hair things, shoes, socks, and tights.  The hanging rods hold more clothes than my girls should have and way more than what they need to take on a weekend trip.  The large capacity has made these trunks the doll storage on the home front, with each of my girls having their own filled with their doll's belongings.
So we needed one to travel with!  I tried other versions but they came up short.  During a test run with the big name brand, one of our dolls came tumbling out, head first in the middle of aisle 8 of our local grocery store.  This catastrophic event brought instant tears to my daughter's eyes. She truly believed that her doll was alive. She was devastated that her doll had fallen and just like grown up moms do, she blamed herself.   Sadly, this happened numerous times.
As a mom, I could see that the design was poor.  The main pouch wasn't deep enough to hold the dolls it was intended for.  There were no safety belts to hold them, just in case.   If there had been, perhaps these unfortunate events would have been avoided.  Poor dolly needed some security and a little more leg room.  I had to be the one to pack two dolls in as the manufacture stated would fit.  My 10 year old daughter couldn't do it herself.  And truth be told, every time I did, I prayed that poor Samantha's hips wouldn't pop out of joint.  My heart would race while I maneuvered the dolls to cram them into place. 
If you want it done right.....put a mom on the job!  After some careful tests and trials, the mission has been accomplished!!  Our terrific and stylish Sassafras Doll Tote has arrived in our warehouse this spring and will soon be available to our customers!  We are taking it for a test spin during this road trip.  I can't wait!!
Our doll tote bag truly has enough room for two dolls and side pockets to hold all the extras.  My prediction: Nothing will be lost during this road trip and no dolls will take a tumble.  We'll report back after vacation.