Create Play Travel Pacific Northwest family lifestyle and creative ideas
  • Family Travel
  • Kids Activities
  • DIY Projects
  • Family Lifestyle
  • Homeschool
  • Beauty Tips
  • About

We may have received one or more of the products mentioned below free for review purposes. Our posts contain affiliate links which allow us to earn a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are exclusive to Create. Play. Travel.

Meet American Girl Gabriela McBride – 2017 Girl of the Year

by Katie Wallace | Updated: January 30, 2017

American Girl’s 2017 Doll of the Year has curly brown hair, warm brown eyes and a creative personality. Her story is about tackling challenges with creative problem solving. The American Girl books introduce girls to memorable stories and character lessons. Gabriela McBride is no exception; she also works hard to help her community. We received the Gabriela McBride doll for review and unboxing. Gabriela quickly became a beloved part of our American Girl collection.

Meet American Girl Gabriela McBride doll review

Gabriela McBride Unboxing Video

My daughter and I had a lot of fun unboxing Gabriela and seeing each of her beautiful details.
Everything from the American Girl collection is always great quality.

American Girl 2017 Doll of the Year

American Girl Gabriela McBride is the 2017 Girl of the Year. She’s a talented character who gets
creative for a cause. In her first book, Gabriela loves spending time at her mother’s performing arts
center. She especially enjoys dance, art and poetry. In that safe place, she conquers her stutter, joins a poetry group and helps with the annual showcase. When Gabriela and her friends make a big mistake, she creatively helps save the center from being shut down.

Gabriela McBride American Girl doll has curly brown hair, warm brown eyes and light brown skin

The 18″ Gabriela McBride American Girl doll has curly brown hair, warm brown eyes and light brown
skin. Like the other dolls, this 2017 African-American character has a huggable cloth body, a movable
head and smooth vinyl limbs.

Gabriela McBride’s curly hair is one of my favorite features about this 2017 American Girl character.
Girls can style her hair in a variety of ways. Also, my daughter uses a wire brush to brush out each
individual curl and keep her hair pretty and tangle-free. Styled up or down, Gabriela’s hair frames her
face with ringlet curls.

American Girl Gabriela McBride purple and turquoise shoes

Additionally, she comes wearing a soft turquoise tank top and a cropped purple sweater with a silver
“dream” graphic. Her stretchy dark blue jeggings pair perfectly with her purple and turquoise shoes.
Gabriela’s pink ribbon headband completes her comfy outfit.

American Girl Gabriela McBride is the 2017 doll of the year and book

Dolls That Are More Than Toys

We love the American Girl collection for several reasons. First, each American Girl character is memorable and unique. Likewise, the historical dolls introduce girls to eras of history in memorable ways. Felicity Merriman, Kirsten Larson and Samantha Parkington each have their own struggles and successes. These dolls’ historical outfits and accessories are beautifully detailed and
especially fun to collect.

American Girl Gabriela McBride

Also, the American Girl collection encourages girls to enjoy simple dress-up. The modern American
Girl dolls are colorful and stylish. In a world of fashion and makeup, American Girl dolls are dressed
appropriately for little girls. My girls love dressing up their American Girl dolls and mixing and
matching outfits. We’ve even made some custom doll clothes.

Finally, the American Girl books are perfect for young readers. The book chapters are fairly short and
easy for kids to read on their own or with mom or dad. Many of the stories are about friendship,
perseverance, overcoming obstacles and being creative. Overall, these simple books are a great way
for girls to develop their love for reading

Gabriela McBride doll review and unboxing

My girls have so much fun playing with their American Girl dolls. They also love adding new outfits and accessories to their collection! Gabriela McBride fits right in with my daughter’s other AG pals. The American Girl brand is a great place to start for collecting high quality toys that inspire girls to enjoy childhood.

Katie Wallace
Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!

Tags

  • Toys

Post navigation

American Girl Fashion for Dolls & Girls
Hot Air Balloon Valentines With Fruit Snacks

Related posts

Toy Organization Tips & Tricks
June 6, 2017
by Katie Wallace  /  25 Comments

Toy Organization Tips & Tricks

Creative Ways to Teach Kids Through Play
February 25, 2026
by Katie Wallace  /  16 Comments

Creative Ways to Teach Kids Through Play

One Stop Shop for Summer Fun & Family Adventures
June 29, 2018
by Katie Wallace  /  14 Comments

One Stop Shop for Summer Fun & Family Adventures

guest
Recipe Rating




guest
Recipe Rating




7 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Ariana Gomez
Ariana Gomez
9 years ago

Amazing stuff to help with raising kids. thanks

Reply
June S.
June S.
9 years ago

This American Girl doll is very nice. I know a person who goes to the big sales when they have them in the springtime.

Reply
John
John
9 years ago

My niece would love this! She is obsessed with AG Dolls.

Reply
Jiselle
Jiselle
9 years ago

I love these dolls we got one for my niece some time ago and she loved it!

Neha K.
Neha K.
9 years ago

Love the pics. Both are too cutee

Reply
Sabrina
Sabrina
9 years ago

My daughter would have loved such a doll when she was smaller!

Reply
Melynda S
Melynda S
9 years ago

This is so cute!

Reply

Kids Categories

  • Kids Activities
  • Paper Crafts
  • Toys
  • Snacks
  • Fashion

Hello

Wallace Family 2024 create play travel

Hi, I'm Katie and we are the Wallace family! We homeschool, go on adventures, and travel internationally with our four kids. I hope you enjoy our creative ideas on Create. Play. Travel.

Do it Yourself

do it yourself watermelon fruit bowl See our creative projects, kids activities, & party ideas »

Homeschool Ideas

katie wallace homeschool ideas Homeschool Tips & Ideas »

Popular Tags

  • Babies
  • Baking
  • Camping
  • Colorado
  • DIY Home
  • Easy Crafts
  • Europe
  • Fall Ideas
  • Family Fashion
  • Gift Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
  • Idaho
  • Kids Activities
  • Kids Science
  • Memories
  • Pacific Northwest
  • Paper Crafts
  • Party Ideas
  • Product Reviews
  • Snacks
  • Summer Ideas
  • Teens
  • Toys
  • Travel Tips
  • Valentines Day
  • Videos
  • Worldschooling

Latest YouTube Videos

Create Play Travel Youtube Videos@createplaytravel on YouTube »
Europe with kids YouTube videosEurope with Kids Video Episodes »

createplaytravel

Travel with kids tips & inspo 🌍🌺 Creative family ideas 🌟 Saved by grace ➡️ Follow our adventures!

The struggle is real when charging our family’s de The struggle is real when charging our family’s devices! 😀 We try to balance screen time with learning and adventures while traveling. 

Phones & tablets can be helpful for language learning and some games/entertainment. 📱

Our watches double as GPS tracking for our kids, and the drone is fun for capturing unique video content!

💬 Which devices do you bring when traveling with your kids? 

Hi! We’re the Wallace family. 👋😀 We love traveling with our 4 kids, homeschooling, and exploring. ➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel

🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! 🌎🩵

traveling with kids, family adventures, homeschool family, worldschooling, exploring with kids
The struggle is real when charging our family’s de The struggle is real when charging our family’s devices! 😀

We try to balance screen time with learning and adventures while traveling with our kids. But phones & tablets can be helpful for language learning and some games/entertainment. 📱Our watches double as GPS tracking for our kids, and the drone is fun for capturing unique video content!

💬 Which devices do you bring when traveling with your kids? 

Hi! We’re the Wallace family. 👋😀 We love traveling with our 4 kids, homeschooling, and exploring. ➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel

🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! 🌎🩵

traveling with kids, family adventures, homeschool family, worldschooling, exploring with kids
Girls spa day! 😊🌸 We got pedicures at a nail studi Girls spa day! 😊🌸 We got pedicures at a nail studio near our house, and it was such a fun way to spend time together. 💕🇲🇽 @teenglowtravel @just.sylvie.xo 

💬 What activities do you enjoy doing with your daughter? Comment below👇

One thing we love about living in Mérida, MX is how affordable beauty treatments can be. It’s easy to enjoy a little pampering without breaking the budget!

Hi! We’re the Wallace family. 👋😀 We love traveling with our 4 kids, homeschooling, and exploring. ➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel 

🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! 🌎🩵

traveling with kids, family adventures, homeschooling, exploring Mexico, worldschooling
The house search is on! 🏠🌴 We’re looking for a lon The house search is on! 🏠🌴 We’re looking for a long-term rental house in Mérida, Mexico. Our wish list includes:

 • 4 bedrooms
 • spacious family room
 • workspace / homeschool room
 • pool to cool off from the heat
 • space for hosting! 

Do you think we’ll find our dream home in Mérida? 😁☀️🌴 We still have one more house to look at!

Hi! We’re the Wallace family. 👋😀 We love traveling with our 4 kids, homeschooling, and exploring. ➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel 

🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! 🌎🩵

traveling with kids, family adventures, homeschooling, exploring Mexico, worldschooling
Cerrado los lunes! 😟☀️ We showed up at the zoo onl Cerrado los lunes! 😟☀️ We showed up at the zoo only to discover it was closed on Mondays. 

Thankfully, our family has gotten pretty good at pivoting when plans change. Instead of heading home, we set off on a mile-long walk to Centro Histórico Mérida and turned an unexpected detour into an adventure.

We explored local markets, enjoyed tacos and sopa de lima for lunch, and let the kids burn off energy at a park. The Mérida heat definitely called for a treat, so we stopped for fruit bars that cost just 40 pesos (about $2.50) each. We made it home just in time for Juliet’s nap!

Next time, we’ll check the zoo schedule before we go. But honestly, this unexpected change of plans turned into a pretty great day!

✨ Takeaways:

• Travel helps build resilient kids. When plans change, they learn to adapt, stay positive, and enjoy the adventure anyway.

• Some of our best experiences happen when things don’t go as planned. The zoo will still be there another day! 🦓🐊🦛

• We’re growing in Spanish every day. The kids are becoming more confident with pronunciation, casual phrases, and new vocabulary as we navigate life in Mexico.

💬 What do you want to know about our life in Mexico?

Hi! We’re the Wallace family. 👋😀 We love traveling with our 4 kids, homeschooling, and exploring! 
➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel 

🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures 🌎🩵

homeschool family, travel with kids, adventure family, worldschooling, kids who travel, merida mexico, family travel
Hola from Mérida! 🇲🇽☀️ Our first week has been cha Hola from Mérida! 🇲🇽☀️ Our first week has been challenging and rewarding as we settle into life in Mexico with our 4 kids!

• We’re finding our new normal, discovering favorite stores, trying grocery delivery, getting used to air-drying clothes and doing dishes (no clothes dryer or dishwasher). 

 • We’ve almost finished all steps for receiving our family’s permanent residency cards. Praying for successful completion!

 • Also experiencing frequent tropical afternoon downpours, magnificent and soaking! 🌴

 • Being without city water for 20 hours, which impacted washing dishes and taking showers. We used our rooftop water tank sparingly. 

 • House hunting & touring several long term rental houses; we hope to find a good fit for our stay-at-home lifestyle and hosting too!

I keep reminding myself that we moved here! We’re not just visiting for a few weeks. 🤯😄

Overall, we’re grateful. ☀️🙂 It’s been a good first week, and we’re excited to continue settling in and discovering what life in Mérida has in store for our family!

Hi! We’re the Wallace family. 👋😀 We love traveling with our 4 kids, homeschooling, and exploring. ➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel 

🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! 🌎🩵

traveling with kids, family adventures, homeschooling, exploring Mexico, worldschooling, Mérida Mexico
I can’t believe in 2 days, we head to Merida, Mexi I can’t believe in 2 days, we head to Merida, Mexico to live there for two years! 🇲🇽 Our goal is to gain dual citizenship, work on learning Spanish, and get to know the local culture. We also look forward to welcoming baby # 5 in October, another GIRL! 🩷🦩🥰

North Idaho has been so good to us, and we will miss our friends and family! 

Thanks for praying for our family on our journey! 🩵🌎

Hi! We’re the Wallace family 👋😀 We love traveling with our 4 kids, homeschooling, and exploring. ➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel 

traveling with kids, family adventures, homeschooling, exploring Mexico, worldschooling
So many fun squishies, NeeDohs, and dumplings! 🥹🍕💧 So many fun squishies, NeeDohs, and dumplings! 🥹🍕💧 @needohofficial @hallmark
Follow on Instagram
  • Elara Pro by LyraThemes.com
  • Copyright © Create. Play. Travel. • Privacy Policy