In the spirt of the holiday season, Mattel auctioned some beautiful one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls to benefit Project Angel Food this past week. You can see these unique Barbies at Charity Buzz. The mission of Project Angel Food is to nourish the body and spirit of men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses. The dolls auctioned were awesome, and I hope that Mattel continues with auctions of this type in the future.

Just yesterday, an appeals court stayed the pending court-ordered recall of MGA Entertainment's Bratz dolls. The dolls can now stay on store shelves during the continuing appeal process of the Mattel vs. MGA litigation. For more information, visit Playthings.com.

With the release of the Princess and the Frog and the Princess Tiana and other dolls from the movie this Fall, black and other ethnic dolls have been in the news, and doll diversity has been both criticized and praised. I recommend a thoughtful look at these issues in Do Our Dolls Have To Look Like Us? in the Wall Street Journal.

Next week is Thanksgiving, which means that December is practically here, and if you are like me, you are already thinking about holiday decorating. If so, don't forget how well dolls fit in with Christmas and other holiday decorations! To help with your doll-iday inspirations, you'll want to read my Top 10 Ways To Decorate With Dolls For Christmas.