Petite & Posh Vaughan

Have you ever been to a standalone American Girl store? I mean one of the big ones, like in Chicago or New York City?

They have full-on salons and restaurants for your little doll to share with her little doll. For real. And it’s apparently amazing in the most purposely obnoxious way (and, yes, I’m dying to take Miss Q).

Without anything similar here in Ontario, the always-smart-thinking sisters who conceived the Glama Girls franchise created Petite & Posh.

From fanciful quotes on every wall to posh decor and thoughtful details that’ll make your little girl’s heart swoon, Petite & Posh seems to have thought of everything.

THE GOOD

You don’t need to have an American Girl doll to participate in any Petite & Posh fun. We brought four girls with us to and only Miss Q came with an official American Girl; the others brought either an 18-inch doll-ternative, or a Barbie-sized friend. Just keep in mind that the doll clothes only fit the 18-inch variety.

So — this leads me to doll dressup! After your kids figure out which of the MANY costumes and accessories to don (in, literally, an entire room that’s wall-to-wall Disney dresses, tutus and more), the Petite & Posh team pulls out a heap of doll clothes and accessories for the kids to try.

From there, it’s non-stop action: karaoke on the machine that not only spits out the words and music but also video tapes your performance and emails it to you (!!!); a tea party with etiquette lessons (pinkies up when you drink your tea, ladies!); paint-your-own ceramic tea set (which they get to take home — paint, paintbrushes and all); a visit from and photos with Rapunzel; manis, makeup and storytime with Rapunzel; plus an unforgettable dance party on a stage with bubbles and a disco ball. It was a pretty epic afternoon.

Although the kids aren’t there for the food, as a bona fide foodie, I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on it. The pizza was very good (though if you have grownups joining in the Petite & Posh Tea Party fun, they might prefer their ‘za more than just lukewarm), and all of the food was BEAUTIFULLY presented in a truly spectacular room, decked out like something out of a fabulous teen drama.

Our girls were spoiled rotten and loved EVERY MINUTE of their time at Petite & Posh.

You can just as easily book a Mommy & Me Tea Party as you could a kid-only birthday party here. These owners know kids and they do a helluva job creating bespoke experiences based on your budget, timing and expectations. I hazard to say that your kids are guaranteed to have a good time. (OK, so it’s not like I can give you a money-back guarantee or anything, but you get my point.)

Let’s talk cost. And I mean apples to apples cost, because this is probably not an activity or party families living on strict budgets would be able to consider. But for those who frequently have offsite birthday parties or spend time going to zoos, science centres, jump zones and the like, I consider the cost of a Petite & Posh experience pretty reasonable. For example, a Family Tea Time is $250 for a family of four, and you get:

• Private access to the luxurious tea room
• A selection of tea treats including delectable Belgian waffles with whipped cream, mini cupcakes , hot and cold tea & other sweet fancies
• Paint your own mini 26-piece tea set
• One 4×6” keepsake photo
• Dress up and act silly to create your own family music video

These fairy doors affix to a wall allowing fairies to come and go freely — even the Tooth Fairy!

Considering it’s around $100 for a family just to go to the movies when you factor in snacks, I’d say that’s a darn good price.

Oh, and be sure to pick up a ‘Lil Fairy Door before you leave. It was the hit of the party!

THE GAFFE

I didn’t send Miss Q with one of my involved hairstyles because I thought when we were told “hairstyles for the girls and their dolls” it would be more than a quick ponytail. This is where Petite & Posh doesn’t measure up to the kind of salon experience that your die-hard American Girl kid would get at an American Girl flagship store — but it also doesn’t take your wallet out from under you and slap you in the face either. So there’s that.

I’m all about treats when we’re doing fun activities, but I appreciate balance. Although the pizza wasn’t one of the chain pizzas and was clearly made-by-hand with the love of an authentic Nonna, I would have loved to strike a balance with the overflowing treats by having some veggies available for the kids. The Belgian waffles were pure sugar and, in my opinion, totally inedible (though a few of the kids didn’t seem to mind…). And while the kids loved the cupcakes, I wasn’t as fond of them — they looked much more beautiful than they tasted and lacked the kind of spongy moisture I love in an artisan cupcake (but again, the kids had no complaints).

THE GEARS

4.5/5