April Cute Things

Hello Everyone! Wow... it's been absolutely ages since I last blogged, and for a second there, I wasn't sure if I was coming back. Not gonna lie, 2023 hasn't started off great for me. Sorry to begin a cutesy themed post like this, but I don't want to sugarcoat things. Mental health struggles are unfortunately common and if me being open about my own struggles helps just one person feel not so alone, or gives them that little push to be open about what they're going through with their loved ones or a therapist or something, then it's worth it. Up until my early 20's, I used to be one of those people who hid what I was going through, but my OG readers will know I'm pretty open about the mental health conditions I have; I've even written a few posts about them in the past as well. Anyhow, this year has brought with it many unforeseen circumstances that have had a big impact on my already messy mind, and my ability to get-up-and-go all but vanished, until literally last week. So, here I am FINALLY with a new post, something short and sweet, as the saying goes (well, I'll try to keep it short but overexplaining is part of my package deal, haha!). I hope you all enjoy reading! 

Back in late December when I was doing what a lot of us do, thinking about our goals for the new year ahead, I came up with a post series idea. I used to share several posts a week at one point, but reality check: going from nothing to that just wasn't happening. I was trying to wrack my brain for ways to still talk about all the things that make my day-t0-day life that little bit brighter, whilst only sharing something once a week. Eventually, I thought why not do a sort of round up post at the end of each month, to share with you all anything cute that I might have bought or watched or whatever. I feel like most of you folks are here for that anyway! I'm not sure if the title will stay the same, but getting back to writing took enough energy without attempting to come up with a catchier name... I mean, does it really need one? We'll see :) 

Since today's post has more of a catching up vibe, I'm going to be sharing all about the cutest additions to my life since Christmas Time. Some might think it's a little late for that now, but the last few months have felt like one giant never-ending month. Somehow simultaneously speeding by and dragging at the same time! Who can relate? Plus, I think all my cutesy acquisitions deserve to be celebrated. I know I'll enjoy talking about them and remembering the joy I felt when I first got them. Fingers crossed it's still a fun read for everyone else! 

Decided to start off with these embroidery pieces. Aren't they gorgeous!? They were made for me by my wonderful blogging bestie, Natalee from ThereMightBeCoffee. Embroidery has been a new hobby of hers for several months now and she's made some lovely pieces, including these which she surprised me with for my birthday last Autumn and for Christmas. I know that I said I was just going to be featuring things from Christmas onwards, but I couldn't not show both pieces off,  because I'm absolutely over the moon with them! Both these characters are special to me, as Lily is my favourite villager from the Nintendo video game series, Animal Crossing, and Hamtaro holds a big place in my heart from my childhood. It was an anime series that I really adored growing up, so much so that I even named a pet hamster of mine after the main character. If you're also a fan of this little cutie, you should check out my previous post all about the Hamtaro Nendoroid :) Which is your favourite of the two pieces Nat very kindly made for me? I feel so loved because I know how much time these pieces take to put together ♥ I cannot wait to get them up on the wall in my bedroom! 

It wouldn't be a Raiin Monkey life update if it didn't include something about plushies! I am addicted to buying them, always have been and don't think I'm gonna be stopping any time soon, with new releases and collections popping up all the time. I have my eye on Jelly Cats now, so watch this space, haha! I've actually added a couple more to my collection this year, but I thought I'd leave something for the next edition of my monthly Cute Things series. Which of the plushies below pulls on your heartstrings the most? 

I have been aware of this lovely little froggy character since the early days of the internet, at least the early days for me which would be the early 2000s. I have always been very fond of frogs, but the obsession hadn't quite taken hold back then. I was all about Sanrio and San-X, especially some of the less talked about characters nowadays, such as Chi Chi Monchan. I would occasionally see this froggo around the kawaii enthusiast communities, but I didn't have a clue who it was until a few years ago. Its name is Pickles, and even though I have a tendency to refer to plushies as 'he', something cool about this frog is that, according to the info I found on wiki, its gender is a secret. I think that's really cool. Back in January, a new store was brought to my attention on Instagram called Disco Waffle. They sell plushies that can be quite tricky to source here in the UK, and as soon as they announced that they were stocking Pickles, I had to have one! I chose yellow, because it's just such an eye-catching and cheerful colour, and I am very happy with how well-made this plush is. 

I said I was going to attempt to keep this post short, but that ships already sailing... I can't help myself. I have to tell ALL THE DETAILS :D 

Another plushie that I got back in January was this fabulous Cinnamoroll from the Build A Bear Workshop. When BAB announced that they would be bringing out a Hello Kitty plush for the iconic character's 40th Anniversary, I was super excited, however, I wasn't a fan of the silver design choices they went for. I still have the original Hello Kitty plush they released when I was a teenager (it was my second ever purchase from them), so I didn't really need another, but the anniversary release had me hoping for a new series, like they seem to be doing a lot over the last several years, with the Pokemon collection for example, that seems to be still going strong! It was the prospect of more Sanrio characters that made me snap up a Cinnamoroll as soon as I spotted an ad on the stores instagram. I don't usually buy white plushies, just because of how quickly dust and stuff shows up on them, but I couldn't say no... he's sooooo cute! I love his little cinnamon bun shaped tail and squishy, floppy ears. They make up for the fact that whoever stuffed him did so so thoroughly that he can't be put into a sitting position, making him tough to display with my other plushies. Oops! Are you hoping for anymore Sanrio BAB's? Kuromi is my fave, so I'm hoping for a plush of her, but I'm also super curious how they would design Pom Pom Purin to make sure he's the chubby cutie we all know and love. 

How sweet are the squishmallows!? The standard sized one on the right was bought for me by my sister off my Christmas wishlist. It's supposed to be a beluga whale, one of my favourite sea creatures, and his name is Laslow. I fell in love with him as soon as I saw him, but the name also had a nostalgic appeal to it. I've been trying to think of where I'd heard the name back when I was a kid, and my sister made me remember the Cartoon Network show, Camp Lazlo, so I'm thinking that might be the one! Again, as I'm not generally a fan of white plushies, I am really glad that Squishmallow decided to shake things up and make Laslow a pastel lilac and blue colour, and to give him what I call the uwu mouth, that classic :3 face. It's so cute! The tiny squishmallow was gifted to me by my lovely friend, Sophie, and it was the perfect surprise because I'd been thinking about getting the standard sized Maggie the Stingray squishmallow for a while. If it wasn't due to the fact that my room is slowly being overtaken my plushies, I would have so many more squishmallows by now, but I'm trying to only get the ones I really have a mighty need for, so it's great that I now have a pocket-sized Maggie instead :) No matter how long it's been since I bought my first squishmallow, I am still amazed at how soft they are everytime I touch one! 

I thought I'd include some snippets from my instagram of other cute things I've been buying. There's just something about pez dispensers that makes me never able to walk away whenever I see one of my favourite characters. So, I had to grab this Bulbasaur when my sister spotted it in B&M. And of course because I have no self control, when she mentioned that they had a Pikachu in stock, I got that one, too. Do any of you guys like pez? Have you kept any from your childhood? The rug I got from Kenji when I headed to Manchester City with my best friend in December last year. I'd spotted these fabulous little rugs/mats back in September when I had visited the Trafford Centre store for the first time, and very much regretted not picking one up then. The Arndale store didn't have the Oppy the Frog one I wanted, so I got my second favourite Tiny K character, Dorothy the witchy cat. I was really impressed by how soft these rugs were, and love that they aren't fluffy so will be easy to clean. They were £8 each as far as I remember! 

I have the most fantastic of friends!! All but one of these items was a gift from one of my loved ones :') Thank you for being amazing, guys!! 

So, the only item above that I purchased myself was the stationery blind box with the adorable strawberry pig on the front. During my Christmas Time trip to Manchester, I popped into Miniso to see whether the rumoured Sanrio collection had been stocked yet. Unluckily, it showed up not long after we'd been! Because I was a little gutted, I was determined to find something to buy, but it's a pricey store so I was almost ready to admit defeat, when I spotted these little Miniso X Penple Toys boxes not far from the till (and discounted!). I have no idea what's inside yet, as I've been meaning to unbox it on the Tiktok I made just for sharing my toy collecting and unboxing hobby. I've not posted on there in ages, but hoping to change that very soon. So if that's your cup of tea, please give my account a follow. 

My friend Sophie, along with the tiny ray squishmallow gave me a gift bag filled with all sorts of lovely things when we met up in February (thank you!! ♥). Due to covid and just general life getting in the way, we hadn't seen each other for a ridiculously long time so it was so great to finally get a chance to hang out! We had lunch at a cute little tearoom in my hometown, and then headed to a local park to feed the ducks and have a wander about. It was a really nice day! And thanks for her, I now have my first Cats VS Pickles blind bag!! It's been so tough not to open, but I'm trying to save things for my tiktok. Everyone cross your fingers for me that there's a super cute cat inside! Lovin' the Winnie the Pooh initial mug she got for me, too. I really like the old style illustrations of A.A. Milne's charming characters, vs the cartoony ones :) 

Another of my awesome blogger friends, Kim from ChimmyVille, surprised me at Christmas Time by getting me something off my amazon wishlist. She's been buying me a gift off there for my birthday and Christmas for a few years now, because she's such an incredibly kind person ♥ I really appreciate it! This time, she got me the Jolteon Funko Pop, so I now have all three starter Eeveelutions thanks to her getting me the electric baby :) Really chuffed about that every time I look at my Pokemon shelf! 

How adorable is that Tiny K notebook from Kenji!? When we went to Manchester at the end of 2022, my best friend wanted me to pick something for my birthday and christmas presents, and this was one of the things I chose. Kenji has been my favourite store for a long time, and I am so delighted for them that they have grown so much that they are doing partnerships/collaborations with other companies and also expanding out of the north, with a few stores now popping up in the midlands. Go Kenji! We spotted this notebook in HMV, and I absolutely adore that it features most of the store's original characters, apart from the frog and the orange cat. It's also a really thick notebook and has the cream pages that I prefer. Only time will tell if it ends up being added to my hoard of notebooks that I can't bring myself to use, haha! 

Look how precious these babies are!! It's been well over a year now since these endearing Pucky X Pop Mart figures became my new favourite collectable blind boxes, and if it wasn't for the fact we've been experiencing a cost of living crisis in the UK since then, I'd have so many by now! These adorable little vinyl figures are always so well detailed and brilliant quality. I love that many of them come with tiny accessories, too, and the fact that there's loads of versions available. My most sought after collection is the Animal Tea Party Pucky Babies, which is where the two figures above come from. My sister bought me these for Christmas and I couldn't wait to open them in all the festive excitement. I probably should have included a photo of all the different figures you can find inside these blind boxes, but the ones I wanted most were Ducky Baby and Poker Rabbit Baby (as it looks like the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland!). It must have been the Christmas magic because I only went and got Ducky Baby in my first box!! What a sweetheart he is with his tiny duckling mug!! I'm obsessed with how each of these cuties come with their own mug for the tea party. I was just as happy to get Squirrel Baby because there's not one Pucky Baby in this series that I don't like. A big thank you to my sister for making my Christmas Day so wonderful! 

In the previous photo, I featured another of the Animal Tea Party blind boxes and that's because the other gifts that my best friend got for me were Pucky Babies blind boxes!! Thank you so much, Jess ♥ I was super close to choosing two of the Tea Party ones as there was a deal on 2 in the Kenji Arndale store; I can't remember the price though, but I hope they keep that deal as a permanent thing! However,  I was so intrigued by the packaging of the Pucky Festival Babies! Each figure is dressed in a traditional outfit to represent elements of a festival celebrated in Asia, and they all have a gorgeous design! I'll get around to opening them on my tiktok soon, so keep on the lookout, fellow toy fans! 

Well, that's all I've got for you today, guys! I really hope that this was an interesting read and that I had you all thinking 'AWWW!' at some point thoroughout. Please let me know your thoughts on this new monthly series idea :) I am very glad that talking about some of the cutesy things I've gotten over the last several months with you all has pulled me out of that blogging slump that I was starting to worry would never end. It's good to be back, and I hope I can stick at it! Much better than I can stick at keeping my word count down... I think that one's an impossible hurdle for me though! Wishing you all an excellent month of May (in addition to being a fan of the adorable things in life, I am also a Eurovision Song Contest fan so I'm very much looking forward to that!). 

Thank you for reading! 

♥

What's the cutest thing you've bought lately?

Also, tell me what you're looking forward to next month! 

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Hamtaro Nendoroid | Review

Hi guys! I hope you have all had a lovely start to your week. I finally got my first Nendoroid!! And I've been sooo looking forward to sharing my excitement with you all :) I waited to unbox it until yesterday because I had to move some things around and clear a space on my bookcase for the little cutie to go, and procrastination is a part of my personality at this point. But that just means the hype is fresh in my mind, so it's the perfect time to write all about it.

In case anyone is wondering why it took me so long to step into the wonderful world of Nendo collecting, it's because I literally collect so many other figures and, as many of you guys will know, Nendoroids can get pretty pricey! I was certain that when I eventually did get my first Nendoroid, it would be the Kirby one, as I've wanted it for a super long time, but then the Good Smile Company (who makes these awesome figures) announced they were releasing a Hamtaro version. So after freaking out, I knew now was the time! I couldn't be more thrilled!

Before I get into my first impressions and whatnot, let's backtrack a little. I almost forgot to even explain what Nendoroids were! It's easy to assume everyone who's been on the nerdy side of the internet for a while will have seen them before... oops. But anyhow, Nendoroids, or Nendos for short, are a type of vinyl figure made in Japan. They were originally of anime characters, then game characters, and now you can get other popularised characters, such as Elsa from Disney's Frozen. They are super detailed for being figures on the smaller side, and so photogenic, too! As someone who partakes in toy photography as a hobby, this made them appeal a lot to me. Have a google of the different Nendoroids you can get after reading my post; you'll not be disappointed. 

I also wanted to introduce Hamtaro :) If you're a fellow lover of kawaii culture, then you may have come across the most adorable hamsters and not even released that there's a whole anime series surrounding them. Hamtaro: Little Hamsters, Big Adventures began airing in Japan in 2000 and didn't take long to arrive in Australia, the US and across Europe. I first watched it on the channel Fox Kids, and I was obsessed from the get-go! 

I remember having a sketch book that I filled with drawings of all the different ham-hams. I would record the episodes on VHS tapes and then pause them so that I could draw the characters. Can anyone relate to this? I was already a lover of Syrian hamsters, having had two as pets before I ever watched the show, and you can bet I got another and named him Hamtaro :D He ended up being the sweetest, most friendly little ham-ham I ever had the pleasure of knowing, too. I still have many of the tiny Hamtaro character pencil-topper figures I got back then, as well as two Hasbro plushies. One is of Hamtaro and the other is Bijou, a little white hamster with two ribboned pigtails and a French accent, from 2002. 

Hamtaro will always be a fond favourite of mine when it comes to anime, and of course, I couldn't pass up on getting the main man Hamtaro in Nendoroid form!! I will end up talking about my love for the franchise all night if I let myself, so here goes... brace yourselves for some cuteness overload! 

As the back of the box shows, you can style this Nendoroid in four ways. The set comes with three faces: a chubby cheeks version, a standard open eyes look & a happy, closed-eye expression. You also get two body options, standing up and sitting down. There are various accessories and tiny hands that match with the different face parts, such as a hand for holding onto a tiny sunflower. This is one of my favourite things about Nendoroids! That you can style one figure in so many different ways because of all of the parts that come with it. They remind me of my Pennywise the Clown figure by Neca, but obviously a smaller, more chibified type of figure, haha! (I think I need a chibi Pennywise in my life though... *quickly google searches for horror Nendos*). 

LOOK HOW PRECIOUS THIS NENDO IS!!!! I love him so much. He's going to be so fun to use in photography scenes and I can't wait to get creative with that :) As you can see, the colour is so vibrant, and the eyes are so expressive and eye-catching (well duh). His little tail and paws are the cutest! I love the way all the interchangeable parts were organised in the box, and was impressed by how securely everything was packaged with tape and tiny bags and such. 

Here are all of the main pieces, not including some of the tiny additional hands. All Nendoroids come with a stand, along with a thing to connect the figure to the stand, so the figures are easier to display. I've decided to display my new Hamtaro in a sitting pose so I'm not currently using the stand, but it's still very handy to have. Honestly, collecting figures is a nightmare sometimes when slight vibrations can send a figure flying off your shelves, often knocking over several other figures on its way to the ground :D I'm looking at you Tokidoki...

One of my favourite things about the Hamtaro Nendoroid has to be the sunflower seed 'accessories'. If you watched the show or played the video games then you'll understand the significance of these seeds, they are like a bone to a dog. It's really cool that Hamtaro gets to be surrounded by one of his favourite snacks! 

I mean, have you ever seen anything more adorable in your life!? He looks so happy having his cheek pouches stuffed with yummy sunflower seeds! This is definitely my favourite of all the poses/styles, and the one that I have chosen to display my figure with. I really like the rosy hue that the designers have decided to include on Hamtaro's cheeks, because it helps to add even more character to the figure! And the point of the sunflower seed in Hamtaro's hand lines up so perfectly with his mouth, giving the impression that he's just about to devour it. So sweet! 

Here is another of the styles that you can arrange this Nendoroid in. Hamtaro with a gleeful expression and arms held up high, as if he's exclaiming 'I found a pretty flower! LOOK!'. The sunflower has a lovely, simplistic design to it, which I think will be great for summertime photography :) You have to attach a specific hand that has a tiny hole it in for the sunflower to sit in. And as some of you will have guessed from the gap between the base of the arm and the body, all of the parts of Nendoroids are moveable, and as I realised quite fiddly. I have never been great at assembling things. My fine motor skills are so bad. And this figure in particular has been very awkward to put together, as my friend let me know when I messaged her struggling with the pieces XD I got there in the end, although apparently not before I took this photo, haha! 

This is how the Hamtaro Nendo looks when attached to the stand. The part used to secure the figure to the base looks like it was made for a robot because of the screws and I love it :D That part, too, can be a little tricky to get the hang of at first, but I like that it's clear and again, it's always good to have the option of using a stand. Hamtaro's side profile is so damn cute! Check out that tiny 'snout' and pointed nose. Awww!

Another feature I adore about this figure is the open mouth expression! In the series, Hamtaro and his hamster friends speak to one another like humans do, however they also have this little ham-ham language (I think it's called 'Ham Chat'), with specific sounds and words for things. This expression makes me imagine that Hamtaro is saying 'Oopaa!', which is something the hamsters say when they see something they want and are excited. 

This is the third style that you can display your Nendoroid in. Adorable closed eyes, and paw posed in the V-sign/Peace Sign, that is so iconic in Japanese animation and kawaii culture. This style just makes Hamtaro look so precious and friendly and like he's posing for a photo. I also think it makes him look kind of shy, and with the slight rosiness of his cheeks, he could totally be blushing. What's not to adore? 

Which is your favourite of the variations you can display this super cute Nendoroid in? As I mentioned, mine is the chubby cheeks, sitting down version, but I like all of them for different reasons, and think that it's awesome to have so many options. Overall, I am very impressed with my first Nendoroid, even if it is a little tough to pull apart and put back together! It has opened up a whole new rabbit hole for me and I can already hear my bank account screaming. 

I was so delighted to be able to get this figure so easily here in the UK, as I know it can be difficult to source certain Nendoroids without ordering directly from Japan. I got mine from Gamersheek, after the recommendation of a friend who preordered hers from them (shoutout of Nat, for always helping me bring kawaii goodies into my life!). The figure is available for £49.95, and there's an option to pay in 3 with PayPal, which I was very glad about. I'm pretty sure that the shipping was free as well. Thank you Gamersheek, for the quick delivery and for helping me to add this absolute gem of a figure to my collection! 

I took SO MANY photos in preparation for this blog post, as it was just impossible not to! This smol guy deserves to be shown off, but I have done my best to refrain from filling this post with all the photos! I just had to add this one in at the end. Some final thoughts I would like to mention about this figure is how smooth the material is, the quality just feels so good, and all of the little details add so much to the finished look, e.g. the whiskers, the dash of blue in the eyes, the fluff on the edge of the inner ears. I couldn't get a photo I liked showing the front of the box, as it was too bright and the light was reflecting off the plastic screen, but the Nendoroid is No.1615. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading today's post :) It's been fun to nerd out over figures again, as I feel like I've not properly done that for a while. Let me know if you'd like me to do the same when I get my second Nendo. I'm crossing my fingers that the Good Smile Company release all of the main characters from the Hamtaro series, if not all then at least Oxnard and Bijou. Who else has watched the show? Do you have a favourite ham-ham? My favourite characters growing up were Sandy and Cappy, so I would love to see them in Nendoroid form some day! 

Thank you for reading!

♥

Do you own any Nendoroids? Which one is at the top of your wishlist?

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Nintendo Direct 09.02.2022 | My Reaction

Hey lovelies! Happy March!! As you can tell from the title of today's post, I'm going to be sharing some of my thoughts on the most recent Nintendo Direct... almost a month after it aired. Better late than never, right?.... right?? I am so happy that getting a Nintendo Switch has revived my love for gaming after so many years. I mean, the nostalgic love hadn't disappeared, and I would often re-play some of PlayStation classics from my childhood, but some things that happened in my life put a dampener on gaming for a while, and I focused on my other hobbies much more. However, Animal Crossing: New Horizons ignited the spark again, and it's an awesome feeling to find myself getting hyped for new releases and updates like I used to as a teenager! So, even though I'm a few weeks behind, I still wanted to express my excitement with my fabulous readers, many of whom are likely to be game-enthusiasts themselves, and relive all that excitement again as I write :) I hope the same happens for you guys as you read along! 

First, I'm going to be discussing the games I'm most looking forward to, the ones I audibly squeee'd in reaction to when they came up during the direct. Then I'll talk about some others that peaked my interest and I feel deserve honourable mentions. I'd love to hear all about which games you're most excited about, so please let me know in the comments. 

I was absolutely over the moon when around twenty minutes into the Direct, a familiar pink round boi came running onto our screens! I had been keeping my fingers crossed for a Kirby game for a while, and oh my goodness, this trailer did not let me down! How brilliant does Kirby and the Forgotten Land look though!? 

If you've been following my blog for a while and read the posts featuring the Kirby Ichiban Kuji lottery games I've played, then you will know how much I adore this Nintendo character. Although, I had a Nintendo DS in my early teens, I wasn't introduced to this cute little puffball until one of my friends in high school let me have a play of his Kirby game on the computers in the IT room at lunchtime, and I immediately fell in love with the character. I would get encouraged by my friends to imitate Kirby's moves in the game all the time because apparently I was hilarious, haha! And there's just lots of fun memories for me surrounding the franchise :) 

The new game, which is scheduled to be released on March 25th, is so colourful and bright, and very much encapsulates the kawaii aesthetic, whilst presenting an action-packed and entertaining storyline. Aside from the overall appearance of the game, my absolute favourite feature has to be the 'Mouthful Mode' move and all its variations. I am particularly obsessed with Light-bulb Kirby, with Vending Machine Kirby coming in at a very close second. All of the artwork that I've seen around on twitter and instagram of Kirby-shaped random household objects and such has been fabulous! Which is your favourite of the Mouthful Modes? I cannot wait to play this beautiful and awesome-looking game! 

If you watched the Nintendo Direct and weren't ecstatic about announcements involving the character in the above photo, we can't be friends...

I'm kidding :D BUT eeeeeeeeee!! Even though I went into the direct already knowing that there would be a Klonoa mention, I still couldn't contain my giddiness about it! You see, I couldn't watch the direct until the day after it was aired, and my friends who had watched it couldn't not immediately message me about Klonoa, because they know how much I adore the character/games. And then I noticed all of the artwork filling up my timeline on twitter and I pretty much almost cried. I am not even embarrassed by my reaction. 

Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is one of my all-time favourite games, and it forever will be! I have adored this bunny-esque character since I was around 8 years old after playing the first game, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile on my PS1. During my childhood, I would experience a lot of games via demos, the kind that you could get in gaming magazines, as my parents couldn't afford to buy me new games all the time. I would play these demo versions of certain games again and again, and very much treasured every full-length game that I did have. The first Klonoa game blew little Sarah away with its cuteness, and also its theme music. Years later, I pestered my mom so much for the sequel, the exact game I still own now, and was overjoyed when she bought it for me! 

Hearing the iconic 'WAHOO' sound not long after the Kirby announcement was almost too much to handle, I was just so happy, not only about the idea of a game but also the fanart that I know will come along with it as all the artists of the gaming community plays too. For the longest time, I have been sad about the lack of Klonoa merch available, and that will (hopefully) no longer be the case, especially after seeing all of the illustrations that popped up after the announcement! I now find it much more convenient to play games on a handheld console and barely ever play my Switch on the TV (living with chronic health conditions affects literally everything I can do nowadays!). This means that I have not played my PS2 version of the game for quite a while, so I am super thankful that the Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series will bring Lunatea's Veil back into my life, as well as allow me to play the first game all the way through. Finally! Bring on July 8th!!

So, those two (technically three) game announcements are the ones that stole the show for me, but there were some others that I am tempted to check out. Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival looks so adorable that I am drawn to the game even though I don't think I'll be very good at playing it at all. I've never been particularly good at dancing games and anything similar that involves quick moves to the rhythm of music. Not gonna lie, I feel like the look of the game might mean that I spend my money on it but then don't actually play it, haha. Can any of you relate? 

I am yet to watch the anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (It's on my watchlist, with a million other shows, so I'll get around to it eventually!) but the game looked SO GOOD! The Hinokami Chronicles is due out on June 10th and I am feeling the urge to binge watch the show in the days leading up to the release and then have a play once I've completed it. We will see! Are you a fan of the anime and/or manga? 

Another game that was memorable for me was the final announcement of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The music and story in the trailer was beautiful, as well as that icy landscape featured, and what can I say? I'm a sucker for a humanoid character with animal ears! The creatures in this game also look epic, wouldn't you agree? This game is expected to launch some time in September this year. 

The last game, only because of the order I've decided to write about them in, that caught my attention was the Kingdom Hearts collection, Integrum Masterpiece series. As someone who never got the chance to play these games when I was younger apart from one time at a friends house, and who only knows about the characters because of tumblr, I think it's wonderful that the option will be there for me to experience all three games on my Switch whenever I decide to. They are available now from the Nintendo e-shop, if you didn't already know :) 

So, that's enough of my rambling for one day! I'm never sure if my game-related posts are interesting, so I'd really appreciate if you guys could let me know if you enjoyed reading :) I hope that I was able to bring some upcoming games to the attention of anyone who missed the Direct, or maybe someone who is new to the world of the Nintendo Switch and happens to stumble upon my post in their google search. Or that I was able to get everyone else excited all over again for these games! Either way, it looks like it's going to be an eventful year for gamers, even more so after the Pokemon Direct and the trailer for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. You'd have to be living under a rock to not have spotted the new starters on social media yet :D Do you have a favourite? They're all adorable, but I'm all about Sprigatito! Anyhow, this post is already super long, so I'll end it here. 

Thank you for reading!

♥

What game are you most hyped about? 

Is there anything that you were hoping to see announcements about, but were left disappointed? 

If you enjoyed today's post, check out these previous posts: 

| ACNH: My First Impressions | My Favourite Video Games as a Kid | 

| Kirby Gem Pusher Arcade Game | My First Ever Kuji! | 

What I got for Christmas 2021

Hello Everyone! Let's just pretend that it's not now almost March, so I can say a Happy New Year to you all! I wish each and every one of my lovely readers a wonderful 2022!! Seriously though, how is it almost three months into the year!? It feels like only yesterday since we were celebrating Christmas... and not just because I'm only just getting around to blogging about what I got! *insert awkward-face emoji here*. I feel so loved to have received so many fantastic presents, so I couldn't not talk about them. I hope you all enjoy reading and having a nosey at my gifts. This post is not meant to be a brag or make anyone feel bad, but a way for me to express how grateful I am, and to celebrate the thought that my loved ones put into choosing presents for me ♥(You guys are amazing!!). I'd love to hear all about what you got in 2021 for Christmas, so please let me know in the comments :) And so, without further ado, here's what I got!

I received the majority of my marvellous presents from my sister, so a huge THANK YOU to Nicole!! After our mom passed away, my sister & I decided to help make getting through the 'most wonderful time of the year' that little bit easier, that we would spoil one another (as best we could, anyway). In the past, we basically never bought each other anything for Christmas, haha! Oops... we have sure been making up for that over the last few years! My sister did a fantastic job as always of picking out great presents for me!! And I hope she loved the things I got for her just as much :)

If you are new to my blog, then you won't know that I have been an avid collector of figures all my life, starting when I was a little kid. As soon as I got to the age when I had my own money to spend on whatever I liked (even though it was supposed to go on adulting things...), I have been very much into vinyl figures. Although, my main love is for blind box collectable series, with those by Tokidoki being a firm favourite of mine, I couldn't help but fall in love with Funko Pops. I own over 100+ now, and I am trying to slow down with my collecting, because I was struggling to find space to store them all, haha. Can anyone else relate? 

Anyhow, when Tokidoki revealed that they were doing a collaboration with Funko, I pretty much lost my shit, as the saying goes XD And now have a mighty need to acquire ALL of the Pops they made (despite the fact that the unicorno looks strange to me in Pop form....). As you can imagine, I was over the moon to unwrap one of these Pops on Christmas morning, especially since the cactus characters are my absolute favourite by Tokidoki. I mean, just look how adorable Sandy is!!

Something that I really enjoy is receiving little gifts, you know the kind that are typically classed as 'stocking fillers'. And my sister always manages to find such awesome ones!! Like these Sanrio squishies! I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to bring myself to take them out of the packaging and risk ruining them because they are too cute. Are you a Sanrio fan? Who's your favourite out of the two I got for Christmas: Chococat or Hello Kitty? It's the latter for me. Hello Kitty will always hold a special place in my heart as she was the reason I got into Sanrio in my early teens. The best Sanrio characters, in my opinion, though are Kuromi and Pompompurin :) 

If you follow me over on Instagram (if you don't, you totally should), then you will likely have seen how much I was craving lebkuchen over the Christmas period! Being a spoonie, I can't get out of the house as often as I'd like to, and when I do, for example to do my monthly grocery shop, I have to try to get my shopping done all in one location, so I don't have to venture out again. As a consequence, I can't go to my local Lidl or Aldi stores to pick up all of the European festive goodies that I love so much, including the fabulous German spiced treats, lebkuchen. Oh my goodness, they are so yummy, and I was so happy to finally get my hands on some thanks to my sister. Yay!

I will be forever obsessed with plushies, and there is almost never a plushie that I don't love as soon as I set eyes on it. If you want to capture my heart quickly, give me a plushie and I will love you for all eternity. Obviously it's not that simple, but you get the picture! :D HOW BRILLIANT IS MY NEW GREEN MONSTER FRIEND!? My sister came across this one-eyed, floppy-eared dude in the sale for only £3 or something crazy like that!!? I am so happy that Ugly Dolls merch became popular in the UK over the last few years, as before then, I could never get any of the figures and such, without ordering from the US. And now I have a whole ass plushie!

Isn't the cover on that Harry Potter book just stunning? Thestrals are one of my favourite creatures from the Wizarding World, and the colour scheme appeals so much to the alternative part of me. The book is filled with intricate paper cut-out art (I have no idea what the proper name for that sort of thing is, so apologises if my explanation is crap...), depicting some of the locations featured throughout the Harry Potter stories. My sister thought it would make for a collection of interesting backgrounds I can use for my toy photography hobby, and I am very much looking forward to trying it out. I wish that I was skilled at doing intricate crafts because everytime I look through the book, I want so much to have a go at creating something similar myself! Alas, I struggle to even cut in a straight line with a pair of scissors...

As you can see, I received another Funko Pop for Christmas. It has become a little tradition for my niece to choose a Funko Pop for me as a gift, and it's just the sweetest thing knowing that she chose a particular character with me in mind :) In 2020, it was a Lion King (live action version) Pop of the character Scar, and this Christmas just gone, when she was deep into her obsession with Disney's Frozen, she wanted to gift me an Anna Pop, which was perfect for wintery toy photography! Little cutie ♥

This is the 'main' present that my sister got for me, and I was so surprised, in the happiest way!! My sister collects snowglobes, and so I always get her one for Christmas, or whenever I go on holiday and such. I really wasn't expecting her to go and get me one, too!! I also collect globes, but on a much smaller level. I think they are really pretty and will buy one as a keepsake from places I've travelled to. I think if I didn't already collect so many other things, I would allow myself to get even more globes, but I need to be sensible XD My life is overrun with enough things and stuff already, haha. I'm like the human equivalent of a magpie!

This Nightmare Before Christmas globe is SOOOO beautiful, and I couldn't have been more thrilled to receive it. I had been ummm'ing and ahhh'ing about getting myself an official Disney globe, but I always prioritised spending my money on adding to my various collections, so it's really nice that someone else took that step for me :) And what a phenomenal one to start with! My most favourite feature of this globe is the fact that it isn't filled with snow, or glitter, but bat confetti!! Yes, tiny little bats float around Jack and Zero when you shake it, and I think it is the most amazing idea ever! Whoever added that design needs a promotion, Disney! The detailing around the base of the globe is so eye-catching, and think of Lock, Shock and Barrell singing 'Kidnap the Sandy Claws' every time I look at it. Sally with her black cat in hand is the star of the show for me though :) Do you have an official Disney globe? I'd love to know which one(s)! 

My brother very kindly bought me a Lush gift set for Christmas (Thanks so much, Chris! ♥), and everything smells so good!! If I'm being honest, I always get a little nervous when someone says they are going to buy me a gift that involves fragrances, because I have so many sensory issues when it comes to certain scents. I can easily become overwhelmed, for lack of a better word, and so I am very 'picky' when it comes to perfume and the like. I told him that my favourite bathbomb by Lush was the peppermint-based Intergalactic, and whoever put together this Happy Daze box did an excellent job of pairing it with another bathbomb, and two bubble bars, with similar scents, in terms of their 'mildness'. 

The relief I felt when I unboxed it all!! It includes The Comforter, a bubble bar that I've used before and love, and then two new-for-me items, that luckily have citrus fruits and ylang-ylang as main ingredients, which are another of my go-to's, the Groovy Kind of Love bathbomb & the Brightside bubble bar. I cannot wait to see what the bathart they create is like! Something I really like about Lush is how colourful the packaging of their gift sets are :) 

Now, I'm going to show you all presents that I was gifted by my friends, who are incredible and I don't understand how I managed to have such great friends as them in my life :') A shoutout to Kim, who blogs over at Chimmyville, for buying me this Harry Potter origami book off of my Amazon wishlist! It was a lovely surprise. Thank you for being awesome!! Everyone go have a read of her blog :) I received some more Harry Potter themed goodies for my best friend, Jess, who knows I love her the most-est ever ever!! We recently spent a weekend in London, and thanks to her family, I finally got to visit the Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour!! I will share some posts about it next month for those of you who are fellow fans of the book series and movie franchise, that we all know conjured themselves into existence and have no creator. Keep your eyes peeled for that (I hate that saying because of the imagery it creates, but still continue to use it. Why...). I think it's cool that my bestie chose a Hermione pin for me, since even though she's not my favourite character from the franchise, I relate to her book-counterpart so much! 

My other best friend went all out and did a haul from one of my favourite stores for me!! Thank you so so very much, Aaron, for getting me so many kawaii wonders from Kenji! It is too tough to choose a favourite, because I adore everything!! Notebooks are always welcome, as they are another thing that I cannot ever get enough of. And one of them has a froggo on it!! A round amphibian buddie that's facial expression speaks to me on a personal level XD The long boi panda is so squishy and soft, and somehow my friend managed to pick two of my favourite Asian snacks, milk flavoured Hello Panda biscuits, and cookies & cream (or white cookie, a new name used for Christmas branding?) Pepero. I was in need of some cutesy snacks for some tiktok ideas I have, so what perfect timing to get these as a gift! 

Another Funko Pop from my wishlist has come into my life, and it's all thanks to my amazing blogger-bestie, Natalee, who writes over at There Might Be Coffee. Seriously, if you are of the nerdy persuasion like myself, you need to go read Nat's posts! Ever since, Funko announced that they were working with the brand Tasty Peach, I was delighted!! I have wanted a Tasty Peach plushie for the longest time, but couldn't afford to get one, so vinyl figures of the beloved characters are the next best thing, right? The one I love most of the Funko X Tasty Peach Pop's is the Queen Bee Meowchi, and now it's mine!! Eeeee!

She might be the cutest Pop I have ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on before! I mean, LOOK AT HER! Everything about her is super sweet!! It's fantastic that she's so photogenic as well, and I cannot wait to feature her in some Springtime photography. Who else is counting down the days until Spring is here?? I enjoy Winter (even though my brain does not) but I am craving more daylight and eye-candy in the form of flowers and fresh green buds. I need it to hurry up and get here already! 

So, that's (almost) all of the gifts that I have been given for Christmas, and I hope today's post has put into words how truly thankful I am for the people in my life. I know that love isn't about material things, and my friends give me so much more with their conversation and being there to listen to me and all of my life problems (of which there's A LOT), and making my days better just by existing, but when they take the time to look for a gift that they know will make my little nerdy heart smile, it is so meaningful :') I cannot say thank you enough. Thank YOU, THANK you, THANK YOU! And that also extends to everyone who has taken the time to read today's post, because I know that I have been the world's shittiest blogger over the last several years, so it still baffles me that people take the time to check out my ramblings whenever I am sporadically hit with the motivation to share a snippet of my life with the world. You guys are the best! 

Thank you for reading!

♥

What's something that you gave or did for someone special in your life for Christmas 2021? 

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Flowery Eeveelution Pin by Quirkory

Hey everyone! Long time, no see... can I even consider myself a blogger anymore!? Oops! Before I start today's post, which is all about a gorgeous gift that a super awesome friend of mine picked up for me, I just wanted to say a massive, mega, huge THANK YOU to each and every one of you who still read my blog, and follow along with my shambles of a life over on social media. You guys are the best!! You make me feel loved and interesting and I am eternally grateful for that ♥ Anyhow, enough soppiness, you came here to read all about wonderful nerdy things and to get your daily dose of cuteness overload, so let's go! 

If you're one of those fabulous regular readers of mine, you may remember my Christmas in July post from last year. Time seemed to both drag and speed by in 2020, during those months and months of pandemic life, and like so many others who struggle with mental illness, my brain was all over the place. My motivation and drive to do anything all but disappeared, and as a result, we got to celebrate a second Christmas here on Raiin Monkey, when I was finally able to put together a post for you guys all about my presents :D 

Well, time has repeated itself! It's been a challenge to get out of this new 'normal' state of mind and because of this, my blog has took a back-burner. I feel like I'm starting to ramble... but yeah, if you love Christmas Time then this is your jam (do people even say that anymore? haha!). We are revisiting the ''most wonderful time of the year'' once again, because I want to show you all the most adorable enamel pin that the amazing Natalee who blogs over at ThereMightBeCoffee bought for me! :) Thanks so very much for being such a star, Nat!! I have been so looking forward to showing off your present (even though it's taken me absolutely ages; better late than never, right?). So, fans of christmas and pins and cute fandom things, keep reading. You will not be disappointed! 

LOOK HOW CUTE!! Everything is so sweet! I was super delighted when I opened this package on Christmas Day after it had been sitting on my bookshelf for weeks; I was sooooo tempted to open it early, especially when Nat told me I could. But I did it! I held off until the big day, and was very happy I managed to do so! It was a wonderful surprise to discover that the item inside had been wrapped in pretty Christmas paper, finished with a sparkly silver ribbon :) A huge thanks to Quirkory for doing this! 

If you haven't heard of Quirkory before, it is an amazing independent artist business based in Italy and run by the cutest little mascots, Inari & Mosted (and their human creators, Claudia & Marco). They make all sorts of fandom-related and adorable animal artwork, in the form of enamel pins, stickers and much more! Some of their collections include Pokemon, Animal Crossing, kawaii Greek Gods and their recent kickstarter project is based on spirit animals. You can check those out here. I had been wanting to add something from Quirkory to my ever-growing pin collection for so long, so I was over the moon that Nat helped me to finally do that! And with such a beautiful pin, too!! I love it so so much!! 

This little personalised note card is so nice! I'm definitely going to be displaying it on my art wall. I'm a bunny mom and I literally squealed upon spotting those five chubby bun-buns... aren't they just so precious!?! I love how they are all unique and my favourite has to be the one on the left that's holding his paws up to his cheeks. That was literally me when I saw this note card :D Which is your favourite? 

Something else that I especially adored about this package from Quirkory was the letter from the artists. It was a lovely read and printed onto the cutest paper ever! I just thought it was such an awesome touch for them to add into their orders, and even though I received the item as a present, it's really nice to get something personal, a heartfelt message, when you support artists, as you can tell how much they appreciate it. 

Also, how cute is Quirkory's business card!? As a big fan of canidae species, I find Mosted & Inari so precious!! I think they represent a fox and a wolf, but I'm not 100%. I love the christmassy attire they are wearing on the card, too. A couple of stickers were also included in the package, and I'm unsure whether Nat opted for them or if Quirkory added them as freebies; either way, they were a delight to receive! Inari in Christmas outfits is the sweetest thing, and Eevee sleeping on a flower is like something out of a fairytale! What's not to love? There was a sticker version of the pin Nat chose for me as well, but I didn't want to spoil the surprise until you guys saw the star of the show! 

It's Vaporeon, my favourite Pokemon ever!! The sweetest little water baby! And oh my goodness, he's sitting on a flower, which is just perfect for a nature nerd like me. I'm in love with Quirkory's art style, the chibi characters and how colourful they are! AWWW, TOE BEANS!! Vaporeon's facial expression is the cutest. He's winking and looks like he's sticking his tiny tongue out.  I love his rosy cheeks and the rounded shape of the fins on his head, too. They just look fluffy? Squishy?? I don't know how to explain it, but it's super cute :) 

This pin is part of the 'Flowers Collection' - Eeveelutions sitting on flowers, all of which Quirkory have chosen for a specific reason. Each backing card comes with a description of the 'lore' behind why each flower was picked. Vaporeon has been partnered with the lotus flower and here's what my backing card says: 

'Everyone knows that Vaporeon is a water Pokemon, so it could only be matched with an aquatic flower! What is not well known, however, is that Vaporeon has the ability to walk on water... and Lotus are really good at it, as well! Thanks to their huge leaf and long roots, they can always stay afloat, even in the most difficult situations! Their ideal habitat are lakes, and certainly Vaporeon's Aurora Beam would have no effect on this flower, because it's also frost resistant'. 

How awesome! It's so interesting to learn about why this flower was chosen to accompany Vaporeon in the pins design. It's making me want to buy the other pins in this collection just to find out the reasons why each specific flower was chosen to represent them :) 

Another element I love about this pin is the leaf of the lotus flower, which is very visually similar to a lily pad. Lily pads make me think of frogs and I adore frogs, so whenever I look at the leaf part of this pin, I think of frogs and that makes me smile :D Furthermore, I love the colour contrast between the pale blue and teal shades used for Vaporeon, and the more bold colours picked for the plant part of the pin. It just makes vaporeon stand out even more. The warm orange and yellow pairs very well with the gold plating, don't you think? The petals are almost illuminated whenever the light catches the gold outlines, and it makes me picture the suns rays shining over the waters surface and making all the lotus flowers glow. 

I really like that the rubber backs for this pin badge are blue! As far as I remember, I was yet to own a pin with blue backs before receiving this one and in my opinion, it's cool to have backs that match the colour scheme of the character. I wonder if the other pins in this collection also have backs that are colour co-ordinated with each Pokemon, or whether Quirkory's pins always have a blue rubber back. Either way, it's a welcome change from all the pink or black backs that currently fill up my collection. It's also a nice touch to have the name of the Pokemon included on the back of the pin :) I'm assuming that Vaporus is the Italian name for Vaporeon? I've never seen a pin before that had the name of the design written on it, so much attention to detail! The whole pin is just perfect and I really love Quirkory's interpretation of my favourite Pokemon!! What do you guys think? 

Overall, this package was filled with so much adorableness! It was such a pleasure to open, and there was so much included in there that it just felt like the gift that kept on giving. So many cute things to look at, and you can really tell how much love goes into the preparation of Quirkory's orders. It's a wonderful thing to see! Thank you so much Quirkory, and a huge thanks to Natalee for thinking of me and for choosing a gift that you knew I would adore so much :) I am very lucky to have a friend like you!

Be sure to check out Quirkory's Instagram & Etsy Store. They have so many products that I know you all will love! I have my eyes on several of their Animal Crossing Switch Controller pins right now :) The designs also come in sticker form. Sherb & Flick are on my wishlist! I also have a mighty need to get their witchy frog pin because I love all things that are a mixture of spooky and cute! Plus, FROGS!! (please make a Lily version of the switch controller pins!) You guys should totally treat yourselves, and even better... my friend Nat is a brand rep for Quirkory, so if you use her discount code, you can save 10% off your order!! Since we are revisiting Christmas today, might I suggest starting your festive shopping early and putting something adorable away for the nerdy loved ones in your life? :D Use the code TMBQUIRKORY at checkout. 

I hope you all enjoyed reading all about my 'new' Flowery Vaporeon enamel pin! I will try my very hardest to get back to blogging regularly, so be sure to check my social media for updates about upcoming posts. Instagram is where I'm most active so keep your eyes peeled over there. It's been so much fun to write again about the little nerdy snippets of my life that make me happy! Wishing you all a marvellous rest of the July filled with lovely summery days and ice-cream and happy mail and small steps towards post-covid normalcy. Remember to keep wearing those masks though, guys :) 

Thank you for reading! 

♥

Which of the Eeveelutions is your favourite?

Are you a fellow pin collector? 

If so, I'd love to hear all about the latest pin you bought!

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