So Kawaii Box November 2019 | Review

Hi lovelies! It's been absolutely ages now since I posted some kawaii content... like is this even my blog!? I know lot's of you guys come here for your dose of cuteness overload so I'm sorry for not having any posts like this for a while (silly life problems)! Anyhow, a month or so ago I created polls over on my Instagram and Twitter asking whether I should still share all about a super cute subscription box, despite the fact that I received it back in November; and literally all of you voted yes... so here we are :) I'm so happy to be sharing this kawaii goodness with everyone FINALLY! I have wanted to show off the contents of the 'childhood memories' So Kawaii Box ever since I opened it, and now I can!! :') You're going to love it ♥ 

Not to be confused with Blippo's Kawaii Box (check out my archives for more info on that here), the So Kawaii Box is another monthly subscription service filled with top quality items from Japan (the company is even based in Japan, so I didn't get charged any customs tax either!). Their focus is very much quality over quantity from what I've seen via all the unboxing videos I have watched on Youtube, but each So Kawaii Box still contains 6-8 items which is great. It's all down to personal preference, however after the amount of 'filler' products (cute albeit annoying) I've been sent in boxes in the past, I know I would rather get fewer items if it meant that they were better quality and had a more practical use. Who agrees?

As with most subscription boxes, there's a specific theme each time, with items related to that theme to be found inside every box. One of the problems I've found with previous subscription boxes is that only a couple of the items will perfectly fit in with the theme, and the others will kind of, although often at a stretch, tie in. Then there's usually lots of random bits thrown in, probably in an attempt to overload the recipients with cuteness, hoping they'll ignore the randomness of the products! This worked on me for a long time but it eventually gets borings paying for what is essentially junk, even if it is the most adorable trash ever (am I describing myself there? XD). 

Before I get even more rambley, this didn't happen when it came to the So Kawaii Box. I've only ordered one, but from what I've seen around online, I think it's safe to say that this company gives you value for your money :) So, without further ado... what did I get inside the November 2019 Box? 

I was sent seven items, all themed around nostalgia and the 'characters we grew up with and who are still a big part of our life!'. The items include: a Sumikko Gurashi Macaron Cushion, a Hamtaro Plushie, a Mini Rilakkuma Key Lock, a Kirby Meringue Dessert Spoon, a Mini Kirby Notepad, a Sanrio Lipstick Eraser and a Pikachu Pouch from the 'Girly Collection'. 

I literally signed up for this box as soon as I saw over on Instagram that November's 'issue' would contain a plush from Hamtaro, and figured everything else I received would just be a lovely bonus :) This adorable anime series was one of my absolute favourites when I was around 10-12 years old. I would rush home from school to plonk myself in front of the TV to watch an episode of Hamtaro: Little Hamsters, Big Adventures, on Fox Kids, as soon as I got through the door. I was pretty obsessed with it to be honest :D So this item alone evoked all the happy childhood memories I needed! Did anyone else watch this cartoon? 

What's better than receiving a new plushie in a subscription box? 

Receiving two plushies, of course!! Even though this is a 'cushion', it's pretty much still a plushie. It's the right size and is softer and more squishy than any cushion I've ever seen! It feels so amazing, guys! If only you could reach through the screen and touch it... it's going to be so comfy to rest my head on whilst I'm watching a movie or whatever in bed. I love Sumikko Gurashi and even though my favourite character is Tokage, the dinosaur/lizard, I am always happy with anything from this San-X franchise. As with many subscription boxes, there's a chance for subscribers to get one of several variations of an item, and in this case, there were three cushions you could get. Each a different character, and varying in size too, with the largest being the Sumikko Gurashi character 'Neko'. I would have preferred to get Neko just because I love cats and he's my next best after Tokage, but I'm glad I got the cushion that's the next size down VS the smallest one available. 

My cushion is of Tonkatsu, who's actually a character based on a deep-fried pork snack, which makes me smile whenever I remember. Japan sure loves their cute food! I think this macaron design is wonderful, and I love that my Tonkatsu version has a yellow filling because it makes me think of custard cream biscuits, and those are one of my favourite biscuits! (I'm craving some now, haha). I'm very happy with the item because despite plushies not really being useful, I adore them and you can never have too many plushies... I'll keep telling myself that until my house is taken over by them :D It's excellent quality, too. 

Awww I love everything about this photo! SO MUCH CUTE!! Which is your favourite item of the two? The Kirby dessert spoon or the Pikachu purse? Even though I LOVE Kirby, I like the purse more as I am more likely to use it. I love that it's a decent size so I can use it for not only money, but for other bits and bobs that I might need in my bag on a day out. I've wanted something from the Pikachu Girly Collection for a while because the chibified style is super adorable! I love that in this particular design, Pikachu is holding his hands over his mouth, like he's expressing 'oops!'. It's very relatable for an anxious mess like me! 

I saw a lot of people in unboxing videos comment on the size of this spoon and how they didn't know what to use it for, which puzzled me because it's a dessert spoon used for serving. For example, dishing out trifle. You could even use it for savoury dishes, to spoon out stew or meatballs, etc. It's not something that you're likely to use a lot, but it's still going to look super cute displayed in your kitchen. I like that it's something that's not just going to look pretty, I'm going to get use out of it, too. There were four designs of Kirby dessert spoons available, and the one I got is lovely! I love the starry sky surrounding Kirby. The packaging is also great. That's something I really love about products from Japan, so much of their packaging is colourful and adorable, even for regular, mundane household items. 

This item fits in so perfectly with the 'childhood memories' theme. I hadn't seen one of these lipstick erasers for years and years before I received it, and it was such a flash from the past! I had a few of these when I was in primary school, but none as cute as this Sanrio one! I remember hoarding them for a while because I couldn't bring myself to use them for their intended purpose and spoil them. However, one day I was searching for ages for one of my regular erasers and couldn't find one, so I relented and broke into my stash of lipstick ones. From that day forward, I used them like any other eraser. Shame though, because I wish I still had them! But then again, I collect too many things so it's probably a good thing I'm not cluttering up my bedroom with more random things :D 

There were several variations available for this item as well, and I got My Melody. Yay! She's a brilliant character. Rabbits are one of my favourite animals and I'm a rabbit mom, so I can't not love My Melody :) One of my favourite things about lipstick erasers is that they are usually scented, all of mine were as a kid and so is this one. It smells of strawberries! Again, I love the packaging, and that all the text is in Japanese! Did you have any of these when you were young? 

I was so happy to see a little gachapon egg in my November So Kawaii Box! Gachapon is the Japanese name for the little toys you win inside those toy machines that you put a £1 into and twist to get a prize. They are very popular in Japan and there are even whole stores filled with the machines. I have been a big fan of gachapon figurines and such for as long as I can remember, but I really got into them when I was around nine or ten. The first collection that kickstarted my love for them was the Winnie the Pooh animal collection... do any of you remember it? Tiny pooh bears in an animal costume. There were loads of series and therefore lots of species of animals to collect; I had SO MANY... it was ridiculous XD I got my first two as a treat for being brave whilst having some teeth taken out at the dentist. I won a sheep and an elephant Pooh bear :) But my favourite from my collection were the red panda and the crocodile. I still have quite a few of them packed away in my house somewhere... I need to find them! 

Anyhow, back to this rilakkuma gachapon. Look how cute it is!! It would have been awesome if I'd have gotten the Korilakkuma one because she's my favourite, but I got Mr Rilakkuma himself so I can't complain. These mini padlocks and keys make me think of having secret diaries as a kid, the type that came with a tiny lock and key just like this one, although not as adorable. I have a hello kitty one that I use on my suitcase whenever I go abroad, and now I've got another to secure the small zip pouch on the front of my suitcase. What would you use this cute little lock for?

Please excuse the quality of this photo, my camera was refusing to focus! Apparently, the print is so adorable, my camera couldn't cope :D How precious are all these Kirby's!? My favourite is the one with its mouth wide open, I'm not sure why :D I also love the little wands and lollipops dotted around. What's not to love about this notepad? I know it's small, but in my opinion, it's the perfect size to just pop into your bag and take out whenever you need to jot down a note. I like to use tiny memo papers like these whenever I'm sending my friend's gifts in the post, just to add a cute note :) 

As you can see above, there are two styles of memo sheets in this notepad, a landscape and a portrait design. My favourite if I had to choose would be the landscape one, with the purple stripes. They are both so pretty! Some people might not like getting two items featuring the same character in one box, but I love Kirby so I'm delighted. Even though the character wasn't one that I personally remember from my childhood, Kirby makes me reminisce about the good times I had with my friends in high school, including playing Kirby on the computers in ICT when I should have been doing my classwork... oops. So this smol pink boy will always hold a place in my otaku heart :D Are you a fellow Kirby lover? Oh, and there were two different Kirby notepads that you could be sent. 

I've saved the best until last :) Oh my goodness, he's incredibly cute and I am so over the moon to have a Hamtaro plushie to add to my ever-growing plushie army!! He might be small but it's so tough to come across official Hamtaro merch nowadays. I used to have two plushies that were sold by Argos all those years ago, but I have no idea if they are still somewhere in my house. I hope so! And there were even Hamtaro McDonald's toys made! 

I got the main character, Hamtaro himself or as he's known in Japan, Hamutaro. You could get any one of eight characters, and I would have been happy receiving any of them. Sandy and Panda were always my favourites, but those two weren't available anyhow. Just like Kirby, Hamtaro will forever be special to me, even more so. When I say I was obsessed with this cartoon, I mean it! I had figurines, toy sets, every plushie I could find. I would tape the episodes and then when I was watching them back, I'd spend hours pausing it and drawing the characters. I even had a pet hamster that I named Hamtaro! And he was actually the most friendly ham-ham I had growing up. So yeah, it's safe to say that buying the whole box was worth it for me just because of the Hamtaro item, and even if the rest of the items wouldn't have been to my liking, I would have had no regrets. The plushie is so much softer than I was expecting it to be! I love it so much!

I couldn't finish this post without showing you all just how fabulous the overall packaging design of the So Kawaii Box is. Just look at the level of detail and thought that has gone into the decoration of the box. I've had subscriptions with very cute external designs but none that put as much effort into the inside, too. I'm going to have to keep the box now! The sakura (cherry blossoms) and all of their petals scattered about are gorgeous. My items were covered with a piece of pink tissue paper, which was a nice touch. 

All in all, I was impressed with my first ever So Kawaii Box. The quality of the items is fantastic, and there's not one thing that I received that I don't like. I got all of these official products for $30 (about £23) and that's including shipping. So Kawaii Box actually offers free shipping worldwide and as I mentioned earlier, I didn't have to pay any customs fees either because it came from Japan. The box is usually $35, however a lot of unboxing videos for this subscription box on Youtube are gifted and the channel usually provides a discount code, which is what I used to get $5 off my first box :) I would definitely get another box in the future, especially if I spotted another upcoming item on the company's Instagram account that I loved. I recommend trying out this box for yourself if you're a fan of all things kawaii, like me! I hope you all enjoyed reading, and apologies guys for going M.I.A on my blog for so long! I promise I'll be back to posting more regularly in March. So, before I finish up this post, which is your favourite item from the November 2019 edition of the So Kawaii Box? 

Thankyou for reading! 

♥ 

What's an anime/cartoon that you loved as a child?

Tell me about a item from your childhood that you wish was still available and/or popular nowadays :) 

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Blogging & Perfectionism

This probably isn't going to be a very interesting post to read, more like reading a diary entry full of rambling. I'm not sure; I'm just sort of word-vomiting onto my laptop, in an attempt to get myself back into the swing of blogging. Maybe I'll post this, maybe not. So, I haven't blogged in what feels like forever (since the start of November, to be exact!). 

You will likely know why if you follow me over on Instagram. I don't want to get into things today, but 2019 was the worst and as a result, my mental health has been all over the place- I'm constantly flitting (that doesn't sound like a real word? :D) between a deep low to a state of numbness. It's tiring... disorienting... debilitating. The way I'm feeling has seeped into all areas of my life, putting a dampener on everything. When I'm happy for a brief moment, it feels somewhat fake... I don't really know how to put it into words, sort of like true happiness is unattainable to me now. Gosh, reading back over my words, that sounds so dire. My inner emo kid has been awaking ever since My Chemical Romance announced their comeback, but bloody hell XD. Sorry to anyone reading! 

But yeah, that's how things have been going for me. My mental health has been wrecking havoc on my ability to function. I guess that leads me onto a topic for this post I'm writing today. 

Any blogger, or creator sharing their work with others, will tell you that even with the most confident of people, there are always going to be times when you critique yourselves too harshly, question whether your work is good enough, wonder if you sound silly or [insert another negative descriptive here]. It's inevitable. We are our own worst critics, as they say. However, when you struggle with low confidence on a daily basis, or live with a mental illness- the self-doubt can be intense and really affect writing (or whatever creative outlet is your thing). 

I can't put a number to how many times I've deleted posts because I wasn't happy with how it read, or left content sitting unpublished for weeks, months even, trying to persuade myself that it was good enough to share. I often have to get my friends to read my writing for reassurance, too. That's the reality of being a blogger when you deal with anxiety disorder and depression >.< 

As with all chronic illnesses, when times are tough, when life is stressful, when you're feeling under the weather and whatnot, your conditions get worse. So all of these 'symptoms', things that occur due to that relentless, judging internal voice, become amplified, more nagging, and can have a substantial impact on the criticism we dish out to ourselves. 

So, how does this tie in with my current situation? Amongst other things, something that I can only describe as perfectionism plays a huge role in my anxiety around blogging. Well, writing in any form... essays and assignments back when I was studying, the fantasy stories I enjoy writing as a hobby, even when formulating emails or having conversations online- all that I do with regards to writing is, for lack of a better word, obsessed over. It's because it means so much to me! I put a lot into my writing and it's my favourite way of expressing myself, and thus it's something I give myself a lot of pressure to do well at. And when I'm experiencing feelings like the way I am at the moment, where my inner negativity monster is seemingly winning (if that even makes sense), my perfectionism complex is raging. 

If you made it through my rambles this far and haven't clicked off my blog in boredom, then I want to say Thankyou :) I know it probably sucks that this is my first post in ages and of the New Year, but I want to share something personal with you guys, especially with my loyal readers who have stuck around even though I've become the worst blogger ever. It means so much to me! Life is tough, but it's made that little bit more bearable knowing that you all still want to visit my little corner of the internet and are interested in what's going on in my mess of a life ♥ 

Anyhow, the reason I wanted to spill my brains into this post and share with you all my dealings with the wonderful world of perfectionism is because it's this very thing that has caused (not solely, but mostly) my severe lack of posts. Self-criticism has been ridiculously peaked for me, for a while now, meaning that I just couldn't bring myself to post new content or even write it. I convinced myself that in cheerful posts I sounded like I was trying too hard to disguise the reality, that I felt really shitty. I told myself that nothing read well, everything was uninteresting or lacking something that I didn't have the ability to fix. 

Upon reflection, I know that these 'imperfections' would probably have been unnoticeable to someone reading my posts, but at the time of writing, the anxiety was overwhelming and so I just couldn't work past it. Blogging just wasn't happening :( 

I thought that this would go away as time went by, that things would get better. But I'm still feeling as crap as ever, and I can't say anything has gotten easier. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do to help pull myself out of this hole that I've fallen into. However, my blog is important to me and it's causing me so much stress that it's just sitting here being neglected. I want 2020 to be better and so I've decided that I'm going to work my butt off to get things at Raiin Monkey back to how they were. If my writing sounds rubbish or is boring or doesn't make sense, fuck it. I'm trying my best and that's all that I can do! 

So, I think I'm going to end my first post of 2020 here before I give myself the opportunity to go off on a tangent, and make anyone actually reading this never want to come back to my blog again :D Thanks again to anyone who made it this far! You're all stars & I love you!! Wishing you all an incredibly wonderful year, filled with yummy food, happy moments, good mental health days & all the motivation to get shit done! 

Thankyou for reading!

♥ 

What's something that you're looking forward to this year?

Did you set any goals for yourself? I'd love to hear what they are!

Even though I've been crap at blogging, I'm still active over on my social media, so give me a follow to keep up to date with what I'm doing and such :)

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My Favourite Animation Movies

Hello & Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you are all having an awesome start to the first week of November... where has this year gone!? Only two months left! What's something that you're looking forward to for the rest of 2019? For me, I can't wait for all of the yummy foods that pop up around Christmas Time, especially lebkuchen (a traditional spiced German Christmas biscuit - I've eaten some already and it's only the 4th of November!). Before I get carried away with myself talking about food XD... Did you guys know that a week ago today, it was International Animation Day? I obviously had to show my love for the wonderful world of animation art and decided talking about my favourite animated movies would be a fun way to celebrate the occasion (albeit seven days late!). I've decided to discuss my top non-Disney movies, because as much as I adore Disney's multitude of amazing flicks, I wanted to show appreciation for some of other superb animated classics out there! I hope you all enjoy reading and that my post sparks a lovely trip down memory lane! I know it did for me, writing about the masterpieces that captivated me in my childhood. 

Princess Mononoke (1997) 

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you will probably already know that Princess Mononoke is one of my all-time favourite movies, or at least that I'm a huge fan of Studio Ghibli- an iconic Japanese production company that have created the most outstanding animation movies since the 1980's. I have been a lover of these epic movies since I was around fourteen, and to be honest it is very tough to rank them! They are all so good!! However, Princess Mononoke is just one that I cannot help but feel a pull towards. The nature/wildlife theme appeals to me because I'm a nature nerd through and through. Plus it is, in my opinion, the one Studio Ghibli film that is aimed at more mature audiences, although Japanese movies always tend to include more serious subject matters and content (even those who's primary target audience is children) VS western movies. Princess Mononoke includes weaponry, fighting and some mild gore, and it's just phenomenal. 

Also if you love mythology and folklore then you should totally check out this movie. Almost all of Ghibli's productions have an element of folklore because it is an integral part of Japanese culture & history, but for Princess Mononoke it is the main focus of the movie. And oh my gosh, the animation is so stunning!!

Pokemon: The First Movie (1998)

It will also come as no surprise to my returning readers that this has made it to my list of top animation movies. Pokemon has been a part of my life since I was six years old, so it has had an influence on the development of my interests for most of my life. Pokemon: The First Movie is one of the first movies that I can recall having such a big emotional impact on me (anyone who's seen this gem will know which scene in particular I'm referring to). Broke my little otaku heart :'). 

It is such a heart-warming story of friendship and doing what's right to help others. Mew & Mewtwo are fabulous, as well! Ever since watching this movie, Mew has been one of my favourite Pokemon. It's so cute!! I'm trying to keep spoilers to a minimum in this post, but I'll need to reveal some content details to tell you guys why I love each of the movies. There's a short scene in Pokemon (1998) where Mew is playing on a windmill and it's too cute, I'm gonna die!! Pokemon, the entire franchise in general, is a masterpiece and so is this movie! Fight me if you disagree :D 

FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

It feels even more special that this beautiful movie was released the year I was born :) When I was quite young, maybe around six, my grandma bought me the VHS tape for this movie that my parents had never heard of before, and it was spectacular! I might be biased because I've forever been a nature lover, but the storyline of this movie resonated with mini me so much and still does to this day. FernGully: The Last Rainforest seems to be one of those films that either someone has never heard of before OR anyone who has seen it, adores it. It's lesser-known and I want to do my part to fix that! It is surprising since two superb actors voiced characters in this movie; Robin Williams and Tim Curry. I grew up loving the sound of Tim Curry's voice before I ever discovered it was the fabulous actor who played Dr Frank-N-Furter in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I have such a thing for voices though, which my best friend likes to refer to as my 'voice fetish' XD... although I can't argue with that definition, haha! Is anyone else the same? Tell me a voice in the comments that you find super attractive.

So yeah, even as a little kid, I loved the sound of Tim Curry's voice and I couldn't help but enjoy this movie... he has a song it in that is excellent! But aside from that, the movie itself is stunning! The animation, the fantasy theme (which surrounds fairies) and the message are what make it a firm favourite of mine, even as an adult. It's got a charm about it, and this is in many ways thanks to Robin William and his character Batty. Again, I don't want to say too much, but to those who've watched FernGully, I used to feel so cool that I knew all the words to a certain musical piece by Batty XD I wouldn't stop reciting it to everyone who would listen! *insert sunglasses emoji here*. 

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The Pagemaster (1994) 

This movie came on TV one Sunday evening (if my memory is correct, after all this time) when I was eight or nine, and I thought it was one of the most incredible things I'd ever set eyes on. I know this post is very much nostalgia-fuelled but that shows just how good these movies are. They are timeless classics to me and will forever be treasured, never losing their magic no matter how many times I watch them. Do you have any favourite movies like that? 

So anyhow, The Pagemaster has such a unique story that is executed in a way that I've never seen in any other movie. Sure, I've seen similar concepts, but none quite like The Pagemaster. If you hadn't gathered yet from the title, this movie has a bookish theme, which as someone who has enjoyed reading and also writing their own stories since childhood, found it to be very much my cup of tea. The story incorporates so many literary classics and *spoiler alert* the Jekyll & Hyde scene really freaked me out way back when :O 

Like for most fantasy fans, there's just something so captivating (when done well) about the idea of being an ordinary sort of person living a typical, mundane existence, and then suddenly being immersed in a magical world, that is so appealing! And the events of The Pagemaster were delightful food for the imagination for kid me, so I fell in love with the movie. The characters were so loveable, too. And dragons were always my thing!  

The Pebble and the Penguin (1995) 

This is definitely an underrated animation movie, but with so many awesome 90's movies, there's lots of fantastic ones that got loss in the cracks, or however that saying goes. It's such a shame! The Pebble and the Penguin is so lovely; the main character is the sweetest! It's another movie that appealed to me because of the nature theme, especially because the intro has a documentary feel to it and I watched many of those from being old enough to talk. I like that the premise of the Pebble and the Penguin is somewhat rooted in reality, and is based on the behaviour of Adelie Penguins, of which the male of the species searches for the perfect stone to present to a female in an attempt to wow her with his rock-finding abilities :D 

The movie is about a penguin who is desperate to impress the girl of his dreams, who's also being pursued by this huge bully of a penguin (voiced by the legend Tim Curry) - there I go again, subconsciously lovin' all movies featuring Tim Curry's voice XD It is another tale of friendship, love and finding your inner strength, no matter how small or insignificant you feel. The protagonist risks everything to get the most precious pebble for his sweetheart, and even though he's the misfit of his colony, he ends up on top in the end :) 'Never give up' is the key lesson of The Pebble and the Penguin, and I can't recommend it enough. 

The Land Before Time (1988) 

Not gonna lie, it was a challenge to settle on a sixth favourite because there were a few contenders. Eventually, I chose the marvellous 80's movie, The Land Before Time because of the amount of times I watched when I was younger. I have always been a fan of dinosaurs, I mean who isn't? They are amazing! So it's impossible for me not to love this movie, which is set in prehistoric times and follows a group of little dinosaurs that are separated from their loved ones and must embark on a journey writhe with dangers to be reunited with them. It is beautiful and compelling, and so heart-breaking in parts. The five dinosaurs whose journeys we follow in The Land Before Time are brilliant and we get to see their species differences and unique personalities clash as they struggle to get along but through the hardships they face, their friendships blossom and it's wonderful to see. My favourite character has always been Petrie, a tiny Pterodactyl. I didn't know that I had anxiety when I was a young child, but Petrie's character is the one I most related too and he's a little ball of nerves so I can now understand why I liked him so much! This first movie was so well-received that it lead to there being thirteen others made!! And although I haven't seen them all, the ones I have have been great! I remember having a PlayStation game based on the 9th movie, Journey to Big Water (2002), with the game being called 'Big Water Adventure'. Does anyone else remember playing it? 

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So those are six of my absolute favourite non-Disney animation movies! I hope you all enjoyed reading what I had to say about them. I have two honourable mentions that I can't not list, as well. One being The Road to El Dorado, a Dreamworks production from 2000 that is so good, with two hilarious lead characters and a wonderful sound track, performed mostly by Elton John. The second being a very short but sweet movie released in 1995 by Jetlag Productions, many of whose movies were animated in Japan, including this one, so are visually beautiful, especially when it comes to the attention to detail in depictions of nature. Heidi is a classic tale that has been retold and adapted time and time again because it is so well-loved, and this version made me feel so uplifted whenever I watched it. There's a song at the beginning of the movie called 'Start with a Smile' that still makes me instantly happy when I listen to it :) I think both of these movies deserve more credit and you need to give them a watch. If my post inspires you to watch any of the movies I've mentioned, then please let me know :) I'd love to hear your opinions on them. I'm going to finish up my post here because I've already written too much! 

Thankyou for reading! 

♥ 

What are your favourite animation movies?

I'd love some recommendations! 

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Toys For A Pound Haul

Hi guys! Here I am again, bringing you a post about another thing that I should have written ages ago. Story of my life... better late than never should be etched on my tombstone some day XD Oops, getting a little dark there... a little too much spirit of Halloween, haha! Talking of Halloween, I can't believe it's only 4 days away. *cry cry* I don't want my favourite month to end! Should we start a petition to make every month Halloween? :) My entire year is filled with lots of spooky goodness anyhow, but I want to hold off the colder months a little longer. As much as Autumn is my favourite time of year, the latter part of the season is usually dreary, the trees loose all of their fiery foliage, and the colourful leaf-littered ground becomes coated in brown, decaying sludge. Oh, and Seasonal Affective Disorder comes along just as I begin to mourn the crisp, crunchy piles of colour underfoot whenever I venture outdoors, making it easier to brave the cold. Well, this is becoming a miserable intro XD I'm sorry guys, but I'M REALLY GONNA MISS ALL THE PRETTY AUTUMNAL VIBES! T_T

So, on a brighter note, today I want to tell you all about a fabulous little online store I stumbled across earlier this year, thanks to an Instagram ad. As you have probably guessed from the title, the website is effectively a pound store, however it has some great bargains on there, a lot that I personally haven't come across in any pound stores I've visited before. I thought I'd share my haul/review with you guys and bring Toys for a Pound to your attention :) Enjoy! 

Toys for a Pound is such a great website for picking up stocking fillers or small gifts for your loved ones. I mean, the intended audience/recipients are children, so it's mostly got toys that cater towards them; however, there are some gems on there that kids who've never grown up, like myself, will love! The standard shipping is £2.99 so it's best to only do an order if you are buying several things, in my opinion. I personally find it a great resource for when I'm looking for some goodies to fill the Christmas shoeboxes I put together for charity each year. Plus, it's nice to have access to a virtual pound store when you're living with chronic illnesses/ disabilities and don't get out as much as you'd like. 

Almost everything on the site is £1 each, although there's sections of items up to £5, but they are such brilliant deals that should be snapped up and put away ready for December :) Just a heads up... they update their stock pretty regularly so it's best to pop anything that catches your eye into your basket as soon as possible. Most of the items I'm sharing in this haul are no longer available (sorry for my delay in posting!). Nonetheless, they have many wonderful items at the moment. I actually placed another order the other day, which I have to thank for giving me the kick up the butt to finally get this post up. Proof that retail therapy has its benefits! 

Well, here's what I picked up from Toys for a Pound... 

Look at all of this adorable stuff that I managed to get for only £10!!! How could I pass up Funko products for only a pound each... that's amazing!! I have seen a few Funko products here and there popping up in my local Pound stores and B&M for the same price but they are few and far between, as well as being for franchises that are a lot less popular nowadays. However, the ones I found at Toys for a Pound were fantastic!! And they even had Pint Size Heroes, another Funko product, too! I've never seen these in pound stores before. Have you? 

As much as I adore Funko, which you'll know if you've been a regular reader of my blog for a while (I own well over 200 products by them now, 107 of them being Pop! vinyl figures... I have a problem XD), my favourite find has to be these Eevee ears!! As someone who enjoys cosplaying, these are perfect! And Eevee is one of my all-time favourite Pokemon. They were an absolute steal at just £1... they are made by TOMY (so they are great quality) and usually retail at around £8.99+. 

So these are all of the blind boxes/bags that I bought; they were the main reason that I visited the website in the first place since the fact that Toys for a Pound were selling Funko products is what popped up in the ad I saw, whilst scrolling through Instagram. Some people get annoyed by ads, but to be honest, I love that they keep bringing products to my attention based on the things I search/buy online. They seem to be a lot more tailored over on Instagram, VS other platforms like Youtube. I respect why people have ads on their videos, but oh my gosh, do they get annoying! Before I go off topic, haha... I was delighted to find that Toys for a Pound had such a variety available, because I honestly expected to find maybe five products at the most. 

Since getting very into my toy photography... I mean I've always been into it but ever since finding the toy photography community over on Instagram and setting up my own dedicated account (find it here), I have found that I am happy to collect figures from franchises that I might not have bothered buying otherwise. This is because it's always nice to have a varied collection of figures to use for different photography themes, etc. I'm finding a lot of cool new figures this way, but my bank account isn't impressed :D My addiction to buying blind boxes has intensified, oops! 

Here are the Funko Mystery Mini's that I found inside my boxes. This post is apparently also an unboxing, as well as a haul and review... but I couldn't not show you guys what I got! I am a big fan of fun surprises so I wasn't too bothered about which of the figures I got. Nonetheless I still had my favourites and least favourites. I am very happy with my finds when it comes to the Warcraft and Barbie boxes, but I did get the figure I liked least of all from the Suicide Squad box. Nevermind, that's the nature of blind boxes! 

I was never much of a fan of Barbie growing up, although I did love the horses and would always ask for the sets with them and then just ignore the barbie doll to play with the horse :) I did love the 'working out' barbie that I had when I was around 6 or 7, but that came with a soundtrack tape and so I was bound to enjoy it. Did anyone else have this? But yeah, I was still intrigued by these mystery minis because a) they are adorable, and b) because they have an interesting history based theme. Each of the figures in this collection are themed around a date, and are designed to resemble a barbie doll that was popular in that particular year. 

The ones I loved most were 1971 (which is the one I got!!) because she's dressed in hippie fashion, the 1980 because she is designed after the first Black Barbie doll, 1986 because she's lookin' fabulous in her 80's outfit that makes me think instantly of Cyndi Lauper, and 1992 because it would be cool to have a figure designed after the year I was born :) I feel like I'm rambling... I just get so excited about toys! 

As for the Warcraft blind box, I am super happy with the figure that I got because he looks wicked! If you haven't seen the movie (and played the World of Warcraft game that it was inspired by), this character is Blackhand, he's an Orc and is a warchief known as The Destroyer. The mystery mini of Blackhand is so detailed; I absolutely love it! I think it is brilliant that one of the dragons skulls on his armour has a septum piercing like he does :) I'd love to add more Warcraft figures to my collection because in my opinion, they all look epic! 

I was hoping to get one of the badass women from the Suicide Squad: Harley Quinn, Katana or the Enchantress (I like the Captain Boomerang figure, too), but I got Diablo and I just don't like his design at all. Oh well! Hopefully, I'll be able to trade him for another figure some day :) 

I couldn't not get a couple of pint size heroes. There were a few different ones available at the time but I opted for a Power Rangers bag & a Street Fighter one. These two franchises are super nostalgic for me! I had a lot of fun playing Street Fighter on my PlayStation back when I was a kid, and loved the Power Rangers as well. I absolutely adore the design of Funko's Pint Size Heroes! They might be one of my favourites of all the figures that he brand has brought out, and would love to see more in the future! 

So the figures that I wanted to get most from these blind bags were the yellow Power Ranger as she was my favourite. There's two versions of the characters available... in their full suits and also without their helmets so you can see their faces. I would have been happy with either versions of the yellow ranger. I got the green guy though, which is still cool. Green is my favourite colour at least :) For the Street Finger figures, I wanted Chun-Li or Ryu the most as I always played as them in the games. I got Guile, who I didn't really care for as I think his design is the worst one from the collection. But again, that's the catch with mystery toys, and he'll still be fantastic for photography, especially when I get some of the other characters. 

It was lovely to find some other non-Funko blind bags on the Toys for a Pound website. As soon as I spotted these Super Mario keychain/dangler charms, I immediately popped one into my shopping cart. I was trying to keep as close to a tenner as possible or else I would have bought more of these cuties. I wish I had now! Out of all of the available keychains, I wanted Toad in the Tanooki (Raccoon/Raccoon Dog) outfit, Mario riding Yoshi, or Tanooki Mario. Toad is my favourite character from the franchise so I was over the moon that I got him!! 

Awww, how sweet is he!!? I really love his design with the Racoon ears and tail, and he is surprisingly detailed for such a tiny figure. I am a little scared to actually attach him to my keys or one of my bags because I feel like he'd be so easy to lose. Those chains with the little balls aren't very sturdy either. He's just going to live on one of my shelves :) Which figure would you have most liked to get in this blind bag?

The Toys for a Pound website even has a party supplies section, which is where I came across packs of the prettiest confetti ever!! It's table confetti so it's a lot bigger than other types of confetti and is made from cardboard so it's more sturdy and durable to be used on a party table where there are likely to be lots of mayhem, such as spilled drinks! I just had to get a pack of these mermaid ones (they also had fairy and unicorn themed packs), because they are so colourful and cute! You get lots of confetti too, and I've seen similar packs in craft stores for £3+.

I'm going to using them in both my photography and also to add a pinch into any snail mail I send :) I say that, but then I don't know if I'm going to be able to bring myself to use them as they are so gorgeous!! I also picked up the unicorn pack in the recent haul that I mentioned earlier... it was a bargain that I just couldn't ignore, especially after seeing how much more pretty the mermaids confetti was in person. I even picked another mermaid pack for my sisters birthday as she's a mermaid lover! 

So that was my entire haul from Toys for a Pound. I was very impressed with the products that I received. They all arrived in great condition, however I feel like I was just lucky because there wasn't any protective packaging inside the box such as noodles/bubblewrap/ brown packing paper, and in my latest order, my items were sent in a much bigger box and one of the item's packaging arrived all squashed, which wouldn't have been great if it was intended for a christmas present. But based on my first order, everything was fine and I was pleasantly surprised that the Funko mystery mini boxes were in such excellent condition considering they were being sold for £1, when their RRP is anything from £4.99 upwards. I was super happy with everything I received and I would certainly recommend them! I will definitely be doing more orders in the future :) 

Oh, as usual, I forgot to individually photograph an item, and this time it was the Triceratops figure that you can see above. This wonderful little dinosaur is an official Jurassic Park figure, and sort of arrived like a mystery bag considering you couldn't choose which dinosaur you wanted on the website. I wanted a Raptor because those are my favourite species. Nonetheless, I'm glad I got a Triceratops because they hold a nostalgic place in my heart, due to the amazing Land Before Time movies. Even though Cera the Triceratops wasn't my most loved character, I loved that she had the same name as me! Although, I know now as an adult that it was spelt Cera, I didn't at the time so I thought it was fantastic! Maybe I should start spelling my name as Cera….. 

I'll finish up today's post now before I get carried away even more than I already have! Thankyou to everyone who reads my posts because I know they are long! I can't help it, it's so hard for me to stop writing once I get going :D Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed reading all about my haul. Let me know if you place an order with Toys for a Pound, I'd love to hear all about what you buy :) Also, let me know in the comments guys.... which were your favourite items from my haul? Which of the mystery figures would you have liked to get? 

Thankyou for reading! 

♥ 

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