#you then end up learning that your new artificial pokemon sibling was going to be killed in a fabricated meltdown.

[bengallemon]

in the same vein of fangames being really wild: the ending for pokemon uranium was just the Worst Family Reunion

[purplesurveys]

749

Have you ever had FOMO (fear of missing out)? Sure, I’ll get it quite often cause there’s always so much going on. If so, what's caused it? The last time I got FOMO it was when Blanch and Andrew made plans to have a drink Friday evening a few months ago, but they invited me by the time I was already home for at least a couple of hours. Fortunately for me the hangout never pushed through that day haha. Are you happy with your social life? I’m a lot happier with it given how dismal it used to be. I’ve since reconnected with some high school friends like Ciamae and my relationships with my orgmate friends are stronger than ever. If not, what would you have to do to change that? Have you ever hosted a party? If so, what kind of party was it? No. I don’t want to bear that responsibility lol I feel like I’d be awful at planning it and that I’d turn out to be a lousy host. I’d rather go to someone else’s party.

What's the best thing you can cook yourself? Meh, don’t remind me of my nonexistent cooking skills. Are there a lot of graffiti around your neighbourhood? No. It’s a gated subdivision, so not only is that not allowed, but the people living here probably aren’t into graffiti either. They’ll be pretty common once exiting the main gate of the village, though. What kind of a phone do you have? iPhone 8. What kinds of stuff do you have on your keychain? I only have the keys to my car and front door. I used to have a rainbow Mickey Mouse that Gabie got for me as well as a UP keychain thingy, but both of them fell off at some point so I stopped including non-key things on my keychain because I was really sad about losing those trinkets. Have you ever made something with your own hands that you're proud of? Yeah. I forgot which province that was in – I think it was Vigan? – but they had a pottery factory that we visited and I was able to make my own small vase. I wasn’t able to take it home because they said firing it would take a couple of days, so I only have a photo of my work as a souvenir. If so, what is it? ^ I’m pretty sure I already posted a photo of that vase on one of my surveys; I just don’t know if this is also the exact survey I answered before lol. What is your favourite Jack Lemmon film? I haven’t watched any of his work. I’ve always wanted to see The Apartment though. What is your favourite David Hyde Pierce film? Unfamiliar name so I had to look him up...andddd after Google I’ve learned I haven’t watched any of his work. A bit of an impressive portfolio though. Have you ever made your own soda? (Soda Stream doesn't count!) No. Do you have a hobby that forces you out of the house? If so, what is it? I don’t feel forced out of the house by it lol but I do love going to museums and trying out new restaurants and what food they have to offer. It’s not as demanding as having Pokemon Go as a hobby as I like doing either on my own time. Have you ever been part of a theater group? No. If so, did you get any lead roles or mostly supporting roles? Which IM app do you use the most? Messenger. For a brief period during the quarantine my friends and I gave Telegram a shot since they also have games in there, but that only lasted like two weeks since the game bots were too wonky. What's the most ecological thing you do? I think it would be segregating my trash. I’ve forgotten most of the things my old school taught me but that’ll forever stay etched in my head, and I’m really grateful that my university also has separate trash bins to allow me to continue the practice, because so many other public areas don’t. My former music teacher, Ms. Ettie, also taught us to ‘save the polar bears.’ It’s essentially lessening your paper consumption by always folding your notebook leaves in half, but she’s always used ‘saving the polar bears’ with us both as an easy way for us to remember, and because it’s a cute way to put it. What's your favourite board game? Why do you like it best? I don’t really like playing lots of board games and I don’t get to encounter them much either. I always end up having a hard time following any of them – especially the new ones that seem to have much more rules :/ – and board games are too expensive these days anyway. Besides English, what other languages can you speak? Filipino. Besides English, what other languages can you read? Filipino. I’ve also been learning Spanish on Duolingo, but I’m still very rusty and despite being familiar with many words and phrases it’s still hard for me to read complete sentences altogether. Do you think you could make it as a chef? No, the kitchen and I have never been friends. This has baffled me for a long time because both sides of my family are known for their cooking, and my own dad is a chef. I dunno what happened to me or my siblings or cousins lol. What's your favourite kind of tea? Unhealthy, sweet, artificial/powdered iced tea. I also like the tea they give out at fancy hotels that are hot, thick, and almost taste like nothing since they make me feel fancy hahaha but I don’t get to have them a lot, so. How do you like your tea? ^ Just the first one I mentioned. I’m not much of a tea girl so the powdered iced teas are already enough for me. What thing/person/happening has made you the happiest you've been? There’s been many things that have made me extremely happy but I suppose I haven’t been as happy as the time I passed my dream school and the time I asked Gab out again and she said yes. Girls, do you ever just say "Fuck it!" and go without a bra? Yes. It’s hardly noticeable whether I’m wearing a bra or not because my chest is really tiny, and in fact it looks even more unnatural when I wear a bra because all of them are just too big for me, even the ones with the smallest cup sizes. Because of that I can alllllllways get away without wearing a bra in school and no one would bat an eye. What's the most freeing thing you've ever done? So far it’s been driving out of town by myself. Have you ever had a restaurant dish that was made with bugs? Unfortunately no. They had bug dishes in Vigan but the menu said their availability would depend on if they’re in season, and unfortunately we were there at a time when they had no bug dishes and I had to settle with the next most exotic thing they had, frog legs. The next place I wanna get to try bugs in is definitely Thailand. If not, would you even want to try one? Yup, I just said I do. Do you think today's kids are really impatient? In the same way that adults are. A lot of kids are exposed to the internet now, so I suppose they’re influenced to be impatient a lot quicker what with the possibility of their videos buffering, websites loading slowly, and other factors like those. But then again I don’t know if I’m making sense; I haven’t had to handle and observe a young kid in years. Have you ever tasted birch sap? Nope.

How about the young buds/shoots of spruce trees? I haven’t. Which edible flowers have you tasted? I don’t think I’ve tried any of them? And answering no to the last three questions has made me realize how inexperienced of a foodie I still am haha. What has been your worst restaurant experience? I can think of three but there were always external reasons as to why they were bad. 

Mad Mark’s was really bad and we had to follow-up so many times for each of our meals AND our check, but I’m not as resentful towards them since one of the seemingly only two servers present was pregnant. 

Barcino’s service was also quite awful and we waited an hour for our food, but we forgave them since it was Valentine’s and the place was ridiculously busy. 

Probably the worst experience comes from a family dinner at Shakey’s, but only because it was my parents’ fault. I had no problem at all with the service but I think my mom and dad just decided to be extraordinarily snippy that evening and criticize every single thing our server – and eventually, the manager – did. It was really embarrassing and I remember spontaneously crying out of frustration at their childish behavior lol. We ended up walking out with my mom sneering “your service sucks” to the manager and me giving him an apologetic look. It was so brutally embarrassing, eugh.

What's the most immature, adolescent thing that still makes you laugh? Probably Pewdiepie jokes. Have you ever had a life threatening condition? If so, what was it? Nope. Do you ever compare your life to somebody else's? If so, why? Eh, it’s something we can’t help but do sometimes. What is a food item or a dish you absolutely cannot stand? Fruitcake or food for the gods. Have you ever had a custom print done on a shirt? If so, what was it? Not me personally, but I’ve ordered t-shirts with custom prints back in high school for our events. What does your favourite mug look like? I really only have one mug and I’ve described it so many times on here, so I just looked for it on Google this time and this is what it looks like. The design turns blue when the beverage inside is hot, and it gradually fades back to black as it cools down.

Do you ever copy surveys to Facebook Notes and share your answers? Mmm nope. I’ve only taken surveys and posted them on my Tumblr. What's the best thing about today? I found out Keeping Up with the Kardashians is coming to Netflix by June and I CANNOOOOOOOT be any more excited for it haha. Do you ever read other people's survey answers? Yes, always. Everyone I follow on here writes very well and it’s always interesting to read their answers :) Do you like daytime or night time better? Why? Nighttime. I don’t really like the sun and I’ve found the nightlife more suitable to my personality, interests, vibe, etc. What's your highest level of education so far? I’m taking up an undergraduate degree but I’m supposed to be graduating this year. The schedule is still wonky due to coronavirus, but I have hope in graduating. I still 130% don’t know if I will be taking up law but I’ve had family and friends lightly nagging me to try taking law school entrance exams in 2021. If you could have any job in the whole world, which would you like? A travel blogger/vlogger. Describe your ordinary day. Back when life was still...normal, I’d drive 1-1.5 hours before my first class so I can beat the traffic, but usually I’d still end up in bad traffic because that’s Metro Manila for you. What I would do on my free time depends; if my schedule was freer I’d go to Skywalk to hang with friends, but sometimes I’ll have errands to run like printing something at the internet cafe. I have nearly-daily meetings in the afternoon so I’ll have to go to those too; and then 1-2 times a week I’ll drive to Ortigas so I can see my girlfriend. It was a very hectic schedule and I miss it a lot. Would you ever have a UV tattoo? A what now? What is the brand and colour name of your favourite lipstick? I don’t have one. What do you like on your tortilla? Just whatever goes on a fajita. I don’t really have tortillas much. How about inside your pita bread? ^ All the same, just whatever goes in a shawarma as it’s one of my favorite food. What do you like in your burger? I answered this in a previous survey but I wouldn’t hesitate to order a burger if a menu says it has caramelized onions, brioche buns, and some kind of secret special sauce because that always makes me curious haha. I’ll sometimes go for bacon, jalapeño, or eggs too, but not always. How about on your pizza? I only ever order quattro formaggi; I never have the heart to order anything else as it’s my favorite variety of pizza heh. Would you ever take part in a games club? Probs not as it’s not really my hobby. If so, what would be your ideal club? I dunno, this question is quite vague haha. I suppose if there’s an club or org that bands together people who love history, debates about it, or likes watching documentaries on different history topics, I’d jump on it. Would you be able to give a speech on your favourite subject right now? Sure. We used to have several impromptu speech exercises in my public speaking class and no matter how much I dreaded each of them I always did quite well, so I got convinced that I must have some sort of talent or skill in it that I never got to discover until I had that class. Do you work better alone or in a group? Depends on what needs to be done. If there’s a video that needs to be done or a poster that has to be made, I’d be much more comfortable if I was in a group cause then someone else could take over those tasks.

Are you more comfortable as a leader or a follower? It also depends. If I like the topic or task we’re given, I have no problem leading the group. Which one of your friends have you known the longest? For how long? Angela, 15 years. What is your favourite song right now at this very moment? It’s a local song called Sino by Unique Salonga. It’s not a recent song anymore, but I came across a fan video of Unique performing it in a gig and just fell in love with it all over again.

[northpolenotes]

Great Gifts for Boys Ages 5-8

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Are you looking for a great birthday or holiday gift for boys around the age of five to eight years old? Do you have a nephew or little boy turning 5-8 years old soon? Are you having trouble figuring out what to get for him?

Whether it’s for her birthday, special event, or holiday, there are certain gifts that are always a winner amongst this age group of boys.

As a babysitter for two boys in this age group and my nephew Jayden, who’s now 6 years old, I can say with most certainty that these toys are all winners with this age group.

As a woman, it’s a little hard to tune into the little boy mentality. However, if you just step back and watch how boys play, it’s easier to get a feel for what they might like. Boys like physical and interactive things.

In general, boys love things with moving parts, where you can see physical reactions and get results.

By five years old they’ve grown out of their preschool toys, and now they’re ready for big boy toys. They still want to play, but not with anything that they deem to be “baby” toys. It doesn’t mean that they don’t want to play with toy cars and balls, but they don’t want toys that light up and make noises like the ones for toddlers.

Legos are great, but what else is out there??

So what do you buy for your boy who’s now turned into a big boy overnight? Here’s the list of toys that I’ve gotten for boys ages 5-8 years old that are played with regularly.

Here’s a list of Jayden’s Favorite Toys!

Pokemon Cards

Have you heard of Pokemon? These are trading cards that are used to “battle” your opponent. It’s almost like playing the traditional card game of War combined with fantasy sports.

Some kids want the cards just to collect them and others want to learn to play the game. I learned the best way to play the game with them is to allow them to teach you.

Though it’s not necessary for you to play Pokemon with the kids, it’s a good bonding opportunity for you both. It shows them that you have an interest in their life. Taking time out to learn something new with them is a great way to show your love and affection.

If you want to brush up on your Pokemon skills, here’s a helpful resource.

You get 100 cards in this set plus 7 foil cards. You have to have at least 60 to play the game competitively. This is the best option because booster sets cost about $5 each. For the price, it’s worth starting here!

Note that there may be duplicates in this set.

Check them out on Amazon:

Pokemon Cards

Nerf Gun

Nerf guns are either a love or hate it item. I happen to love them, and so do the boys.

You’re not teaching them to hurt other people, you’re allowing them to explore their imagination and learn boundaries. There are certain rules that you can put in place with these guns. Such as, no pointing guns at anyone’s face, when someone says stop, stop, and apologize if you hurt someone. Kids are going to get hurt. It’s part of growing up.

I like this gun because of its size. It’s easily manageable and not too heavy which makes running around with it during a nerf war doable for kids.

Don’t let the size deceive you. This gun packs power! The darts can shoot up to 90 feet!

Comes with 6 Official Nerf Elite darts that are designed for distance, tested and approved for performance and quality, and constructed of foam with flexible, hollow tips

Rotating barrel flips open for easy dart loading and is hand-powered 

No batteries needed!

Both of nephews, Jayden and Julian love their nerf guns. I suggest buying more than one. Even if they don’t have a sibling to play with, you can join in on the fun by being their opponent.

I also recommend to load up on darts! Unfortunately, nerf darts are easy to lose or become damaged over time. 200 is a good point to start with and it’s not going to break the bank.

Check them out on Amazon:

Nerf Gun

Refill darts

Beyblade

No, Beyblades aren’t actual blades!

Beyblades are spinning tops that “break” upon impact.

Beyblade battles take place with two to four players. Each opponent puts their Beyblade on a launcher the ripcord. You then aim them over the Beystadium, and start the Beyblade battle with, “3, 2, 1, Let it Rip!”

The beyblades then spin in the stadium and once they collide, once, twice, or even three times one beyblade will “explode” and break into pieces (they go back together). 

I found that it takes a little practice to get the launching right. It’s a little tricky and I got mine stuck a few times and I even broke a nail. However, it’s a lot of fun and no two battles are ever exactly alike.

It’s a good idea to buy the complete kit with the Beyblades and the stadium (the plastic container). The beys spin rather fast and could cause some minor damage (dents or scratches) to walls if you play with it outside of the beystadium.

Check it out on Amazon:

Beyblade

Grossery Gang

The Grossery Gang is a parody from the Shopkins line.  

The grosseries are collectible figures that are groceries and foods that have gone bad. There are more than 150 Grosseries to collect including Putrid Pizza, Dodgey Donut, Shoccoli, Rotten Egg and more!

You can buy just the figures, which vary by season. The season just means the figures that they have come up with for that period of time. Each new season has different characters with new funny expressions and names.

However, I recommend stepping it up a notch, and getting them two toys in one, which is the Grossery Gang figures and Truck. The kids can launch their grosseries with the built-in spring-loaded catapult.

There’s also fold down doors which can store the collectibles and action figures to go along for a ride or just kept their when they’re not in play.

The truck doesn’t come with many collectible figures, but there are enough to get the party started so to speak.

Though grosseries are pretty soft, I wouldn’t recommend playing with the catapult a room that has anything breakable. It could hit something and make it fall from a shelf.

Check it out on Amazon:

Grossery Gang Truck

Grossery Gang Figures

Hot Wheels Crash Track

My nephew LOVES this toy. It has four intersecting crash zones and a car feeder ramp. So you have multiple cars driving on the tracks at the same time. The total excitement with this toy is you’ll never know if the race will lead to the cars passing each other with near misses or end in a total 4 car pile up.  

4 D batteries required

This toy is a lot of fun to play with, even my niece was interested and she’s more of a doll girl. However there are some things to note before buying.

Customers have complained about the noise level of this toy. When the motor is running, it makes noise, but it’s keeping the kids entertained, so that’s the tradeoff.

Second, you must read the directions while assembling the tracks. It matters and if you don’t put it together correctly, you’ll think the toy is broken when indeed it’s not!

Third, once the toy is put together, it is a little bulky. And if you decided to take it apart and put to back together at a later date (never my thing), make sure you’re careful with the pieces. Replacement parts are not sold sepearately.

Check it out on Amazon:

Hot Wheels Crash Track

Crayola Light-up Tracing Pad 

Art is a favorite pass time in my family. My nephew Jayden loves to draw, color, and craft. It’s not always easy for children to simply see a picture and replicate it, though some can.

We often turn to Arthub on YouTube to draw pictures, but sometimes kids need some independent and screen free time.

This Crayola light up tracing pad is great for kids to be independent and creative and the time.

I have a light board myself, and I use it often especially to perfect any line drawings that I make. It’s so convenient, love it!

This tracing pad kit includes:

Coloring Board

Graphite Pencil (artist’s pencil)

12 Short Colored Pencils

10 Tracing Sheets

10 Blank Sheets

Requires 3 AA batteries (not included)

You don’t have to use the templates included in the box. Kids can trace anything because the light board just provides enough light to the paper so that the outlines can be seen and traced. You can make your own pictures and have kids trace them, or they can improve their artwork and handwriting skills by going over it with a fresh piece of paper.

Some people thought the light wasn’t bright enough, but ours works great.

Check it out on Amazon:

Make sure to watch the video!

Crayola Light-up Tracing Pad 

Boxer

I had never heard of Boxer before this Christmas, but he was on my nephew’s list and it wound up being his favorite toy this year so I’m glad we got it.

Boxer is an A.I. (artificial intelligence) robot. Right out of the box he’s ready to play with via remote control. But he’s not just any robot, he has different functions. He has 4 different modes: app mode, remote mode, play mode, and card scan mode.

He’s small and cute. While he’s rolling around he’ll say things like “bee bop” and other noises which grabs the kids attention. But he’s not just a remote control toy.

You can switch him to card mode where he scans comes with a ball to play 10 different games such as Bot Bowling, Paddle Bot, and soccer. He can sense your hands and feet and will respond to them.

You can also download an app for more games, but we haven’t explored that yet.

I found that he didn’t move that fast on the carpet. He was much better at on the hardwood floors.

Some people complain about his size (he’s pretty small), but he can do a lot for his size and it’s a toy that doesn’t just take up space without anyone ever touching it. I think Boxer is great, and Jayden agrees!

Check it out on Amazon:

Boxer

Of course there are also FREE gifts that can go along with these toys.

Try writing her a letter. It’s a gift that they can hold on to forever. Loving words are never outgrown!

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Need Help Getting Started? Enter your email address below and get 3 Letter To Your Niece or Nephew Templates

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(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';fnames[3]='ADDRESS';ftypes[3]='address';fnames[4]='PHONE';ftypes[4]='phone';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);

Does your nephew love to color? Jayden always asks me to draw him different things so he can color them in! It’s a great addition for Crayola board! Enter your email address for a FREE hand-drawn, coloring ebook – A-Z Animals!

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Get Your Free A-Z Animal Coloring Book!

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(function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[3]='ADDRESS';ftypes[3]='address';fnames[4]='PHONE';ftypes[4]='phone';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);

I hope that you’ve found the perfect gift for your 5-8 year-old boys in your life. Jayden loves each and every one of these toys and continues to get great use of out them. I often peek in on him to find that he combines these toys so that they all play together. His imagination never ceases to amaze me.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:

How to Shop For Your Nieces and Nephews

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