(Spoiler
Alert) I just came back from watching
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and…
Friday, December 18, 2015
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Tim Hortons 2015 Christmas Ornament
The 2015 Tim Hortons
Christmas ornament is a mini snow globe.
Featured inside is a Tim Hortons coffee shop surrounded by a snow man
and a few Christmas trees. Like all
their previous ornaments, it has red thread at the top so that it can be hung
on a tree. I bought it for $6.99, and it
comes packaged in a charming little box that carries a yarn like design that
reminds me of winter mittens.
I was pleasantly surprised
by this year’s ornament because I felt like they had done everything they could
do, but they proved me wrong. The detail
of the coffee shop is very intricate and adorable. The only thing missing from this is a long
line up that starts from outside the coffee shop (just like in real life), lol.
Although it’s the only ornament we’re
getting from Tim Hortons this year it’s still a pretty nice piece to add to my
ornament collection.
Tim
Hortons:
YouTube:
Thursday, November 12, 2015
My First Donair
I
had my first donair today. What
motivated me to get one was that I’ve been binge eating a lot of shawarmas as
of late and was fixing to get another.
The only problem was that I was far away from my local spot, so I went
online and googled local places. That’s when
I decided that I should instead try a donair.
I’ve wanted to try one for a long time.
In case you didn’t know the donair was invented in Nova Scotia, and it’s
basically a gyro (rotisserie meat, on a pita served with onions and tomato)
with sweet sauce instead of tzatziki. Looking
at positive reviews online, I decided to go with the Fuzz Box, who makes authentic
donairs. Based on my first impressions,
it’s pretty damn good. The sweetness
mixed with meat and moist pita just seems to create a new delicious taste that
I really liked. I’m glad my first donair
went well because I usually don’t like new foods until the second/third time. Now I can’t wait to try it again.
Donair
Wiki:
the
FUzZ box:
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Metal Earth 3D Metal Model Kits: Optimus Prime
Been waiting a long
time to do one of these 3D metal model kits.
I first saw them on a Japanese website, and thought that they were
cool. I’m into papercraft so, I figured
building one of these wouldn’t be a problem.
Boy was I wrong because it not only was difficult but frustrating. However, now that I’m finished I’m proud of
how it turned out, and can’t wait to build another, since my skill should
improve the more I build.
Fascinations:
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Blue Jays 2016 Bobblehead Wishlist
Here’s
my 2016 Blue Jays bobblehead stadium giveaway wish list.
1.
José Bautista
2.
Josh Donaldson
3.
Troy Tulowitzki
4.
Edwin Encarnación
5.
Kevin Pillar
6. David Price
Blue
Jays:
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad1W2aIZaIE
Friday, October 16, 2015
Mega Yarn Yoshi Amiibo
When Nintendo first
showed images of Mega Yarn Yoshi, I was on a rollercoaster of emotions. The upside was that I thought it was so cool
of Nintendo to have made such a unique amiibo.
The downside was I also knew I wouldn’t be able to obtain him because he
would be limited, and like most limited releases I’m never lucky enough to get
them. Then I heard that Toys R Us Canada
would be releasing Mega Yarn Yoshi a few weeks earlier than in the US (October
16th), so I decided to at least attempt to get him. Luckily, when that Friday came, during a
lunch break I went to my nearest Toys R Us and able to buy the last one in the
store.
Mega
Yarn Yoshi retailed for $59.99 plus tax.
I can only assume the price tag was one of the reasons why many people
passed on buying him. Other than the
price, there’s really nothing much to complain about this collectable. The packaging is adorable, with the yarn
motif continued throughout the box. For
now, I haven’t yet opened and released Yoshi, but from what I’ve been hearing
he’s very well made, and soft to touch.
I’m a big fan of unique pieces like this and I hope Nintendo keeps
releasing great editions like this (I’m hoping for a Mega Yarn Shy Guy).
Update:
Toys R Us Canada/Nintendo re-released Mega Yarn Yoshi in Canada on March
18th, 2016
Nintendo:
YouTube:
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Marcus Stroman Bobblehead
On June 7th,
2015 the Toronto Blue Jays gave away the first Marcus Stroman SGA bobblehead. Unfortunately during spring training, Marcus sustained
a leg injury (ACL) which caused him to miss most of the season. This injury prevented him from being an
active player for the release of his bobblehead. Fortunately the determination and heart of
Stroman pushed him to work his way back to the rotation and become a starter in
September, HDMH.
This bobblehead is
pretty much one of my favourites not only because Stroman is an inspiring figure,
but because Stroman is displayed blowing a bubble. This feature is truly unique, and the pink
contrast matches well with the white and blue Jays uniform. As bobbleheads are now collectable items and
a multitude are released every year, I really appreciated it when unique features
such as this are added to them and I hope to see more of this from the Jays in
the future.
Marcus
Stroman Wiki:
YouTube:
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America
Title:
Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America
Author:
Jeff Ryan
I
hesitated on reading this book at first because I thought it was an updated
version of another Nintendo book I had read years ago called, Game Over: How
Nintendo Conquered the World. Game Over is
an amazing book that provides a comprehensive history of Nintendo’s rise and
success. Game Over is probably the best
book written about Nintendo because it’s very detailed and it extensively
profiles the people that were involved in the company. It doesn’t just tell you what they did, but
also who they were and where they came from.
The
only drawback of Game Over is that it was first published in 1993, i.e. before
the N64, the DS, and the numerous other systems and games that have released
since then. Thankfully the book has had
updated versions throughout the years (up until 1999). So when I first saw Super Mario: How Nintendo
Conquered America, I assumed that it was just another update of Game Over. However I was wrong because it’s written by a
different author, Jeff Ryan a self described lifelong gamer.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Club Nintendo Calendar 2016
It’s a bitter sweet
moment today as I finally received my last Club Nintendo prize. I was a member for a while, but neglected to
enter my points when I bought new games.
The reason I didn’t care so much was because the prizes in Club Nintendo
North America weren’t that appealing. Usually
you would have to spend hundreds of dollars on games, just to be able to cash
the points in for something silly like a poster or greeting card set. So when I heard that Club Nintendo was
closing, I cashed my points in for a Nintendo calendar. Unfortunately the deadline to submit points
was over, so I wasn’t able to get a t-shirt (even though I would have had more
than enough).
I’m not too upset
over the calendar because it’s still a nice collectable from Nintendo. Although it’s a simple item, it’s still
nicely made with bright colors and thick paper.
What I particularly like about it the most, are the Japanese inspired
themes used in all the illustrations. While
it is a 2016 calendar, I would have preferred a year-round calendar that I
could use every year. I guess for now I
better make the most from this calendar in 2016.
Club
Nintendo:
YouTube:
Sunday, August 30, 2015
MLB Baseball: 3
Lego Batman Alarm Clock
I started seeing Lego
alarm clocks a few years ago, and thought that they were really cool. The first series I saw were of Star
Wars. I wanted to buy the Darth Vader
version, but since it didn’t come with a cape or lightsaber I decided to pass
on buying one for myself. I did however buy
a Stormtrooper as a gift for a friend, and they really loved it.
The company that
makes these alarm clocks (ClicTime Holdings) kept producing other Lego minifigure
clocks and released a Batman version.
Thankfully the Batman version comes with a cape, so I bought one for
myself. The alarm clock is similar in
movement to a Lego minifigure, except that the joints aren’t removable. The time on the clock is accurate, and comes
with other features such as an alarm clock, and an amber back light. This is a beautiful and unique alarm clock
and I hope more minifigures from Lego are released in the future.
Lego:
Lego
Batman Wiki:
ClicTime
Holdings Ltd:
YouTube:
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Russell Martin Blue Jays Bobblehead
When Russell Martin
first signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014, I was upset. I was upset because as a former New York
Yankee, he had accused the Jays of stealing signs, and we were now making him a
Blue Jay. Like most fans, once I started
to see the benefits of adding Martin to our team all that disappointment dwindled
and I started to cheer for him. I also
came to realize that stealing signs was just a part of baseball that everyone
did anyways (former Blue Jay catcher, Gregg Zaun admitted doing it).
Russell Martin’s Blue
Jays bobblehead was given out on August 3rd, 2015. He was the third release for 2015, and 20,000
were given away. While it is a nice
bobblehead, I am unhappy with the lack of details included. For example Martin wears a Rawlings chest
protector with gold highlights, yet his bobblehead lacks this feature. The bobblehead is still nice, but as a
collector it does leave me wanting more details and contrasting poses. A badass pose that would have kicked ass
would have been one where Martin is throwing the ball to catch a runner
stealing.
Gregg Zaun admits to stealing
signs:
Russell Martin Wiki:
YouTube:
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
McDonald’s Happy Meal Minions
The Minions movie is
finally here and to celebrate I want to be consumed with as much hype as
possible. Thankfully McDonalds is also
celebrating the movie by releasing Minions themed Happy Meals. I love McDonalds, so of course I had to get a
Happy Meal. They’re not only delicious
and affordable, but also bring back great memories of when I was a kid (though
my parents rarely used to buy them).
The box is
beautifully designed with pictures of the minions on each side, making it a
wonderfully keepsake. The chicken nugget
box, soft drink cup and yogurt are also decorated with minions. Of course if you’re a collector, the best
part of a Happy Meal is the toy, which McDonalds released with Minions
figures. While they aren’t poseable
figures, they still are colourful enough to be nicely displayed. McDonalds did an excellent job with this
Happy Meal, and I'm sure they will provide many kids (of all ages) with wonderful
memories.
Minions
Movie:
YouTube:
Friday, July 3, 2015
Vans Authentic Lows
One of the brands
that I am now enjoying is Vans sneakers.
The company started back in 1966 by Paul Van Doren. Paul believed he could create a durable
sneaker using 10 oz. duck canvas, and thick rubber. Of course the rest was history because his
quality sneakers took off with the skate and surf society. His sneakers are now as classic as any other
with the added benefit of not only being durable but affordable.
Unfortunately it took
me a while before I bought my first pair of Vans, but since that time I have truly
enjoyed them. For this blog post, I
wanted to feature the Authentic Lo Pro with camo print. They’re a nice clean sneaker that is easy to
match and are very comfortable. The best
part of Vans is that the more you wear them the better they look. I highly recommend them if you’re looking for
a nice sneaker that won’t hurt your wallet, and will last you for years.
Vans:
YouTube
Friday, June 19, 2015
Removing the New Era Logo
New Era makes amazing
hats. However, since I first fell in
love with their on-field 59fifty from the late 90’s, I decided that I only want
to buy hats that resembled those glory days. Back then hats were 100% wool, made in the
USA, had grey under brims, and didn’t include the New Era logo. So my reason for making this post isn’t so
much to disrespect New Era by removing their logo, but rather it’s to customize
my hat to look the way those older fitteds used to look.
In order to remove
the logo, the first thing I recommend is to have lots of patience because this
task takes lots of time, and concentration.
You want to begin by using a sharp knife that gets under each thread and
individually cuts them (while I have seem other customizers use a seam cutter
to remove the thread I don’t recommend one because it can warp the wool
material). As your cutting the threads,
you also want to use tweezers to detach each thread. And finally you want to use some tape (I use painters
tape) to clean off any excessive threads, which will also leave the wool
spotless. Once you’re done your fitted
should resemble a New Era fitted from the past.
New Era:
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pJKiDLWijE