5 Interactive Toys that Both Little Girls and Big Girls Will Love

Being a single mom with an only child isn't easy - especially with a kid who is nothing like the way that I was when I was a kid.

See, when I was a kid, my parents could give me any basic toy in the world and I could easily amuse myself for hours on end. Even though I had five siblings, I preferred playing with my toys on my own. Even as a kid, I was a bit of a loner like that.

Syrena, however... she's different. She prefers playing with people, and that means having to look for toys that the both of us can enjoy. Fortunately, there are a lot of choices in that department nowadays - and the best part is that you don't even have to leave the house to look for them anymore. Here are 5 of our favorite toys at the moment.

Happy Places

Ah, Happy Places. The toy is definitely aptly named as it makes Syrena very, very happy. Syrena loves the house sets that you can connect to make a bigger house, and I love playing the Polly Pocket-ish feel of the toys.

Chubby Puppies

Chubby Puppies are too cute not to love. These babies are ADORABLE. And even though we have an actual live puppy in the family; sometimes, it's nice to play with these tiny toy versions. In fact, Syrena loves showing them to Bucky, our doggy, and having Bucky be a part of playtime, too.

Cutie Cars

I tried to get Syrena into Hot Wheels - I really did. After all, Hot Wheels was a part of my childhood, and racing cars was one of my favorite pastimes. Unfortunately, she didn't get that boyish gene, so I had to look for a girlier alternative. That's when I came across Cutie Cars. Don't let their cute looks fool you. They may look cute; but they're actually die-cast, so they're pretty heavy and therefore fun to race around. Bonus points for being able to have Shopkins ride inside them and for having cute sets like the Drive-Through Set for the cars to park in and drive around.

Barbie Made to Move

Obviously, Barbie had to be on this list. I had a massive collection of Barbies as a child and simply had to get Syrena into them, as well. Naturally, I took things up a notch by getting her the Made to Move version. That way, when I do yoga at home, Syrena doesn't bother me as much as I get her to try and get her Barbie to replicate my yoga poses. I got her Barbie a bike, too!

DC Superhero Girls

Given the name of my blog, it shouldn't come as as a surprise that I got Syrena into the world of DC. The great part about this is that I didn't even have to try. Since the DC Superhero Girls are on TV, she already built a fandom of her own. While she loves Harley Quinn, though, I'm sticking to my Wonder Woman - and yes, I am not ashamed to admit that I got myself a few of these dolls, which Syrena cannot play with. (There are various versions for each one.)

So, I mentioned earlier that all of these toys are available online. Well, they are! All of the brands above (and many, many more) are available direct from the distributor's online store, so you no longer have to go out and scour the shelves in hopes to find the particular Barbie or Cutie Cars set that you want.

Just visit Kids Company online (don't worry - it's super easy to navigate), choose the toys that you want, and you can pay for them through various secure payment methods- including PayPal! They even have cash on delivery nationwide and 0% installment on selected credit cards. Plus, if you buy more than 1,000 pesos worth (in Metro Manila... it's 2,000 pesos in provincial areas), you get free shipping!

It's so convenient and they're so easy to talk to. If you're looking for a specific product, for example, you can just message them on Facebook and they'll get back to you right away to answer your queries and help you find what you're looking for. I was able to get my hands on a Unicorn Fingerling, a toy I was having such a hard time finding in toy stores here in the South, just by asking them about it. LOVE THEM!

You can also check them out on Instagram, by the way: @KidsCompanyPH #KidsCompanyPH

Want to win any of these toys for free? Join my giveaway here:


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On ToyCon PH 2017 and the Joy that it Brings Me

Not a lot of people understand why I love ToyCon so much or why I never miss it. In fact, one of the most common questions I get is, "What's ToyCon?" followed by, "So, it's just full of toys?" HELL YES, IT'S FULL OF TOYS!!!

For a toy collector like me, ToyCon happens to be a dream come true - and yes, I spend HOURS there when I go. This year, Julian surprised me by showing up in a Jughead beanie and it totally made my day - so much so that I decided to save my Winter Soldier costume for comic con and go as Veronica Lodge instead.

Of course, we got to SMX bright and early as usual. I like going on Friday mornings when the crowd isn't crazy. Not only do you get first dibs on toys, but you also get to enjoy the experience without the crazy weekend crowds (though we still went back on Sunday for last-minute shopping hehe). Watch our video of Day 1 of ToyCon here:

A lot of people that I know enjoy going to ToyCon to meet celebrities and dress up and while that is always great, I am one of the few who go there to really shop. I will write a separate blog post on my ToyCon haul, but here are some of the favorite attractions and toys that I spotted whilst there:

I spent a good 5 minutes taking pictures of this display of Marvel statues by the entrance.

Because Groot is love!!!

Cannot wait for these!!! Saving, saving, saving!!!

Went back on Sunday to pick up these cuties!

This makes me want to dress up as Darna!

I definitely need to look into these Filipino superheroes.

Not gonna pretend like I know who she is, but she looks cool.

Pretty Coca-Cola carousel display.

This Wonder Woman doll is so pretty!

The whole cast was there!

Super. Want. This. New Era. Cap. Gahhhhh.

I swear these mugs were made for me. :p

B'lue has cool Spidey bottles!

Gotta catch 'em all!

SOBRANG CUUUUUUTE!!!

I had to stop myself from asking how much these are coz I knew I would buy them all if I started trying stuff on.

These bags are too cute for my life!!!

SUPER WANT!!!

Adorabubble!

Our go-to ToyCon snack: Takoyaki!

Julian was about to give up 5 hours in - around the same time as my feet in 4-inch heels were. Nothing some Takoyaki and hot dogs couldn't fix, though! Soldier on! (I brought flats with me coz I'm smart and practical like that haha)

Julian joined a Mogu Mogu drinking contest. :p

3D printed Groot!

Bad. Ass. Hulkbuster. At Anotoys.

These wine glasses were also made for me!

Spotted this adorable tiny Star Lord giving out flyers!

Yup. Definitely saving up for this one.

THESE GUYS MADE MY DAY!!!

We also spent a good 2 hours at the board game lounge learning new games. Thank you, Gaming Library! You da best!

Overall, the weekend was fun, fulfilling and ATM-draining… Still, it was oh-so-worth-it! And now that ToyCon is over, it's time to look forward to the next geeky event: Asia Pop Comic Con!!! I usually don't buy as much stuff at APCC as I do at ToyCon, but I do go gaga over the celebs there!

Right now, I've got my fingers crossed for someone from 'Riverdale' to come over for the con! What about you?

iflix x TOYCON 2015: It's That Time of the Year Again!!!

If you know anything about me at all, then you'll know how much of a geek I am. And, one of the biggest parts of me being a geek is the fact that I spend about 25% of my money on toys. Okay, that's an understatement. More like 52%.

Even Tyrion shops at my favorite toy store: Big Boys!

As such, you can't really blame me if I get excited about TOYCON every year - and this year is definitely not an exception, especially since iflix is now part of the mix.

Get ready for a weekend of pop culture, giveaways, special cosplay awards and more with iflix as a co-presenter. In case you haven't heard of them yet, iflix is Southeast Asia’s leading internet TV service, offering subscribers unlimited access to thousands of hours of entertainment for a low monthly price.

As for TOYCON, I'm sure you've heard of that.

Check out all of the adorable customized Dancing Groots!!!

Well, this year, TOYCON’s highlights include a grand DC Comics exhibit from Pacific Licensing, previews of upcoming films from Universal Pictures, and a hands-on experience with the iflix platform for all attendees.

Throughout the event, trial subscriptions and special gifts from iflix will also be given out to attendees, while an iflix booth will be set up to allow people to sign up for the service, as well as to showcase its thousands of hours of TV and movie content such as Arrow, Sherlock, Dr. Who, Batman Begins, Watchmen, Iron Man, Thor, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD.

These Funko keychains are to die for. <3

iflix will also be giving out special awards during the TOYCON Cosplay Competition. Entrants dressed up as characters from TV shows or movies shown on iflix who join the in-dividual, group, and kiddie competitions could win cash prizes up to PHP 20,000 and 1-year subscriptions to iflix.

Here are some of the things I wouldn't mind starting a collection of:

Game of Thrones figures to overcome today's heartache.

DIY Funko Pops… if only I was actually artistic.

Authority Hoodies!!! Wonder Woman, be mine!!!

So, what are you waiting for? The 2015 Philippine TOYCON will be held this weekend, on June 19-21, 2015 at the SM Megatrade Halls 1,2 and 3, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. Tickets are available now through http://www.smtickets.com …or you can win 2-day passes right here!

All you have to do is:

1. Follow the official Instagram (@iflix.ph) and Twitter (@iflixph) of iflix Philippines, as well as my Instagram (@lilmisswonderwoman) and Twitter (@the_lil_miss)2. Like the official Facebook page of iflix and of Wonder Woman Rises.3. Post/Regram the official social tile of Toycon x iflix on Instagram (seen on this post) with the official hashtag, #IFLIXTOYCON2015, answering the question, "What would you like to marathon on #iflixPH with your BFF?”

Good luck! If you win, you'll be getting a special gift from me on top of the tickets, too! :) Hope to see you there!