I have a month off from functional nutrition school and my daughter is at summer day camp, I thought I would create a little series about my favorite things from different decades.

It’s such a fun and nostalgic blog post idea so I thought I would dive right into it while I have a little spare time.

I know every generation says their childhood was the best, but honestly… the 90s really had something special.

The 90s were such a colorful, weird, dramatic, cozy time to grow up in. Everything felt louder, brighter, and more imaginative.

Here are some of my favorite things from the 90s! 🙂

Dinosaurs (1991-1994)

I actually loved this cozy, weird family show called Dinosaurs which originally aired on ABC from April 1991 to July 1994.

My dad told me that I would throw a tantrum if he didn’t put this show on for me, which makes me laugh because that family honestly looks so scary, I mean look at them.

Apparently, I loved them so much. It was weird, but somehow comforting.

The Big Comfy Couch (1992-2006)

I was so obsessed with this show. I watched it incessantly and don’t understand why other people were creeped out by it. It was so cozy. I used to watch this every single day when I was little. Naturally, I stopped watching it when I turned 8.

The Swan Princess (1994)

The Swan Princess was not Disney, but it still had that dreamy 90s animated princess feeling I loved.

Unlike Disney princess movies, The Swan Princess felt a little softer, quieter, and more storybook-like. At the tender age of 4, I was so invested.

It did not have the same big Disney polish or huge musical energy, but that made it feel charming in its own way.

Toy Story (1995)

Toy Story (1995) was my favorite Pixar movie from the 90s. Everything about it felt beautiful to me, the music, the characters, the emotional parts, and the whole idea that toys have their own secret lives when we are not around.

As a kid, that idea felt so magical. It made me look at my own toys differently, like maybe they had feelings, friendships, and little adventures of their own.

The movie had so much heart, and even now, it still gives me that warm childhood feeling.

I’ll be seeing it with my family as an adult millennial, which feels like such a full-circle moment. I grew up with the original Toy Story in the 90s, and now I get to experience a new chapter of it with my own family.

Pocahontas (1995)

Pocahontas was my favorite Disney princess in the 90s. She came out during the Disney Renaissance era, when Disney animated movies felt so grand.

I loved the music so much and I also loved her connection with nature. The trees, the river, the wind, the animals, and the colors made the whole movie feel alive and spiritual to me.

There was something so beautiful and earthy about it. Pocahontas had this calm energy and quiet strength that made her stand out from the other Disney princesses.

Learning more about her real history as an adult definitely changed the way I look at the movie. The Disney version is very beautiful, but heavily romanticized and exaggerated. Definitely not her real story.

Theme Parks in the 90s

I remember going to Magic Kingdom with my family in 1995 when I was little, but I honestly do not remember much from the trip itself. All I really have is a family photo in front of the castle.

I have a theory as to why I do not remember that specific trip clearly, but the photo still feels special.

I also remember going to Universal Studios around 1996 and specifically the E.T. Adventure ride and the Terminator 2: 3-D ride.

As a kid, Universal Studios felt more exciting, bold, and cinematic to me. It had that movie magic feeling. I remember loving Universal way more than Disney, and honestly, I still feel that way as an adult.

Nintendo 64 Memories (1997-1999)

I loved playing Nintendo games when I was about 7 up until the age of 11, especially Super Mario 64, 007, and Mortal Kombat.

I remember always playing with my big cousin Jeffrey and begging to borrow them so I can play at home. He passed away from COVID a few years ago so those memories feel even more special now.

McDonald’s Playgrounds

McDonald’s playgrounds is an essential 90s childhood memory. Those bright plastic tunnels, slides, ball pits, and little play areas were such a core memory for me.

I got a happy meal and got to play during or after eating, that was basically a perfect day whenever I went.

Blockbuster Fridays

One of my favorite childhood memories is going to Blockbuster with my parents every Friday after school for movie night.

Walking through the aisles, looking at the movie covers, reading the backs of the VHS cases, trying to pick the perfect movie the whole family could enjoy. This entire ritual felt so exciting to me.

Cartoon Network in the Late 90s

Cartoon Network in the late 90s was everything to me. This was the era when cartoons felt weird, colorful, funny, and a little unhinged in the best way.

Some of my absolute favorites were The Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd n Eddy, and Courage the Cowardly Dog. Courage the Cowardly Dog was creepy and strange, but I loved it so much. The Powerpuff Girls was cute, colorful, and chaotic. Ed, Edd n Eddy was so goofy.

I especially remember looking forward to watching these cartoons every Saturday night after I got back from my cousin’s house.

There was something so exciting about waiting for your favorite shows to come on instead of just clicking whatever you wanted to watch.

O’ Canada (1997)

O Canada is a mysterious little late night 90s memory. It was this Canadian program that showed artsy adult animated shorts and it was just so strange, sometimes funny, and sometimes just plain weird.

It was honestly so random for me to watch as a child, but that is probably why it became so memorable. It was definitely an acquired taste and probably the edgiest show on Cartoon Network before Adult Swim was a thing. 

I cannot even find much information about it today. I’ve come across some discussions on Reddit that reveal that findings full episode recordings is quite difficult. So mysterious!

Cartoon Dollz / Dollz Mania (1997-2002)

Cartoon Dollz feel more like a late-90s internet memory for me, even though I probably used them into the early 2000s too.

They were these little pixelated digital paper dolls you could dress up, customize, and turn into characters.

I also created little rooms, backgrounds, items, and scenes for my Cartoon Dollz, which makes me realize it was almost like a precursor to The Sims for me.

I would make up stories and gave them imaginary lives and placed everything into Microsoft Word like I was making my own little books. Sadly, I don’t know what happened to the ones I printed.

Looking back, it makes so much sense that I eventually became obsessed with The Sims too.

It was basically my early version of character design, storytelling, and online self-expression.

MTV in the Late 90s

MTV in the late 90s was not just music videos anymore, it had reality shows, strange cartoons, countdowns, celebrity culture, and late-night weirdness all mixed together.

Shows like Beavis and Butt-Head and Celebrity Death Match was ridiculous and pure brain rot so I wasn’t really into it like that.

Daria was my absolute favorite MTV show! It was sarcastic, dry, and way ahead of its time. Its a spinoff of Beavis and Butthead.

Aeon Flux was so strange, stylish, futuristic, and adult. I probably did not understand half of what was going on, but I knew it looked so freaking cool.

It had that dark, experimental MTV animation vibe that felt completely different from regular cartoons.

Late 90s MTV felt colorful, rebellious, dramatic, and a little inappropriate which honestly explains why I was so fascinated by it as a kid.

Colorful Music Videos

Music videos in the late 90s were so fun to watch. They were colorful, dramatic, creative, and sometimes completely over the top. I was really into pop and whatever was popular at the time.

I did not have the eclectic music taste I have now. Back then, if it was mainstream and catchy, I was probably into it.

I also did not really listen to hip hop or appreciate it until I was much older. The 90s version of me was very much a pop girl.

Aaliyah: My 90s Icon

Aaliyah was my biggest 90s role model. I loved everything about her, her music, her style, her confidence, her soft-spoken voice, her swagger, and the way she carried herself.

She had this effortless coolness that made her feel different from everyone else.

She was beautiful, talented, mysterious, and graceful, but still had this tomboy edge that made her feel so unique.

What happened to her was tragic and everything surrounding R. Kelly makes it even heavier to think about as an adult.

But as a little girl in the 90s, I just remember looking up to her and feeling inspired by her presence, innovative sound and style.

Nickelodeon in the 90s

Nickelodeon in the 90s was such a big part of my childhood. This was the era of Rugrats, Doug, Hey Arnold!, Rocko’s Modern Life, Rocket Power, The Ren & Stimpy Show, The Wild Thornberrys, CatDog which are all nostalgia that I love.

I was especially excited to watch KaBlam! (1996-1999) when it came on. I remember this show being super weird and hilarious. It was part brain rot, part creative genius.

The Disney Channel Original Movies Era

This was the era of Disney Channel Original Movies, and those movies felt like major events to me. I really loved Smart House, Halloweentown, Brink!, Johnny Tsunami. They were fun, dramatic, colorful, and just the right amount of corny.

I especially loved Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. Zenon was everything to me, the outfits, the space station, the storyline, the characters, the slang, the whole futuristic girl power vibe.

The movies were fun, dramatic, corny, the outfits were very of their time, and the stories were simple.

The HBO Children Shows That I Adore

I was obsessed with Crashbox. It was silly, chaotic, and educational all at once. It made learning feel fun without feeling boring or overly serious.

The games, the characters, the weird little segments, it was very cool.

I also loved Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child. That show was so 90s in the best way. It took classic fairy tales and retold them through different cultural versions, which was so dope to me.

It made the stories feel fresh, creative, and more interesting than the usual white washed versions I was used to seeing.

And then there was A Little Curious. I used to watch that with my baby sister when she was just born so that one feels extra sweet to me.

HBO kids shows were diverse and highly memorable, exactly the kind of thing that made 90s children’s TV feel so special.

The Teen and Adult 90’s Movies I Had No Business Watching

Keep in mind I watched lot of these teen and adult 90’s movies when I was 7-9 years old so let’s be very clear: I had absolutely no business watching half of them.

Some of my favorite 90s teen movies were Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, She’s All That, Can’t Hardly Wait, Drive Me Crazy, and Pleasantville.

These movies made teenage life look so fun, I couldn’t wait to grow up so I can live my teenage life just like in the movies I grew up watching.

Then there were the adult movies that were definitely way too grown for me, like Cruel Intentions, Dazed and Confused, Forces of Nature, Lolita, Eyes Wide Shut, Pulp Fiction, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Idle Hands, and The Virgin Suicides.

I did not fully understand what I was watching, but I was obsessed.

I also loved weird, funny and quirky 90s movies like Mars Attacks!, Married to the Mob, Billy Madison, and Dazed and Confused. They were also made for adults, but I feel like a child can enjoy them too. Well maybe not Married to the Mob haha. That’s just me.

The VHS FBI Warning

Every 90s kid remembers the off putting and intense FBI warning that played before almost every VHS tape.

It was always so serious and dramatic.

Scream: The Only Horror Movie I Actually Loved

I do not really like scary films at all, but Scream is iconic. It had that perfect 90s mix of horror, sarcasm, teen drama, and self-aware humor.

Even though scary movies are not usually my thing, Scream is one of those movies that became part of 90s pop culture for a reason.

My Favorite Live Action Kid Movies

The 90s had some of the best live action kids movies and the movies I’m about to mention were comforting, magical, and full of personality.

These were the kid movies I would watch over and over again and never get tired of them.

A Little Princess (1993) had that beautiful, emotional, storybook feeling that made it feel so special.

I loved the fun, twin-swap energy of It Takes Two (1995) and The Parent Trap (1998). Those movies made childhood feel playful and full of little adventures.

Now and Then (1995) is about four childhood best friends who reunite as adults and look back on one unforgettable summer from their girlhood. I played this VHS tape to death.

I’m still best friends with two of my childhood friends so looking back on this movie feels even more tender now.

Anastasia (1997)

Anastasia (1997) was another non-Disney princess movie I fell in love with. It had that grand, romantic, dramatic feeling that made it feel just as magical as the Disney movies from that era, but it also felt a little more mysterious and historical.

I loved the animation, the music, the romance, and the whole lost-princess storyline. And since Aaliyah was my favorite R&B artist in the 90s, the fact that she made music for the movie drew me in even more.

The Iconic Romeo + Juliet (1996)

I also have to mention Romeo + Juliet from 1996 because I loved that movie so much as a child and still do. I played the crap out of that VHS.

It is a modernized version of the original story, which I actually did not see until a decade later, but this version will always be my favorite one.

The fast-paced editing, the stylish scenes, the dramatic visuals, and the way it mixed old english with modern settings made it feel so unique and intriguing to me.

It did not feel like a boring old classic. It felt intense, beautiful, chaotic, and emotional. The masked party scene will forever be iconic to me.

The Fifth Element Started My Love for Sci-Fi (1997)

The Fifth Element deserves its own mention because I really feel like that movie started my love for sci-fi.

It was colorful, strange, futuristic, dramatic, and stylish. It did not look or feel like anything else. I think that is what I loved about it. It opened up a whole new genre for me.

Spice Girls and Spice World (1997)

The Spice Girls were everything.

They were colorful, confident, fun, and full of personality. Spice World was such a chaotic and silly movie, but that was the point. It was not trying to be serious. It was just fun!

Pay-Per-View (1997–2004)

Pay per view felt so fancy at the time like you could magically order a movie straight from the TV. Pay per view was basically pre streaming movie rental through your cable box.

I remember getting in so much trouble for ordering he new Beavis and Butthead movie without my mom’s permission. Omg.

Titanic Is a Must (1998)

Titanic was thee movie in the late 90s.

I had the two tape VHS set, which already made the movie feel like a major event. I still remember how dramatic it felt having to switch to the second tape and how the second tape started right at the slap scene between Cal and Rose.

Like, excuse me? Anyways, that movie was epic, the tragic romance, the class differences, the iconic love triangle, and of course, that beautifully made ship.

Titanic really gave us the drama, romance, heartbreak, and luxury all in one.

I think what I miss most about the 90s is how simple everything felt. It was most of my childhood.

I was born on June 14, 1990, so this era literally represents the first ten years of my life being alive and on earth.

Sometimes I miss that version of life, the slower, brighter, weirder, more playful version.

The 90s really were a whole vibe.

And as much as I love the 90s, the 2000s are a whole different kind of nostalgia. So next month, I’ll be writing about my favorite things from the 2000s!