Life

20 Simple Joys Of The '90s

Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Sometimes I think that the reason we all have a tendency to get so nostalgic about the eras in which we grew up is because they were always — always — a simpler time. It’s why I still kind of get a kick out of these simple joys of the ‘90s: They remind me of a time when, say, checking my email was fun, rather than just another one of the many, many responsibilities that come with being a functional adult (especially in a tech-savvy age). Ah, the freedom of youth!

Come to think of it, though, there’s really no reason we can’t continue to enjoy some of the little pleasures of our childhoods well into adulthood. Should we be signing our leases in metallic green Gelly Roll? Probably not, but we can absolutely write our sticky note reminders to ourselves in it. Can we still use Lip Smackers? Absolutely. Is pizza day still a big deal? Always. Peppering our daily slogs with tiny little bursts of sunshine can help us get through even the worst times — so if your methods of self-care involve treating yourself to a bowl of French Toast Crunch every now and again, more power to you. And me. And everyone else. Because French Toast Crunch is the best.

Here are 20 simple joys I still look back on fondly, even though the ‘90s have long since passed. In fact, you know what? I think I’m going to go get myself a Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker later today. Because why the heck not?

Breaking In A Fresh Gelly Roll

Beautiful.

Going An Entire Day Without Losing Your Stick-On Earrings

Not an easy thing to accomplish.

Amazon

Connecting Quickly And Painlessly To The Internet

Dial-up was no joke, and the times you connected without needing to redial a million times were worth their proverbial weight in gold.

Cracking Open A Brand New Lip Smacker

So intoxicating.

Giphy

Finding A dEliA*s Catalog In The Mail

Hatching A New Tamagotchi

I mean, sure, after the first five seconds, your newborn Tamagotchi hatchling (sorry, "Babytchi") became a giant pain in the butt — but there’s nothing like the miracle of birth, is there?

Giphy

Finding Gushers In Your Lunch Box

Heck. And yes.

Giphy

Finally Catching That ONE Episode Of 'Are You Afraid Of The Dark?' You Kept Missing

Especially if it was the second half of a rare two-parter. There is no cliff-hanger like a cliff-hanger without a second half.

Giphy

Curling Up With The Latest 'Baby-Sitter’s Club Book

Or Goosebumps, or Sweet Valley High, or whatever your book series of choice was.

Pizza Day At School

I mean, sure, it was just frozen pizza — but it was still pizza, and it was at school, and that was what mattered.

Giphy

When You Heard The Ice Cream Truck Coming Down The Street

The anticipation of the ice cream was almost better than the ice cream itself.

Giphy

When Your Parents Finally Let You Have An AOL Screenname Of Your Own

No more using the family one!

Giphy

Your Favorite Mr. Sketch Marker

Even if it lied to you about what it was actually supposed to be.

Amazon

Knotting The Final Knot Of A Friendship Bracelet

Second, of course, only to giving the bracelet to your BFF.

When Your Crush Slow Danced With You

Whether you did the asking or they did, those three minutes of revolving in place to the tune of “Truly, Madly, Deeply” were awkwardly magical.

Giphy

A Trip To Claire’s

Even if you didn’t actually buy anything.

Obsessing Over 'Titanic' With Your Friends

Or Romeo + Juliet. Pick your Leo.

Giphy

And Playing Your Jam Of The Moment On Repeat

Yes, it annoyed your entire family. No, you didn’t care. Yes, you kept doing it anyway. Bonus points if you taped it off the radio and actually rewound the cassette every single time you replayed it.

Giphy

Breakfast Time With Your Favorite Cereal

Rice Krispy Treats? Pop-Tarts Crunch? Oreo O’s? Your call.

Giphy

One Word: Recess

Monkey bars, here we come!

Giphy
120