Lunch in the 90s wasn't always about eating. You'd have your stack of cards in your backpack, held together with a rubber band. Soon as you sat down, everybody was pulling theirs out. You'd flip through somebody's cards, set aside the ones you wanted, and spend half of lunch trying to convince them your trade was fair. And there was always that one kid who wanted five of your cards for one of his.

Back in the early 2000s, if someone was using the living room TV, you could always throw a DVD into the family computer. Two kids squeezed into one office chair, watching a movie on a little monitor with those cheap computer speakers. It wasn't much of a setup, but somehow those nights were the best.

Of all the memories you have from growing up, what's one childhood moment that has stayed with you all these years?

There was a time when your friends had to call your house just to talk to you. Someone would yell your name from the kitchen, and you'd come running to grab the phone. Then you'd stretch that phone cord as far as it would go, trying to have a private conversation while your whole family was home. And if you talked too long, someone was definitely going to tell you to get off the phone.

School picture day was always a big deal growing up. Your parents would make sure your hair looked perfect before you left the house, and by the time your class got called for pictures, it was already a mess. You'd sit on that little stool, the photographer would tilt your head, tell you to smile, and snap the picture. A few weeks later, that envelope came home with a bunch of photos your parents were going to hand out to everyone in the family. And somehow, you always looked a little awkward in every single one.

There was a time in the 90s when getting McDonald's meant more than just getting something to eat. You'd peel those little Monopoly pieces off your fries or drink, hoping to find Boardwalk or one of the rare pieces needed to win a big prize. But there's a pretty unbelievable story behind that promotion that many people never knew about. For years, some of the biggest prizes were being stolen before ordinary customers ever had a chance to win them. A man named Jerome Jacobson, who worked in security for the marketing company running the promotion, was secretly taking valuable winning game pieces and distributing them through a network of associates. The scheme involved more than $13 million in fraudulent prizes. In August 2001, the FBI exposed the operation and arrested eight people in connection with it. McDonald's itself wasn't behind the fraud and cooperated with investigators. It's wild thinking about how many families spent the 90s collecting those little game pieces, carefully saving them, and hoping they'd finally find the missing property. For most of us, it was just a fun little part of getting McDonald's. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, one of the biggest promotional game scandals in American history was unfolding.

There was a time when walking into Circuit City felt like walking into the future. Rows of televisions, stereos, computers, video games, and electronics everywhere. You could spend an entire afternoon just looking around, even if you weren't buying anything. But there's a pretty surprising story behind what happened to Circuit City. In March 2007, the company laid off 3,400 employees because they were earning more than it wanted to pay. Many were experienced salespeople who had spent years learning the products and helping customers. Circuit City planned to replace them with lower-paid workers. The decision was supposed to save money, but analysts soon questioned whether losing those knowledgeable employees was actually hurting the business. Circuit City was already struggling with competition and declining sales. By 2009, the company was liquidating its remaining 567 U.S. stores, leaving roughly 34,000 employees without jobs. It's strange thinking about how many stores we grew up visiting are gone now. Back then, going somewhere to look at the latest technology was an experience in itself. You could actually try things, ask questions, and discover something you didn't even know existed. That was a big part of what made places like Circuit City special.

So long, BioWare.

Getting a roll of film developed used to be a little event. Someone would come home with that envelope from the photo counter, and everyone wanted to see how the pictures turned out. Half of them were blurry, someone always had their eyes closed, and there was usually a picture nobody remembered taking. And somehow, those imperfect pictures are the ones that bring back the most memories today.

The Game Boy Color first launched in Japan 28 years ago. If you had one growing up, it probably went everywhere with you. Road trips, family vacations, sitting in the backseat, or just playing under a lamp at home. It's funny how something that small could hold so many childhood memories.

Saturday mornings had a soundtrack growing up. Music playing loud from the kitchen, the vacuum running, and someone telling you to clean your room for the third time. You'd spend ten minutes actually cleaning and another twenty trying to look busy. By lunchtime, the whole house smelled like cleaning supplies, and you could finally get back to enjoying your weekend.

The school library became the best room in the building whenever the book fair showed up. All those Goosebumps books, posters, bookmarks, and little things you didn't need but wanted anyway. You'd walk around forever trying to decide what to buy with the few dollars your parents gave you. And walking back to class with that little bag of stuff you bought was half the excitement.

You probably still remember little things about your grandparents’ house. The smell when you walked in. The snacks they always had. The same furniture that seemed like it had been there forever. Funny what your mind decides to hold onto.

Remember going grocery shopping with your mom or dad at night when you were little? The store was almost empty, you were probably supposed to be in bed, and you just followed along while they picked up a few things. Sometimes you got to pick out a snack or something from the candy aisle. Then came that quiet ride home, half asleep in the backseat while they carried all the groceries inside. Such a simple memory, but a good one.

Remember sitting in the car while your mom or dad ran into someone they knew? You thought they were just saying a quick hello, and then 20 minutes later you were still sitting there staring out the window. You’d hear bits of the conversation, mess with the seatbelt, look around the parking lot, and just wait. At the time it felt boring. Now it feels like one of those small, ordinary moments that somehow stayed with you.

Sitting in the living room while everyone was home. Someone talking in the kitchen. Someone watching TV. Someone walking down the hallway. Nothing important was happening. You just didn’t know there would come a day when you’d miss hearing all of those people in the same house.

Remember those freezing cold mornings in the 80s and 90s? Sitting in the car with your backpack, waiting for the heater to finally blow warm air while your mom or dad scraped ice off the windshield. The radio was playing, you were half asleep, and all you wanted was to stay home. Funny how something so ordinary can become a childhood memory you miss.

Remember when almost every mall had a KB Toys? You could hardly walk past without stopping. Toys stacked everywhere, action figures hanging on the walls, video games behind the counter, and those little battery-powered toys moving around near the entrance. For a lot of us growing up in the 80s and 90s, it was one of the best parts of going to the mall. But there's a sad story behind what happened to KB Toys. On December 11, 2008, just two weeks before Christmas, the company filed for bankruptcy for the second time in four years. The timing was devastating. The country was in the middle of a recession, shoppers were spending less, and KB Toys was struggling to compete with larger retailers. Sales had fallen nearly 20% during what should have been its busiest shopping season. The company announced plans to liquidate all 460 remaining stores, bringing an end to a childhood staple for millions of Americans. It's strange how something as simple as walking through a toy store could become such a meaningful childhood memory. Back then, we didn't think about the businesses behind these places or whether they'd still be around someday. We just knew that whenever our parents took us to the mall, there was one store we hoped they'd let us visit.

Some of the best days started with someone yelling your name from outside. You grabbed your shoes and disappeared for hours. No plan. Just the neighborhood.

Seeing your parent’s car pull up after school was such a simple comfort. You threw your backpack in, got in the car, and the school day was officially behind you.