“My twin girls (Faye and Felicia) are both autistic.

Felicia was diagnosed before she was three; she’s non verbal and loves life in her own wee bubble. Once she lets you in, it’s amazing. That’s her circle of trust.

Faye is her total opposite, always singing and chatting up a storm. Once they started preschool, we found out that Faye was showing signs of autism that we perhaps overlooked because she was so advanced.

My wife and I, with the assistance of Faye’s teachers, pushed hard to get her assessed, reassessed and diagnosed. Faye is very smart and fooled the specialist in the first assessment regarding extra help in school. We were very lucky when she was diagnosed, because the specialist ASD doctors could still recognize her traits.

It’s been a long journey and no two days are alike. Through it all we’ve learned that Faye is just a younger, female version of her older brother. From her diagnosis, we were able to recognize the ASD traits in Jordan. He is now beginning the diagnostic process.

But long story short, both our girls now attend an autism unit in a special school. It’s a God send and they are both doing great! They turned 6 in August and Jordan will be 11 this December.

Be positive and always make sure your child gets all they need. Raising a child with special needs definitely puts into perspective what’s important in life!

Everything for the kids!”

– Nic Young

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email [email protected]

As we grow up, we start to understand and relate to our parents on a whole new level. Experiencing life’s milestones often allows us to grow closer to our parents, using their knowledge to guide and reassure us and sharing in the amazement of it all as a family. But when you’ve lost one of your parents as Bindi Irwin has, you’re forced to find other ways to include them in those joyous moments.

The Irwin family had to master the skill of including Steve in their lives in a new way abruptly, after tragically losing him in 2006. They’ve treasured his memory at every turn and held him close to their hearts – especially during life’s big moments.

Bindi Irwin and her husband Chandler are expecting their first baby, a baby that would have been Steve’s first grandchild. Bindi has followed in her dad’s footsteps, giving the world glimpses into her personal life and inviting us to celebrate with her.

Recently, Bindi shared an adorable throwback photo of her own parents – Terri Irwin stands, visibly pregnant and smiling, as Steve and little Bindi kiss her baby bump (aka, the now 17-year-old Robert).

Now well into her own pregnancy, Bindi recreated the adorable photo with her husband Chandler. She captioned the photo, “Recreating a very special moment. Third trimester love.”

 

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Like any family who has mourned the loss of a loved one, the Irwin family likely thinks about Steve every single day. But during important milestones, they find creative ways to include the late Crocodile Hunter in their celebrations. Steve loved every second of being a father, and though he isn’t here to see it in person, he would undoubtedly be ecstatic about his growing family.

After Bindi announced her pregnancy, Terri said on Twitter, “While I wish that Steve was here to share this beautiful moment, I know that he would be so proud.”

2021 is going to be a big year for video games.

I say that every year, but it’s especially true this time.  Nintendo has a great line-up of titles for their ever so popular Nintendo Switch and Sony & Microsoft, while focused on releasing plenty of exciting next-gen gaming experiences for their new consoles, will still be supporting their previous PS4 & Xbox One systems.  With love for current and next-gen gaming, this just means a year full of entertainment.

The list I’ve put together here contains a variety of new games releasing (or rumored to release) in 2021 that you and your kids could enjoy playing, a couple that are pure speculation (oh, I just love to speculate), and a couple “mature” titles that us adults can be excited about.  There’s something here for everyone to look forward to.  It’s also crazy to think we’re only in January and I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to find time to play all of these.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

I’m so glad that Nintendo decided to finally port this over to the Switch.  My kids and I absolutely loved Super Mario 3D World when it originally released on the Wii U, and it’s right up there as one of our favorite Mario games of all time.  The levels are well-paced and the co-op is a ton of fun (unless your son keeps picking you up and throwing you off a ledge for a good laugh).   This game seemed to inspire Sony’s PS4/PS5 exclusive Sackboy: A Big Adventure, which is another great co-op experience to check out.  With this updated Switch release, it includes the “Bowser’s Fury” add-on, which contains Baby Bowser as a playable character (if the newest trailer up above is suggesting that), new levels, and a giant Bowser vs giant Cat Mario battle.  It looks awesome.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury releases for Nintendo Switch on February 12th, 2021.  You can pre-order now.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Sony’s Ratchet & Clank series has always been something special.  The characters are lovable, the world is vibrant, the weapons are wacky, and the humor always has its tongue placed firmly in cheek. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is coming exclusively to the Playstation 5 and will be the 10th entry in the main storyline.  This new adventure includes new features such as a playable female character and interdimensional warping mechanics.  If you haven’t kept up-to-date on your Ratchet & Clank lore, don’t worry.  Developer Insomniac Games says ‘Rift Apart’ will act as a sort of standalone story, so newcomers won’t be completely in the dark.  For Ratchet & Clank enthusiasts though, I’m sure there’ll be lots of references to the other games for us to appreciate.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will release on PS5 in 2021.

New Pokemon Snap

This is a nostalgic surprise!  The original N64 Pokemon Snap was such a cool concept.  It was a unique and relaxing experience taking photos and trying to discover all the Pokemon in each area.  You could unlock different items like fruit, which you could toss at the Pokemon to get them out of hiding for that perfect photo.  With this new game, it includes an assortment of Pokemon from all the games in the franchise.  The only thing missing from this version is the ability to print off your pictures at the local Blockbuster Video.

New Pokemon Snap releases for Nintendo Switch on April 30th, 2021.  You can pre-order now.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game – Complete Edition

Based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O’Malley (and film adaptation by Edgar Wright), Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game is a co-op, side-scrolling beat em’up that takes its inspiration from classics such as Streets of Rage and Final Fight.  It also features a great, old-school inspired soundtrack by Anamanaguchi.  Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Scott Pilgrim game was originally available digitally on PS3 and Xbox 360 but was de-listed from their online stores and just never showed up again… until now.  It does suck that I’ll have to purchase this again, but it’s totally going to be worth it.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game – Complete Edition is now available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch & PC

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was originally supposed to release on October 20, 2020 but was unfortunately delayed until 2021.  It will adapt all nine entries in the Skywalker saga of films, so there’s going to be lots of content to get through.  Judging by the trailer, it looks like it’s going to be the best Lego Star Wars game yet, and I’m not ashamed to admit that a Lego game trailer gave me chills once that classic Star Wars main theme kicked in.  Gets me every time.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga will release on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S in 2021

God of War: Ragnarok

The God of War franchise started out strong when it released back in 2005.  Over the years though, Kratos became a stale character.  Luckily, the developers of 2018’s God of War felt the same way. It still featured the same over-the-top action we loved, but it added a new element to Kratos by giving him a son that was actually a part of the moment-to-moment gameplay.  Immediately, I had a connection with him, as I wanted to do everything I could to keep Atreus safe. I didn’t always agree with how hard he was on his “boy”, but when Kratos started to become more caring and open up all dad-like, man… did it hit me right in the feels. I cannot wait to see where their journey takes them with this next installment.  Hopefully, it can live up to everyone’s expectations.

God of War: Ragnarok will release on PS5 in 2021.

Halo Infinite

Originally an Xbox Series X launch title, Halo Infinite’s reveal last summer was met with criticism. Fans didn’t think this looked quite like the next-gen Halo game they had been waiting for, so Xbox took that criticism very serious and delayed its release to Fall 2021.  This extra time allows developer 343 to really polish it so it can live up to the quality of the other titles in the series. Now, with a set release date, Xbox fans can really start to get excited for their “killer-app”.

Halo Infinite will release on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One & PC in Fall 2021.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2

All we have is this cryptic teaser trailer from 2019, but we know it has been in active development since then.  I’m thinking we’re going to get a new trailer this year with a holiday 2021 release date.  Breath of the Wild was a wonderful departure from the usual Zelda format, and while this one looks much darker in tone (like Majora’s Mask), I hope it still retains the massive open-world exploration and clever dungeons that made the first so refreshing.  Also, the Zelda franchise turns 35 this year.  Wouldn’t 2021 be a great time to announce the release date for this new one?  Maybe we’ll just get an Ocarnia of Time remaster on Switch instead, I’d be cool with that too.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will release on Nintendo Switch.

The Elder Scrolls VI

Ok, this last one’s just for fun.  Sorry to get your hopes up.  This “Official Announcement Teaser” trailer we got two years ago was about as bare-bones a trailer as we could have got. Publisher Bethesda obviously just wanted everyone to know that a new Elder Scrolls game was in the works, but it has been two years since they made the announcement.  Either they’re saving a big reveal for 2021 and planning a holiday release, or we might have to wait until at least 2022 to jump back into the single-player world of Elder Scrolls. Considering everyone is still playing Skyrim though, I assume they’re in no rush and we’ll just have to keep waiting patiently.

The Elder Scrolls VI will release sometime this century, as long as Bethesda doesn’t keep re-releasing Skyrim.

So this is just a handful of big releases to look out for this year, and who knows what other unannounced projects will pop up in the meantime.  Yeah, 2021 is going to be a big year for video games.

In today’s divisive times, there are few things that we can all agree on. But one of them is the Muppets! Everybody loves the Muppets (give or take Miss Piggy, am I right?) And now, thanks to Disney+, we’re getting them!

Starting on February 19th, Disney+ will be home to The Muppet Show – and that means all 5 seasons, the last two of which are becoming available in your home for the first time since they were originally aired on television starting in 1976.

If you’re of a certain age, you remember the Muppet Show for its cast of characters like Kermit the Frog, the aforementioned Miss Piggy, Fozzy Bear, Rowlf the dog, Gonzo the… something, and a variety of secondary players like Beaker, the Swedish Chef, Animal, and many more.

You also remember the show’s incredible guest stars, each of whom was game to goof around with Jim Henson’s creations, including Steve Martin, Elton John, Mark Hamill, fresh from Star Wars, Sylvester Stallone, and other superstars.

In the years since the show, the Muppets have headlined a bunch of movies, and even had a bit of a revival earlier this century. Now fans have a chance to see how it all started on their TV show.

Kermit himself made a statement about the show’s arrival on Disney+, saying, “It’s going to be great to welcome back longtime fans, and to give a new generation of fans a chance to see how we got our start, how Miss Piggy became a star and so much more.”

Check out the original trailer for the show, and tune in on February 19th:

Ose Akhile has been a trainer for over ten years, and when he became a dad, he set out to include his kids in his biggest passion. Akhile treasured the time he got to spend being active with his kids, bonding with them, and introducing them to a world that was central to his life. After having kids of his own, Akhile began to realize that most activities within the community were geared towards moms and their kids as opposed to dads – and that was a gap he intended to fill.

“My mission is to not only redefine the dad bod from a physical level but to truly create a brand that is recognized for creating a community of fathers committed to being their best in every aspect of their life so that their kids can follow the same example,” Akhile told The Dad. “As I like to say, ‘ it’s better to show them how to live than it is to tell them.’”

 

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Akhile’s love of fitness and fatherhood led him to start Daddy Fitness, a program geared towards supporting dads on their fitness journeys. Though Akhile trains some clients in person, his program is available online so he can reach as many dads as possible. Akhile models both an active lifestyle and an active role in his kids’ lives – he’s a proud “girl dad” of three and stresses the importance of appreciating every moment.

 

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When discussing the feedback Daddy Fitness has received Akhile explained, “My favorite are first time dads because they truly appreciate being able to have a resource to not only help them get in shape (mainly for the sake of their kids) but also about fatherhood and the challenges it comes with.”

Through Daddy Fitness, Akhile has created a supportive community of dads who recognize just how difficult it can be. He invites dads to engage in self-care, spend quality time with their kids, and do so with the support of other dads going through the same thing.

Akhile’s home is filled with love and energy, something that he takes great pride in. “My wife is amazing. I wouldn’t be who I am today without her,” Akhile said. “No day is short of entertainment or laughter. And even the hard days, we wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

 

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Sharing his successes, his struggles, and his support for other dads has turned Daddy Fitness into far more than your typical fitness group. “My goal and dream is to turn it into a startup company centered around helping dads be the best men they can be for themselves and their families,” Akhile explained. “This goes beyond fitness, but also nutrition, mental health, and guidance.”

“We also want dads to be active with their kids. Don’t just sit and oversee them play. Get in there with them!”

Graduating is an accomplishment that deserves to be celebrated. Whether you’re graduating from elementary school or medical school, your hard work and dedication should be recognized. When 23-year-old Taleigh Loven graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix with her bachelor’s degree in psychology last October, her dad decided to celebrate with her. This was no ordinary celebration, though – it was a surprise celebration that was several years in the making.

During Taleigh’s celebration, her dad Mike Loven walked in wearing a GCU alumni shirt. Understandably, his family was baffled. Mike had never been one for keeping secrets – in fact, when his diploma showed up in the mail, Mike’s wife was convinced there had been some sort of mistake.

“The confusion was a lot of fun. I don’t keep secrets,” Loven told “Good Morning America.” “[My wife], she thought GCU had sent my daughter’s diploma and accidentally put my name on it.”

Though Mike is successful in his career as the owner of a staffing company, in 2016, he realized something was missing. He started school in secret while both of his kids worked towards their own degrees. You know the trick where kids stick a comic book inside the book they’re supposed to be reading for school? This impressively sneaky dad basically did the opposite.

“They thought I was working on a spreadsheet for work when in reality I was working on a spreadsheet in an accounting class,” he explained.

Mike studied, completed assignments, and took exams over four and a half years without his family catching on. While working full-time and going to school, Mike maintained a 3.99 GPA and finally graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics.

“During the time that he was working on his degree, he carried the load for us as he has for my entire life,” Taleigh said. “His selfless act shows a glimpse to his character. Words truly cannot express how proud I am of him.”

Dwayne Johnson has always been vocal about how influential and inspirational his dad was to him, both career-wise and in his personal life. When Johnson’s dad, legendary wrestler Rocky Johnson passed away unexpectedly last year, the world mourned with him. The Rock regularly mentions just how much his dad meant to him, sharing memories and life milestones he wishes they could celebrate together.

On Monday, The Rock shared a touching tribute to his late dad on Instagram, marking the one year anniversary of his death. “When we’re breathin’ that breath…it means we still have a shot,” he wrote. “We all know loss.. we’ve all been there.. then it’s our job to rise and live as greatly as we can. My old man was a trailblazing bad dude in the game for our cultures.”

“He passed away suddenly, exactly one year ago. The show must go on.”

The video Johnson shared on Instagram was a moving compilation of memories. We see clips of Rocky completely in his element, dominating in the ring and smiling proudly as if there’s no place he’d rather be. Throughout the video, The Rock discusses the pain of losing a loved one and the beauty of life as a whole.

 

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“The cycle of life,” Dwayne Johnson explains, “It’s painful, it’s amazing, it’s beautiful, it’s heartbreaking, it’s powerful, it’s a kick in the gut.”

He continues, “It can knock you down, it can knock your ass out – but you know, you rise. You get back up … you live as greatly as you possibly can.”

Johnson goes on to discuss how the death of a loved one is a jarring reminder of what life is all about. When you lose someone you love, you’re reminded of how fleeting life is. It forces you to look at your priorities, to continue living stronger and better simply because you still have time.

The Rock smiles sadly, remembering something his dad used to tell him. “For those of you who know my dad, you know he’d say, ‘you tell them I taught you everything you know – but I didn’t teach you everything I know.’”

We see Dwayne saying a somber final goodbye to his dad at his funeral, a scene immediately juxtaposed with an old clip of the pair embracing in an enormous hug.

Johnson concludes with a toast to his own dad, and to everyone who’s ever lost someone.

“Hope we’re making them proud – the show must go on.”

A hot tub sounds great in theory but it’s pretty easy to talk yourself out of one. You’re a dad, you’re practical. For starters, hot tubs are expensive and all dads know money doesn’t grow on trees. Plus, they’ll require maintenance that you’ll be responsible for, and you already have a backlog of home projects. Plus, hot tubs take up a ton of real estate.

But what if I told you there’s a low maintenance one you can get for a steal – that you can just deflate when not in use? Your wallet and your dad bod will both approve.

At 77” x 77” x 28” this Coleman SaluSpa inflatable hot tub is large enough for up to 6 people. It’s equipped with jets (this is not a freakin’ kiddie pool!), massage and heating systems, and water filtration. The water can even reach 104 degrees. It features solid construction and extremely durable material that ensures there are no safety issues. It even comes with a pre-tested pump and a ground fault circuit interrupter that trips at 6mA.

Oh, and the set-up is a snap and it’s easy to drain.

Just look at how much these people are enjoying it.

Buy here for $530

“Love this tub. I’ve had it two months now. Electric bill barely budged $10 a month even the first month when I filled it with 39 degree water and it heated for 4 days straight !! I set it up pretty quick, maybe an hour but I was in no rush. Filled up within 20-25 min tops,” one reviewer wrote.

“Honestly, I have never been in a hot tub or spa in my life but I was looking for something to cool off in on hot summer nights instead of a pool. We had an in-ground pool for many years and all I ever did was sit on the stairs in the evening and have a few drinks. I figured this might be the “equivalent”, and it was! I absolutely love it. It’s not a big “Hot Tub” with all the bells and whistles but that’s not what I wanted. This is perfect for relaxing soak and the bubbles are much better and more powerful than I expected. LOVE IT!,” one reviewer wrote.

BTW, you can use this hot tub in the winter. It just takes longer to heat up. 

“For the price, nothing comes close! After playing in the mountains, a hot soak in minerals is amazing. The bubbles are relaxing, not a therapy jet. Have been using it in Denver in winter (with a thick cover to retain heat). 2f/hr heating times, drops about ~10f overnight (is 20f at night here). Super, super happy with this tub. Easy setup and maintenance. Cleaning filters has been easy, and we’re using bromine tablets and soaking salts. I -may- have overclocked it too, a searing 110f soak is possible ;)” another wrote.

Buy here for $530

Your kids probably love outer space, right? Even kids who aren’t science-oriented seem to have a fascination with the universe. Hey, we don’t blame ’em — you don’t have to be an astronaut (or a wannabe astronaut) to appreciate the vast and mysterious expanse above us. There’s just so much out there. Even with just your own set of eyes, you can see some pretty cool stuff. You didn’t need a fancy telescope to find 2020’s “Christmas Star” or marvel over the “Great American Eclipse” of 2017.

Whether you’re sitting through another cartoon space adventure, working on a science project, or just simply want to earn points as the coolest dad on the block, some weird info about outer space can be a great contribution. Does your kid know what an astronomical unit is? Or have they wondered what it’s like on the moon? We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting and quirky space facts for kids we could find. Share ‘em as you see fit.

Fun Space Facts For Kids

1 Mercury’s craters are named after famous artists, musicians, and authors (there aren’t any named after Disney characters yet, but there is one named Disney!).

2. Mercury is shrinking due to its fault scarps, which we discovered in 2016 thanks to a purposely crashed spacecraft.

3. Neither Mercury nor Venus have moons.

4. While most planets are similar to Earth and rotate around a north-south axis, Uranus rotates on its side.

5. Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system. Betcha thought that record belonged to Mercury, eh?

6. Litter is everywhere, including space. Thanks to our constant quest to know more about our solar system, there are now-defunct satellites and out-of-service spacecraft scattered throughout our galaxy.

7. If you combined the mass of all other planets and doubled it, that object would still be smaller than Jupiter.

8. Mount Everest is only the tallest mountain on Earth. Mars’ Olympus Mons is more than 10 miles taller, making its peak nearly three times as high.

9. Jupiter is also the “owner” of the galaxy’s most active moon. Its moon, Io, has hundreds of volcanoes. They are in an almost constant state of eruption due to Jupiter’s gravitational pull.

10. On Neptune, one year is equal to 164.8 Earth years. In other words, you won’t live long enough for Neptune to complete even one rotation around the sun.

11. Neptune’s moon, Triton, orbits the planet “backward.”

12. Uranus’ blue glow is thanks to its atmospheric gases.

13. The Hubble Space Telescope has helped astronomers write more than 15,000 research papers.

14. While it seems like we’re on a never-ending space quest to find water on Mars, we do know that ice exists throughout our solar system — including on our own moon and even in shadowed Mercurian craters.

15. The first food ever eaten in space was applesauce.

16. The sun is 4.6 billion years old.

17. Did you know that technically the color white isn’t a lack of colors, but all colors mixed together? This phenomenon accounts for why the sun appears white to us.

18. You could fit more than one million Earths inside the sun.

19. The sun is made of roughly ¼ helium.

20. The distance between Earth and the sun is called an astronomical unit.

21. Did you know the sun makes its own orbit? It takes roughly 225-250 million years to complete one orbit around the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

22. When the sun runs out of hydrogen, it will begin expanding and devour Mercury, Venus, and Earth. Don’t worry, though! Scientists believe we have another 5 billion years before that happens. Even your grandchildren’s grandchildren’s great-great-grandchildren won’t see this happen.

23. There are more stars in space than grains of sand on Earth. (If you want to fact check that, you better start counting.)

24. The first woman in space was Russian astronaut Valentina Tereshkova.

25. There’s no wind on our moon.

26. Because of the lack of wind, our astronauts’ footprints will never disappear.

27. Combined with the sun’s, the moon’s gravitational pull creates our tides.

28. No matter where you are on Earth, you’re always seeing the same side of the moon.

29. We know more about our moon than our oceans. It’s true! We’ve mapped 100 percent of our moon’s surface. However, we’ve only explored about 5 percent of the ocean floor.

30. Sure, you know about black holes, but what do you know about white holes? Despite having never discovered one, scientists know it’s mathematically possible they exist.

31. The center of the galaxy reportedly smells like rum and tastes like raspberries. Um, yum! Wondering why? Well, that would be thanks to the chemical ethyl formate, which gives both their distinct smell and taste. It was recently discovered in a gas cloud near the center of the Milky Way.

32. “Outer space” is only 62 miles away. That means you’re closer to outer space than Disney World is to Miami or Los Angeles is to San Diego.

33. Space is completely silent.

Name one TV commercial you remember, and I’ll bet you had an emotional reaction the first time you viewed it — whether it made you laugh, smile, cry, or all three.

It’s no secret that some of the most memorable advertising somehow pulls at your heartstrings. Case in point: the Budweiser Clydesdales, the Apple iPad widower, or the Mac Daddy of them all, the Sarah McLachlan SPCA ads (you’re welcome for that earworm btw).

However, there’s a new player on the list of corporate emotional manipulators, and it’s one you may not expect: Doritos.

Over the holidays, Doritos Mexico launched a commercial that’s since made waves for all the right reasons, especially in the LGBTQ+ community.

This Doritos ad from Mexico about a single dad trying to express his support for his gay son has me tearing up.
🖤🤎❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🏳️‍🌈https://t.co/AXrPBpbOym

— Q. Allan Brocka (@allanbrocka) January 8, 2021

It features a divorced father with a college-age son who brought a friend home for the holidays. However, he soon suspects his son and the male companion “are a couple and they do not dare tell me,” so he goes to Reddit for advice on how to break the news gently that he knows… and, more importantly, that his love is unconditional.

The ad — which is based on a true story — ends with a simple, subtly sweet exchange between father & son… followed by the viewer’s own visceral ugly-crying (or maybe that’s just me?).

With everything going on in the world today, it’s the virtual, inclusive embrace we all need right now, albeit from an unexpected source. (Then again, as the saying goes, “If you can’t get a warm, bosomy grandma hug, fill the spiritual abyss with a chips commercial!”)

Here’s hoping it makes its way to U.S. airwaves soon.

Watch the full Doritos Mexico ad (in Spanish with English subtitles) below.