If you were a kid back in 1977, you most likely owned a pair of Underoos. I, however, did not.
Underoos were marketed by Fruit of the Loom after Hanes turned down the idea. Wow, whoever made that executive decision must feel like the ass from Mars who refused to use M & M in E.T.
Underoos were super popular back in the days. They're an integral part of 1970s pop culture. Underoos let kids have fun in their undies. The early characters were all super hero themed and I was never big into DC Comics or Marvel Comics. I wasn't really into comics so maybe that's why it wasn't a big deal to me at the time. I think that the cooler Underoos characters such as E.T. and Pac Man were only available for boys. Otherwise, I totally would have sported them!
I especially loved the commercial and jingle for Underoos. Remember it? I do recall feeling a bit awkward during the boys' Underoos commercial -- like cover up! Ya know?
The other day I blogged about my memories of seeing ET in the movie theater. Sunrise Cinemas on Sunrise Highway in Valley Stream, New York kept kids busy before and after their movie. How? They had ColecoVision arcade game machines all along the walls of the immense lobby. However, it was my preteen addiction to these games that kept me coming back for more.
My personal favorite was LadyBug, though Q*bert was a close second. Other than the obvious Pac-Man and Space Invaders, do you have a favorite retro video game from your own childhood? What is it?
*For more info on the Lady Bug game by Universal, click here.
For the last 24-hours, I've been bombarded with Facebook updates and Tweets proclaiming 2011 is gonna be the best year ever. Sorry all you silly, hungover hopefuls, this year is probably gonna suck just like 2010, 2009, 2008, etc. If it were up to me ... if I had full control ... we'd be ringing in 1982. 1982 was my year. 1982 was one of the best years ever. Even though it wasn't the year I met my husband, or the year I met Micky Dolenz, or the year I graduated high school or college, it was an amazing year.
1. I was 10! Who wouldn't want to be 10 back in the 80s? Old enough to have fun, but not worry about pimples, boys, weight, makeup, a part-time job, SATs, college, etc.
3. The best music! The Motels, Hall & Oates, Rick Springfield, etc. Looking over the list of Top 40 songs from 1982, almost every song is awesome.
4. Politics Shmolitics! I didn't care that Ronald Reagan was president. I was 10, it didn't really affect me.
5. Baby aspirin was still magical! Yes, I know in October, 1982 there was that whole Tylenol scare issue going on, but my mom still let me chew St. Joseph's baby aspirin. Although I cared, I was 10, the Tylenol thing didn't really affect me.
One Day At A Time, awesome show!
6. TV was terrific! Love Boat, One Day At A Time, Alice, Joanie Loves Chachi, Dukes of Hazard, etc. I loved prime time network television. Some of the best TV ever!
7.California Girl! I went to California for the very first time for free! It was my favorite trip ever! My parents had given up our four seats while heading home to New York from Florida one day. We were asked to accommodate a family of four who needed to get on that particular flight. In exchange for giving up our seats, the airline bought us all dinner while we waited for the next flight home. They also gave my parents four free plane tickets to anywhere in the continental US. We went to Universal Studios and Disneyland. We traveled to San Fransisco and LA and even stayed at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
8. Atari! I loved playing what would become timeless classics such as Donkey Kong and Pac-man! Best video games ever!
9. Soooo stylin'! Tiny Jordache bags, ribbon barrettes, feathered clips, hearts, rainbows and 3/4-length jersey shirts with iron-on images were all the rage and I loved it all! Best fashions ever!
10. Recession-proof! In 1982 there was a recession and the unemployment rate reached like 10%. My parents were teachers and their jobs were safe. I was 10, it didn't really affect me. Today, in 2011, I'm no longer 10 and the recession really affects me.
As August nears, you can sense summer is coming to a close. I know there's an entire month left, but the atmosphere changes somehow. Crickets and locus chirp and sing louder throughout the afternoon, the sun hits your yard a bit differently and the nights aren't as long.
It's around this time that we begin to see Back to School sales and circulars advertising everything from fancy pens and notebooks at CVS and Walgreens to dorm room delights from Bed Bath & Beyond. Bed Bath & Beyond even have a We Love College! ad campaign. Next to wedding registries, dorm room decor is probably their biggest money maker!
As much as I hated returning to school after a summer of fun, I didn't mind stocking up on everything from new clothing and shiny notebooks in grammar school to extra long dorm room sheets to new backpacks in high school and college! Here are some of my favorite vintage back-to-school stuff. What did you love best?
Cool 1980s Lunch Boxes
In grade school it was uber important to show up to school gripping a kick-ass lunch box. Be it Smurfs, Snoopy or E.T. -- you didn't want to be stuck with one of those boring, run-of-the-mill, plain lunch boxes.
The Jansport Bag
In high school and college, it was all about the Jansport backpack. I'm not quite sure why. I mean, it was just a backpack, but it was truly an essential in both high school and college. I also loved LL Bean backpacks.
The Mead Trapper Keeper
If you've been following a long for a bit, you know how dedicated I am to the Trapper Keeper by Mead. I loved the way it held every piece of paper securely and fashionably. I had the red one one year and a blue one other years. I enjoyed slapping stickers all over them to personalize them a bit. I found this old commercial, check it out.
This weekend our area was hit pretty hard with snow. The total accumulations range from about 4 inches in Westchester to 2 feet in South Jersey and Long Island. Sure it looks pretty, but yesterday some folks on Facebook and Twitter were commenting about the cleanup. Folks over 30 want to know, "Where are the kids looking to earn a few bucks by shoveling their neighbor’s driveway?"
I've noticed this trend since the late '90s actually. I was still living at home and my brother and I would help shovel my mom's walkway and driveway as well as the old lady next door. I'd moan about how when I was a kid, I'd do the entire block and come home sweaty and beat, but with almost $100 in my pocket. The kids on our block were all grown up and had real jobs now. Driving by, we never saw youngsters shoveling.
We're left wondering... What's the deal with today's youth? Is it just a New York/New Jersey thing? Is it due to all of the newer tech distractions such as way better video games, the internet and text messaging? Could it be an increase in allowance? I only received about $10 a week and tapped out at $20 a week once I was old enough to earn my own spending money. Could it be an increase in school work? I've heard news reports of students receiving much more homework than we did in the '80s.
When I was a kid, all I ever want to do was earn money. When I was sixteen, I even wrote an article about it for Seventeen magazine. Unfortunately although they paid me for my submission, they never printed it. I was crushed, but what can you do.
For years, I ran lemonade stands in front of our house - it was the only benefit of living on a super busy street. When I wasn't selling lemonade, I was running small book and toy sales on our lawn - again cashing in on the traffic. In the end, I found the lemonade garnered the most income. There was once a sweaty guy doing construction on the house across the street. He popped over to my table holding a big Tupperware tumbler. He handed me $5 and asked me to fill it up. It was so amazing, I decided to close up shop and took the rest of the "work day" off and enjoyed a swim in our yard.
By the age of twelve, I had a busy babysitting schedule which included most of the little kids on our block and my cousins who lived around the corner. It occurred to me that there were so many small children on our block that I could actually run a daycare program in our basement.
Grudgingly my parents gave me the OK, though my dad was concerned about his home owners insurance. I promised I'd keep the kids in the basement and not allow anyone near the fenced in pool area. He agreed and "Allyson's Day School" was open for biz and survived two successful summers until I outgrew it.
I had approximately ten students, including my little brother and maybe my cousins - I'm not sure. I organized each day to include a drawing hour. I had the kids draw something based on a particular theme, "Today you must draw a picture of your favorite animal" or "Today you must draw something square-shaped." Snack time was every day at 11 AM. I would serve happy youngsters Pathmark brand fruit punch and a handful of cookies or pretzels. I would read them a story and we'd play different educational games. To spice things up, I held special events like "Skit Day" and "Sports Day" which included different obstacle courses and ribbons I made for the winners.
I never charged much, but babysitting and the day school helped support my teen magazine and TOPPS trading cards addiction. It seemed as if I were always collecting ET, Gremlins and The Goonies cards. I swear there were some cards TOPPS either only made one of or seriously made NONE of. I owned hundreds of cards, yet never a full set. There were always a bunch of cards missing.
By the age of 15, I was looking for real cash. I became obsessed with Esprit and J.Crew clothing and my parents were far from pleased with the price tags. Mom felt you could get an equally nice sweater from Sears or Penny's, so it was up to me to get out there and increase my cash flow.
Too young to work legally, I didn't want to deliver papers and sure, babysitting was quick and easy money, it simply wasn't enough. Most people were paying me a $3 an hour at best (according to my diary). Then one day, my dad introduced me to the dirty underground world of catering. Apparently, these family-run businesses didn't always follow the employment laws the way big retail outfits did. They'd sometimes overlook your age and eagerly put you to work. It sounded too good to be true.
Summer of 1988, I gave it a shot and paid a visit to our local wedding hall. The joint has since changed hands several times, but still exists as The Sand Castle. Walking distance to our home, this banquet hall was the best summer job a kid could have. I was too young to drive and didn't have a crazy social life on summer weekends since we were home all week anyway. I figured, what the heck. I could have my fun Monday-Thursday and kill myself Friday-Sunday earning a quick $150, plus tips.
The job sucked, but I kept it up until senior year. I would never recommend this work to anyone I actually like. It was exhausting and newsflash, people do not tip at weddings! At fifteen, I had only been to maybe two weddings. How the heck did I know? I was a sucky waitress, which meant I was often assigned to the band and photographer table. Luckily, those guys tipped. The bands would say, "Here's $20, keep the pitchers of water and soda coming." I thought, "Hey, you got it!" I think I even dropped off extra food "by mistake".
We'd work our asses off all weekend. Long 10-hour shifts that seemed never-ending. A reception is only 5-6 hours but we had to set up, clean up and sometimes set up for the next event. They worked us like dogs and treated us like garbage. It was the first time I was ever referred to by my last name on a regular basis. Dealing with drunken jerks demanding an extra serving of Prime Rib or people complaining that the Bride and Groom were too cheap to offer Fillet Mignon was the worst.
It's ironic that I'm writing this blog post now. Here I sit in my sweats, sipping tea as I delay my daily online job hunt. Laid off and looking to New Jersey to send me my generous $530 check each week to help pay my rent. Trust me, I'm not complaining about that amount either. It's much better than possibly any other state in the country. Just a bit funny when I look back at how hard I once worked at a time when people said to just kick back, relax and be a kid.
I've always had a thing for fun sheets and pillowcases. Right now you will find a Skurvy/Paul Frank, Hello Kitty and Pac-Man pillow atop our bed. When we first moved in together, we had a full sized bed. It was easy to find Hello Kitty sheets at Target to accommodate our bed back then. However, when we switched to a Queen, it's been boring sheets with very little character. I know I can get fun prints and polka dots, but I love my characters.
Luckily I can still spice up our bedding with fun pillowcases. I believe you're never too old to take part in youthful bed and bath items. My husband doesn't seem to mind our Hello Kitty shower curtain and Ziploc type bags.
Strawberry Shortcake Target released newer versions of Strawberry Shortcake as she made a successful comeback over the past few years. I prefer the original pictured here.
ET My most favorite movie and treasured bedding featured the lovable alien and Elliot in various scenes from the movie. We used the ET sleeping bag until recently - it was so badly torn, I had to trash it. I still have the flat sheet and a pillowcase though.
Smurfs In addition to ET, I was a big-time fan of The Smurfs. I had several Smurf lunchboxes (who didn't in the '80s?) and especially adored my Smurf sheets. My aunt still has my cousin's Smurf sheets which is sure to come in handy for my cousin's child, seeing as the Smurfs have made a comeback and have an entire line of toys out for today's kids to enjoy.
Pac-Man My husband and I are serious Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man fans. When we first met, we discovered we had a common bond of loving the old '80s video game. This made selecting a wedding cake topper pretty damn easy. We went with Pac-Man groom and Ms. Pac-Man bride figurines. He loves his old Pac-Man pillow case (as does our kitty, see image below) and we still have a vintage trash can we use for recyclables in the kitchen.
Our cat, Chawklit relaxing against her favorite pillow.
