Fourth Grade Nothing

In 1979, I was no Sandra Dee - Olivia Newton-John

2012-05-14T23:33:00.003-04:00

I wished I looked more like this in 1979.

Back in the late 1970s until about 1982, I LOVED Olivia Newton-John. I first discovered her as Sandra Dee in Grease. I swear, I thought Olivia was like this beautiful angel with a heavenly voice. I wished I looked like her. Skinny with lovely blonde hair. She was just so pretty.

Around that time, I was friends with an adorable tanned, blue-eyed, blonde-haired little girl from our neighborhood. Though she was two years younger than me, we would sometimes play together. Her parents spoiled her in a different way than mine did. I remember her room was so pink. We're talking floor to ceiling pretty shades of pink. In her room, we'd sink our toes into the soft mauve carpet of her fit-for-a-princess style bedroom and perform scenes and songs from the Grease. We'd play the album over and over and sing along to each song.

It's weird, but as young as I was, I remember feeling this odd sadness as we sang along, leaping on and off her bed pretending, play pillow fighting as if we were high schoolers in the slumber party scene. The neighborhood child looked much more like Sandy, Olivia Newton-John's character, than I ever did.

Back then, kids were different than they are today. In 1979, I don't remember us being as glam as today's kids. We weren't as hung up on growing up fast. Right? However, somehow I knew, deep down that I was more like a chubby, mousy brown haired younger version of Rizzo to this little girl's Sandy.

This blog was supposed to be about how I always thought the video for Olivia Newton-Johns' "Let's Get Physical" was super dirty. I was only like 10 when it aired and I thought it was just shockingly X-rated, filled with men in thongs. I just couldn't believe my eyes. Sorry, I got sidetracked and depressed the hell out of everyone comparing myself to Sandra Dee.

Thanks for listening.

Really Rosie & Pierre - by Maurice Sendak

2012-05-08T21:28:00.002-04:00

"I don't care," said Pierre - a Maurice Sendak classic.

Children's author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak passed away today at 83. Although famous for Where The Wild Things Are, I was probably the only child who didn't like that book. I did, however ADORE the tale of Pierre and Really Rosie.

Pierre was a very naughty little boy. I remember thinking that my parents would kick my butt if I was as bad as Pierre who just didn't care. The story revolves around his disrespectful ways and what can happen to children who don't listen to their parents.

I remember Carole King singing the words to Pierre in a TV special that aired on CBS in 1975 called Really Rosie. Really Rosie was an animated musical based on Maurice Sendak's stories including Chicken Soup with Rice -- another one I enjoyed. I was really small when I saw it and I think the scene where the lion eats Pierre was a bit scary, but the song was so wonderful.

I especially love Maurice Sendak's kids and characters in Really Rosie because they were New Yawkers, like my family and me, and they sure did have the accents to prove it.

Here's a clip of Pierre...

Chicken Soup with Rice:

Maxell & TDK Tape Cassettes

2012-05-07T21:14:00.003-04:00

Tape cassettes from back in the '80s and '90s.

Remember cassette tapes also known as compact cassettes? The popular brands were distributed by TDK and Maxell. It's hard to believe these items are hard to find today. One of my favorite gifts as a child, was a tape recorder. Ask someone under 30 if they know what a tape recorder is today and they most likely will have no idea.

As a kid, I would use a small tape recorder to record audio while watching my favorite movies in the theater. I particularly recall doing this during The Goonies. I would listen to the tapes while getting ready for school or doing homework. I knew every line. Too bad I didn't record important information such as history or Spanish lessons. I would have aced my classes!

I think my very first tapes were copied versions of Madonna's first two albums and Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual back in sixth grade. My dad was a teacher and one of his students had a massive record collection. He told the student how much I loved Madonna and Cyndi Lauper. Soon I had two new tapes and I bet some had a passing grade. I played those tapes continuously until I believe they finally snapped. That was the one thing that was uncool about tapes. They would get stuck or the tape would unwind from the spool.

As we kids got older, we learned about the romanticism behind the mixed tape. Often a sign of affection, your crush would gather their favorite songs and put together a nice combination of tunes for you on a blank tape. The crush would label the tape and sometimes create artwork, depending on how creative they were. Even the worst song on the tape was lovely because of the person behind the mixed tape. My husband made me CDs in 2001. There are songs that will always remind me of him.

It seems like so long ago when tapes were popular. Now, you may not even be able to play them and don't get me started on records.

Flying Finnegan Board Game

2012-05-03T21:53:00.002-04:00

Flying Finnegan Board Game from 1978

Every once in a while, I'll get a text or Facebook message from my younger brother asking me if I can recall this game we used to play way back in the late 1970s or early 1980s. He never can quite recall the name of it other than the term, "Flying F-something" ... Tonight he texted me asking if I remembered how much we enjoyed playing, "Flying Flannigan."

Flying Finnegan from Kenner

We both knew this wasn't what this game was really called. And to be honest, I couldn't even remember what the object of this game was. I just knew there was some wacky board game we loved to play with a funny name. I reminded him about my love for Run Yourself Ragged. But felt bad that I couldn't offer him any other memory behind this "Flying" game that was so special to him.

Thankfully, Board Game Geek once again came through for me. And there it was, the complete Flying Finnegan lowdown.That was it! It was called Flying Finnegan -- a 1978 game from Kenner. Classified as a board game, this game was more of a tabletop action game. It was perfect for two players around the age of 6 or 8 - though I think my brother may have been under the suggested age.

You have to view the above YouTube video to really see how the game is played. It's like a cause and effect type situation game. You launch something and then another thing happens which then causes another thing to happen. It always reminded me of those funny contraptions you'd see in a cartoon usually with a brainy scientist would be behind it. Think Data from The Goonies.

Anyone remember this?

*Photos take from Board Game Geek.

When you need it bad, we've got it good! Florida!

2012-04-29T18:18:00.001-04:00

Remember the old Florida tourism commercial?

When I started this blog, I was living in New Jersey. Over the years, I got sick of jobs that didn't pay very well, real estate prices that started at $350,000, yearly homeowner taxes in the double digits and living 90 minutes away from a beach. I had been laid off for like the third time in three years and my husband was facing an impending layoff after ten years with his company. We finally realized we needed to make a big change.

We gave away or sold everything we owned, filled our two Hondas with whatever was left and moved to Florida. In February, we celebrated one year in The Sunshine State and have never been happier. We're closing on our first home in less than a week (fingers crossed) and have wonderful jobs earning decent salaries. We paid off a nice chunk of New Jersey credit card debt and still managed to save enough dough to put toward a house.

I know this blog is about the past and fun memories, so in an effort to stick to my subject matter ... Here's where I'm going with this post ... This morning, I was in the kitchen fixing us fried egg whites, coffee and toast, when the lyrics to an old TV commercial filled my head. I couldn't quite figure out if I had made this ad up, or if it was real.

"When you need it bad, we've got it good, when you need it bad, come to Florida! 'Cuz we've got it good here." I asked hubs about the jingle. He's a few years younger than me ... and had no recollection of it.

Well, I Googled it of course and it's real! It's a tourism TV ad that ran in the late 1980s and early 1980s to promote tourism in Florida. The ad, created by Mike Sloan Advertising agency in Miami, aired heavily in Northern and Midwestern states. With it's catchy jingle and winter stock imagery, the campaign was crazy successful in recruiting visitors to the state.

I knew I wasn't dreaming. It's funny because although we're not tourists escaping the winter cold, the slogan kinda rings true for us ... We needed a change bad and now we've got it pretty good.

Check out the Florida commercial. If you grew up in the Northeast or Midwest in the late '70s and '80s, it should look familiar to you.

Robert Hays | The Girl, The Gold Watch & Everything

2012-04-26T07:06:00.001-04:00

I loved Robert Hays when I was 8.

Although I was only 8, I had the biggest crush on Robert Hays of Airplane fame. I first spotted him on Angie, a short-lived sitcom from 1979. A year later he starred alongside Mork & Mindy's Pam Dawber, in a made-for-TV-movie called The Girl, The Gold Watch & Everything.

If you ask me, this movie was, well, inappropriate for children. I don't even know why my folks allowed me to watch it. I'm sure they had no idea I was in the den glued to the tube. Years later, the details are fuzzy, but the concept was fascinating.

Adorable Kirby (Robert Hays) inherited a fancy gold stopwatch from his wealthy, eccentric uncle. This watch had the ability to stop time. So Kirby would sort of freeze everyone around him, yet somehow he and his girl (Pam) weren't affected. Zaniness ensued, etc.Cool to a kid!

Does anyone remember this made for TV movie?

Here's the intro and first few minutes. You can view all of The Girl, The Gold Watch & Everything on YouTube.

Units & Multiples 80s Fashions

2012-04-23T21:54:00.003-04:00

Multiples or Units by Sandra Garratt were cool
mix and match fashions from the '80s.

The other day, my coworkers and I were at lunch. I told them about my blog and they insisted that I write something about Multiples or Units, the 1980s clothing line founded by Texas fashion designer Sandra Garratt.

I'll be honest, I vaguely really remember this cool mix and match concept of dressing. The photos of the comfy-looking fashions do look familiar, but for some reason, I missed the boat. Sandra's Units came out in 1979 and her Multiples line was launched in 1989.

Multiples for men and women.

Sandra Garratt's story behind Units and Multiples is an awesome rags-to-riches tale. A broke, single mom trying to make a living as a designer, Sandra used her last $38 (from an unemployment check!) to purchase some fabric. She fashioned a few simple cotton skirts, tops and pants, which were to be worn tied and layered. She called them modulars and sold them in a small local boutique.

Sandra's modulars took off like wildfire and soon 600 shops opened in malls across the U.S. and women of all ages were smitten by the easy-to-wear Units and Multiples styles. Ladies loved Units for their comfort -- some say they loved how five pieces could be mixed, matched and layered to create a week's worth of styles.

Today, Sandra Garratt is living in LA and still busy creating different looks for women, men and children with MODBOX, SilvrLining and more.

Did you own Multiples or Units? My coworkers admitted they still have one or two of Sandra's simplistic, timeless pieces.

Adidas Stan Smiths Sneakers

2012-04-16T12:33:00.001-04:00

Stan Smiths sneakers by Adidas were
the coolest in the 1980s

In the mid 1980s, my crush and best friend, Danny always wore white Adidas Stan Smiths sneakers. These tennis shoes were called Stan Smiths after the famous 1960s / 1970s American tennis star. They were simple white leather Adidas sneakers, only they were designed without the telltale Adidas stripes. Instead, there were three row rows of small air vent type holes where the brand's lines usually appear.

An image or sketch of the famous Stan Smith tennis player appeared on the tongue in green. The detailing colors on the pair Danny owned, was a Kelly green. Though the sneakers also came in white with navy blue (maybe this was later on), the green and white were the most popular Stan Smiths Adidas sneakers. I myself had a pair and thought I was the coolest, hippest kid on my Long Island block.

Did you once sport a pair of sneakers that made you feel especially fashionable, hip or cool?

I Loved My Kodak Disc Camera

2012-04-09T21:32:00.000-04:00

Kodak Disc 4000, the best Christmas gift ever in 1983.

I first received the Kodak Disc 4000 camera from Santa on Christmas Day of 1983. When you're a child, there's nothing like receiving your very first camera as a child. I loved the Kodak Disc 4000 camera! It was so stylish, slick and silver. The Kodak Disc film was cool looking even though it was overpriced and only allowed you to take 15 photos at a time.

It's so depressing how my very first favorite camera was made by a company that recently announced it will no longer create cameras. I'm sorry, I'm just not good with change. Sometimes I wish life was as simple as asking for, and receiving a Kodak Disc 4000 camera.

Romper Stompers Cups You Walk On

2012-04-05T21:16:00.002-04:00

Romper Stompers

Since Monday, I have wanted to blog about something, yet couldn't recall what they were called. I had the image in my head. They were sturdy yellow plastic cups with green cord attached to them. Back in the late 1970s, we'd walk on these plastic cups and hold onto the string while walking. Talk about a retro toy.

I did some research on this simple vintage toy. Originally marketed by Romper Room Toys, they were called Romper Stompers. I found out that an original pair of these fetch $50 on eBay. As a child, I thought the idea was to make us kids feel taller. WRONG! They were for hand-eye coordination and for exercise. What??? Romper Stompers, from Hasbro can be purchased today and come in a variety of colors and style. Did you have a pair?

Hubba Bubba Soda

2012-04-01T19:16:00.005-04:00

Hubba Bubba was bubble gum
flavored soda in regular and diet.

I've confessed my love for Hubba Bubba gum, but there was a Hubba Bubba product I never did get to try, Hubba Bubba soda. Anyone remember this? I love soda. I love gum. How amazing this must have been. I would love to get my hands on just one can.

Camp Beverly Hills Clothing

2012-03-28T14:02:00.005-04:00

What girl didn't own a Camp Beverly Hills
shirt back in the 1980s? Me :(

As a young girl growing up in the 1980s, you had to own something from Camp Beverly Hills. Unfortunately, as you know, I was a bit of a chubster and their shirts were too small for me. However, I did own Camp Beverly Hills slouchy socks.

Back in the 80s, Camp Beverly Hills was everywhere. Even teen stars like Drew Barrymore wore the brand! The cool California brand had been around since 1977, but became all the rage in the mid 1980s. Right now, there's an original Camp Beverly Hills t-shirt on eBay going for $107. Wow!

Camp Beverly Hills recently relaunched and came back from retirement. The stylish, fresh, young brand is satisfying the nostalgia crazed kids of today, for sure. Shirts, hoodies and more can be purchased from campbeverlyhills.com or in upscale department stores.

Honestly, if I was a skinny girl, I just might order one of those cute t-shirts. Camp Beverly Hills designers, if you happen to stumble upon this blog post, perhaps you could hook us plus sized gals up one day, ya know? :-)

Remember?

Roseanne Roseannadanna - Gilda Radner

2012-03-26T07:00:00.003-04:00

Roseanne Roseannadanna
from Saturday Night Live.

At around age nine, I discovered a TV show my fellow classmates knew nothing about. Every Saturday night, after my scheduled bedtime, I would tiptoe down to the den and watch Saturday Night Live.

I first discovered the show at my friend Dawn's house. Dawn lived with her dad and he didn't care what we did. I'd sleep at her house on Friday or Saturday nights. We'd build blanket forts and stay up late watching Saturday Night Live every weekend.

For some reason, I thought the late Gilda Radner was hysterical as Roseanne Roseannadanna. Her crazy-haired fictitious character was notoriously loud and obnoxious. Roseanne Roseannadanna would read hilarious "Dear Abby" style letters during SNL's Weekend Update skits. I'm quite sure I was watching this in the 1980s. Maybe NBC ran repeats of the late 1970 episodes. I can't recall. Feel free to enlighten me with a comment if you remember.

Here is a sample clip of Gilda Radner as Roseanne Roseannadanna on Saturday Night Live back in the late 1970s.

Living Room Blanket Forts

2012-03-21T22:56:00.002-04:00

I miss blanket forts.

Tonight I came up with a great idea for a unique Saturday night date with my husband. I told him I'd like us to build a blanket fort in the living room. We could snuggle up and watch a movie inside. We could pretend we're having a sleepover. Nestled in our cozy blanket fort, we could drink icy cold Cokes and feast on Doritos and Hostess like we did when we were 9. Back then diets didn't exist.

I asked if he remembered blanket forts. He did. I asked if he liked my idea, he replied, "What the heck do I want to do that for? The tile floor will hurt my knees." I'm bummed he didn't like my idea. I even suggested that we lay a thick comforter on the floor. No go.

I miss blanket forts. As a kid, I loved using sheets, blankets, comforters and pillows to create an amazing fortress. I'd drag my favorite dolls and books inside. There was a time when I felt so safe under the roof of a homemade living room fort. It was heaven. It was all mine. One day, I will revisit the blanket fort. I simply refuse to abandon the idea.

Did you build forts out of blankets and sheets as a kid?

80s Ferarri Fold-up Sunglasses

2012-03-19T07:32:00.000-04:00

Ferarri brand folded or fold-up sunglasses from the '80s

There were many popular styles of sunglasses back in the 1980s. The summer of Karate Kid, I was all about plastic, slotted sunglasses that resembled blinds or shutters.

However, there was a time when everyone loved these cool fold-up or folding sunglasses. They may have come in brown, but I only recall black. These cute folding sunglasses came with a small leather or fake leather case.

The Aviator style sunglasses would easily fold up and fit into the case. Ferarri was the brand kids loved best. They were so cool. Once folded and zipped into the little case, the sunglasses fit into my purse or pocket with ease.

Remember Ferarri folding sunglasses from the 80s?

Eric Stoltz & Cher in Mask - 1985

2012-03-15T08:15:00.001-04:00

In 1985, Mask stars Eric Stoltz and Cher
were nominated for Golden Globes.

In 1985, I was touched by the movie, Mask. Based on a true story, Mask focused around Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz), a teen living with a rare skull deformity. His life was far from easy. His mom, Rusty (Cher) was a wild biker babe who loved her son and only wanted the best for him.

Rocky dealt with teasing, but used his humor and intelligence to win friends. Rocky was the best son in the world. He was a top scholar. He tutored kids at school. He helped break his mom from her drug habit. He wrote award-winning poetry. He worked at a summer camp for blind children. He was a great friend and amazing boyfriend to Diana (Laura Dern).

The movie takes a sad turn when Rocky suffers from extreme headaches one night and passes in his sleep. There was something about the movie Mask that most '80s kids will always remember. Maybe it was the shock of seeing a fellow teen suffering from such a freakish disease? Maybe it was the reality factor of knowing Mask was based upon a true story?

Do you remember Mask? View the Mask trailer here.

Dynamints Were Like Fruit Flavored Tic Tacs

2012-03-12T08:14:00.001-04:00

Whatever happened to Dynamints?

Remember Dynamints back in the late 1970s? They were sorta like Tic Tacs, but were slightly larger in size and packaged in a horizontal-shaped plastic box. Dynamints were available in minty flavors, but my personal favorite were the sweet, fruity flavors such as orange and grape. I remember the red flavor having a hot kick to 'em.

Ahhhh ... like the Burger Bubble hamburger gum, Dynamite is just another old school treat I wish I could taste just one more time.

Watch this Dynamint commercial!

AYDS - Appetite Suppressant Candy 80s Weight Loss

2012-03-08T07:59:00.003-05:00

AYDS appetite suppressant candy

What better way to lose weight in the 1970s and early 1980s than with chocolate, caramel or peanut butter flavored candies? Ayds was just that. Each tasty candy-like bite contained a special appetite suppressant to keep dieters from cheating.

Throughout that time, Ayds was flying off of drugstore shelves. The fabulous TV and magazine ads were convincing chubbers that this delicious candy would slim them down in no time. Things were going smoothly for the product until ...

Enter the AIDs crisis. Admit it. When you hear the word "Ayds" (pronounced Aids), the immune disease is the first thing that comes to mind. This very thought helped sales drop 50 percent by 1988. Unfortunately, even changing the name to Diet Ayds didn't save this gimmicky diet product.

Do you remember Ayds? Here's a commercial for the appetite suppressant candy.

Ice Castles - Please don't let this feeling end...

2012-03-05T07:58:00.002-05:00

Ice Castles, 1978

How much did you love Ice Castles in the early 1980s? The movie first opened in 1978, but I was too young to see it in theaters. I'm guessing I must have caught it on TV because I do remember it.

What little girl in the late '70s/early '80s didn't enjoy Ice Castles? Everything about this movie was beautiful. The lead actors. The story line. The theme song, "Through The Eyes of Love" preformed by Melissa Manchester. I remember "Through the Eyes of Love" was popular at dance recitals, weddings and couples skates in the early 1980s.

It was impossible not to adore Robby Benson as Nick. Through his tough love style, he inspires Lexie (Lynn-Holly Johnson), a talented ice skating star blinded in a tragic accident, never to give up. He sticks by her side throughout her best and worst times.

View a clip of the original Ice Castles from 1978.

Mourning Davy Jones

2012-03-02T10:39:00.002-05:00

So sad over Davy Jones.

Upon hearing the news of Davy Jones' death, I just have not been able to blog. Yes, I was brokenhearted when we lost Corey Haim, but Corey was different. He lived a high risk lifestyle. Davy was healthy. He wasn't known as a wild party guy. You never saw Davy Jones on TMZ for boozing it up. You never saw Davy Jones beating up his wife. What I saw was Davy Jones as a sweet memory of my youth.

Growing up on Long Island in the 1980s, I was a huge Monkees fan. My parents would drive me all over New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut to attend Monkees conventions and concerts. I had 100s of Monkees-loving pen pals all over the world. I would meet up with them at concerts and conventions. I even attempted to plan a huge Monkees get together picnic. That's a long story I won't get into right now...

From the ages of 13 to about 15, I had a quarterly zine called Hit Factory. This was before kids had computer graphics programs and scanners. Each issue featured awkwardly snipped and frayed black and white photos alongside Dot Matrix text. I dealt with the challenge of printing costs, ad rates (yes I had paid ads!), shipping costs and in the end I think I lost money on the deal. But I wasn't in it for the money. I loved writing about my favorite band!

Hit Factory grew to become a family effort. Dad would drive me to the local Minute Man copy center in Franklin Square, New York to print out dozens of Xerox copies. My little brother would help me collate the pages and staple. Mom would take me to the Valley Stream Post Office to load up on rolls of stamps and mail the issues.

Having known firsthand what it's like to adore a teen idol, I credit The Monkees with inspiring me to pursue entertainment writing. I've since interviewed many teen bands and have published several books on teen idols. Not only did I write different articles for my zine, but my very first article ever published was about The Monkees. My very first celebrity interview was with Micky Dolenz. Although Davy wasn't my favorite Monkee, Davy Jones had such a beautiful voice. I loved his wit and his accent. He was the sweet Monkee. He was high energy and I could see why the girls loved him best.

Davy, we will miss you.

Silly Putty - Fun For Five Minutes

2012-02-28T12:54:00.004-05:00

Silly Putty, everyone had it! But why?

Silly Putty has a very extensive history. For me, however, Silly Putty was a traditional gift my brother and I would receive in our Easter baskets or Christmas stockings. Silly Putty -- still available in most toy stores or through Amazon -- was fun for about ten minutes, tops. My favorite thing to do with Silly Putty, was to press a flattened putty on newsprint and gawk at the print remaining on the Silly Putty. Uh-duh?

Yes, I know Silly Putty has a place in our hearts and memories, but much like Slinky, it was sort of a lame toy. You gotta admit that.

View an old commercial for Silly Putty.

Rated R in 1984 - Ralph Macchio in Teachers

2012-02-24T09:50:00.000-05:00

Ralph Macchio in Teachers in 1984.

In October, 1984 I was 12 and head-over-heels in love with Ralph Macchio. Back in June of that year I was smitten after Karate Kid. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of 1984 is Ralph Macchio. Even my name was sort of borrowed from Elizabeth Shue’s character who sweetly tells Daniel her name is, “Ali with an ‘i!’” I was, “Ally with a ‘y.’” I told all of my new friends at Girl Scout camp that summer.

Once Karate Kid was no longer in theaters, I kept my eyes glued to the teen magazines. I anxiously awaited the 411 on Ralph’s next film. Tiger Beat and 16 were all abuzz about Teachers, a movie costarring Nick Nolte and Judd Hirsch. Big deal, Ralph Macchio was the only guy I cared about.

Ralph Macchio with Nick Nolte in Teachers, 1984.

Teachers centered around a rough and tough high school filled with delinquents. The trailer was peppered with shocking, explosive classroom scenes we suburban kids never actually witnessed in our own quiet, sleepy schools. Well, at least that’s how it was for me back then. My dad taught high school on Long Island and has some wild stories of '70s and '80s gangs and whatnot.

The point of this blog is to share with you my childhood heartache. Teachers was RATED R. I wasn’t allowed to see any RATED R films. I remember my mom (also a teacher) telling me, "You aren't even close to the appropriate age for an R-Rated movie. It just wouldn't be right for a child to see such adult content."

The tears and diary entries caused by this tragic event were unbelievably dramatic. My life was over. I was like a Justin Bieber fan without a concert ticket. It was probably the most devastating travesty during the fall of 1984. Ralph, how could you do this to your young fans? That was the end of my crush. I believe I was all about Growing Pains’ Kirk Cameron from then on.

Thanks for listening.

Reading Rainbow with LeVar Burton

2012-02-21T09:14:00.004-05:00

Reading Rainbow with LeVar Burton

"Butterfly in the sky! I can go twice as high!" ... "Take a look! It's in a book! A reading rainbow!" We loved the song. We loved the graphics. We loved to read thanks to Reading Rainbow. Reading Rainbow, hosted by the lovable LeVar Burton, is an award-winning (26 Emmy Awards!) 30-minute PBS TV program. LeVar recently told Mashable that a Reading Rainbow app and more is coming soon for today's readers.

Five Fun Facts Behind Reading Rainbow

Reading Rainbow was introduced back in 1983 and continued to enlighten and educate children through 2006.
Each episode focused on a different imaginative book and was narrated by a noted celebrity.
Famous for its easy-to-remember theme song, Chaka Khan sang the intro in later episodes.
Reading Rainbow has won more than 200 awards.
On March 19, 2010, LeVar Burton tweeted that a Reading Rainbow 2.0 is in the works.

Vintage & Retro McDonald's Playground

2012-02-17T15:25:00.000-05:00

I loved the McDonald's
playground in the late 1970s.

Growing up on suburban Long Island, there was nothing more exciting than a McDonald's birthday party. It was basically a rite of passage. My brother and I both had one when we turned six. I remember the choice of cheeseburger or plain hamburger with fries. They did not have nuggets back then.

I LOVED the phenomenally delicious chocolate cake with white icing. If I close my eyes, I can still see Ronald McDonald’s smiling clown face staring back at me. His gloved hand wrapped tightly around perky colorful balloons. I remember making a wish that Ben would fall in love with me that year. Instead he tore up my birthday invitation. Oh well. I was a weird kid even back then. Who has crushes in first grade? Me of course.

I remember my classmates happy faces and fun gifts. Best of all, I remember running through the McDonald’s playground on my sugar high. Today the playground is indoors and made almost entirely of plastic. Back in the 1970s and ‘80s, the McDonald’s playground was outside of the restaurant. Oversized McDonald’s characters such as Grimace and Mayor McCheese in the form of slides, monkey bars and more created a fun place for kids to play. Such simplicity ... Such joy.

Anyone remember having a birthday party at McDonald’s or playing in their hometown’s old school retro McDonald’s playground?

Old school, vintage McDonald's
Playground items.

Friday Night Videos - For Kids Without MTV

2012-02-15T06:47:00.004-05:00

Teens tuned in to
Friday Night Videos on NBC.

Back in the early 1980s, cable TV was a luxury to most kids. For teens without MTV, NBC's late night music video show, Friday Night Videos, was the next best thing. With celebrity hosts ranging from Hulk Hogan and Pee Wee Herman to Sean Lennon and Yoko Ono, Friday Night Videos aired the latest and greatest music videos.

Friday Night Videos was a staple for most American teens throughout the '80s. The first thing that comes to mind for me are sweet memories of sleepovers with friends. We'd set our hair in those long colorful rollers, wash down Doritos with New Coke and of course, tune in to the hottest videos from Van Halen, Tears for Fears, Madonna, Billy Joel and more.

Don't remember Friday Night Videos? Here's a sample from 1986 featuring one of my personal favorite teen '80s stars, Jason Bateman and his sister Justine Bateman.