Fourth Grade Nothing

"Heartlight" Neil Diamond's ode to E.T.

2016-01-12T11:02:00.002-05:00

Yeah, Goonies and Gremlins were awesome Spielberg movies. However, true followers of my blog know that E.T. is my favorite childhood movie of all time. Back in 1982, l remember my mom playing me this Neil Diamond song. "Oooh, Ally," she said. "This song is about your favorite movie, E.T. Listen!" The song was called "Heartlight." I loved it.

I "taped" the tune and played it over and over again on my black and silver radio. Probably purchased at T.S.S. in Elmont, New York. The lyrics were simple, and for a 10-year-old kid, they were fairly easy to understand.

Lines like, "...Cause sometimes the world ain't kind" and "...A friend is someone you need," and my personal favorite, "...And home's the most excellent place to be." I guess I just loved home and close friends. Simple kid stuff.

Oddly enough, I’ve never thought much about "Heartlight" until today.

Did a quick Wiki search. Neil Diamond wrote the song after viewing the film with his friends, songwriters Carole Bayer Sager and her husband at the time Burt Bacharach. Although the name E.T. is never once mentioned, the songwriters had to pay Universal Studios $25,000 for conceptual purposes. “Heartlight” was one of Neil Diamond’s last chart-topping hit.

Enjoy the song ... And yes, I hope it stays in your head for hours and hours :)

T'Pau "Heart and Soul"

2015-06-20T08:59:00.003-04:00

T'Pau was today's blurred memory.

I knew the name, but what was their hit?

YouTubed the answer. And quickly recalled a time I loved this song. Watching the YouTube video, I could sing along -- crooning nearly all of the lyrics like it was 1987 again.

I encourage you to do the same.

Three fun facts about the British group, T'Pau

Got their name from Star Trek...
"Heart and Soul" failed in the UK, but was an American smash hit reaching #4 in 1987.
"Heart and Soul" was featured in a Pepe Jeans commercial.

Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante TV Commercial 1985

2015-03-25T09:06:00.003-04:00

It’s funny how I can’t recall what I wore to work two days ago, yet 20 or 30 years later, a tagline or jingle can magically hit me. Word for word, and sometimes even including visuals. It all just comes back. Does that ever happen to you? Here’s an example.

Recently, we were invited to dinner at a friend’s home. I messaged the daughter of the hostess, “We’d like to bring your parents a bottle of something. Any suggestions.” Her reply? “Mom loves Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante.” I must tell you, I don’t drink. No, I don’t have “a problem.” I honestly just don’t like any form of alcohol, and if I’m going to indulge on empty cals, you better believe it's going to a gourmet cupcake or something I can actually chew.

Anyway, back to the Asti. Just like it was yesterday, the old 1980's jingle rang in my head. A lovely diva-style songstress belting out, “Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante, when you’ve got good taste it shows.” Walking through the liquor store, the song played over and over in my mind. I had to YouTube this commercial, like now. Apparently it dates back to 1985. I was about 13.

And here it is…

Clap on! Clap off! The Clapper!

2013-12-14T08:42:00.000-05:00

Turn your lights on and off
by clapping your hands!

From the cordless phone to The Clapper, the 1980's brought about so many great technical advancements. Something I had always wanted was The Clapper. With The Clapper, you could turn lamps in your home on and off with a simple clap of your hands. How cool is that? My folks never did purchase us The Clapper, but now as an adult, I'm getting myself something even cooler ...

Today we're having automation installed from our local cable company allowing us to control our lights and thermostat using our cell phones. Now we can turn our lights on and off anytime, anywhere. Like we really need this luxury?

What kid from the 1980's doesn't remember these commercials for The Clapper? Clap on! Clap off! Clap on! Clap off! The Clapper!

1980s Weight Watchers Ads with Lynn Redgrave

2013-09-12T21:53:00.001-04:00

Lynn Redgrave made
Weight Watchers look so easy.

I've never kept my weight struggles a secret from my blog. In fact, if you've read some of my earlier posts, like this one about my gym class drama growing up, you'll know. Many people blame parents for childhood obesity, but honestly, my mom did everything she could to help me change. She encouraged me to play soccer, took me to Jazzercise and dance class. And even signed up for Weight Watchers with me about 15 different times between the ages of 10 and 27.

It's crazy how I can recall Mom and me at our local Pathmark back in the mid 1980's. We'd go through the different Weight Watchers frozen dinners packed in pretty pink and white boxes. My favorite dinners back then were the southern fried chicken and the turkey with stuffing. I remember glamorous ads featuring Lynn Redgrave with her beautiful puffy red hairdo and sweet British accent.

"Weight Watchers, this is living!" she'd remind us ... She made it look so easy. So glamorous. So fun. It never was for me. I realize it's the very best program out there, so please don't think I'm denying that. It just never worked for someone like me who refused to follow the program correctly.

Funny, there's an episode of Mad Men where Betty is following Weight Watchers in the 1960's obviously. The scene shows her watching her husband eat a delicious steak late at night. He gives her a few bites and she jokes that the day is new after midnight. I always played that game too.

Did you diet as a teen or preteen? Remember the pink and white packaged frozen dinners before the red and white branded Smart Ones? Remember when you could purchase a whole week's worth of Weight Watcher meals at the meeting, similar to a Jenny Craig program?

Watch a retro Weight Watchers commercial with Lynn Redgrave as their spokesperson.

Ad image from http://retro-ads.net/v/1980s/Food/1984_WeightWatchers.jpg.html

Cops TV Show - My First Favorite Reality Show

2013-09-10T21:34:00.001-04:00

I loved watching Cops in high school and college.

It's hard to believe Cops first aired in 1989. As a teen and twenty-something, I really got a kick out of this program. Watching cops from various cities in Florida, Vegas and Texas busting drug dealers, drunk and stoned teens, street walkers, etc. And who could forget the classically catchy reggae tune "Bad Boys" from Inner Circle.

It's unreal to think this documentary-style reality show has run for 25 seasons. Fox cancelled Cops in May 2013, however Spike has come to the rescue! Look for the first episode of season 26 to air on September 14, 2013.

Check out the pilot episode from season 1.

My Dad, the Shirtless Wonder

2013-07-31T11:36:00.002-04:00

Dad and me

Last night, while driving to the gym with my husband, we saw what we now know to be an everyday occurrence in Florida ... A shirtless man driving a pickup truck. I joked with hubs that to this day, I always think of my dad when I see a shirtless gent. Ironically, hubs hates taking off his shirt. So unless he’s showering or swimming, you won’t see him roaming around our house or yard shirtless, let alone driving!

My dad, on the other hand has no fear of being shirtless ... He's always helping us around the house when things break. And trust me, we love him for it and are forever indebted to him. And if Dad doesn't know how to fix it, he will Google and YouTube our various appliances to figure out how to repair it. But I have to laugh, because within five minutes, Dad’s running around our garage or kitchen with his shirt off.

In fact, here I am sitting at work on lunch ... I look up and see this photo I have pinned to my cubicle. Ironic, huh?

*Facial features blocked to protect his privacy. Not sure how Dad would feel if he knew I had his photos floating around online.

Dad, the shirtless man

Code Red '80s Show with Adam Rich

2013-06-11T12:37:00.000-04:00

ABC show, Code Red in 1981

As a little girl, I was a big fan of shows about cops and doctors. I'd often tune in to adult-focused shows like Quincy, CHiPs and Code Red, a show about a family of LA firefighters staring Lorne Greene and foxy Andrew Stevens. I was only about 9 at the time, so my personal crush was on early '80s child actor Adam Rich (of Eight is Enough fame) who had a small role on the show. According to Wikipedia, only 19 original episodes aired on ABC between 1981-1982, however for whatever reason I still remember watching this show. Because of its short run, I doubt we'll ever see it in reruns.

Adam Rich from Code Red

Anyone remember this show, Code Red?

Remember Tootsie Roll Banks?

2013-05-22T14:10:00.002-04:00

Tootsie Roll Bank

The other day, I had a weird random flashback. I remembered having a Tootsie Roll bank as a kid. Did you? Typically, I would receive them as gifts for Christmas or Easter and they'd come filled with small bite- sized individually wrapped Tootsie Rolls. Once you were done eating the Tootsie Rolls candies, you had a cool bank to save up for more Tootsie Rolls.

Did you know you can still purchase these? Although the art has changed, they still exist at dollar stores and on Amazon.

Changing Your Name & Handwriting Makes You Cooler

2013-05-07T12:37:00.001-04:00

Ever change your handwriting or name as a kid?
As if it would make you any cooler...

Every time I visit Starbucks, I give them a different name. Sometimes I give them my middle name, other times I give them my husband's name (if he's with me) ... There's just something I don't like about them yelling out my name when my nonfat Latte is ready. Plus, they often get my name wrong, so why give them my real name if they'll just call me Sally, Amy or Haley instead?

So today, I told the Starbucks chick that my name was "A.J." and it brought me back to 7th grade. No, not because of A.J. Slater from Saved By The Bell, but because I was a nerd who spent a week trying to become a different person. I thought "A.J." sounded better than my real name. I figured if I took my first initial and middle name initial, it would make me some super cool chick. It obviously never stuck and looking back, it's silly.

I posted today's Starbucks incident on my personal Facebook page adding that it brought me back to junior high. People agreed that as kids, there's usually a time when we want to become someone different. Many said they tried using different handwriting. I totally did that!

Did you try to get a new nickname to stick or alter your handwriting in anyway? Post it below. It'll be nice to know I wasn't that strange of a kid.

Winner!

2013-04-22T14:58:00.003-04:00

The winner of the 80stees.com t-shirt contest is KT!

We had 20 entries and out of 20. The lucky random number, chosen by Random.org was number 15.

KT was the 15th reader to comment with, "I love the "What's a Happenin' a Hot Stuff" t-shirt! Long Duck Dong is a classic."

Check out the cool shirt KT has won! Enjoy KT and thank you to everyone who entered. Please check back for more awesome '80s contests.

Enter To Win Your Favorite ‘80s Tee!

2013-04-08T21:12:00.000-04:00

Enter to win a cool
tee from 80sTees.com

If you’re like me and love everything ‘80s, you have to check out 80sTees.com. Choose from your favorite ‘80s movies, music, TV shows, toys, and more. Whether you’re a fan of the truly outrageous JEM, The Goonies (they even have a replica of Chunk’s famous Hawaiian shirt!), Atari, and more … the cool kids at ‘80s Tees have something for you.

Awesome selection of
retro shirts and costumes

In fact, to show you just how cool they are, they’d like to give one Fourth Grade Nothing follower the shirt of their choice! One winner will be selected on Monday, April 22 using a random number generator – you can only enter once (duplicate entries will be deleted.) The winner will be allowed to select one item from the 80sTees.com site totaling a maximum of $30.

How to Enter:

Become a follower of this blog.
Like FourthGradeNothing on Facebook.
Like 80sTees on Facebook.
In the comment section, please leave a comment including your favorite 80sTees.com t-shirt and your email address (so I can contact you if you win!)

Feel free to email me with questions.

Good luck and thanks for entering.

Fresh 'N Fancy | Make Your Own Cosmetics Kit

2013-03-21T16:22:00.000-04:00

Fresh 'n Fancy let you make your own
cosmetics.

A reader sent me a super nice email the other day. I love when that happens. Anyway, she mentioned a toy I completely forgot about. It was from Hasbro and called FRESH 'N FANCY (Fresh and Fancy). Fresh 'N Fancy let girls create their own perfume fragrance and cosmetics.

Can you imagine, a "create your own perfume and makeup set" as a little girl? I think I received this as a Christmas gift way back in the days. Based on the trademark info I found online, the toy came out around 1981 and was gone by 1988.

Does anyone remember this make your own perfume toy from the '80s?

WINNER! Book Giveaway! AFTER DAKOTA by Kevin Sharp

2013-02-28T08:19:00.004-05:00

We have a winner! Random.org choose #3, amgor863, but of course, no email address for you. Hope you see this and contact me so I can send you this awesome book!

Win Kevin' Sharp's novel,
After Dakota

Hey '80s kids! We have another awesome book giveaway for you. This one is called After Dakota and it's by a totally cool author named Kevin Sharp. First off, I'd like to point out that Kevin is a high school English teacher, which is what I wanted to be for a long time. Instead I ended up writing ad copy (where grammar isn't a priority) and bios for fourth graders about Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. In other words, I have much respect for this writer.

After Dakota takes place during my second favorite year, 1983, 1982 was my truly favorite year. The story follows three friends, Cameron, Bryce and Claire as they grapple with the loss of their friend, Dakota who vanishes in a plane crash. I don't wanna give away too much, so you'll just have to order Kevin Sharp's book here through Amazon (also available for just $2.99 via Kindle) or try to win it here at FourthGradeNothing.com.

To enter, just leave a comment along with an email address so I can contact you if you win. One winner will be chosen randomly on March 10.

The Super Bowl Shuffle Chicago Bears

2013-02-03T14:05:00.002-05:00

The Super Bowl Shuffle was so cool in 1985.

I have never cared for sports, especially football.

In 1985, I loved "The Super Bowl Shuffle" rap song and video performed by the Chicago Bears. I think at age 13, for a hot second, I was a football fan!

I loved Refrigerator Perry and Jim McMahon.

WINNER!

2013-01-29T08:23:00.003-05:00

You Won! Now I need your contact info!

I've used a randomizer type website to pick the winner from the list of entries. The winner of Amy's Valley Girl Childhood in the 80's was Janki, however I do not have your email address Janki. If I do not hear from Janki by Friday, I will select another winner.

Cool Book Alert! Valley Girl Childhood in the 80's

2013-01-20T20:19:00.000-05:00

WIN THIS BOOK!

Amy Asbury's '80s book is totally awesome --
make it yours today!

Although Valley Girl Childhood in the 80's author, Amy Asbury and I grew up on different coasts, her California dreamin' childhood memories are so similar to my own. It's freaky!

If you're a fan of the the 80's, you'll fer sher enjoy these 195 pages of pure 1980's pop culture. Peppered with actual drawings and photos from Amy's childhood, you'll honestly feel as if you're reading your BFF's diary from back in the day. Relive classic 80's memories from Shrinky Dinks to Cabbage Patch Kids to music like Madonna and perfumes like Jean Nate.

Amy was kind enough to give Fourth Grade Nothing an extra copy of her book. To win this, just leave a comment. One person will randomly be selected. One winner will be chosen at random on 1/28. For now, please click here to learn more about her totally 80's experience.

Be sure to include your email address so I can contact the winner!

'70s Clown with Balloons Lamp and Nightlight

2013-01-08T08:42:00.003-05:00

1970s clown nightlight and lamp
with dog and balloons

Confession time. I've always been afraid of the dark. When we stay in hotels, I keep the bathroom light on. Every night, we sleep with the TV on without the volume. Our home is filled with nightlights.

I had a favorite nightlight back in the 1970s. It was actually a lamp. There was a cute wooden clown holding a red plastic cane and huge colorful balloons. The clown also had a little dog. Both figures had their arms outstretched. The balloons would light up as a lamp and at night you could switch the nightlight on. The nightlight was his "Balloons 10 cents" stand. I loved this lamp.

Did anyone else have the clown with balloons children's lamp and nightlight as a kid back in the 1970s? My cousin had one in the 1980s as well.

Old School No Frills Brand

2013-01-02T13:55:00.003-05:00

Pathmark supermarket No Frills brand.

Growing up on Long Island in the 1980s, Pathmark was our grocery store. For some reason, I remember being oddly attracted to the No Frills brand. No Frills was their line of less expensive, no-nonsense generic foods, beverages, paper goods, toiletries, etc.

No Frills brand from Pathmark

I was mystified by the design because no matter what the item, it was always packaged in white with black lines or lettering. Seriously, no matter if it was chips or fake Country Time lemonade ... you could find it in white paper, tin or cans with simplistic lettering and nonexistent design.

We've come a long way since those days ... Today we refer to these items as, "store brands" and they don't look as dull.

Four Out of Five Dentists Recommend Trident

2012-12-19T16:54:00.002-05:00

As a kid growing up in the 1980s, this popular Trident Sugarless Gum slogan was often joked about ... "Four out of five dentists recommend Trident to their patients who chew gum." It's one of those phrases you never forget. Sort of like, "Oh what a feeling, Toyota!"

Ironically, in my adult life I worked for an advertising agency and Trident (Cadbury) was our client. Funny, right?

Too young to remember this terrifically memorable campaign? Please watch this commercial with Peggy Fleming from 1981.

Skidz Pants | 80s Baggy Pants

2012-12-11T14:45:00.001-05:00

Skidz were popular baggy pants back in the '80s.

Skidz (pronounced Skids) were baggy, pajama like comfy cotton pants that were almost like the pants version of Jams (shorts). Often cuffed or folded at the bottom, Skidz were extremely popular with white Keds or slip-on style sneakers. They came in a variety of prints and pasterns and featured a yellow and black logo showing a vehicle skidding. These soft, baggy pants were available at most malls all over America.

Skidz pants were loved by most high school kids throughout the late 1980s and faded out by about 1990.

Skidz pants went well with big hair and
were loved by '80s guidos or mall girls.

Rainbow Belts from the '70s and '80s

2012-12-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

Remember Rainbow Belts?

When I was a kid growing up in the late 1970s and early 1980s, everyone loved rainbow belts. They were just the coolest. Mork from Mork & Mindy wore rainbow suspenders and we girls wore colorful rainbow belts with metal buckles and sometimes gold brass buckles.

Rainbow Smurf Belt

Fancy girls had rainbow belts with Smurf buckles or other characters on them. I can't recall if I was that lucky and stylish.

Do you remember rainbow belts? Did you have one back in the day?

Sears Holiday Wish Book Catalog 1980s

2012-11-30T08:17:00.002-05:00

Sears Wish Book 1980s Holiday Catalog

I found many holiday books to be extremely enjoyable back in the 1980s. However, at a young age, this was by far my most favorite reading material for several Christmas seasons. Filled with awesome Barbies, doll houses, even adorable pajamas, the Sears Wish Book catalog was every kid's favorite.

How about you? Were you a fan of the Sears catalog?

What's Happening!! Roger, Rerun & Dwayne!

2012-11-27T08:28:00.002-05:00

What's Happening!!

Growing up in the early 1980s, I loved the show What's Happening!! Loosely based on Cooley High, a movie focused around an urban Chicago high school in 1975, What's Happening!! was a situation comedy centered around three high school friends. Roger (Ernest Lee Thomas), Rerun (Fred Berry) and Dwayne (Heywood Nelson) kept audiences entertained with their quick wit and fun personalities.

The guys often hung out at a local luncheonette, Rob's Place, where they hassled chubby, hilarious waitress, Shirley (Shirley Hemphill). Shirley didn't take any nonsense from the boys while she served up burgers, fries and shakes. Shirley took more of the spotlight later on in the series when she moved in to Roger's home to help keep an eye on Dee.

The ABC show aired between August 1976 to April 1979, though I was watching reruns (no pun intended). I loved the show What's Happening!! did you?

Sony Sports Walkman - Best 80s Radio Ever

2012-10-30T12:53:00.006-04:00

I loved my SONY Sports WALKMAN

There were two things I loved the most in high school. Music from bands like The Smiths and Depeche Mode and my Sony Sports Walkman.

The Sony Sports Walkman was splash proof, so it was perfect for the beach and pool. It was yellow, which made it stand out and appear fashionable. It as somewhat of a fashion accessory to be honest. There was a heftier price tag attached to it, so it let others know you weren't skimping on your technology.

I loved the way the side opened and closed. It was unlike the usual portable music players I had ever owned before. I also remember slapping a Smiths sticker on my Sony Sports Walkman alerting others of my impeccable taste in music.

Did you have one? If so, did you love it?