Like most of America, I went to the movies to see Top Gun: Maverick. And, like most of America, I liked it. After all it has a good story, good action, and a good shirtless football scene. Watching Top Gun: Maverick got me thinking, though. What other notable 80s movies never made a sequel? What [Read More]
Feel-Good Movies To Watch When You Need a Pick-Me-Up
Welp. The holiday season is long over, the days are dark and cold, and the Coronavirus is still impacting everything. What do you do when you need a pick-me up? Personally, I re-watch some of my favorite movies. They provide a guaranteed 90-120 minute boost of joy. Most are romantic comedies and some are even [Read More]
Telling My Teens about the “Old Days” (When I Was a Kid)
“Mom, did they have paper plates when you were little?” I looked at my teen who had just asked this question, thinking he had to be joking. But he stared at me with all seriousness. My teenager thought we didn’t have PAPER PLATES when I was little? You mean, in the 70s and 80s? Yikes! [Read More]
Old School Pop Culture References That My Kids Don’t Get
Ready for a laugh? Then check out this list of pop culture phrases and sayings from the 70s and 80s that your kids have never heard of! This article was originally published on Filter Free Parents. “Don’t touch that dial!” joked the weatherman on the morning news. I chuckled and looked at my teenage daughter [Read More]
Gen X Greetings to Use While Social Distancing
Some days during the pandemic I felt like Ally Sheedy’s character, Allison Reynolds, in The Breakfast Club. I buried my head, refused to talk, and felt scared and skittish. Yet there were days during quarantine when I felt like a totally different John Hughes’ character, Ferris Bueller. I looked for small sources of joy in [Read More]
A 1980s American Girl Doll Needs To Exist, Like, Totally
Samantha. Julie. Kit. Melody. No, these aren’t the names of girls on my daughter’s team. These are the names of girls who live in my basement. Don’t worry, these girls are inanimate. I’m talking about the historical American Girl dolls my tween has collected over the years. According to the official spiel, each doll is [Read More]
Of Pedicures, the 80s, and Midlife
My daughter, 11, and I went to get pedicures the other day. It’s a little luxury that I splurge on in the summer when people actually see my feet. The nail salon we go to is very nice–nothing scary or dirty, and the nail “stylists” are professional. (Is that what they are? What is their [Read More]