One of my best friends sent me this by email and it made me all nostalgic and wistful for my youth. As a child of the 70s, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at some of the ridiculous things we latched onto as “cool” and it brought back a flood of other memories. I’ve bolded the original description and then added my comments after. Enjoy. Let me know what it brings back for you.
IF YOU WERE A CHILD OF THE 70S…
You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it. Or at least if you were my best friend you did. If you were me, you had a bright red one, with chopper style bars and a red and white striped seat that your Dad made. At the time, I was mortified. 34 years later I’m grateful for such an amazing father.
You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels. I did have these. I first had the type that strapped on to your shoe though. After the pair pictured I graduated to rubber wheels with the big rubber toe stop. I spent every Saturday morning at Wheels Roller Arena thinking I was all that and a bag of chips.
You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!) So embarrassing, but yes, yes I did. I was also insanely jealous of Vicki Stubing who got to live on the boat.
You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island. There was this one episode in particular with dummies. I’m still scared to death of ventriloquists. Also Tattoo creeped me out.
You had either a ‘bowl cut’ or ‘pixie’, not to mention the ‘Dorothy Hamill’.
People sometimes thought you were a boy. Oh dear lord, yes, I did have a Dorothy Hamill. I also had a Farrah Fawcett. I looked good in neither.
You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days. Moon boots rocked. Even though I never had a pair, I just envied the cool kids that did.
YEAH! You owned a ‘Slip-n-Slide’ , on which you injured yourself on a sprinkler head more than once.
Thought about buying one of these for my kids until I remembered my own personal experience with wedgies and skin getting caught on dry surfaces and face plants.
You owned ‘Klick-Klacks’ and smacked yourself in the face more than once ! More dangerous than numchuks. Can you imagine putting these things into the hands of your child today?
Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession. I was Holly Hobbie obsessed.
You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers. Sadly, yes.
You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon. This game rocked and had loud beeping sounds which drove parents crazy. Bonus points for that.
You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits, or the sunshine family.
Yup. Guilty as charged. I also didn’t know who was prettier.
You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the
Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture;
and you despised Nellie Olson! Yes! Yes! Yes! I hated that Nellie and I totally wanted a little house on the prairie. I still do.
You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie.
I did know who these characters were before they got all gussied up for my children and turned into real tarts.
You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. With the thermos, inside some were glass and broke the first time you dropped them. The Muppets rocked. Still do. Totally owned this.
You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend.
No. Not really. I would however get my chips, dip and Pop Shoppe pop every Friday night and watch them torment Boss Hogg.
It was a big event in your household each year when the ‘Wizard of Oz’ would come on TV.
Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!
Sort of but the monkeys really scared me. *shiver* It was an equally big event when The Ten Commandments came on. Now that kept me glued to the TV.
You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: ‘Who will I marry.
Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or David Cassidy?’ D’uh, no I didn’t. I used to imagine they would all fight over who was going to marry me! I’m kind of thankful these were only childhood fantasies. Did you see how Leif Garrett turned out?
You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record album.
I most certainly did. Grease especially. I played out that part when Olivia Newton-John stamps out the cigarette at least a thousand times. Maybe I should blame them for my early smoking habit?
You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker. The trick was to have one finger on record and one on play and try to press them at the exact moment the DJ would stop talking and shut off before the commercials cut in. This was a real art my friends.
You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books.
(Are you there God, It’s me, Margaret.) Oh my god, I remember reading these and thinking “My mother would have a kitten if she knew I was reading this”. This is probably why I loved them so.
You thought Olivia Newton John’s song ‘Physical’ was about aerobics. It’s not about aerobics? What?
You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs. Yup. On the white leather running shoes. With my Pentimento or Jordache jeans.
You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer. I was more a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader wannabe, but I watched Solid Gold faithfully. I also though Denny Terrio from Dance Fever was super cute. Oooh, oooh and remember Captain and Tenille? Sonny and Cher. Ah, the good old days of the Variety Show.
You drowned yourself in Love’s Baby Soft – which was the first ‘real’ perfume you ever owned. I could not get enough of this stuff. Sort of like how my teenage stepson can’t get enough Axe on him. I now know how truly offensive I must have smelled.
You glopped your lips in Strawberry Roll-on lip-gloss till it dripped off. (Kissing Potion, I believe it was called) Thinking back on it, this was probably the beginning of my addiction to lip products. Lip balm, lipstick, lip gloss, it’s the one thing I can’t go without.
Nicole says
August 17, 2011 at 10:02 pmKissing Potion and Pop Shoppe – YES. Are you there, God, it’s me Margaret was my FAVOURITE.
Sharon says
August 17, 2011 at 10:34 pmDorothy Hammil haircut. Simon game. Purple corduroy knickers with grey sock.
All at the same time.
Christy aka Imfreckles says
August 18, 2011 at 2:58 amOMG… awesome. corduroy pants….Simon… roller skates… Solid Gold… Love Boat… Fantasy Island… brings back the memories.
Thanks for the post. Love it
Candace says
August 21, 2011 at 10:39 pmYour welcome. Trips down memory lane are fun!
Shandra says
August 18, 2011 at 7:09 amAlmost everything on the list…my banana bike was purple with silver sparkles on the seat. Special mention goes to Love’s Baby Soft, Kissing Potion and Are You There God It’s Me Margaret!!! This post is fabulous, pictures trigger so many memories.
Candace says
August 21, 2011 at 10:40 pmI love how so many of us had such a common experience with this stuff.
Alysa says
August 19, 2011 at 2:59 amGreat article! I had that lunch box! And the bike with a yellow banana seat, flowered basket and streamers. But you forgot the wonder woman bathing suit with toy plastic arm bands, crown & lasso. Thanks for sharing!
Candace says
August 21, 2011 at 10:38 pmThanks Alysa. Wonder what our kids will be looking back on?
Suzie Salmon says
June 26, 2012 at 12:16 pmLoves Baby Soft and Klick Klacks! Bahahaha. Thanks for the wander down memory lane 🙂
Candace says
June 26, 2012 at 6:47 pmYou’re welcome. Could you imagine arming our kids with Klick Klacks now? So funny.
Kat says
June 26, 2012 at 12:41 pmLove this so much! I was nodding and laughing along with you. My lunch box was a yellow Road Runner one with yellow thermos. My parents still use it to store their shoe polish.
Candace says
June 26, 2012 at 6:47 pmThat’s hilarious! You need to put that away for your kids…collector’s item you know 😉
mara says
June 26, 2012 at 12:52 pmAlmost everything’s covered except for the TV show Emergency and the game Jacks. I couldn’t decide who I loved more, Gage or DeSoto. Also, I had Holly Hobby sheets for sleep over camp and a stationary collection to rival none other.
Candace says
June 26, 2012 at 6:46 pmOMG, I forgot about Emergency! What a great show!
Jen @littlemissmocha says
June 26, 2012 at 1:00 pmThis was awesome. HA. A definite “yes” to many of them, and the rest just made me laugh because…well…you know. And anything I didn’t do, my sis did. ; )
And…even more fun and dangerous than the slip ‘n slide was the DIY version my dad rigged up in our huge backyard – a huge sheet of industrial grade plastic 8 feet wide and twice as long as the store version. Imagine 3 or 4 kids all ripping along at once? Oh yeah.
Candace says
June 26, 2012 at 6:46 pmOk, your Dad? Awesome 🙂
AlwaysARedhead says
June 26, 2012 at 7:06 pmActual skates – yes, pixie cut – far too many, Klick-Klacks – I loved them, but yes whacked myself in the face many a time, Knickers – a few pairs, so embarrassing, Wizard of Oz – still a favourite movie of mine, tape recorder – yes, I held it up to the radio.
Thank you for these memories, I had forgotten about them.
Candace says
June 26, 2012 at 7:20 pmI love getting nostalgic about things like this, it often brings back a flood of other good memories too. Glad you enjoyed!
Leigh says
June 26, 2012 at 7:26 pmI STILL have my Holly Hobbie thermos and lunchbox. I’ll let you borrow it if you trade friendship pins with me.
Candace says
June 26, 2012 at 9:59 pmAbsolutely. The 70s kind of rocked.
sheila gallant-halloran says
June 9, 2013 at 7:03 amOh my, laughed out loud (the real kind, not the text lol) at much of this. Fond memories, and, yes, I was a child of the 70’s.
Sara says
June 9, 2013 at 12:02 pmI’m sure we met at wheels and just don’t remember as I spent many a day going round and round there. BTW Shawn Cassidy is mine 😉
Candace says
June 10, 2013 at 8:38 amHa! You can have Shawn, I was more obsessed with his brother. What was his name again?
Angela says
January 23, 2014 at 9:46 amOh, I loved this post. I had completely forgotten about some of this stuff. And did you hear that Captain and Tennille are getting divorced? I had no idea they were still alive.
Catherine Burden says
January 31, 2014 at 9:35 pmOh dear I hate to admit it, but I had numerous pairs of gauchos; I also had the deadly ‘Klick-Klacks’, I can’t believe my parents allowed us to to have them.
Charlene says
February 1, 2014 at 8:49 amEverything.All of them.The loves baby soft even made my eyes mist up. I was a little bit rock & roll but not a little bit country and faithfully washed my hair with Short & Sassy……so many more cultural references
Sara cooper says
April 9, 2014 at 8:04 pmAll of the above! How did we not meet at WHEELS? So going to dream about Shawn Cassidy tonight, thanks for that 🙂
shawna says
June 1, 2014 at 5:21 pmRemember Underoos?? The tank top and panty that turned you into say, Wonder Woman?
Carebears, Cabbage Patch kids (the original!), and anything Garfield…Dolphin shorts and OP swimsuits. Only the cool girls (with cool moms) wore the OP bikinis that criss crossed around the waist. And if you were lucky enough to land the red and white one, you were so in 😉
Mike Sabo says
June 16, 2014 at 8:11 amI wore out the Eagles One of These Nights cassette on the same Panasonic player.
I miss my Super Slider Snow Skates, anything from KTEL and my Pocket Fisherman
Cheryl J says
April 5, 2018 at 12:32 pmBonne Bell Dr Pepper flavored big fat tube of lip gloss anyone? Hubba Bubba chunky blocks of bubble gum came out… the doll Chrissy with a knob on her stomach- turn it and it pulled her long hair in thru a hole so it was short. Want her to have long hair? Pull it back out again.
Linda says
August 11, 2018 at 8:01 pmWacky packages and candy necklaces from the ice cream man, hot pants, running through sprinklers during the summer, playing outside until streetlights come on, family road trips, roller disco, designer jeans, TV dinners,