Back in the day, kids used to spend hours playing outside. On Saturdays, we often spent the entire day outside, coming in during daylight hours only to eat or pee. Sometimes not even for that since we lived in the country and both of those basic bodily functions could easily be done outside. During the... Continue Reading →

There wasn’t bottled water around when I was growing up. Actually, there was, but it wasn’t for us regular folk. Back in the day, buying bottled water was a luxury that might have been compared to buying and breathing a bottle of air. Only the upper crust of society drank their water out of manufactured... Continue Reading →

I’m not against a certain amount of baby and childproofing. My husband and I engaged in the process, which was gaining in popularity when our daughter was born. That child is now a twenty-something and through the years I’ve seen childproofing progress to a cult-like ritual. Today, most new parents have childproofing down to a... Continue Reading →

Did you know that every three seconds a Tupperware party starts somewhere on the planet? That's a lot of partying. As you read this post, people everywhere are setting out nesting bowls, super stackers, and Dutch ovens while indulging in finger foods and frothy drinks. When I was growing up, many of our mothers had... Continue Reading →

If you're tired of reading all the depressing headlines and need a break from all the turmoil, take a fun detour back to your childhood and teenage years. Back in the Day is a collection of short essays about growing up in the 70s and 80s. If you've enjoyed this blog, you'll love the book... Continue Reading →

The last time a study was done regarding laws; there were over 3,000 of them at the federal level in the United States. This study was done over 35 years ago, and by some estimates, the laws on the books have doubled since then. And this doesn't even include state and local laws. Through the... Continue Reading →

When I was growing up, we had three television channels. That's right kids, three whole channels. By the time I was in high school they added a fourth one. In my hometown it was Channel 55. We could hardly contain ourselves. It was probably a good thing we only had three channels because we didn't... Continue Reading →

  Back in the day, riding in a car was a different experience than it is today. Today we get buckled in like we're preparing for a space mission. Long belts and thick metal locks hold us in for the duration. Car seats for children are according to weight. I think there's a mathematical formula... Continue Reading →

  In 1975 Mattel rocked our world by introducing "Growing up Skipper" to throngs of eager little girls and curious little boys everywhere. This was a Barbie Doll that went from a child to a teenager in the blink of an eye. By twisting her arm, her waist lengthened, her height increased, and she instantly... Continue Reading →