Happy #TBT!  Don’t know what #TBT is?  It stands for Throwback Thursday, which is a weekly social media posting trend where people share pictures of themselves, songs, or anything deemed meaningful from the past.  It is extremely popular on Instagram and is growing to include other social networks including Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.  If you never heard of it don’t worry, I did not know what #TBT was neither nor participated in Throwback Thursday until now.

Personally, I do not have any old childhood pictures of myself to share with you.  My mom has all that golden memento stuff locked up in her possession.  Trust me, you are not missing anything! I was not what you would want to call an adorable child.  However, what I do have is a bunch of memories of what influenced me most growing up to share with you.

Take a fun walk with me down memory lane of the 80’s!  The 1980’s was a decade filled with tons of big hair, ripped jeans, cool bands, and awesome TV shows.  Growing up in the 80’s as a teen was a RUSH and I have a bunch of fond memories during that time in my life.  I can still smell the cheap Aqua Net!

1980’s HOT Bands

The hottest bands emerged out of the 80’s!  Who can forget the English rock band Duran Duran?  “The prettiest boys in rock” had every teenage girl screaming as the Second British Invasion took the U.S. by storm! The group of five heart throbs sold more than 100 million records with their hit songs Hungary like the Wolf, Save a Prayer, Rio, and in 1985 the James Bond hit A View to a Kill!  Ask any girl who was a teenager in the 80’s and I bet they can recall a favorite band member from Duran Duran.   John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Simon Le Bon, Roger Taylor, and Andy Taylor graced the walls of millions of girls’ bedrooms with their posters.   My favorite was John.  He had the most boyish charm with his square jaw and amazing smile.

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Another band I LOVED during the 80’s and still listen to today is Queen!  They actually formed in 1970, but by the 1980’s they became one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world.  The lead vocalist Freddie Mercury graced us with timeless songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Somebody to Love,” and “We Are the Champions.”  Freddie died in 1991 from bronchopneumonia brought on by AIDS.  We lost one of the greats that day!  I’m sure he is rocking on in the afterlife!

Boombox

In the 80’s the bigger the Boombox you had the more popular you were.  Seriously, it was not uncommon to see someone blasting tunes walking down the street with a Boombox the size of a suitcase on their shoulders.  I had a Boombox and took it outside while sun bathing.  I swear my neighbors were plotting how they could destroy the deafening thing and lay to rest in the backyard.

Super Mario Bros

Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros was released in the 1980’s and is the main reason I am a video game junky!  I spent HOURS each day after school guiding Mario through Mushroom Kingdom trying to save Princess Toadstool from the evil antagonist Bowser. Collecting coins, breaking bricks, and defeating Koopa was a FAVORITE pastime!  My son is now a Mario fanatic too and wants me to makeover his room with the Super Mario Bros theme.

Simon

Simon was the most annoying yet very addicting electronic memory games on the market.  My friend and I would see who could repeat the pattern of colors and sounds the longest.  The loser would have to do or eat something disgusting.  Thinking back to it now, we kind of used it as a means of a “truth or dare” teenager torturing device.

Global Warming

Global warming was beginning to heat up public attention and was the first time I ever heard of the growing environmental problem.  I bet Aqua Net was a contributing factor of burning a hole in the ozone layer from all the big hair in the 80’s!  The aerosol product was a staple in the homes of every teenager looking to add stiff height to their head of hair.  The person with the biggest and tallest hair wins!

TV Shows

One of my favorite TV shows from the 1980’s was Family Ties!  The sitcom was created by Gary David Goldberg and was about former hippies Steven and Elyse Keaton (Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter-Birney) and their three children Alex (Michael J. Fox), Mallory (Justine Bateman), and Jennifer (Tina Yothers).  Later on in the series young Andrew (Brian Bonsall) was added to the cast.  The show’s appeal was greatly comprised of the conflict of conservative children rivaling their liberal parents.  Michael J Fox was incredibly funny in the series and soon became the center of the show.

Netflix Blast from the Past

This month Netflix is taking a page from the #TBT trend with a trip down memory lane, compiling a list of their favorite blasts from the past. The list includes childhood faves including Saved By The Bell, Family Ties, and the ultimate blue fun—The Smurfs!

14 Classics to Share with Your Kids on Netflix

For your big kids:

1. Saved by the Bell
2. The Baby-Sitters Club
3. Family Ties
4. Jem and the Holograms
5. The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries
6. Spiderman and His Amazing Friends
7. Transformers

And your little ones:

1. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
2. The Care Bears Movie
3. The Smurfs and the Magic Flute
4. Strawberry Shortcake
5. Curious George
6. Sesame Street
7. Dumbo

Shrinky Dinks!

Oh my goodness I LOVED Shrinky Dinks growing up.  My best friend and I use to have so much fun coloring and baking them in the oven (with the help of our parents). We used to hang them up on strings and use them as suncatchers.  I tried looking for them to recreate the project below, but could not find them at the craft or toy store.  If you are lucky and can get your hands on some Shrinky Dink sheets try making the blast from the past charm necklaces for a fun throwback afternoon activity with your kids.

Pudding Pops

Yum Pudding pops!  Do you remember Billy Cosby and his J-E-L-L-O commercials?  Who can forget them, right?  Relieve the 80s with homemade pudding pops. Click here to learn how to make your own.

Netflix Giveaway!

As a member of the Netflix Stream Team, I have been given the fantastic opportunity to give one loyal reader a three-month subscription code! To enter the giveaway, please follow the instructions provided on the Rafflecopter form.  Any comments are welcomed below, but won’t count towards the giveaway. Only entries using the Rafflecopter form will be eligible for prize. Thank you!

Open To US Residents Only- age 18 + Ends April 30^th, at 11:59 pm (eastern time)! Enter Daily!

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