Category / 1970s

by Kelly Mattei

I Love You

I love you.

I just saw a video on social media about a new trend. Apparently, teenagers are calling their friends at night and saying something along the lines of, “I just wanted to call you and say good night and I love you.” It’s funny to see what the various reactions are.

I don’t call my friends at night and say, “Good night and I love you,” but I do tell my friends I love them at the end of a phone conversation…or even at the end of a get-together. It’s something my family did, and it’s something I have carried over into my friendships. My friend, Wendy, who passed away seven years ago (June 4 is the seventh anniversary of her passing), thought it was weird at first. When we would be hanging up the phone or leaving a gathering, I would say, “Love you!” She would laugh. She wasn’t one who was demonstrative in that way. I would say, “It’s OK. You don’t have to say it back. I know you love me.” But I changed her over the years. I wore her down. Eventually, after several years of friendship, she starting saying, “I love you too, sista.” I’m so happy I wore her down with that. She passed away when she was 46 after a 30 year battle with various cancers. God bless her. She was a fighter. I find peace in knowing she KNEW I loved her, and I knew she loved me. Now that I think about it, maybe I didn’t wear her down. Maybe her constant battles with cancer made her start saying it. Maybe she knew I needed to hear it. The “why” doesn’t really matter, though. She said it.

My parents heard me tell them I loved them almost every single day of my life, and I heard it too. By the time they passed away, they had likely heard it thousands of times. Does that give me some peace? Of course it does. I hope it gave them peace as they were dying. I hope they knew they were loved and that their memories would live on through me and my brother. I hope they knew we loved them and would tell stories about them for the rest of our lives…daily.

Recently, as I was hanging up the phone with a friend…a guy I have known for years who is a close family friend…I said, “Ok, love you, honey!” I said it without realizing it, and I heard the hesitation. I don’t even remember how he responded…some sort of mumbled something. I texted him afterward, “Did my ‘love ya honey’ freak you out? I do tell everyone that, so it’s OK to say it to you.” He responded, “Wasn’t quite sure what you said.” I said, “I said it out of habit. It’s just what I do. Lol.” And that’s the truth. I tell my daughter, my husband, my brother, my aunt, my cousins, my friends, my daughter’s friends…lots of people are on my “love ya honey” list. Do I mean it? You bet I do!

I’m turning 58 tomorrow, and the older I get, the more I realize how important it is to let people know we love them and appreciate them. I love getting older, and I love the “wisdom” that comes with it. I define wisdom as “knowing you only know a little bit about all there is to know in the world, and knowing you can always learn a lot more.” Part of my “wisdom” is knowing I need people to know they are loved.

I think it’s a good “habit.” I always want my friends and family to know the last thing I said to them is “I love you.” So if we talk on the phone or have lunch any time soon, don’t be surprised if I say “love you” before we hang up or before we part ways. It’s OK if you don’t say it back. I won’t take it personally, but I won’t stop saying it.

Love you, honey!

by Kelly Mattei

Someone On Your List Wants Barbie™ x Stanley Quenchers

Someone on your list wants Barbie x Stanley Quenchers. Now there’s a collaboration with the Barbie brand, celebrating 65 years of Barbie! Barbie x Stanley! These are hot items this holiday season! See all eight variations here. This is a great opportunity to get the perfect gift for the people on your list who love Barbie, or Stanley, or both! Get them before they’re gone! Use your Amazon Prime membership for free shipping!

  • Stanley x Barbie™ Icon 40 Oz Quencher Icon is the key word here, because this one is iconic! This beauty features the iconic Barbie logo in…you guessed it…pink! This 40-oz Quencher is priced at $60 and makes a great gift! Get it here.

  • Stanley X Barbie™ ’60s Twist ’N Turn Quencher 40 Oz With a soft, sorbet gradient and tangerine lid and straw combo, this vibrant Barbie Quencher captures the movement that made the Twist ‘N Turn Barbie doll so striking! Great colors and great for the Barbie collector too! Get it here.

  • Stanley x Barbie™ ’80s Rockers Quencher 40 Oz Inspired by the Barbie and the Rockers dolls, the Rockers Quencher features bright, retro graphics that are ready to rock. In a new wave style that is quintessentially Barbie, this unstoppable Quencher is born to lead. Purchase here.

  • Stanley x Barbie™ ’70s Superstar Quencher 40 Oz The hot pink and purple gradient of the Superstar Quencher is all about glitz and glam. A pattern of gold, dainty stars echo the sparkle and star-shaped stand of the Superstar Barbie doll. Purchase here.

  • Stanley x Barbie™ ’80s Western Ken Quencher 40 Oz Lasso your own Western Ken Quencher in a Midnight-black. With a print that mimics the contrast stitching and silver buckle showcased on the Western Ken doll, stand tall — adventure’s calling. Purchase here.

  • Stanley x Barbie™ ’80s Dynamite Quencher 40 Oz Rich colors, gold accents and disco lights of the Dynamite Quencher celebrate the first Black Barbie doll. Iconic in every way, the Dynamite Barbie doll debuted in a vibrant red bodysuit and wrap skirt with glamorous jewelry and star quality poses to shine. Purchase here.

  • Stanley x Barbie™ ’80s Rockers Quencher 40 Oz Inspired by the Barbie and the Rockers dolls, the Rockers Quencher features bright, retro graphics that are ready to rock. In a new wave style that is quintessentially Barbie, this unstoppable Quencher is born to lead. Purchase here.

  • Stanley x Barbie™ Icon 30 Oz Quencher The Barbie Icon Quenchers arrive in a bright pop of Barbie pink to celebrate shining bright together and creating limitless possibilities for all. This one holds 10 few ounces than the others, so it’s easier to carry and costs less! Purchase here.

These won’t last long! Take advantage of this opportunity to make lots of people on your list happy. Granddaughters? Check! Daughters? Check! Cousins? Friends? Moms? Check..check…and CHECK!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

by Kelly Mattei

Polaroid: The Gift of Nostalgia and New Memories

Polaroid: The Gift of Nostalgia and New Memories

I love nostalgic gifts, and I believe lots of other people do too. There’s something fun about remembering old times, and a gift that can conjure up those memories is usually a hit! Polaroid does that for me. I can remember Polaroid cameras from my childhood, my teen years, and even as an adult! When I was a kid, it was fun waiting for the picture to develop, and back then, it was the only way we could see a photo almost instantly! I took one on a school trip to Mexico, and I still have the fun photos! Times have changed, but it’s still fun to print out instant photos instead of just looking at them on our phones. I have used Polaroids at parties as parting gifts and used them at other times for capturing new memories. I even see people using them online to surprise people with a picture of an unexpected guest standing behind them at a party!

Someone on your list would love a Polaroid, and now it comes in a bundle when you purchase the Polaroid Now+ Generation 2 – Camera + Film Bundle (16 Photos Included) – Bluetooth Connected App Controlled Instant Film Camera from Amazon. This is not the Polaroid of your childhood…it’s better! It still offers fun instant photos, but it also offers a Bluetooth compatible app that increases creativity, and the bundle comes with film and extra lens filters! It will be a favorite gift this Christmas! Or gift one to yourself and use it to make new memories during the holiday season! It’s offered in Black and White, so you can choose! It gets great reviews on Amazon, and it’s priced at less than $160 for the whole bundle! I’m buying a black one as soon as I finish typing. My daughter will have a lot of fun capturing memories at college with a Polaroid. Purchase now at Amazon here.

Order now to get them in time for the holidays!

by Kelly Mattei

Christmas Decor from Amazon

Christmas decor from Amazon. ***As an Amazon affiliate, I might receive commission from purchases made through my links.***

It’s almost here! The holiday season is upon us! Time to get prepared! Here are a few things from Amazon to brighten up your home around the holidays! From tableware to yard decor, let’s go…

  • Retro style blow mold figurines. When I was a kid in the 1960s and 70s (do the math), blow mold figurines were all the rage. Somehow, over the years, they fell out of favor…probably for the easier to store inflatables…but I prefer blow mold figurines 100 percent. In fact, I still have my parents’ old “Noel” candles from the early 1970s. They still work, but I do worry a little about the electric components, so this year, I ordered new ones from Amazon, and while they aren’t exactly the same, they convey the same feel. See them here. At writing, they are on sale! I ordered two, one for each side of the porch steps, just like my parents used to do!
  • Vintage style blow mold Santa (43″ tall!). Back when I was a kid, these were pretty normal. I rarely see them anymore, but here is your chance to get a blow mold Santa. It’s not inexpensive ($169 at writing), but think how much the neighborhood kids will love it! Isn’t it worth it?!? Purchase it here. He’s reading his list. Who’s to say you can’t use a black Sharpie to write some names on that blow mold list?
  • Spode Christmas Tree tableware and more. If you’re a fan of the Spode Christmas Tree tableware collection, you can get some items on sale a Amazon (as of writing). The Spode Christmas Tree Ribbon Couple Plate is 10% off at writing. See it here. Or maybe you’d like the pasta serving bowl at 73% off? See it here. Cloth napkins at 42% off can be purchased here. Or maybe some holiday coffee mugs at 10% off? Purchase here. If you’re looking for ideas on tablescapes, or how to decorate your table, check out tablescapes_ on Instagram.
  • Retro Christmas Tree Skirt. I feel the need to change the tree skirt every couple of years, and this year, I’m going with a retro vibe. See a fun retro skirt here.
  • Christmas Lights. If you’re looking for Christmas lights and don’t want to fight the crowds at your local big box department store, check out the offerings on Amazon. They will deliver to you…and get free shipping with your Prime account! See all the Christmas lights here.

Thanksgiving has not arrived yet, so you still have plenty of time…over a month…to prepare for Christmas! Let’s goooooo!

by Kelly Mattei

Green Kool-Aid and Orange Push-ups

Green Kool-Aid and Orange Push-Ups.

The NFL Draft had me thinking about Kool-Aid. Yes, I was thinking about the football player, Kool-Aid McKinstry, and his deal with Kool-Aid brand beverage mix, but while I watched the Draft, I was also on the phone with a friend, and we started talking about the original Kool-Aid drink mix.

I cannot even tell you the last time I actually drank Kool-Aid, but when I was a kid, it was a staple at our house. I’m sure it was cheap, and that’s why my mother let us have it. Plus, it was easy to store the little packets without using up much room in the pantry. We would get to pick our own flavor packet(s) at the grocery store. Grape was always a safe flavor, and I feel like orange was pretty safe too. We didn’t branch out much, because if we picked a bad flavor, we were stuck with it until we went to the grocery store with Mother the next week. However, there was one time of year that we always had a different flavor.

For some reason, at our church, they always seemed to serve green Kool-Aid at Vacation Bible School during the summer. At the time, I thought it was lime flavored, but maybe it was lemon-lime? I can’t find any record of plain lime flavor. Whenever I think of VBS, I think of green Kool-Aid served in tiny, paper Dixie Cups and orange Push-Ups. No, not exercise pushups, but the sherbet treat that appears to be served in a toilet paper roll. If you were a kid when I was a kid, you know what I’m talking about. However, I’m not sure if my college-age daughter has ever even seen one! She’ll be home in a week; I’ll have some Push-Ups in the freezer when she gets home. If she doesn’t like them, I can make cocktails with them later.

So I was talking with my friend, named Kelli with an “i,” about VBS, and she reminded me that, not only did we have the Kool-Aid and Push-Ups at VBS, but we also had butter cookies! Remember butter cookies? You know, the ones that were shaped like little flowers with the hole in the middle? We would each get two or three at VBS and hold them on our fingers until we were ready to eat them. I hadn’t thought about those in years until Kelli mentioned them, but now, I have to go purchase some. They’re made by Lil Dutch Maid, and it appears they are sold in Publix for $1.25 for an 11 ounce package. No wonder they served them at VBS…they were cheap. Thinking about it, I realize now that the church was giving us the cheapest possible snacks they could give! It was the 1970s. If they tried to serve the same items today, it’s likely some moms would complain about “too much sugar” or “too much artificial flavoring/coloring.” In the 1970s, no one cared about that. Everything had artificial flavoring, and we lapped it up! Moms didn’t shop for “organic” foods…not where I lived, anyway. We were able to get fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms at the farmer’s market, so everything we ate wasn’t “bad,” but it was at VBS! Of course, this was the same era when you could toss just about anything into a Jell-O mold and call it a salad.

As usual, I find myself reliving my childhood, but this time, I will be reliving it through Kool-Aid, Push-Ups, and butter cookies. When I stop to pick up the lemon-lime Kool-Aid packets, I also hope I’ll find the limited edition Black Cherry Blitz Kool-Aid that was recently released as part of a merchandising deal with Kool-Aid McKinstry after his draft by the New Orleans Saints!

I suppose I can make cocktails with Black Cherry Blitz or Lime Kool-Aid! Do I mix them with vodka? Prosecco? I might be on to something here!

by Kelly Mattei

Holiday Gifts of Nostalgia

Holiday Gifts of Nostalgia.

Earlier today, we had some work done in our kitchen. When our daughter was a little girl…two or three years old…I let her play with stickers underneath the kitchen counter, on the side where there is a big wall and barstools. The stickers didn’t show, but it kept her happy to play there while I was busy in the kitchen. My husband didn’t love the idea, but I told him then that it was harmless. Today, as the work was being done, we saw the stickers from our daughter’s childhood…princess stickers and fish and hearts and flowers. And my heart did flips. In my mind’s eye, I could see her there…as a toddler. It made me wistful for the days of her toddlerhood…the days when princess stickers and foam fish stickers made her happy. I felt nostalgic.

And that led me down the rabbit hole of nostalgia this afternoon. Don’t we all remember things about our own childhood that make us feel wistful? Don’t we all like to see tangible proof of days gone by?

Why not give the gift of nostalgia to friends and family on your Christmas list this year? Those gifts are out there, and I’m here to help you find them. Here are some I found pretty easily.

  • Time Traveling books. There are various Time Traveling books for different years. I was born in 1967, and while that would be interesting to me, other years might be more interesting…years that I actually remember…maybe 1973 and 1983…and more. These books contain information about different years: political info, leading events, crimes, iconic movies and TV shows, music, pop culture, fashions, iconic advertisements, and more. For some reason, I can only find them for years ending in 3, but wow…what a nostalgic gift! See them here.

  • Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle. Y’all, my brother loved watching Evel Knievel’s antics on TV. Actually, I did too. Anyone who was a kid in the 70s can remember watching Knievel jump cars, buses, and even the Snake River Canyon attempt on TV. My brother loved his Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle when he was a kid, and honestly, I think he would even like it now. But nostalgia doesn’t always come cheap, so be ready to pay almost $80 for this piece of nostalgia. Get it here.

  • Vintage Barbies book. Barbie has been around for a long time, and with the Barbie movie that came out this year, interest is greater than ever! Mom or daughter would love this book! Get it here.

  • Jiffy Pop. Kids of the 60s and 70s certainly remember Jiffy Pop. If their moms didn’t let them purchase it, they definitely remember the ads. It’s good popcorn…”as much fun to make as it is to eat.” Get it here.

  • Toys of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. This one is priced right at $14.95. The authors spotlight 45 loved toys from the three decades in this collection. It would make a great gift for anyone who was a kid in the 50s, 60s, or 70s. Get it here.

  • Rotary Phone. No one will want to use it, but it could make a cute addition the decor in a home…and a great conversation piece. Get it here.

  • Nostalgic toys. There are a few gimmicky toys we had back in the day that might be fun for the kids on our list. Remember the drinking bird? Get it here. How about the slinky? Get it here. Handheld water games? Get one here. Maybe some jacks? Get them here.

  • Boom Again Board Game. For the boomers! This is a trivia game that covers 50s, 60s, and 70s pop culture and music. What fun! I would love to see this under the tree for me! My brother and I are a mean trivia team. Let’s play! Get it here.

  • Yeah You T-Shirt. Someone on your list who was a teenage girl in the 1980s? She likely loved Sixteen Candles as much as I did. I have friends who can quote the whole movie. This t-shirt would be a fun flashback for that former teenager. Get it here.

  • Dolls and Teddy Bear Department book. This is a book featuring some of the favorite gifts from the Sears Wish Books of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Anyone over a certain age remembers circling the toys they wanted to see under the tree. It would make a great gift for anyone nostalgic. Get it for under $50 here.

  • I Want My MTV. Some of us remember when MTV was actually Music Television featuring music videos. We remember the premier of Duran Duran’s The Reflex and Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Some of us even remember the premier of MTV itself with Video Killed the Radio Star. This book tells the story of its origins. Anyone who loved MTV will love this book. Get it here. And while you’re at it, maybe you pick up a T-shirt to go with it here.

  • Hella 90s Trivia Game. More trivia…this time from the 90s. Get it here.

  • Milkshake Maker. People over a certain age remember making milkshakes at home, and if they didn’t make them at home, they got them at soda shops. Bring back some memories. Get it here.

  • Like Totally 80s Pop Culture Trivia Game. More trivia…this time from the 80s. Get it here.

  • My Dad Had that Car book. Anyone who likes cars or remembers their first car will enjoy this book. I have a friend whose teenage son loves vintage cars. He would love to find this under the tree. Get it here.

  • Commercial Tshirts. 70s kids loved television, and we loved our Saturday morning cartoons…commercials and all! How about these? Hawaiian Punch here. Froot Loops here. Kool-Aid here. School House Rock here. Mr Owl Tootsie Pops here.

  • Photo Album. And if you want to give a real nostalgic gift, a good old fashioned photo album could be the best gift of the year. Print out some photos and place them in the album yourself. Maybe write some great captions to go with the photos. Does it get any more personal than that? Sharing memories…ultimate nostalgia. To get started, purchase an album here.

More good ideas to come later!

Happy Holiday Shopping!

***And if you’re wondering about the stickers under the bar, here’s a picture. I couldn’t save the wall, but I could take a picture and save that.***

by Kelly Mattei

McDonald’s is My Kind of Place

McDonald’s is my kind of place.

I was born in the late 1960s, so most of my childhood was in the 1970s. If yours was too, you likely loved McDonald’s. From the time I was a year old until I was seven, I lived in a little town in Alabama that didn’t have McDonald’s. We had a local hamburger drive-in that was really good, but it wasn’t McDonald’s. We even had a Dairy Queen…not McDonald’s. Eventually, we got a Jack’s, a hamburger place based in Birmingham, Alabama, but we still didn’t have McDonald’s when I moved away. We often went to Pensacola or Mobile for doctor appointments or to shop, so we had McDonald’s then, and it was a treat! I’m not kidding…a treat we could hardly wait to get! Those hamburgers! Those fries! Those chocolate shakes!

When I was seven, I moved with my family to the Mobile area, and we got McDonald’s all the time, because McDonald’s was plentiful in Mobile…I mostly remember the two on Government Street, and the one near the University of South Alabama on Old Shell Road. As kids, we even went to birthday parties at McDonald’s, and those were the best birthday parties! When I was eight years old, they even opened a McDonald’s in Bel Air Mall…a big, huge deal, because that whole wing of the mall started smelling like McDonald’s. To kids back then, McDonald’s was a little slice of Heaven.

One night last week, I craved McDonald’s. It happens occasionally. McDonald’s crosses my mind, and I simply have to have it. That night, I hopped in the car and drove to the nearest McDonald’s, got in the drive-thru line, and placed my order: hamburger, large fries, and a large Diet Coke. The service was quick, and I didn’t even make it out of the parking lot before I started gobbling up the feast from the paper bag. That first bite smelled and tasted like childhood happiness. I can’t explain it, but as soon as I unwrapped that burger, I felt like I was a kid again. And the fries? Well, it doesn’t get better than hot McDonald’s fries. I have known that my whole life.

If you’re anywhere near my age, chances are you have some McDonald’s memories. Maybe you went to birthday parties there. Maybe you ate there after every high school home football game (like I did). Maybe you remember the aroma of those hamburgers and French fries. Maybe you remember the McDonaldland characters and can identify all of them! Maybe you went there with high school friends or stopped there for breakfast on the way to school in the morning.

Sadly, the latest generations don’t seem to appreciate McDonald’s like we did. However, our daughter might be one of the exceptions. She loved McDonald’s Happy Meals as a kid. I took her to McDonald’s because I liked it, so she learned to like it too. Sometimes, we met friends there, so the kids could play in the indoor play area. Sometimes, we went to the two-story McDonald’s in South Park in Charlotte. My daughter, when she was a little girl, called it the “upstairs McDonald’s.” But I think a lot of kids didn’t have the joyful McDonald’s experience because society became health conscious and frowned upon it. Too bad, because kids missed out on that little indulgence. McDonald’s is supposed to be fun, and frankly, I think it’s OK in moderation. Do I want my daughter eating there all the time? No, and she doesn’t. But if she wants some fries from there once or twice a month…enjoy!

Fortunately, my daughter has a friend who told me about the McDonald’s App. If you have any appreciation for McDonald’s and don’t have the app, you’re leaving money on the table! Through the app, you can earn points to use toward future purchases, but you have immediate access to special deals like Free Fry Fridays, BOGO offers, and more! Seriously, if all you like about McDonald’s is their perfectly fizzy sodas, get the app now!

Right now, they have a BOGO order on breakfast sandwiches. They also have percentage off offers on different sandwiches, meals, and beverages. Seriously, if you like their coffee (it’s good) you can use the app for deals on that!

So if you’d like to experience a little childhood happiness, go download the app. You’ll be glad you did, because McDonald’s is your kind of place!

by Kelly Mattei

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle.

I just returned from running some errands, and as I approached the back entrance of our neighborhood, I saw the perfectly ripened yellow and white blooms! Honeysuckle! Big bushes of it!

Back when our daughter was a little girl, she and I would watch that area every year, waiting for the honeysuckle to appear. But we didn’t dare approach it too early. From my childhood, I knew we needed to wait until it was just right…wait until it’s bursting with nectar and the fragrance is overwhelming. A few years ago, though, someone mowed down all the honeysuckle, and I haven’t seen it since…until recently. A few weeks ago, I noticed the first sign of it…the yellow buds…and I thought, “Is the honeysuckle really coming back? Just before our daughter goes off to college?” Since then, every time I drive past, I open the car window to look and sniff…and today, after an afternoon shower, it smelled perfect.

I had never really thought to investigate the honeysuckle habitat before today. For some reason, I always thought it was a southern thing, but after a little research, I learned it is definitely not just a southern thing. People all over the world use it for its medicinal purpose, and lots of people make simple syrup from it. I have never done that, but I’m up for the challenge!

When I was growing up in Alabama in the 1970s, we watched for three things as summer approached: lightning bugs (fireflies), backyard or roadside blackberries, and honeysuckle.

We knew summer was almost here when we saw our first lightning bug of the season. To this day, at the ripe age of 54, I still look out into the trees around our house as summer is approaching…watching for the first flash of a lightning bug. I haven’t seen one yet this year, but I’m watching. When I was a little girl, we would catch them and put them in Mason jars…poking holes in the top of the jar so they could get oxygen. We never kept them for longer than an hour or so, and we always released them. It was just fun to see how much they would glow in a jar.

As for the blackberries, at one of our houses, we had a big blackberry bush in the back corner of the yard. We would watch for the blooms and then wait for them to ripen before picking, but I only picked right on the leading edge of the bush. They were full of “stickers” (briars), and there was no way I was inviting that pain…not even for blackberries. I was also under the impression that snakes liked blackberries, so I was afraid of that too. I guess I thought the snakes wouldn’t hang out on the leading edge of the bush. If there were more ripened blackberries on the interior limbs of the bush, they went untouched by me…they likely rotted if no one else picked them, because I wasn’t sticking my arm in there to get them.

And then there was the honeysuckle…a sweet little treat that packed a lot of happiness and sunshine. We would go to the honeysuckle bushes/vines in our neighborhood and search for the ripest blooms. We knew the really ripe ones had the sweetest nectar. We would find the perfect flower and pick it whole…making sure to get the calyx (the little green bud that connects it to the stem). With the flower in one hand, we would pinch just above the calyx…not all the way through…just enough to break the edges. We’d then slowly slide the “style” (female part of the plant) out of the flower by gently pulling. As the end of the style approached, we could see the glorious nectar, or “honey.” Once we saw that little drop, we’d stick it to our tongues and taste the sweetness of summer! And that is the glory of honeysuckle! It’s a childhood treat.

As I mentioned before, when our daughter was a little girl…probably about four years old…I showed her how to get the honey from the honeysuckle, just as I had learned as a little girl. After that, she and I would invite neighborhood friends to walk up to the back entrance with us, sharing the glory of the honeysuckle with those who had never had it before. Hopefully, some of them remember how to do it.

Our daughter is not home tonight, but you can bet tomorrow, after brunch, we will be walking up to the honeysuckle at the back entrance of our neighborhood. It’s Mother’s Day, after all, and I can’t think of a better gift than spending time harvesting honeysuckle with my 18-year-old daughter who is headed off to college 450 miles away in August. I think Mother’s Day is the perfect day to revisit the honeysuckle. For a little while, we will relive some precious moments from her childhood.

Happy Mother’s Day!

by Kelly Mattei

Love’s Baby Soft

Love’s Baby Soft.

Anyone who was a little girl or preteen in the 70s and 80s remembers Love’s Baby Soft…a brand of cologne, body powder, body mist that smelled “like a baby” and was marketed toward girls and preteens through Teen Magazine and even on commercials. I don’t know if the commercials ran in the afternoons, evenings, or Saturday mornings, but I can still hear the jingle, “You can try hard. Or you can try soft. Soft will get ’em every time…Love’s Baby Soft!”

I’ve gone to YouTube and watched some of the old commercials. It appears one commercial from 1975 was marketed toward an older audience. It’s a little creepy, saying, “Innocence is sexier than you think.” Yuck. You can see that commercial here…not my favorite. But the one I remember most was clearly marketing to the younger generation. You can see the ad I remember most here.

What made me think of Love’s Baby Soft?

I try to walk several miles a day, and when I do, nothing passes the time better than talking on the phone with friends. Sometimes I listen to books on Audible, but usually, I talk on the phone. I was talking with a friend last night, and somehow, we started talking about riding the school bus. We both went to public school growing up, so we exchanged some school bus stories. I told her stories about the older guys on our bus singing Queen’s We Will Rock You while the rest of us pounded the well-known beat on the bus seats. We had a pretty patient, understanding bus driver named Mr. Maynard who I think might have actually been entertained by the shenanigans.

The friend I was talking with asked if, when I was growing up in Alabama, high school kids were allowed to take jobs as bus drivers. I don’t remember that being the case, but she said teenagers could be bus drivers in North Carolina back then, adding, “We had a cute bus driver named Chuck. He was probably 17, and I was 11. Anytime I knew Chuck would be driving, I’d spritz myself with some Love’s Baby Soft before running to the bus.” I died. I could just see it…a preteen girl with a crush on the 17-yr-old…trying to get his attention with some Love’s Baby Soft! “You can try hard…or you can try soft…” After I recovered from the laughter, I asked her if she put on her Kissing Potion too. We both laughed and laughed, because we had dug up some old memories.

In the 1970s, I was a big fan of both products. I wasn’t romancing anyone, and I certainly wasn’t kissing anyone, but I was one of the best customers for both. I remember hearing at school when new scents of Kissing Potion had been released, so I would get Mother to take me to the local TG&Y in Spanish Fort Shopping Center, so I could use my allowance to buy the latest Kissing Potion roll-on lip gloss. All the girls in my fourth grade class had our favorite flavors. Bubble Gum was quite popular, and I liked the minty flavored one.

And guess what! You can get both products today! I don’t know if they are the same as they were then, but I’m going to find out. I’ll be ordering them for myself and for future surprises for friends who need a pick-me-up. Nostalgia makes for great gifts. If I had the blues and someone gave me either of those products, I think I would instantly feel better. You can find Love’s Baby Soft on Amazon here. And get the original formula Kissing Potion from Tinte Cosmetics here.

I should probably add that the Love’s Baby Soft didn’t catch the attention of the 17-yr-old bus driver, Chuck. My friend might have dodged a bullet on that one. If the 17-yr-old had liked the 11-yr-old, there would have been bigger issues!