Quarantine and chill and kindness chatty clubhouse: Jump in and join the conversation! All is welcome!

[PollyannaMom]

QOTD for 7/3 - What iconic toy of the era did you have as a child? or really want as a child, but your parents said no?

I had an Easy Bake oven.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

QOTD for 7/3 - What iconic toy of the era did you have as a child? or really want as a child, but your parents said no?

I had an Atari 2600! It was my first (that I can remember) expensive purchase that I saved up for! Great question, Pollyannamom

 

[lovemygoofy]

Hi yall,
I'm sorry I haven't been around. I sort of abandon the internet and my devices this week. We are up in Michigan at the family lake houses and just letting the sun on us and laughter and love be with us. Every morning Im up enjoying sunrise with coffee and prayer and in evening having a boat cruise around during sunset. It's not fancy vacation but it's been great for us to reconnect with Matt's family.

I hope everyone is well and healthy and has the best and safest 4th July they can.

 

[lovemygoofy]

QOTD for 7/3 - What iconic toy of the era did you have as a child? or really want as a child, but your parents said no?

I had an Atari 2600! It was my first (that I can remember) expensive purchase that I saved up for! Great question, Pollyannamom

I wanted Atari as kid but never did. Im convinced why I'm still not good at video games lol

I had cabbage patch doll. She had blonde hair and I named her Amanda. I also had snoopy snow cone maker and my first summer job was in snow cone place. It was destined.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

Catching up - the Monkey has been keeping me on my toes (again) the past few days. I feel kind of..."free" right now. Yesterday I did laundry, and when I hung it, I didn't have my mom going back down to the basement to rehang it because I "didn't do it correctly." And I left the towels in the dryer overnight (okay, I forgot about them). This morning, when I took down the dry stuff, I folded and put away the shirts that I ONLY wear around the house, because why waste time ironing them when nobody else will see them? DH is happy that I haven't been cooking as much food (volume-wise) as my mom does - she's a wonderful cook, but he says it's too much - and we both feel like we're losing weight already.

Josh has been up since 6:30 and by 9:30 he'd had 3 snacks, but he's "not hungry" for breakfast The lawn service came yesterday and put down our summer treatment, so I've been moving the sprinkler around before it gets too hot (even though they're predicting thunderstorms later - our town is only supposed to get .2 inches). Josh and I collected a big bowl of home-grown green beans and the tomatoes are growing nicely. We already made brownies, too. I'm sweaty and will be putting the AC on very soon

Onto the new question...

I think this is leading to a great question of the day! -

QOTD for 7/3 - What iconic toy of the era did you have as a child? or really want as a child, but your parents said no?

I had Barbies, of course. Loved my Barbie dolls. I don't have any more of my childhood ones, but I do have many that I collected when I was in my 20s. I don't really care for the new ones at all, but there are a few of the "new body shape" ones that I do rather like. I have one of the "curvy" ones with blue stripes in her hair.

I always wanted an Atari as a kid. I wasn't allowed to have video games. I think I was literally the only kid that didn't. EVERYONE I knew had one. DH and his family had every game system that came out. A few years ago for his birthday or Christmas or something, I gave him that Atari Throwback system, the one that has 75 games or so on it (but not Pac-Man...???)

Edited to add: I loved Colorforms! I had 2 sets of Barbie "paper doll" colorforms and the Cabbage Patch Kids house set! Spent lots of time playing with those.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Tina, sounds like a wonderful vacation. I hope we get to go on our beach vacation in August.

@apirateslifeforme, you have been busy this morning. I may have forgotten, I guess your mother has gone elsewhere? For how long?

QOTD for 7/3 - What iconic toy of the era did you have as a child? or really want as a child, but your parents said no?

Great question.

I had Easy Bake Oven.
And Vac-U-Form


And Wheel-O

 

[flyingdumbo127]

So good to see this thread active this early morning (I do know for most of you it is mid morning). I am so happy to report "bye bye moto." I went under "Sounds" and scrolled down until I saw something like power on sound. I happily disabled it and that took care of that! Not quite, but needed to put in something fun did anyone ever color in the bananas in pajamas coloring books? Those were kind of creepy, too, but I did in college sometimes it was relaxing to color.

Good to see you, Tina! Glad you are enjoying a fun getaway. I also had a cabbage patch doll who I was never that much into, more the idea. I also was not much of a doll person, much preferred stuffed animals!

Hug, a pirateslifeforme, maybe that is why most of the kids, especially the younger ones, at camps were always starving all ways! even when they first came at 8:45 or so. I hope Josh finds a way to settle down so you both can take a breather.

Wow, Carol, I don't remember ever hearing of a Vac-U-Form. It looks interesting though! A way for kids to invent toys. I'm not quite sure how it would work but think kids today might enjoy it the same idea.

I'm sorry some of you didn't get to enjoy Atari. Qbert and Pac-Man were my favorites. I also had the car racing game. Later I did get the first Nintendo with Super Mario Brothers which I loved. I was kind of "old" (early teens I think) for video games then according to some so I didn't have that very long. These days, I do play every so often the Price is Right PC Game. My Dad plays Scrabble and Mahjong.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Wow, Carol, I don't remember ever hearing of a Vac-U-Form.

I'm old.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

@Breezy_Carol, yes, I forgot to mention that my mom drove out to Illinois on Tuesday. She'll be with my aunt and uncle for a month while my aunt has surgery for her ovarian cancer (next week). It was good to hear this morning that she still apparently has her appetite! My mom loves to cook and she's already been busy. Yesterday she made berry crisp and today she's doing banana bread. They've already had some good dinners and had to go to the store yesterday.

The thing that makes me sad is that Mom said it's weird to see her with no hair (from her first round of chemo). I don't even want to know. And she has to have more chemo even after the surgery. Really praying hard for her. It would be so cruel to lose her after she and my uncle found each other again - they were high school sweethearts, but broke up when he went into the Marines, and they finally reconnected after 50 years. They've only been married for 3 years now. Not fair at all.

 

[lovemygoofy]

@Breezy_Carol, yes, I forgot to mention that my mom drove out to Illinois on Tuesday. She'll be with my aunt and uncle for a month while my aunt has surgery for her ovarian cancer (next week). It was good to hear this morning that she still apparently has her appetite! My mom loves to cook and she's already been busy. Yesterday she made berry crisp and today she's doing banana bread. They've already had some good dinners and had to go to the store yesterday.

The thing that makes me sad is that Mom said it's weird to see her with no hair (from her first round of chemo). I don't even want to know. And she has to have more chemo even after the surgery. Really praying hard for her. It would be so cruel to lose her after she and my uncle found each other again - they were high school sweethearts, but broke up when he went into the Marines, and they finally reconnected after 50 years. They've only been married for 3 years now. Not fair at all.

This so weird but I have very good friend who is in IL with her sister right now. The sister is also with ovarian cancer and going through treatments and having surgery next week. I wonder if same person. Sometimes the world so small.

 

[Meriweather]

QOTD for 7/3 - What iconic toy of the era did you have as a child? or really want as a child, but your parents said no?

Had jacks, bike, jump rope, dolls and board games. I was good with that, paper dolls.....cutting them out was the best part
Before electronics were a thing

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I think this is leading to a great question of the day! -

QOTD for 7/3 - What iconic toy of the era did you have as a child? or really want as a child, but your parents said no?

When I was younger, I was very very spoiled. Baby Alive dolls, Barbies, Stuffed Animals, Easy Bake Oven... Shrinky Dinks, Colorforms, Paper dolls (loved the Holly Hobbie ones especially), and my favorite 'cheap' toy...Presto Magix.

There were just a few toys that I wanted so very much and didn't get...Perfection (which was fine because I suck at that game); Simon; the Barbie camper; Barbie Pool Party; Barbie Dream House (but I did have the Charlie's Angels house, so I guess it sort of makes sense); Speak and Spell; and an Atari. We did eventually get the Atari, when I was a teenager, and then a NES (which my dad didn't let anyone play).

 

[flyingdumbo127]

for your Aunt, apirateslifeforme and for your friend's sister, Tina, too!

Meriweather, board games were fun, I vaguely remember having jacks but no clue how to play now. I had one red bike that was special to me because when I was 8 or so which was when I first got it) my Grandpa taught me to ride it

Bianca and Bernard, hug, I'm sorry your Dad made that NES choice

Editing out problematic phone info, that has been returned to the PO as I type lol.

 

[lynxstch]

Had jacks, bike, jump rope, dolls and board games. I was good with that, paper dolls.....cutting them out was the best part
Before electronics were a thing

That would be me also. No electronics back then, my one wish was for a transistor radio, and it took my Mom forever to get me one. I loved paper dolls, my favorite (boy will this give away my age), one was a Lennon Sisters one from the Lawrence Welk Show, lol!
It is a hot steamy 95 degrees outside. We did errands this morning, and I made a trip into Walmart. Our store capacity is 1500 people, and at not quite 11:30 I was the 1037'th person. They had every register open (which I think is still against state manadate) and hardly anyone was social distancing unless you literally told them to back the heck up. Guy behind me at registers almost ran over my heels he was so close. He didn't get it when I glared at him apparently as he didn't move, until I saidBACK UP. He didn't want to, but he did. Cashier said it's been like that for 3 days..well then they better start enforcing some of the rules again. Aldi's was fairly empty, and now there are no limits on bread, meat, canned goods, but still have limits on dairy and paper goods. I bought a pkg of nice Hanes face masks in Walmart, they had 5 packs (made with cotton, so very washable) and they had them in black and white. I am tired of the paper ones, and I don't feel like making anymore, so these will get us through.
Dinner tonite-chicken tenders, spring rolls, salad, and fresh garden squash
Dinner tomorrow nite-Burgers, potato salad, maybe devilled eggs, and garden fresh corn and tomatoes
Dinner Sunday-yet to be decided on, but it's going to be hot hot hot for the next week, so it will be something easy on the grill!

Have a great holiday weekend everyone, I am sure some of us won't get to post every day with things going on, but I wish everyone a Safe Happy Fourth of July!

 

[Meriweather]

I did have a transistor radio.
My favorite paper dolls were called Twelve Little Cousins. 12 kids with lots of clothes.
I also loved my Barbie doll. My aunt who had no girls, made a whole wardrobe for one and entered them in a contest......when that was over, I got it all!! Still have them

 

[lynxstch]

I had 2 Barbie dolls, and my mother knitted them outfits. I had 3 piece suit sets, pants sets, coats, hats, scarves, she even knitted 2 evening gowns for them. She didn't have great eyesight, so I know that those were made with a lot of love. Thanks for the memories the QOTD brought up, as my Mom has been gone for almost 25 years now.

 

[Snowysmom]

I had a Barbie doll, her sister doll Skipper, and friend doll Midge. My mother also knit or crocheted clothes for my dolls. I also had Barbie dream house. That was a mess to put together. My father was working on that for a while and it was just heavy duty cardboard but you had to punch out all the furniture and put it together by following the tabs. I also had Chatty Cathy. My mother was the manager of the toy department at Almy's which is an old department store I think maybe just in MA or maybe states around MA too. She always got to see the toys when they first got in and could get first pick. Plus she got the employee discount.

It is interesting to see the toys from the various decades represented here.

 

[gwynne]

It's so fun to read about everyone's childhood toys.
Barbie was a favorite. I enjoyed board games, playing jacks, and my hula hoop.
I also loved to cut out the Betsy McCall paper dolls out of McCall's magazines.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Love reading about all the toys and relatives who took care and time to sew for them. Brings back a very sweet memory of my Grandma. I loved my playmobil kids. I always regretted selling them in general plus to a teacher who I did not especially care for. I think at the time I felt like I was too old to hang onto them Regretted that immediately but never occurred to me to try and get them back, wish I had (or better kept them to begin with)! Each figure had a name, some even had siblings, and despite being super shy as a kid (a ton better now but still can be quieter around new people) they all were paired with a boyfriend or girlfriend lol. I remember using an old blue styrofoam egg carton as their classroom.

Anyway, Grandma lovingly hand sewed little felt light pink sleeping bags for them! I can picture them in my mind right now

There was another time when Grandma was supposed to be the school bus driver (I had a toy school bus that the playmobil kids were supposed to ride). Anyway, she got busy with something and forgot about her "route" until much later. For years she and I would laugh about the day the bus did not come. I loved (and still love) my Grandma! She's an Angel of God now with Grandpa and little Champ

 

[bobbiwoz]

A dear friend knows Gus gets afraid of fireworks and fire crackers and dropped off this sign! She is a blessing!