Fingerless Gloves | 1980s Accessory

I loved fingerless mesh gloves.

Fingerless gloves. We all had them. If you say you didn't, you're a dirty liar. Neon pink or green mesh fingerless gloves were all the rage in the mid 1980s. Paired with a neon top and rubber bracelets, I felt so cool and stylish. I'd spike my hair and put on my cutest new wave earrings. In addition to the mesh gloves, I also loved my Madonna style lace fingerless gloves. Did you or your sister have a pair?

Lace fingerless gloves

Dressy Bessy & Dapper Dan Dolls

Dressy Bessy was so cool in 1976.

At around age four or five, I loved playing with my Dressy Bessy doll. Dressy Bessy and her brother Dapper Dan were soft rag dolls with a purpose ... To teach small children how to button, zip and tie.

Dapper Dan was equally adorable.

I loved Dressy Bessy's colorful clothing, bright orange yarn hair and rosy cheeks. Dapper Dan was obviously targeted to male children. I remember playing with Dapper Dan at nursery school, but I didn't own him. He was as adorable as Dressy Bessy with his ginger hued hair, red vest, pleather yellow boots and blue and white gingham pants.

These 1970s teaching toys were classic and Hasbro continued to produce the dolls updating their style. There are many imitations available, but I will always remember Dressy Bessy and Dapper Dan as the original version.

Out Of This World | TV Series

Maureen Flannigan as Evie in Out Of This World.

Out Of This World was a silly scifi NBC comedy show which ran between September, 1987 through May, 1991.  The stories focused around a teenage girl, Evie (Maureen Flannigan) raised by her mom Donna (I loved her mom, played by Donna Pescow of Saturday Night Fever fame).

Where was her dad? Well, he was an alien who lived far, far away. Her dad, Troy spoke to her via a special communicator cube. Evie finds out she has special supernatural powers when she turns 13 and shares her experiences and concerns with her dad in daily conversations with him over the colorful cube.

Click here to view an episode of Out Of This World to refresh your memory or to see what you missed out back in 1987.

I ate all the Frusen Glädjé

Frusen Gladje brand ice cream from the 1980s.

The other day I asked my Facebook friends about an old commercial for eyeglasses. The commercial had an annoying naggy voice saying, "Get glasses Alice, get glasses." Many of my New York-area friends commented about how they totally remembered it. One buddy reminded me of another annoying TV commercial for a product I had completely forgotten about.

Frusen Glädjé was a very fancy, upscale, modern ice cream famous for these silly commercials featuring numb nuts acting all serious as they confessed, "I ate all the Frusen Glädjé." I did some research on Frusen Glädjé and found out it translates to "frozen joy" or "frozen delight" in Swedish.


Frusen Glädjé was founded by an American in 1980 and was popular until about 1985. I vaguely remember the snobby frozen treat mentioned in the 1991 Bret Easton Ellis book, American Psycho.


Please take a minute to watch this commercial for Frusen Glädjé.

Topps 1980s Orange Juice Gum

Topps 1980s Orange Juice Bubble Gum

If you've been following my blog for a while, you may have noticed I am a bit of a sucker for funky flavored bubble gum. I've told you about my Hamburger Gum obsession and 'fessed up about my fascination of Gatorgum, Hubba Bubba and Freshen Up.

I have recently rediscovered a traditional Florida souvenir I loved as a child, orange juice flavored gum. Back in the early 1980s, we could purchase this gum at our local candy stores. Cutely packaged in tiny orange juice cartons, Topps brand Orange Juice flavored bubble gum was so juicy and delicious. 

You would open the carton like you would a normal-sized juice carton and pour the candy into your mouth. I think the gum came in the form of tiny nuggets and although each nugget was packed with orange flavor, that flavor, like most bubble gums, faded within a few minutes. 

Anyone remember this?

Tina Yothers' Book | Being Your Best Guide For Girls

Being Your Best: Tina Yothers'
Guide For Girls book was great!

I was always a major fan of Family Ties. To this day, my husband and I watch it every week night in repeats. There was something endearing about the family and the way they interacted together. The story lines were interesting and super 1980s.

Growing up, I loved reading helpful books for girls. It must have made me feel all grown up or some shiz. What better book for me than a helpful book for girls penned by the famous Jennifer Keaton, Tina Yothers! 

Does anyone remember this gem, Being Your Best: Tina Yothers' Guide For Girls from 1987? I would love to read this again. May be time to hit up eBay for a copy.

Six Pack | 80s Movie with Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers in Six Pack.

In the early 1980s, my parents spoiled us by having HBO in our Long Island home. Other than Fraggle Rock, I remember certain movies repeating incessantly. Six Pack staring Kenny Rogers was one of them. Oh, how I loved this 1982 film about a white haired, bearded race car driver named Brewster Baker and six southern tag-along kids.

The movie featured six orphaned kids who meet up with Kenny Rogers' character by stealing a brand new engine from his race car while he's in a small Texas town rest stop. Long story short, Kenny takes the kids on the road as his pit crew. The cast included a very young Anthony Michael Hall and Diane Lane alongside Erin Gray.

A spin-off TV version of the show with Don Johnson as Brewster Baker and Leaf Phoenix (now Joaquin Phoenix) didn't last very long in 1983.

Here's a  tribute video someone made using clips from the Kenny Rogers' movie, Six Pack.

The Battle of the Network Stars

Howard Cosell hosting
The Battle of the Network Stars

The other day, I asked my husband if he recalled watching The Battle of the Network Stars on TV as a kid. He had no idea what I was talking about. Doing some research, I was surprised to see this competitive two-hour ABC show actually aired from 1977 all the way through 1988.

Basically it reminded me of sports day at my grammar school only it involved our favorite '70s and '80s television stars. Hosted by the famous sports announcer Howard Cosell and managed by celebrity team captains, actors from the three major networks ABC, NBC and CBS would compete against each other in different obstacle courses and other activities.

I hate sports, however I loved watching famous folks such as Melissa Gilbert, Erin Gray from Silver Spoons, Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers from Three's Company, Scott Baio and many more battle against each other. Does anyone remember The Battle of the Network Stars? Here's a video clip to remind you.

Kids Incorporated Jerry Sharell

Jerry was my favorite Kids Inc. cast member.

Like most kids in 1984, I loved morning TV. I have reminisced about how while growing up I wanted to be a famous singer, dancer or actress. I would dance around to the Annie soundtrack in 1982 and Footloose in 1984. 

Kids Incorporated was the best show ever for a kid like me. I would fantasize that I too was part of the group. I knew all of the songs they covered such as Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson -- basically all of the popular radio hits. I wrote to all of the cast members and even got a reply from Mario Lopez. Although I loved all five members of the original cast, one cast member really wowed me.

Jerry Sharell played Mickey. Although he was only in the first season of Kids Incorporated, he was my very favorite. Jerry was tall with dark hair and had such a charismatic way of performing. I could tell he was very well trained, professional and took his singing seriously. This wasn't just a job to him, this was Jerry's dream. I Googled him recently to see what he might look like today. Wow, he's all grown up and even more handsome than he was as a teen. Check him out. 

Jerry Sharell today, wow!

Check out this video with Jerry singing the lead and Mario Lopez on drums. 

Jaws Game by Ideal | 70s Game

The Game of Jaws from 1975

Remember the 1975 Jaws game by Ideal? The game, probably not as popular as the movie, worked similar to Operation. Jaws came with 13 pieces of random junk you'd have to shove in his mouth, then fish out using a long hook. If your hook got caught in the mouth of Jaws, you lost. Simple concept, kinda boring.

Doogie Howser, M.D. Kid Doctor

Who didn't watch
 Doogie Howser, M.D. in 1989?

As you know, I'm addicted to The Hub and their weeknight lineup. I especially enjoy watching Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie (Douglas) Howser, M.D. and his silly sidekick Vinnie Delpino played by Max Casella.

The ABC comedy drama aired for four seasons from 1989 to 1993 and focused on the life and times of a young prodigy doctor who finished med school at age 14. It was somewhat unbelievable, but that's what we loved about the show ... The idea that this cute kid close to our age was out there and doing the Saint Elsewhere/Quincy thing.

I have to admit, whenever I hear synthesizers without lyrics, especially at wedding cocktail hours, I always think of Doogie. Do you?