Retro Summer Fun

Kids Cooped-Up? Games Ahoy!

Let’s face it–some summer days are just too hot to run around outdoors. In fact, I’ve heard weather men in several states recommend people stay in air conditioning more than a few times this season.

So how do you keep kids entertained during the long summer months without resorting to hours of TV or video games?

Enter Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots! When I dug this old pal out of The Attic, I thought for sure my hip kids would roll their eyes–but they didn’t! They grabbed those buttons and went to town, knocking each others’ blocks off. Little did they know they were enjoying a vintage toy from the 60s!

It was such a success that I tried Gnip Gnop (I was in my 30s before I realized that was “Ping Pong” spelled backwards). Back in the 70s, my cousin and I played this one a lot. It was another big hit with the kids! The family room rang out with ball-flying, button-smashing action!

Jumping decades, we broke out the Betty’s Attic tabletop version of Space Invaders. In the 80s, my friends and I rode our bikes to the video arcade every day after school to wield joysticks and obliterate aliens. It was awesome, dude! Totally awesome!

Finally, the kids took a break with some ice-cold drinks I served in our brand-new Kool-Aid Drink Set. I couldn’t help it–when I saw the familiar face of Kool-Aid Man (who got his name back in 1975), I screamed “Oh Yeahhh!” just like the commercials I grew up with.

And that’s when my kids decided “playtime with Mom” was over.

Think You Know Harrison Ford?

Its Not All Snakes And Wookies!

In honor of Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull I “dug up” some fun facts you may or may not know about the daring archaeologist’s alter-ego! As if we could love the man any more...

He Builds Things

Before the acting career took off, he was a very well-respected carpenter.

He Can Fly–Seriously!

He has his private pilot’s license and owns several aircraft and a Bell 407 helicopter.

He Rescues People In Real Life

August 5, 2000: Ford used his helicopter to rescue 20 year-old Sarah George from a mountaintop in Idaho. George was apparently so overcome with emotion and heat stroke that she threw up. ''I can't believe I barfed in Harrison Ford's helicopter,'' she later said.

July 11, 2001: When 13 year-old Wyoming Boy Scout Cody Clawson went missing, rescue teams called Ford. Again in the trusty helicopter, Ford found the boy and flew him to safety. Luckily, no cleanup was necessary this time.

He’s Related To E.T.

His ex-wife, screenwriter Melissa Mathison, wrote the script for E.T. :The Extra Terrestrial.

He’s Lucky

Tom Selleck was originally cast as Han Solo. When Selleck had to drop out, Ford eventually got the role.

He’s Green

Famous for his conservation work, he has a species of ant (Peidole harrisonfordi) and spider (Calponia Harrisonfordi) named after him, as well as a species of butterfly named after his daughter, Georgia.

He’s Philosophical

(Quote) "Peace isn't merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of justice."

Harrison Ford, we love you. Whether you’re flying the Falcon, raiding the Ark, or irritating Irina Spalko (his adversary in Crystal Skull,) you will always be near and dear to us. Because–like the icons you yourself so admire, Gregory Peck and Gary Cooper–you’re more than an actor; you’re a really good guy.

Super Heroes Walk Among Us!

Childhood Favorites On The Big Screen & Beyond


As hot balmy breezes start to blow in, everybody’s gearing up for the biggest summer movie season in history! Iron Man, Speed Racer, Indiana Jones (check out our awesome Indy Fedora), The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight (action figures coming soon...check back!) all await us in a darkened theater...and in the corners of our imaginations!



The males in our household are crackling with anticipation, and you know what? The women are, too! My teenage daughter is a big Batman fan (although I suspect this has something to do with Christian Bale) and she’s priming herself for The Dark Knight with her Batman: The Complete History Book. Chock full of classic illustrations, photos and trivia, it explores the fascinating evolution of The Caped Crusader from comics to campy TV show to neo noir icon!



Our 16 year-old son, the budding video game designer, is already an ace at sketching characters, but he still refers to his Superman Book and Spider-Man pop-up book for inspiration. He’s told us “everything you need to know about figure drawing you can learn from Marvel comics.” When I was his age, all I knew how to draw was Hello Kitty!



And who gave him his first comic book? His dad, of course! As I type this blog, Mr. Betty’s Attic is wearing his favorite Marvel Comics Characters T-Shirt as he rummages in the kitchen for some of last night’s lasagna.



Imagine if you could go back in time and tell the 9 year-old version of you about the super hero movies of today: Spidey stopping a train with his bare hands and Bruce Wayne’s futuristic tank-inspired Batmobile (remember the wild 60s version?)


The 9 year-old “you” would freak out!


That’s because no matter how much we “grow up” and trade in capes and masks for dishwashers and dry cleaning, there’s a 9 year-old inside all of us. Tugging at our shirt, saying “let’s play! ”

Old Toys Are New Again!

Sharing Memories With Our Kids

When I watch my kids play video games full of speeding cars and blaring guitars, one thought races through my head:

My childhood toys were so much friendlier!

Luckily, I live and work in a gigantic retro toy chest here at The Attic, so I decided to try a little experiment: I pulled out a few gems from my not-so-distant past and passed them on to my kids to see their reactions.

First, I hoisted over a soft cuddly Teddy Ruxpin. You remember him. He was the first doll to cause mass hysteria during the holidays, as well-adjusted lawyers, HR managers and housewives duked it out over limited supplies. And who could blame them? He TALKED! And READ YOU STORIES! His eyes moved. His mouth moved. In short, he was the coolest stuffed animal in the universe. And he still is!

Next, I challenged them to the Rubik’s Cube. In 7th grade, I once impressed a very cute 9th grader (who wore checkered Jeff Spicoli VANS) with my stealth at “The Cube” as we rode the bus home one afternoon. Unfortunately, my giant orthodontic head gear spoke louder than my mathematical skills. Kids today are lucky. Dental procedures are much easier now. They have no idea what we went through!

And finally, I presented the kids with our Pinball Money Puzzle. Although a mini version of the greatest game ever invented, it still requires dexterity, patience, and perseverance–this time, to get the tiny metal balls in the right holes to unlock money placed inside.

Heck, back in the day we played pinball for glory! As usual, in my case I was trying to win the affection of a gallant lad. His name was Scott Hoffman and he had hair just like Andy Gibb’s.

I don’t mind telling you, I was something of a pinball shark in 1981! I could keep that ball in play for hours! Okay, 1 minute max, but I was pretty good. Alas, my head gear again reared its hideous head and Scott Hoffman never got to know the sophisticated 11 year old underneath that tangled mouth of metal.

As I passed around these blasts from the past, telling my kids pitiful teen angst tales, something incredible happened–their video games sat idle as they pushed Teddy Ruxpin’s buttons and rattled around the Rubik’s Cube! My daughter tried her hand at the mini pinball and showed she has Mom’s flair for the flippers! Then they asked what it was like before electricity, and if it hurt our feet to pedal our Stone Age cars to work.

I felt the glorious bond of motherhood.
They get that sarcasm from me, you know!

Tomorrow Is April Fool’s Day!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Fools!

Did you know April Fool’s Day has been around for centuries?

Turns out there are oodles of wacky stories about its origins. One of the best stories took place in Britain in the 13th century. At the time, royal law stated that any road the king touched became his property. When the town of Gotham got wind of this, they hatched a plan to hang onto their land.

When King John approached Gotham, the residents refused him entry. But he was, after all, the king, and he sent knights to storm the town. So all the Gotham townsfolk pretended to be completely looney tunes by “drowning fish” and “trying to trap birds in roofless cages” (cutting-edge comedy in the 13th century). The king fell for it and declared Gotham “too foolish to punish.” And the people of Gotham kept their hamlet all to themselves!

Much later, in the 20th century, theater owners realized that fools equaled comedy gold!

From vaudeville to movies and, later, television, we’ve fallen in love with bumbling buffoons. The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, and Abbott and Costello all boast at least 1 to 3 fools. Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show is another fine fool. Bad Boy Benny Hill mixed foolery with saucy hi-jinks for an irresistible combination (you know you watched when your parents weren’t around).

Some of my favorite fools are the cartoon characters I grew up with.I still crack up when Daffy Duck hisses “You’re despicable!” I giggle when Bullwinkle says “Hey Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!”

So, this April Fool’s Day pay homage to The Fool with your old friends: Scooby Doo, Johnny Carson, Fred Flintstone, Rodney Dangerfield, Charlie Brown, Bob Hope, Homer Simpson–and more.

And yes: I did just put Bob Hope in the same category as a crime solving dog. Doh!

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Sweet Strawberry Shortcake

Over 25 Years Later, She’s Still Our Gal!

When I heard that Strawberry Shortcake was returning to Saturday Morning cartoons, I ran straight for my Scented Plush Doll and took a long yummy whiff of her strawberry-scented hair!

Originally created for American Greetings back in 1977, the ’80s belonged to Strawberry and her pals! With over 21 additional characters added between 1980–1984, every little girl from Causality to Syracuse pulled on her mother’s hem, begging for these plush cuddly dolls with soft yarn hair scented to match their names! And with names like Raspberry TartTM, Apple Dumplin’TM and Huckleberry PieTM, who could resist a sniff or two? Even the villains had names to make you drool: The Peculiar Purple Pie ManTM, Raisin CaneTM, Licorice WhipTM(2005)...Hello! Where was Brussels Sprouts Man or The Green Bean Goblin? THEY would've been scary!

Slated for debut Saturday, September 15th as part of CBS’s new KEWLopolisTM block of animated kids’ fare, Strawberry Shortcake makes yet another comeback, introducing herself to a whole new generation of girls. You can be sure your Aunt Betty will be up extra-early this Saturday with her coffee and English Muffin (not a Strawberry Shortcake character, btw) to see what imaginative adventures our sweet-scented heroine gets into this time!

While we wait for Saturday, treat yourself to the warm fuzzies of nostalgia! In addition to the aforementioned Scented Plush Strawberry Shortcake, we also have two unbelievably adorable dolls from Marie Osmond’s highly-collectible Tiny Tot series: Strawberry Shortcake Tiny Tot and Blueberry Muffin Tiny Tot!

And check back in October because rumor has it we’ll be adding the Lemon Meringue Tiny Tot to that scrumptious collection!Until then, I'll be here, fantasizing about a big giant bowl of Count Chocula®...