Tag: #Barbie

Women of a Certain Age

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Women of a Certain Age –

Barbie Birthday Edition…

Women of a Certain Age –

Barbie Birthday Edition…

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

  1. If “One Bad Apple”, “I Think I Love You”, “Pleasant Valley Sunday”, or “Ben” are on your playlist, you might be a woman of a certain age.
  2. If you know what to ask any mermaid you happen to see…
  3. If you know why Charlie has good taste…
  4. If you ever polished your teeth with Pearl Drops (mmmmm)…
  5. If you remember new Coke and new math…
  6. If you ever swung on a tire…
  7. If you ever sang about swinging on a star and carrying moonbeams home in a jar….
  8. If you ever drank from the garden hose (don’t try this again)…
  9. If you had a Betsy Wetsy, Suzie Cute, Chatty Cathy or Mrs Beasley doll…
  10. If you ever used two tin cans and a length of twine as a communication device…
  11. If you ever “drove” a Yugo, Le Car, Bobcat, or Pinto, not only are you of a certain age, I feel sorry for you…
  12. If your baloney has a first and last name…
  13. If you ever made a balcony appetizer with a pearl onion on a toothpick…
  14. If you know what choosey moms choose…
  15. If you ever shaked and baked, or “helped”…
  16. If you know who was moving kind of slow, at the junction…
  17. If your recipe cards include tuna casserole with potato chips crust and chicken ala king….
  18. If you ever used recipe cards…
  19. If you ever read a Weekly Reader…
  20. If you know who Dick, Jane, Spot, and Puff are.
  21. If you call math arithmetic…
  22. If you recall when Pringles were just potato flavored only…
  23. If you remember when M&M candies came in just plain and peanut…
  24. If you ever used a Trimline or Princess phone (mine was pink)…
  25. If you ever protected your manicure by dialing the phone with the eraser end of a pencil…
  26. If when you hear Amazon, you think of a river in South America…
  27. If you ever received a glass or a towel inside a box of detergent…
  28. If you ever received a toy in cereal or a prize in a Cracker Jack box…
  29. If you know Cracker Jack has nothing to do with crackers or a real man named Jack…
  30. If you ever made a purchase with S&H green stamps…
  31. If you ever clapped on, clapped off…
  32. If you ever waxed on, waxed off…
  33. If you ever owned any compilation by K-Tel….
  34. If you owned an original pair of Candies’ clogs…
  35. If you ever shopped at Peck and Peck, Sears, Wards, “Misc”, Murphy’s, Thom McCann, Buster Brown, or Lerner shop…
  36. If you know who got no respect but had a lot of balls…
  37. If your favorite summer Olympians are Mark Spitz, Olga Corbit, or Cathy Rigby…
  38. If your favorite ice skater Olympic stars are Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Liz Manley, Brian Botano, Brian Orser, or Scott Hamilton…
  39. If you call a credit card a Charge-A-Plate…
  40. If you ever walked through the Elizabeth Arden Red Door…
  41. If you ever had an Adrian Arpel in-salon facial, and went on to follow her on QVC….
  42. If you know who Elizabeth Arden and Adrian Arpel are….
  43. If you ever used Youth Dew bath oil…
  44. If you still use Jean Nate splash-on cologne…
  45. If you have ever heard of splash-on cologne…
  46. If you ever wore strawberry or lemon perfume …
  47. If you ever wore Coty’s Emeraude perfume…
  48. If your favorite cologne is named Charlie…
  49. If you ever used a Trapper Keeper or a gel pen…
  50. If you ever used a Day Runner…
  51. If you ever were a candy striper…
  52. If you recall when nurses wore caps and dresses…
  53. If you ever owned blow mold Christmas or Easter lawn ornaments…
  54. If you ever washed your hair with beer or used an egg white face mask …
  55. If Hazel or Bewitched are one of your favorite TV shows…
  56. If you know “You Got a Friend”….
  57. If you were a Lustre Creme shampoo girl or had a Lilt permanent…
  58. If you call Oil of Olay or Ponds cold cream…
  59. If you know who Mike Douglas and his weekly co-hosts were…
  60. If you ever watched “Apples Way”, “Lotsa Luck!” or “You Again” on TV…
  61. If you ever owned a scarf clip or sweater fastener…
  62. If you ever owned veiled hats or prim white gloves that are not for winter…
  63. If you’ve ever sought advice from Ann Landers or Dear Abby…
  64. If you know who Ann Landers or Dear Abby are…
  65. If you are as old as Barbie, you are 65, and are definitely a woman of a certain age…

 

Happy birthday, Barbara Millicent Roberts – you look great for 65. Thank you for empowering girls and women everywhere to be whatever they choose to be…

“Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History”

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“Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History”

March is Women's History Month. Let's celebrate the many accomplishments of our sisters.

“Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History”

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

Vote, Vote, Vote!

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s all remember to vote blue in order to keep women safe. I must, of course, stress the significance of this year’s theme: “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.” 2024’s presidential election must go down in history as a victory for our nations female population, with a vote for President Biden and our first female VP Kamala Harris. Our president has fought to preserve women’s rights, he wrote the Violence Against Women Act, and reinforced his commitment to our issues during his awe inspiring state of the Union address. Joe Biden is a a pro-choice man of God who treats women with respect. His wife Dr. Biden is an empowered woman of faith.

Two Steps Forward…

This year’s Oscars, also during this historic month, has the “Barbie” movie nominated for Best Picture but we have a long way to go, since the movie’s star and producer failed to be nominated for Best Actress. Barbie joins the ranks of female hero films like “Legally Blonde”, “Miss Congeniality”, “Princess Diaries”, “The Miracle Worker”, “Sophie’s Choice” and “Norma Rae”, to name a few. We must not back down in our fight for equal rights. Ladies of all nationalities, races, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds are celebrated during March, as we join hands across our country to recognize the very important role all women play in history.

A Seat at the Table

From the beginning of time, the Bible and other literary works have recognized the strength of women. From childbirth to picket lines, women have shown they are powerful. Mothers, homemakers, doctors, lawyers, journalists, factory workers, service employees – all play significant parts in American history. Gloria Steinem said, “Any woman who chooses to behave like a full human being should be warned that the armies of the status quo will treat her as something of a dirty joke. That’s their natural and first weapon. She will need her sisterhood.” Shirley Chisholm, the first black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, declared, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

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I Wanna Be Barbie, That Girl Has It All

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I Wanna Be Barbie

Barbie hit 60 this year but she looks good and is just hitting her stride. I Wanna Be Barbie, That Girl Has It All…

 

By Anna Hessel

 

“Barbie” Boom

Pink is in and so is Barbie. I just saw the new Barbie movie for the first time, and it’s totally awesome. How can you miss with a cast that includes America Ferrera, Rhea Pearlman, Will Farrell, Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie, and narration by Helen Mirren? I must commend Mattel for having the courage to make this movie happen. Culturally diverse Barbies and Kens abound in Barbieland, including wheelchair and plus size perfect Barbies – I want both of those dolls. I agree the park bench scene with pink Western attired Barbie and the older lady is a scene worthy of an Oscar. This Christmas my nieces and nephews are getting Mattel toys: Barbies, Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars. Toys for Tots will be blessed with Barbies, too.

Back in the Day…

I happen to pride myself on knowing my Babs history. I know her middle name is Millicent and I have owned many a Millie. I actually gave my dolls choppy haircuts, marker make up, and even tattoos. Weird Barbie, I understand will be the doll to have this holiday season. Eons ago, I came up with the idea of cellulite Barbie, and, of course, have written about it – you heard it here first, folks.

No Boxing

I played enthusiastically with my collection – no doll of mine stayed in a box. Barbie in her black and pink case accompanied me to my first sleepover and my first day of school. She took mud baths in puddles after the rain, and Malibu Barbie and Ken went to the beach with me. I had the Barbie airplane – she was the pilot, Midge the copilot, and Ken was the flight attendant on my airline.

Be All That She Can Be

Ever the feminist, I campaigned for a Shirley Chisholm and “That Girl” dolls. I already had a nurse “Julia” doll. My fashionista Barbie was a lawyer, astronaut, ballerina, and veterinarian, complete with plastic cat and dog. She was a marine biologist, swimming with plastic dolphins. I had equestrian Barbie, who also ran a day care center. Cute baby Barbies came with my baby sitter set. I had the growing up Skipper; crank her arm and she grew boobs. Lucy in the candy factory Barbie. Hair color change Barbie. Ice Capades Barbie. Farm girl Barbie. Teacher Barbie. That’s just to name a few. Ms. Barbara Millicent Roberts was a professor, first female President of the United States, a senator, and judge. Ken was nurse to her doctor. All of my fashion diva dolls held important positions: opera star, actress, independent film maker, news anchor, author, nuclear physicist, private detective, rocket scientist, and, of course, journalist.

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