Remember this? episode 12

Oooooh boy, next week my baby “Remember This?” is going to be a teenager- how fast they grow up!

But this week she’s still just a kid. Or a tween, anyway. So, without further ado…

Remember This? episode 12

1. yin-yang signs. Long before the yin-yang twins and long, long after the Chinese coined the term, there was a period of time in the mid 90s when Americans fell head over heels for this symbol. Necklaces, t-shirts, jewelry made out of hemp… this symbol was everywhere. Shortly thereafter, along with the peace sign and flower power, we “graciously” let the philosophers have this one back.

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2. gak. Holy Nickelodeon- what on earth is this gunk? We make a homemade version at work out of borax, glue, and food coloring, but it isn’t quite the same. Goopy, gloppy, and squelchy, this lard-like playdough was all the rage for awhile there. Haven’t seen it lately.

3. Inspector Gadget.  I don’t even know all of the different things Inspector Gadget could do with his crazy abilities, nor do I remember the name of the creepy villain that had like, only a claw inside of his warplane or whatever, but I do remember he had a daughter who was super annoying. And that catchy theme song.

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4. Chickadella. Okay, so the deal with this one was that you sat in a circle with your best pals, palms faced up. (No, it wasn’t a seance… keep reading). One person started by clapping their one hand over the person to their side, creating a chain of hand slaps, while simultaneously singing a song. When the song ended and you counted to five, the person who got slapped was OUT. Many debates ensued over this hot-potato style elimination. Wanna hear the whole song? Here goes: “Chick-a-della-old-man qua-qua-qua-chee-chee-five-cents-a -chica-chicka-chang-choom. Follow, follow, follow follow follow- ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE” Slap, you’re out.

5. Mrs Doubtfire. Robin Williams in drag? Sally Field, period? Disgrace to the name of James Bond Pierce Brosnan as slimy suitor? Kid who may or may not have been Matthew Lawrence that said sassy teenager things? Jokes about balls and boobs? Sold! The flaming fake book is the best part of the film. Film loses points  (in my book) for having sad parts.

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Do you remember the name of Inspector Gadget’s nemesis? Did you play chickadella (and remember the lyrics better than me?) Who the sam hill was the teen boy in Mrs. Doubtfire? Why don’t I google these things? I’m lazy.

Goodnight!

Meri

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Must See TV

As summer draws to a majestic close (don’t blame me, I didn’t make the calendar…), there is one thing to kind of, sort of, look forward to. No, I’m not talking about pumpkin spice lattes, chunky sweaters, or football season.

I mean fall TV, of course!

Now, I’ve already told you all how much I love some returning shows such as Revenge, 2 Broke Girls, Glee, Gossip Girl, and Up All Night. Today, I don’t intend to go over those shows again (but by all means check them out if you haven’t already!).

Today, I’ll give you a short list of brand spanking new TV shows premiering this fall that I’m excited about:

NBC:

  • 1600 Penn (Coming Soon)- A white house satire. I can never get enough of those. And it stars Dharma.
  • The New Normal (Sept. 11)- This has been getting a ton of advertisement over Olympic season and all, so I’m thinking if they put this much money into the marketing it must be at least mildly funny.

FOX:

  • The Mindy (Kaling) Project (Sept. 25th) Do we not just laugh at anything this woman says or does? If you’ve not read her book, “Is everyone hanging out without me,” read it now).

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The CW:

  • Emily Owens, MD. (Oct. 16th)- Yes, this show might be unbearably whiny and like a cheap version of Grey’s Anatomy, but I gotta think Meryl Streep’s adult daughter had some reason for taking the show’s starring role, so I’m going to check it out.
  • The Carrie Diaries (Coming Soon). Okay, so this prequel to Sex and the City is likely to be as awful or worse than the “Emily Owens MD” show, but again, I can’t not watch it for myself to find out. Here’s hoping.

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ABC:

  • Last Resort (Sept 27th)- Okay, this is usually not my kind of show at all. But last spring I completed an online survey where I watched the pilot and gave feedback, and I’m sort of hooked. Also, Scott Speedman. I was too young to appreciate his hotness when he was on “Felicity,” but I can appreciate it now…
  • Nashville– (Oct 10th) Not actually a big fan of country music, myself, but I do like show biz dramas, and I do like star Hayden Panettiere. So I’ll give it a shot.

CBS:

  • Elementary (Sept. 27th)- First, I love Sherlock Holmes (and not just because of Robert Downey Jr.). Second, I love Lucy (Liu). Therefore, I hope I love this new show that combines the two.

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What fall tv shows or movies are you looking forward to? Have you heard of these shows?

Meri

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cause for distress

Last week I saw something on Pinterest that caught my eye. I figured it was an easy enough DIY to try and the results would be one less scratchy t-shirt in my closet to avoid wearing.

 

So off I went, happily gathering a bowl, some salt, and a t-shirt I wasn’t afraid to ruin. I should state for the record that this tee was already fairly soft, just not “vintage soft” like I was dreaming of. My confidence was pretty high since I followed these simple directions to a “tee” (har har har).

Before!
ready for my three day soak!
wash and dry!
After

Conclusion: This online craft seems to good to be true. Why? Well, because I think it is. While my shirt came out of the dryer quite wrinkly and seemed to take about a month to dry, it didn’t feel any softer. In fact, it almost feels a bit starchier. I might try washing it again to get the awful seawater smell off of it, but I won’t be trying the brining process again anytime soon.

But hey, at least now I know. It was an experiment in clothing distressing.

Have you ever “treated” any of your clothes or altered them to become softer or more fashionable? How do your DIYs turn out?

Meri

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Take this with a grain “and” salt

I’m back with a little reprise of last week’s moveable feast. I thought I’d share a few simple dishes I cooked up in the last week for some vegetarian inspiration. They even skew a little towards autumn flavors, so they should prepare you for the upcoming season!

quinoa with garlic, cream cheese, and mushrooms
barley with pumpkin, cream cheese, curry powder, and garlic

Yum. On this rainy and dark day I am again craving these warm fall flavors. Perhaps tonight will be some concoction of sweet potato and spinach atop some barley or amaranth. Or maybe I’ll make an Amy’s soup and be lazy about it all..

What are you having for dinner tonight?

Meri

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Remember This? Episode 11

Once again, it’s Monday evening and I sit here enjoying 2 Broke Girls reruns, a cream soda, and of course- a little dose of my favorite (and not so favorite) 80s and 90s memories.

We’ve covered Sabrina the Teenage Witch and YM magazine, Fruitopia and Fun Dip, Hypercolor T-shirts and Air Jordans. So what’s next? Read on and find out!

Remember This? Episode 11

1. Glow in the dark star stickers– Okay, so maybe these aren’t a Generation Y phenomenon- for all I know, the itty bitty tweens of today are still covering their ceilings with constellations and abstract designs. But as far as I know, these were a huge hit in my heyday. My sisters and I all covered both our ceilings and walls with these either plastic stars with adhesive strips or straight up glowing stickers. They didn’t work very well, but once they were on they usually stayed for life. I’ll have to ask my parents if my ceiling is still bedecked and bedazzled with these…

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2. The Flintstones Movie- No, I’m not talking about some feature length Flintstone/ Jetsons crossover movie (although I’ve seen that too), I’m talking about the live action flick starring John Goodman, Elizabeth Perkins, and more. I’m not sure what the plot of this was, something about The Quarry being under strike or something, but I do know it was pretty awesome seeing one of my favorite cartoons come to life. And I was probably way to old to be enjoying this film, but whatevah.

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3. Wooly Willy- I’ll keep this one brief, because I neither liked these or owned one. Creepy Magnet boards with metal shavings to draw on creepy white trash beards and mustaches. I’ll pass on this former fad…

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4. Shark Bites– This will be neither my first nor last venture into the many exciting varieties of fruit snacks to grace my childhood. I will say, however, that Shark Bites always stood out because they had the delicious and mysterious “white” flavor that was arguably strawberry, kiwi, marshmallow- who knows? It was delicious, but often I got them given to me by friends who were skeptical of their “other”ness. One woman’s trash is another’s treasure…

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5. Yikes! pencils- One of the very first signs of my stationery/ fancy pen obsessions that emerged in my adult life would probably be Yikes! pencils. They were wacky colored, aesthetically pleasing graphite pencils that promised to make every school day more awesome! Just like many other trends in the 80s and 90s, Yikes! pencils were about awesomeness, extremeness, and standing out. Do I still use pencils? Not really. Would I buy these if I found them in the stores tomorrow? Heck yes.

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 Who are my fellow Shark Biters out there? Did you love Yikes! pencils and cover your room with glow in the dark stars?

Meri

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Meri’s Moveable Feast

Hello everyone… who out there is hungry or could use a hearty meal?

After my surgery in June I was relying a lot on good pals to make me quick dinners… Amy, Annie, Michelina…(okay, and Mom). For a little while that was okay, but as my bank account slowly drained with each gluten free burrito I consumed, I vowed to get back into the kitchen when my strength was up a bit to channel my inner Julia Child.

Since I often can get myself in a rut of eating the same things a lot (tortillas, veggie burgers, oatmeal, cottage cheese, repeat…) I thought I’d make myself a little spreadsheet to paste on the fridge and use as a reminder not to reach into the freezer every night. To get myself going, I started out with some of my favorite flavor combos

(read from left to right and each row should make a meal)

Meri’s Moveable Feast Menu

So far, so good. Sure, I still dine with my friend Amy when she brings me a delicious tamale pie, but for most nights I am going to be consulting my chart (or experimenting with other combos).

Here are a few recent final products:

quinoa, peppers, onions, cream cheese, garlic, pepitas

barley, peppers, onions, cream cheese, garlic

What is your favorite grain/ gluten free meal base? What do you usually season your food with? You might also want to try wild rice, oat bran, amaranth, or  couscous in your kitchen adventures!

Meri

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Remember This? episode 10

Back by popular demand… okay, actually back by my own demand… it’s the weekly feature here are on Meri-Goes-Round where we all feel old for a minute and sing, Edith Bunker style, “Thooose weeerrre the daaaaaaaays!” Yep, I just did it and I’m out on my patio, which makes it EXTRA embarrassing (or extra awesome, depending on your desire for attention at any cost).

Remember This? episode 10

1. Air Jordans- Before Space Jam and Michael Jordan’s ridiculous book and scent for men (eau de locker room??), there were these shoes. I was a nerdy nerdy tomboy third grader who needed to make these my reality, and I did. And so, dressed in my double velcro #23 shoes and my Penny Hardaway jersey, I showed the rest of elementary school how to be awesome…

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2. Ring pops- Okay, so these are still around. But while now they are a “once in a while” novelty for engagement parties or bachelorette shindigs, back in the day they were the COOLEST way to get your finger all sticky and gross. Second only to candy necklaces for “unhygienic sweets.”

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3. “Yo quiero Taco Bell.”- I don’t care what anyone has to say about chihuahuas. They are undeniably adorable and even after total overload of these commercials I still was desperate to have one as a pet. In fact, I still am. On a related note- does Taco Bell still make their delicious fiesta potatoes?

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4. Sabrina the Teenage Witch- First of all, let me just say how much I adore Melissa Joan Hart. Clarissa Explains it all? Melissa and Joey? and this mid nineties gem (concept borrowed from my beloved Archie comics) of a teenaged witch (hence the title) who lives with her cool witch aunts and tries to keep her powers under wraps (why? who knows! I would have alerted the media at the first disappearance of a rabbit from a hat!). She also had some really awesome fashion choices, just like Clarissa. I would still watch this show if it were on TV…

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5. Hungry Hungry Hippos- I am loathe to even write about this game, because I hate it so much. I would in fact, like to “forget this,” rather than “remember this,” but alas it is still floating around in stores and we may never be rid of it. It’s noisy, makes kids more aggressive, and doesn’t teach any skills whatsoever. It’s not even challenging on a basic level, as half of the time the stupid hippos get stuck and its 30 seconds of sheer noise while you wait for the torture to end. This game needs to be put out to pasture.

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(and p.s.- there is no way four teens/ adults would be playing this game. Not even if they were all super stoned. Nice try, gaming company…)

Did you beg your parents for a chihuahua after the Taco Bell mascot? Did you ever start a fight over Hungry Hungry Hippo? Any other Melissa Joan Hart (man, she needs a nickname!) fans out there?

Meri

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Weekend Update

Hi all! I just popped in to give an update into what’s been going on “behind” the meri-go-round lately. While summer has been flying by and I’ve been getting back into post surgery life, I’ve also been working towards something new.

In September I’ve decided to go back to school! More specifically, I’m starting a program in Classical Homeopathy. While I continue to love my work in the field of psychology, I am so, so excited to work toward a new goal and absorb every bit of knowledge and wisdom in between.

My own medical, spiritual, and personal journey has been scattered and varied thus far, and for my own wellness and the opportunity to work with others and help them live well everyday, I am incredibly anxious and excited.

That’s all for now- I’m off to enjoy this beautiful summer day and relax in the shade!

What upcoming changes do you have going on in your life? What are you looking forward to in August?

Meri

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I won’t sugar coat it…

For the longest time, I’ve thought macarons (not to be confused with macaroons, which I’ve actually tried) were the prettiest dessert, beyond cupcakes and croissants and even cake pops and meringues in their beauty. But I had never tried one, despite their delicate and refined pastel exterior.

Last night at a popular twin cities cafe, Cupcake, I saw a new-ish display of macarons. I usually don’t shell out much money for fancy desserts, but I thought I would give the caramel variety a try, and see what all of the fuss was about.

Now, whenever I saw macarons I always had this idea in my head that they were a crunchy, very sugary cookie, similar almost to a very dry meringue, sandwiching a thick very sweet frosting interior. When I picked the cookie up, however, I was startled to see a whipped cream-like filling start to ooze out from between the two cookies. When I bit into it, I was even more surprised to find that the cookies fell more under the category of “chewy.” Now, to each their own when it comes to sweets (and pretty much everything, in my opinion), but these confections are just not for me. I like my cookies sugary and crunchy, and I am not crazy about whipped cream. Thus, after I let a few others try it (yes, we managed to eke more than one serving out of this cookie!), I crossed macarons off my list.

Next time I’m getting one of these, my tried and true favorite:

Have you ever been not so pleasantly surprised by the taste of a very pretty food? I’m remembering my experience with passion fruit…

What is your favorite dessert?

Meri

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Remember This? episode 9

These days I’ve only been posting about 3 times a week, which means almost every other time I post it is time for another installment of Remember This?

Not that I’m complaining- I adore taking a stroll down memory lane and laughing at the ridiculous things I used to think were status quo. So without further ado…

Remember This? episode 9 (our little girl is growing up so fast! next week she’ll be double digits!)

1. Ladybugs: No, I’m not talking about the cute little critter that crawls its way around plants and flowers… I’m talking about the blockbuster movie starring Rodney Dangerfield and my childhood Jonathan Brandis. Nevermind that J.B. is dressed as a girl named “Martha” for the majority of the film, or that Mr. Dangerfield is… how shall I put it… an “acquired taste”? Okay, and maybe this movie wasn’t exactly a blockbuster, but it SHOULD have been. All I know is that we thought this movie was the funniest thing in the world. And with the mom from Sister Sister playing the assistant coach, you can’t go wrong. If you haven’t seen this movie, you haven’t experienced the best that the 90s had to offer, so go look it up on VHS.

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2. As If! Another gift given to us by Cher Horowitz, “As IF!” was another way for tweens to be overly sassy and think they were the bomb. Common synonym would be “What-EVER!”

3. The Boxcar Children– Okay, I’m having trouble remembering the exact premise of these books, but I know they were orphans who somehow were living in a boxcar and yet their grandfather, who was completely aware of the situation, did nothing to take them in. They solved mysteries and I wanted to be just like them. Thinking back, I didn’t have it so bad myself with my roof over my head and all…

4. Fun Dip- No, this was not a gimmick by the chewing tobacco industry like candy cigarettes… rather, this was just a stick of sugar that you dipped into different, flavored and colored sugar, to make the eating of said sugars more expedient. God help us all for surviving with our pancreases intact (I hope). Also known as “Lik-maid” or some disgusting other alias. Hands down, this is the most ghetto candy I’ve ever heard of.

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5. Pogo balls- My opinion? Lame-o. Even if you could get the hang of this stupid toy, it wasn’t any fun. I say take a risk with life and just get yourself a good old fashioned pogo stick. Come on, kid… live a little!

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So there we are again- through with another round! Are there any other Rodney Dangerfield or Jonathan Brandis fans out there? Anyone not yet come down from their fun dip sugar high?

Meri

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