Cynthia Kinnunen blogs about sharing stuff from your childhood with your kids
As Halloween draws close, we’ve been pulling out lots of spooky things in the house: the window decorations, the gauzy spiderweb stuff, pieces of old costumes that are difficult to distinguish…
We also find ourselves getting in the mood by watching old creepy videos, like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, which is one of the kids’ favourites. But we stumbled upon a show that I used to be “glued to the tube” to and that very few of my friends really “got”: The Hilarious House of Frightenstein. Remember it?
The kids are enamoured. They make me crank it up to the Wolfman’s psychedelic dance routines. They giggle hysterically at Grizelda, The Ghastly Gourmet. They recognize (from “Thriller”, of course) – and are totally freaked out by – Vincent Price and his spoooooooky tales. Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen blogs about sharing stuff from your childhood with your kids
I’m all for finding new ways to use old stuff. Heck, I’m all for using old stuff in old ways, too. Although my cassettes aren’t really sounding as good as they once did.
What I had always wondered, though, was if my kids would ever be interested in my old clothes. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t actually have much by way of clothing from my childhood, but a few treasured pieces do remain. Hey, if fashion is cyclical, these old threads should have come around at least once or twice since I wore them.
Now I used to dress up in my grandmum’s old clothing and it was much like costuming. Like Mr. Dress Up’s infamous tickle trunk. It was great fun. But when I borrowed my mom’s clothes, I had thought I was pretty cool. It wasn’t about dressing up like Ginger from Gilligan’s Island (and no, my Grandmum didn’t dress like that…that I’m aware of) but rather real, “going out in public” kinds of dressing up. Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen blogs about sharing stuff from your childhood with your kids
Camping with the kids. It can be a little like ripping out your fingernails if you don’t come prepared. But if you give some thought to where you’re headed, who you’re going with and that you’ve packed most of the right things (including some extra sanity), it can actually be a lot of fun.
We took our kids camping again this past weekend. While we visit the inlaws’ cottage several times per year, we only end up camping about once each summer these days. Know why? Because we still have three kids under 9 and we’re not total gluttons for punishment. Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen blogs about sharing stuff from your childhood with your kids
When I think about time spent with my grandparents during my childhood, I remember some pretty interesting things. Things that at the time meant nothing more than the regular stuff I’d get to do or see or hear when I visited them. Playing particular card games or music-related activities or sauna party nights. Your grandparents had wild sauna parties, too, right?
I find when I think back, many memories seem to be food-related. You know, those memories that you can smell and taste.
I think back to those particular – and often very, very simple – foods that were part of that connection with the family elders. They make me nostalgic and even a little {ahem} weepy sometimes. I’m not the only person who cries about food, am I? Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen blogs about sharing stuff from your childhood with your kids
Some of you may know that back in April was Record Store Day. While it doesn’t reach holiday status in this household, it certainly offers a reminder of the beauty of spending a lazy hour or two perusing some old and new releases in the wonderful vinyl format. For me personally, it’s a great excuse to get down to my local independent record shop and pick up an album. Or two. (maybe more, don’t tell my husband)
This past Record Store Day was a rainy one and the kids were going mental being stuck inside with us boring parents. I figured it was good timing to steal one of them away for a “quick” trip to a local record store. I decided to bring Suvi with me. I mean, she’s almost nine and hasn’t experienced the distinct beauty of a rare vinyl discovery yet. Of course, she’s had LP exposure since her earliest days. (Yes, she’s holding Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies courtesy of her Grandpa… don’t ask.) Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen blogs about sharing stuff from your childhood with your kids
What colour are your kicks?
I remember my father wearing red high tops. Those bright red beauties with the thick white laces and big white toe that you wanted to get just a little dirty so it wasn’t so very white and bright. Worn in but not too much. It was my dad’s foot covering of choice for what seemed like a very long time. Red, high top All Stars, baggy shorts and a concert tee was his uniform. I had my own Converse, too. And that’s pretty impressive for a wearable item: one that a teenager and their parent wear simultaneously and neither looks out of place or resents the other wearing them.
Multi-generational chucks for the cool kids. Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen blogs about sharing stuff from your childhood with your kids
While occasionally I fully appreciate some peace and quiet, there is usually music of some sort playing in at least one location of our house at any given time. Thankfully, it’s a pretty diverse mix of tunes. From R&B to electronica, big band to Beatles, the Mister and I love the variety and the kids do, too. Of course, in addition to having lots of exposure to music that is current, we like to make sure they’re familiar with the stuff we used to enjoy, too. I thought I would share some older stuff that the wee folk are bouncing around to currently; a little OSSC mixtape sampler, if you will.
