I was wowed by the response to my collage style meme that I posed a few weeks ago, so I thought I would use this month’s theme of Collabor88 to come up with another fun collage that we can have fun putting together: 90s favorites!
Growing up in the 90s introduced me to a whole world of goodies that, while back then might have seemed cool at the time, are by todays standards completely dorky and yet strangely comforting. Now, whenever I remember fondly such things as Tamagotchi’s and Mood Rings, I can’t help but laugh and wonder- what was I thinking? It’s hard even to believe that the end of the 90s were almost 15 years ago when sometimes, it seems like just yesterday. Yet I know that when I look back and think of that decade, I can honestly say that it was easily my favorite. Of course as a kid, I was biased.
Meme Instructions: Reminisce with your favorite 90s trends and icons. Create a list with fond memories or create a collage showcasing what you loved most about this unforgettable decade!
Jelly Shoes – I swear, at one point every girl in school had a pair. They were the ultimate universal shoe at the time! Wear them with skirts, pants, shorts, socks- you name it! They were the perfect slips on, before flip flips ever became popular!
Mood Rings – Passing around a singular ring just to see whose mood was what was always a great way to pass the time. We’d even keep a little chart in the back of our notebooks just so we could go back and figure out why it suddenly changes from green to brown when you were caught looking at the class cutie.
Butterfly Clips – A hair staple. I remember asking my mom every morning to roll my hair into those little ponytails with my butterfly clips in the front. Not only was it all the rage but at the time with every color of the rainbow and then some, we just had to wear them all at once. It was a rule.
Tattoo Chokers – Who didn’t have one of these at some point growing up? Mostly, they came from the coin machines at the supermarket (real world gachas!) and we’d sit around during the summer, collecting and trading so we could wear them to school the next year as necklace, bracelets and even belly bands.
Trapper Keepers – Remember back when binders first came around in school and they were this big, fancy ordeal? Trapper Keepers made notebooks a thing of the past and they were easily the best part of shopping for new school supplies. Every kid had a trapper keeper and all of the coolest kids had Lisa Frank ones!
Nintendo 64 – If you had siblings, you were bound to fight over whose turn it was on the first game system we really remember (Atari what?) Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong and Street Fighter were the first three games we had- remember when you had to blow the cartridge to get it to work?
Giga Pets/ Tomagotchi’s – Gosh, the fun we had with these! I remember everyone in school having one and you were a total loser if you didn’t. After much begging and maybe even a little whining, my parents dropped the $30 (times three of us) on a grey and white one (the only colors left by the time they agreed.) I remember waking up at all hours of the night and even during school to make sure my little guy was fed and clean- until they banned them from our elementary school and that was the end of that.
Gel Pens – Gel pens didn’t really become a trend until I was in 8th grade (and before that it was Scented Markers.) I recall many a colorful time when a bunch of us would deem it socially acceptable sit in the back of our Social Studies class and doodle on ourselves. Of course by the time we reached high school, they were a thing of the past and erasable pens became the newest hit.
Beanie Babies – Who didn’t have at least 20 of these collectible favorites? I had an entire bookshelf of my furry friends that kept me company through my single digit years- until the great yard sale eventually gave them all new homes for a cheap price.
Paper Fortune Tellers – I don’t really remember why, but between MASH and Paper Fortune Tellers, these things were the biggest thing to grace the playground during recess. In fact, I still remember how to make them to this day, though I am sure we can all come up with better things than, ‘You’re going to marry so and so.’ Hehe.
Pogs – I don’t even think any of us ever really knew how to play them. But the designs were cool, the slammers just the thing and they were the cheapest collectibles around. Too bad they didn’t last as long as Pokemon Cards!
Warheads & Crybabies – Who doesn’t remember these sour candies that could bring tears to your eyes and make you the class clown at the same time? I swear, just thinking about it makes my taste buds cringe- And yes, the blue raspberry was by far the worst of them all! Did I remember reading somewhere that consuming more than three at a time could potentially damage something? Eh, I wouldn’t doubt it.
Chat Rooms/AOL – Yes, back when Dial Up threatened to wake up everyone in the house because it was just that loud. Back before MySpace and Facebook and Blogs became all the rage, AOL chat rooms and pimping your profile was the place to be. Remember when your mom picked up the house phone and you got kicked off the internet? Those were the days.
Titanic – I must have been 11 years old when this movie came out and my huge crush on Leonardo DiCaprio was what dragged my two best friends and I to the theater thirteen times just so we could cry every time he sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. And yes, we really did cry.
Nickelodeon – Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Rugrats, All That, Figure It Out, Alex Mack, Hey Arnold, Wild & Crazy Kids, Global GUTS, Kenan & Kel, , Eureka’s Castle, Clarissa Explains it All- We’re talking Vintage Nickelodeon here, the list goes on! All of the best shows on one channel- you couldn’t get better than that!
NSYNC/Boy Bands – Yes, back when we all drew ‘Mrs. Justin Timberlake’ in little hearts all over our notebooks, or swore up and down that Nick Carter would be our date to the 8th grade dance. I remember a group of us skipping school for two days because there was an NSync concert at Disney World and my mom took us all to camp out in the pouring rain just so we could get front row seats. Those paper wrist bands were the hot topic of conversation that entire week at school. Of course, don’t forget the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, either. If you were any sort of 90s kid, you knew at least one of their songs!
The Macarena – You *had* to know the Macarena because you were doing it at every school dance and family reunion, whether you knew it or not!
Oregon Trail – Only the best part of the school day! It was officially the first computer game I ever played- I used to remember using the names of my friends in our wagon trip and wondering what dysentery meant at the time. Epic.
Sitcoms – Because television shows like Full House and Boy Meets World were all the rage and you could rap the theme song to Fresh Prince of Bel Air without blinking an eye.
Heads Up 7 Up – Fridays in school were the best! Countdown to the weekend, no homework and end of the day games like Heads Up 7 Up were the best! Of course,you were only the champion if you memorized everyone’s shoes…
