Going back to school retro style

Parents it's almost time for your vacation because the kids are going back to school. Yeah...oh sorry kiddies! I keep hearing from parents that the summers seem to be getting longer, but not from my best friend R the teacher. Well I wish everyone a great back to school year and may you go back with a little retro style...

In school crayons were my favorite so I could color outside of the box. I can still remember the day when I discovered the Glitter and Metallic crayons (seen here on Amazon). My world was rocked and my cheerleader signs got bigger and more colorful. Read about my cheerleader days in this moving from Canada to America post.

Choosing the first day of school outfit was such an ordeal. I sat on the phone with both my girl and guy friends to determine the right look. Some things never change huh? I still feel like this when I start a new job.



For a back to school retro look, every child needs a pair of high socks with a lunchbox. Pair the socks with a Catholic Girl skirt and you'll be the talk of the school. Unless you actually go to Catholic School!

Lunch is another difficult thing to control on your first day. Parents can pack the lunch and add some fun colorful paper cups to hold the food. Let's leave the toothpicks out...ok?

Back to school fashion is fun for girls. A dress with matching tights and clunky dark boots makes for an adorable outfit.

Paper Mate pens are a colorful way of going retro in school.

Oh how I miss having this school desk with my friends around me. Maybe I should get one of these desks for home. Would I even fit anymore?

Is it creepy or cute for an adult to carry a lunchbox sweetie?

To all the kiddies and parents out there, happy almost back to school week. You've all hung in there so well. No go out there and buy some back to school retro fashions that would make me proud! I know you can do it. What was the item you just had to have for school when you were a child lovely?

My most embarrassing moment

I’ve had several, but this has to be my most embarrassing moment. Hold on sweetie as I share with you a dark secret that happened to me in high school. I can't wait to hear about yours...

Did I rebel in high school? No, but at one point I cut my hair and dyed it red. Did I throw caution to the wind and not care about grades? Nah, I was usually the teachers pet. Did I get into a scandal with my friend's boyfriend? No way! I usually helped my friends with their relationship problems.

Ah, high school how I miss thee!

My most embarrassing moment happened when I was trying out for the dance team at school. Sure this doesn’t sound traumatizing, but trust me it so was.

After moving to Newport Beach, CA from Toronto I thought I could fit in with dance. Surely my new peers would forget about my Canadian accent while I was dancing. The thing I forgot was my brother was also at my high school and he had other plans for the dancers (like throwing Milk-Bones at the cheerleaders).

So my horrible, years in therapy, worst moment ever, please don't tell anyone came when I had to audition in front of the entire school to make the dance team.

To make the team, we had to perform in the school gym so our peers would vote. It was half based on skill and half a popularity contest. Right before it was my turn to try out, I started to help my younger dance competitors with their portion which was different to mine. I stood proudly on the sidelines as the girls I had helped performed.

*Picture courtesy of the movie Grease while dancing at Rydell High.

Then came my turn, the music started and I began to dance the younger girls dance.

I froze in front of the entire school...

And since I was the only Canadian girl, it was pretty hard to cover up my frozen performance as I finished most of my sentences with eh! So how did I recover from my most embarrassing moment? The dance team gave me another shot and let me try out later in the day. And I was voted in. OK now I'm ready to hear your most embarrassing moment? I promise to keep your secret.

My favorite teacher

Why do certain teachers stay in your heart, no matter how many years go by? Teachers salaries are usually paid in hope for their student's futures. Also teachers stay in our memories and help shape the people we become. My favorite teacher, Mrs. Katz, taught me when I was ten years old. She seemed to reach into me and pull out my thoughts that were needed to succeed. She also touched all of the other children in my class.

Every day, I looked forward to seeing Mrs. Katz. She was young, stylish and never talked down to us. I would try to sit at the front of the class and reach my hand, high into the sky, to answer her questions. Yes, I was that kind of student. She was my favorite and I looked up to her.

I remember one day, her fifth grade class noticed she was gaining weight.

My classmates and I, had serious huddle talks and debated whether Mrs. Katz was just gaining weight or maybe pregnant. We tried in our ten year old selves, to tactfully hope she was just gaining weight because otherwise we could lose our favorite mentor.

My classmates chose me to ask Mrs. Katz about her sudden weight gain. We were all nervous about her response. Mrs. Katz stood at the front of the class and finished her lesson. I walked over to my teacher and blurted out, “Mrs. Katz are you pregnant?” and to my surprise she said, "Yes." And the entire class clapped for her.

When the dust settled, the class realized we could be losing her. Soon, she would go on maternity leave and we wondered if she would return to our school.

After she had her baby, Mrs. Katz left our school, but brought her baby to meet us. And do you know what I heard her tell her new daughter? That we were her favorite fifth grade class. Thank you Mrs. Katz. Tell me, what was your favorite teachers name?

Dance, like no one is watching

Can you tell me where I can find a corporate desk job for ballerinas? I recently figured out the exact moment when I knew I would be a creative adult. The moment was when I got to freestyle in my ballet classes.

From the ages of five to fifteen, I studied and danced ballet. In class, we were taught about discipline, strength and position. My ballet teachers were usually very warm, but strict, so they could teach us the love for dance.

Each year I would train for months for one ballet recital and the always intimidating judge’s panel. To be able to move to the next prestigious level, I needed to perform in front of these judges, a list of ballet positions in the proper form, with grace.

All of the ballerinas (aka bun heads) would support one another through this stressful process. I actually looked forward to the panel, especially the freestyle portion at the end of the test. Others were afraid and, in fact, some planned their freestyle ahead of time, but not me!

Looking back, I must have looked like the actress in Flashdance, in front of all those judges. Except I was ten, and outfitted in a leotard, tutu and a bun. When it was time for me to freestyle, I smiled at the judges and waited patiently for the piano player to play a piece of music that I had never heard before. I closed my eyes, felt the music and danced all around the room like a free little bird.

Over the next few weeks, as I waited to receive my marks from the judges, of all the portions performed, I would wonder mostly about their thoughts of my freestyle dance. When I received my ballet certificate moving me to the next ballet grade, I looked first for the judge’s comments (just as I get excited to read your comments). I wondered if they liked it. Was I creative enough? Were they smiling, holding back their laughter? Or, did they see a promising pupil?

And this was the exact ballet moment that I knew I would need creativity throughout my life. What are some of the ways that you show your creativity?

Mommy Can I Help You Balance Your Checkbook? The School of Life

I remember being in college when I took my first marriage and family class. I loved learning the tips and about the psychology, but why did it take it so long for our educational system to offer me these classes? If we are trying to teach our children to grow up to be productive members of society, then why wait to teach them life skills in their early twenties? Are we scared to teach classes on running a household, how to manage our checkbooks or how to have a successful relationship? Or do we not have enough time to teach it all.

I started off in college with an undeclared major. I knew at the age of eighteen, I needed to take some classes before I decided what career I was going to have for the rest of my life. I cannot tell you the looks that I got from the school guidance counselor and adults, when I told them my decision to still think about my major.

Two years into school, I declared my major as psychology and then specialized a year later with a Child and Family Studies degree. After taking psychology classes and participating in an internship I just ‘knew’ that I wanted to specialize in working with children and families.

At a holiday party, adults asked me what my major was and I was able to say, “Ah yes, I am now a child and family studies major.” “Oh you’re going to have a wonderful marriage then!” was the usual reply.

That wasn’t why I was taking those classes, but just like I needed science, math, art and a language to be taught a well-rounded education, I felt that psychology classes should be mandatory to me as well.

If I had been taught at an early age in school the necessary life skills like raising children, paying bills, grocery shopping, balancing the checkbook, stocks, marriage and accepting people with different backgrounds then maybe I could have decided my major much earlier on.

Do we assume that children are being taught these life skills at home? And what if this doesn't happen? What if the parent’s assume their children are being taught these skills at school? Trust me, I have met some of those adults. These adults almost broke down when they realized that they would have to pay their own bills, run their own home and somehow keep their marriage afloat.

Now imagine two sixth graders discussing their upcoming quiz on paying bills after taking the bills class in school.

Susie “OK I have $100 in my bank account, but I have two bills coming. One for PG&E for $40 and the other for my health insurance for $30, how much money will I have left over?”

Katie “Don’t forget to leave some money aside for the groceries. Maybe we should set aside $130 for the month for bills.”

Wouldn’t it also benefit everyone and our society if we taught our children, say in the fifth grade about accepting others who are different to us? These classes could be about learning that there is a lot to learn from someone that is different. Different cultures, religion and sexual orientation makes each person unique and special. To me this is class in school that I would have loved to take.

So the next time you are about to do the chore that you most hate, balancing your checkbook, try to think of it as a learning exercise for your child. My suggestion is that you call little ‘Johnny or Susie’ over, give them a fake checkbook to follow along in crayon and teach them this life skill. Plus if you make it fun maybe they won’t hate balancing the checkbook they way that I do ☺

I will announce the two winners of the Happy Birthday to Me Guest Blogger Giveaway on Wednesday April 29th so you still have time to enter. Good luck! Please comment on this post and tell me another skill you would like to taught in school or advice you may have.