Jane Fonda

In the early 80's, it was Jane Fonda who led a workout craze with her popular Original Workout Video. According to a Jane Fonda workout website , this video is the best selling home video of all time, and by 1985, only three years after it was released, one million copies had been sold. Fonda is multitalented, achieving fame through acting and political activism as well. But personally, I like her workout tapes the best. I came across an old exercise video of my moms a few years ago, and decided to try it out. Although the music and exercise clothes are definitely cheesy and very 80's (which is part of why I love it), it's actually a pretty decent workout and is a nice alternative to the gym. The New Workout and the Complete Workout are two of my favorites. Both have beginner and advanced options, and have arms, legs and aerobics sections. If you're looking for a great workout and some classic 80's music and styles, Jane Fonda workouts are definitely for you!

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Outdoor Trampolines Chester

80's Night at Kates!

For any of you 80's fans out there looking to rock out to some awesome 80's music every week, Klondike Kate's is the place to be! Every Saturday night from 9 pm until close, Kate's plays amazing 80's jams. As a brand new 21 year old, I've made my list of Main Street hot spots to check out and this is definitely at the top! If you're feeling especially adventurous, you can even break out your leg warmers, cut off t-shirt and side ponytail and dress the part!

The Breakfast Club

"They only met once, but it changed their lives forever."

This famous tag line is from none other than The Breakfast Club, an 80's classic about five high schoolers stuck in Saturday detention. Directed and written by John Hughes, The Breakfast Club is definitely a Brat Pack movie. It tells the story of five teens from very different social groups who are forced to spend the day together and come to realize they actually have a lot in common. The five main characters are:

Claire, the princess (Molly Ringwald)

Andrew, the jock (Emilio Estevez)

Brian, the nerd (Anthony Michael Hall

Allison, the basket case (Ally Sheedy)

John, the rebel (Judd Nelson)

Bueller, Bueller, Anyone?

Ever dreamed of skipping a day of high school? Thats what Ferris Bueller's Day Off is based on; every kids dream of faking sick, getting your friends out of school, and running wild for the day- all without getting caught. Released in 1986, it stars Matthew Broderick as Ferris and Jennifer Grey (Baby from Dirty Dancing ) as his sister determined to get him in trouble. Ferris, along with his best friend Cameron and girlfriend Sloane, spend the day having fun and dodging his parents and Mr. Rooney, the principal who is out to get Ferris. It will definitely go down as one of Matthew Brodericks best works and as one of my all time favorite movies.

Here's a few interesting facts: (thanks to this amazing Ferris Bueller wesbite)

Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey were actually dating when it was filmed

Ferris Bueller's Day Off was made into a short lived tv show, which starred Jennifer Aniston as Jeanie (Ferris' sister)

Anthony Michael Hall (from Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club) was supposed to play Cameron, but turned it down because he didn't want to be typecast as the geek

The shots inside the high school take place in the same school as The Breakfast Club

Ben Stein plays Ferris' teacher, and Charlie Sheen plays the guy in the police station who Jeanie ends up kissing

Leg Warmers

As we approach winter, I thought that it's about time I started discussing how to stay warm in the 80's. The obvious solution to keeping your ankles/calves warm and looking cool all at the same time- LEG WARMERS! They actually began as a trend with dancers, but in the early 80's (and even to this day), everyone could be found with brightly colored leg warmers pulled over their jeans. They can be worn either under your pants to serve a functional purpose, or on the outside (as I prefer) as a fashion statement. You can even layer multiple leg warmers on top of one another to add some color to your wardrobe. As this amazing 80's website mentions, plenty of legwarmers were featured in the opening sequence of Footloose. If you're wondering where to find leg warmers these days, I've found them at Macy's and Boscov's, and I'm sure plenty of dance studios still sell them.

Top Gun

No 80's blog would be complete without a tribute to Top Gun, quite possibly one of the BEST movies made in the 1980's. Although I am not usually a fan of any kind of action movies, this one has so many other elements to it that you hardly notice it. Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Goose (Anthony Edwards) are co pilots at the coveted elite Navy air training academy, competing against rival Iceman (Val Kilmer) for top honors. After holding himself responsible for Goose's tragic death and losing the trophy to Iceman, Maverick reconsiders his rebellious ways and almost gives up flying. The plot is further complicated by Mavericks relationship with their instructor Charlie (Kelly McGillis). As with all quality 80's movies, the soundtrack is amazing. Some of the highlights include "Take my Breath Away" by Berlin, "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins and of course "You've Lost That Lovin Feelng" by The Righteous Brothers, which Mav and Goose sing in a famous bar scene.

Good Morning Miss Bliss

I'm sure everyone knows and loves Saved by the Bell, but how many of you remember Good Morning Miss Bliss (also known as Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years)? Only thirteen episodes aired starting in 1987, and most of the characters on the Junior High season were never seen again at the Bayside High that we are all familiar with. The focus of Good Morning Miss Bliss was teacher Carrie Bliss and her relationships with the students in her class. I was very surprised to discover that the pilot episode actually featured Brian Austin Green and Jaleel White (David from 90210 and Urkel from Family Matters), who were obviously later traded in for Mark Paul Gosselar and Dustin Diamond. It was also set in Indiana, which seems odd because many of the characters end up at Bayside High in California the following year, all together and in an oddly similar building. The Disney Channel first aired Good Morning Miss Bliss, but Saved by the Bell was later picked up by NBC in 1989. Zack Morris and his nerdy sidekick Screech were the main characters of the new show, along with Lisa and Mr. Belding from Good Morning Miss Bliss and a whole bunch of new characters. Although it had a very short run and wasn't very well known, Good Morning Miss Bliss paved the way for the classic high school tv show, Saved by the Bell.