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Streaming Nostalgia: Classic Commercials and Vintage Ads
Trivia: Osteogenesis imperfecta is the medical name for which condition?
RetireHub
December 10, 2025
Rise and shine, RetireHub community! ☀️ Your Wednesday newsletter is here!
Today we’re sharing fun tips on Streaming Nostalgia: Classic Commercials and Vintage Ads, along with the best deals, fun trivia, and more!
Happy Holidays from RetireHub!
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Top Deals From Around The Web
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What We’re Reading
Get these e-book deals before they’re gone.
 | By: Marsha DeFilippo When four friends start The Cozy Quilts Club, the last thing they expect to discuss is their paranormal abilities. Even less likely—using them to find a killer. But when the aunt of one of the members is murdered, they use those skills to discover the killer’s identity. Now, how do they convince the police to believe them and make the arrest? |
Dear Joanne
Your questions, her wisdom — Joanne’s here with thoughtful advice, warm humor, and a listening ear for whatever’s on your mind.
The holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy, family gatherings, and celebration. Yet for many retirees, it can feel the opposite - quiet, isolating, and even painful. Although this column often is geared toward lightheartedness, its original goal was to help answer questions from our readership. I received the following email this week which helped me remember the reason for the season:
Dear Joanne, I enjoy reading your column every week. It is like I have made a friend in you. Thank you for that. I find that as the holiday season approaches, I am more withdrawn and depressed. I do not have many friends or family. My husband passed away four years ago, and my two sons and daughter all live out of state with their own families. Their lives are busy and we don’t speak often. I sometimes cry. I don’t have many places to go, so I take care of my little dachshund who is a tremendous source of joy. I am quite sure many of your readers are alone during the holidays – or maybe just feel alone. Can you provide some wisdom and inspiration?
Happy Holidays, M
Dear M:
It is normal to feel sadness or emptiness when traditions change or loved ones are far away. First, give yourself permission to grieve what you are missing instead of forcing cheerfulness. It’s OK to miss the “old days”. Once you acknowledge what you are feeling and accept the circumstances, then look at what you can do to slightly change and uplift your spirit, even if it is one hour or one day at a time.
You said your children are busy – we understand the pressures of young adults trying to raise families and make it on their own. But remember to stay connected. Make the first move – reach out to family or old friends with a phone call or vide chat so you can see them. Even very short conversations can lift spirits, both yours and theirs.
There are many senior groups in towns and cities that most likely have people who find themselves exactly where you are! There are people who are wanting to make a friend or two just to have coffee and cookies or maybe spend an afternoon with. You are not alone, even though it may seem like it.
Call a food pantry or animal shelter. These agencies are always looking for volunteers. Shared connections often grow from such a step. And there are senior transportations services that will pick you up and bring you home from wherever it is you need or want to go. And most are free! Take advantage of those services. But don’t forget, when you come home from an animal shelter, you will have to explain to your dachshund where you have been!
Also, remember the things that make you happy, even for a small time. Treat yourself to something special: your favorite takeout meal, a new book or time at a local school ceremony / play / concert.
Don’t forget to maintain your regular healthy habits. Eat well and regularly, get your full sleep in every day and exercise/move however you can. Exercises you can perform right in your favorite chair are extremely helpful even if you can’t get around very well.
If depression seems overwhelming, consider speaking with a counselor, therapist or minister/priest. Professional guidance can provide you with tools to help manage your emotions. Most importantly, share your feelings with your children. Sometimes just being heard makes a difference.
There are always people who care. Those who are related, old friends, or even people who are just an email away. Stay connected. You will never be a bother.
Joanne
PS: To my readers – The holidays do not have to be defined by what is missing. Retirement offers the gift of time. Use that time to make yourself smile. The holidays may not look the way they once did, but they can still hold meaning. It may be time to reshape traditions, nurture new connections, and discover joy in unexpected places. Even in quiet moments, there is light to be found.
Feel free to email me at [email protected]. Your questions, comments and thoughts are always welcome.
Did you enjoy this week's column? |
On this day in 1901, The first-ever Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden! They were created according to the will of Alfred Nobel — the inventor of dynamite who wanted his fortune to honor humanity’s greatest contributions after his death. The very first prizes recognized achievements in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Peace, kicking off a global tradition that still inspires the world every year.
Streaming Nostalgia: Classic Commercials and Vintage Ads
There’s something downright magical about vintage commercials — a blend of charm, earnestness, and unintentional comedy that modern advertising just can’t quite replicate. And thanks to streaming platforms and digital archives, these little cultural time capsules are making a massive comeback. People aren’t just stumbling upon old ads by accident anymore; they’re actively seeking them out as comfort viewing, historical curiosity, or pure escapism.
Classic commercials offer a snapshot of who we were and what we valued at a specific moment in time. From the jingles that burrowed into our collective memory to the overly enthusiastic spokespeople pitching everything from laundry detergent to the newest station wagon, these ads reveal trends, anxieties, and aspirations of the eras that produced them. Watching them today is like flipping through a living scrapbook — only with more hair spray and neon.
Part of the renewed fascination stems from the warmth of shared memory. Those iconic cereal jingles from the ’80s, sentimental holiday commercials from the ’90s, or early 2000s tech ads promising a futuristic world all trigger that familiar spark: “Oh my gosh, I remember this!” In an age of constant change and endless content, vintage ads provide a slow, cozy kind of storytelling that feels almost soothing.
But nostalgia isn’t the only force driving this trend. Younger viewers are discovering these commercials for the first time and treating them like artifacts from an alternate universe. They’re fascinated by how people dressed, the way products were hyped, and the absolutely unfiltered confidence with which advertisers once declared something “THE FUTURE.” The result is a new kind of cross-generational bonding — older viewers revisiting the past, younger viewers decoding it.
Creators and archivists are also curating themed playlists: old toy commercials, retro luxury ads, discontinued foods, mall culture, vintage car spots, and more. These collections are perfect for background viewing, memory dives, or sparking entertaining conversations with friends and family.
As streaming nostalgia grows, classic commercials aren’t just fleeting cultural leftovers — they’re beloved mini-stories that remind us where we’ve been, how far we’ve come, and how oddly charming the world once looked through the lens of a 30-second ad.
Which nostalgia vibe hits you the hardest? |
Yesterday’s Poll Results: What’s the Best Kind of Tech Gift to Encourage Creativity in Kids?
The results are in, and they paint such a vibrant picture of what truly fuels kids’ creativity! By a wide and heartwarming margin, classic creative gifts like books, art supplies, and building sets soared to the top with 66% of the vote, proving that even in a high-tech world, the timeless joy of hands-on imagination still leads the way. Coming in strong at 42%, drawing tablets and light-up art boards showed that modern digital art tools are also a huge hit, giving kids an endlessly reusable canvas for inspiration. Not far behind, interactive art toys that mix traditional drawing with tech pulled in 27%, highlighting how hybrid creativity is capturing attention. Meanwhile, educational tablets and robotics kits earned 25%, appealing to curious young builders and future coders eager to explore how things work. Kid-friendly digital cameras gathered 12%, perfect for the budding documentarians and mini photographers among us, and 6% of voters chimed in with unique ideas in the “Other” category. Altogether, the poll reveals a beautiful theme: whether it’s crayons, code, cameras, or creative chaos, kids thrive when we give them tools that help them explore freely, build boldly, and dream without limits.
TOP COMMENTS
“I think slower and creative win over the fast technology”
“It depends on the age of the kid. As a former teacher and librarian, the classic creative gifts are the best for all ages. However, depending on the type of child, drawing tablets and light up boards for ages 3-4 , kid-friendly digital cameras would be for ages 5+, interactive art toys 4+, and educational tablets and coding/robotics kits for 6+”
“I believe that would depend on the child's interests or what you can get them interested in.”
“Take apart, put together mechanics. Tear down, rebuild instruction sets.”
Gentle Movement for Heavy Hearts: How Yoga Helps Us Carry Grief
Grief doesn’t just settle in the heart or mind — it often shows up in the body, tightening muscles, shortening breath, and making even simple movements feel heavy. Gentle yoga offers a compassionate way to support yourself through loss by combining soft movement, mindful breathing, and quiet reflection.
Instead of trying to push grief away or rush healing, slow, intentional practices help you sit with your emotions and ease the physical tension that grief often creates. Simple tools like three-part breathing, easy shoulder rolls, or a seated forward fold encourage deeper relaxation, calm the nervous system, and create a sense of grounding when life feels unsteady.
This approach reminds us that there’s no timeline for healing. Yoga becomes a way to check in with yourself, to honor your feelings without judgment, and to reconnect with your body when grief makes everything feel distant or overwhelming. With tenderness and patience, mindful movement can help soften the places where sorrow lives and offer moments of peace along the path of loss.
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Slang Phrase of the Day
Phrase: Hipster shuffle
Meaning: A casual, often exaggerated walking style where someone takes slightly awkward, deliberate steps, usually to look nonchalant or “too cool for school.” It’s playful and sometimes used to describe a young person trying to appear effortlessly stylish.
In a sentence: “At the community center dance, everyone laughed when Harold did his best hipster shuffle across the floor, trying to show the grandkids he still had style.”
Good News of the Day
Headline: Arctic First — Scientists Explore a Hidden Volcanic Ridge Beneath the Ice
Researchers have ventured into one of Earth’s last unexplored frontiers: a remote undersea ridge beneath the Arctic Ocean. A crewed submersible descended beneath permanent sea ice to explore the eastern flank of a vast undersea mountain chain stretching between Greenland and Siberia, a region that had never been visited before.
The ridge is a volcanic fault line where Earth’s crust slowly spreads apart, fueling hydrothermal vents and supporting unique deep-sea ecosystems. During the expedition, scientists explored steep cliffs and underwater mountains, collecting rock, water, and marine life samples that could reshape our understanding of life in extreme environments.
This exploration highlights how much of our planet remains unknown. Even in the 21st century, beneath ice and kilometers of water, Earth continues to surprise us with hidden landscapes and resilient life forms, offering a rare glimpse into one of its most extreme and pristine environments.
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RetireHub Trivia
Want more trivia? Play our “Nostalgia Trivia Game” on our site! We add fresh questions daily, so there’s always something new to test your knowledge.
Not into trivia? No worries! We’ve got plenty of other fun games to enjoy, like:
Osteogenesis imperfecta is the medical name for which condition? |
Which Broadway musical features the Stephen Sondheim song “Send in the Clowns”? |
Which classical composer was deaf for the last decade of his life? |
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