Nostalgia In A Bag

Everyone has something they look back on with a warm fuzzy feeling, that takes them back to their childhood. For me that’s the smell of a roast dinner on a Sunday, and watching retro cartoons. There’s nothing that makes me feel more secure and at home, than when I’ve got Tom and Jerry, SpongeBob or a plethora of retro cartoons on the TV playing. 

The great thing about cartoons is that they are timeless with fans of all ages. You can talk about The Flintstones with someone who is 70 or the age of 3. This is why I love Loungefly. They are great conversation starters and can break the ice when you meet new people.

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love talking about the good old days? When I was a child, if I was home sick from school, my base camp was a duvet on the sofa with SpongeBob playing all day long. The feeling of being taken care of goes hand in hand with watching the guys from Bikini Bottom get into all kinds of shenanigans. It’s a feeling I associate with it even now. The last time I was poorly, my husband put me under a duvet on the sofa and put the square pants scamp on for me, and it immediately just made me relax. The familiar melody, the bright colours and the sheer positive outlook of that little Sponge just comforted me all over again. Every-time I look at one of my SpongeBob bags, it makes me smile. Over the years I have collected a range of Spongebob bags.  They are vibrant, fun designs and bring back memories and nostalgia. Currently, I have 33 Spongebob designs, a little over 15% of my collection. And that’s not including the two new SpongeBob bags I have pre-ordered!

We didn’t have much money growing up, so didn’t often get to afford big brands like Pound Puppies, or a lot of Disney items, and that’s probably why I’m so obsessed with having these things now. I always had whatever I needed, and I didn’t go without at all. But it definitely made me treasure what I had. I’ve still have the Tenderheart Care Bear plush from when I was a baby. I could never dream of parting with that tatty old teddy I gave the worst hair cut to. As an adult, I now get to grow my collection of Care Bears in bag form, and for me that’s like reliving my childhood. 

What makes me purchase a bag? It’s not always the look, or the gimmick, it’s the feeling it I get when I look at it. I also choose bags that I associate with my life and memories. My daughter is nick named Bug, so when I saw a Bugs Bunny cosplay bag, I absolutely had to have that. Each time I see the bag, I see my daughter too. I love that I can wear what I’m passionate about and make a statement. I love that it brings people from all walks of life together.

Nostalgia doesn’t discriminate, it can bring the most unlikely of people together and bond over days gone by. My bags are my armour. Having Autism makes social situations extremely difficult for me to deal with, but I know if I wear my Angelica crossbuddies bag, that’ll be the focus. It immediately relaxes me discussing a subject I find interesting and fervent about. Whenever I watch The Rugrats, it always makes me want to eat an entire packet of cookies. Its a classic cartoon and I associate it with different things over the years like Tommy Pickles and my son. Mac is very blonde (like his mummy) so he looks very follicly challenged, He is always up to something, on some adventure of his own and this just reminds me of Tommy. It’s these associations that help keep these old cartoons firmly cemented in my heart. 

I cannot remember a time being sad whilst watching retro cartoons. I think with all that goes on in life, the daily stress of adulting, it’s nice to be taken back to a simpler time. I’ve only got to look at my Hey Arnold! Bag, and the corners of my mouth make a slight upward crease, and a wave of calm rushes over me. Sometimes you need to see something physical to be reminded that joy exists all around us.

The joy I get from seeing my collection bags is palpable and the excitement is infectious too. When I share my bags with friends or fellow collectors, often they get just as excited talking about some tv show or old movies they’ve not seen in years. I’ve made many good friends through collecting Loungefly bags, and almost always the conversation starts from nostalgia. 

When you think back to your childhood there has to be at least one cartoon that jumps to the front of your mind? For me that all always be the Flintstones and Fred’s baritone voice bellowing his wife’s name. Always reminded me of my Pops, he would always cook a Sunday dinner, everything from scratch, and would often shout “Norma” when he couldn’t find something because my nan had been in trying to help but would move stuff about. He sounded just like Fred! 

And that’s why Loungefly aren’t just bags, they’re memories.

They’re pure joy. 

- Jodie

IG @loungeflyladyuk