Once upon a time—the 70s and 80s, to be exact—Christmas didn’t have iPads, or FaceTiming grandma, or comparing gift hauls on social media. Instead, it provided trees filled to the brim with tinsel, holiday figurines that looked ancient and quite possibly possessed, and the only “high tech” toy in sight would be something battery operated. Or maybe one of those new fangled “video games” everyone’s talking about. But alas, time moves on. These once cool and trendy gifts, along with many Gen X staples, have now become relics of a bygone era. Kim and Penn Holderness of The Holderness Family have a knack for capturing this strange phenomenon—otherwise known as growing older—in the form of endearingly funny parody songs and sketches.Whether they’re poking fun at the *thrill* of perimenopause or the utter dismay of hearing your favorite jams get demoted to waiting room music, their videos offer equal parts nostalgia and relatable humor…and sometimes even certifiable bops! Take for instance their recent "Merry Gen-Xmas" song, where Kim and Penn pay homage to when the holidays were simpler. When Pac Man, Teddy Ruxpin, Cabbage Patch Dolls and other rudimentary toys could make children’s spirits soar. Keep listening to the tune, however, and the Holdernesses don’t spare us of the more…ahem…questionable aspects of Gen X Christmases—smoking inside being the norm, around a plethora of flammable materials, just to name a big one. As icing on the cake, Kim and Penn include a ton of old childhood photos submitted by their viewers, which really take you back. So. Much. Sepia. Watch how “nobody did Xmas like Generation X” below: - YouTube www.youtube.com Feeling seen, Gen Xers? Judging by the comments, you’re not alone. So many folks flooded the comments section of this one with their own similar childhood memories, or their own personal version of “LOL.” A few were even moved—and many felt a wave of appreciation to have grown up in a simpler time. Read below. “Remember when we used to make ashtrays in school for gifts.”“Goodness I wasn't prepared to get emotional watching this. As an 80's kid this was such a great bit of nostalgia. You all outdid yourself on this one.”“As someone born in '69, I am so grateful I did not grow up in an electronic bubble! We knew how to have fun because we made it. This video is absolutely incredible, Thank you for making it!”“Why am I crying? This is funny but making me cry too.”“This song is awesome. It embraces nostalgia, but also acknowledges that not everything in the past was good.”“Seriously getting teary-eyed at that. I'm a Xennial and so my memories of the early Christmases are vague. But I always love looking back at the photos. Me and my cousins all in matching Christmas dresses, yes made by my mom, and most likely worn the next year also.”And boy, those Cabbage Patch dolls really brought out the worst in humanity, didn’t they? “I'm a 60s and 70s generation fella. When the 80s rolled around, and when they showed on TV how people were fighting over those Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, I and others of my Generation were shocked in horror. MY WORD ! Those people should have been in the WWF ! In fact, I think the WWF would shivered in fear of those crazy CPF (Cabbage Patch Fighters) ! It was a whole different experience for my generation, seeing such things.”“I can recall when I was 10 or 11 at the height of the Cabbage Patch Doll craze. I never wanted one, I was too old for dolls then, but we were at a store shopping when a shipment of them was revealed. I will never forget it, this crowd of women attacked that large pyramid of dolls like animals. Running, screaming, fighting. It was a spectacle I'll never forget. It was really disgraceful. It was weeks before Christmas.”But also, the best…“My parents were teachers and could NOT afford a cabbage patch doll so my mom made me one, with Pink hair! (She purchased the head at the craft shop) I was SOOOOO happy! The lady at the shop said to ‘be sure to stuff it really well’ so 41 years later this homemade doll is still standing up, arms out like she’s expecting a big hug. My sweet mom signed the bum with her own name and I still have it today. Rip to my mom who made me SO happy as an 8 year old!!”Thanks to Kim and Penn for for giving us all a trip back in time, and all the complex feeling that come with it.

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Barry Williamson, Tiny Cole, Stanley Livingston and more classic stars attended the book events to share their Christmas memories.

by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola: Story at-a-glance The U.S. Food and Drug Administration was originally created in 1906 to protect public safety, but food industry lobbyists gradually gained influence and forced out its first leader Harvey Wiley, who had fought against harmful food additives Under the FDA’s “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) designation, many potentially […]

by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D., Childrens Health Defense: California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency for bird flu after cases were detected in dairy cows. Critics of Newsom’s declaration said it’s unnecessary and could lead to granting the state “the authority to forcibly enter farms, test their animals, and mandate mass culling […]

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