Archive for August, 2008

Hanes Comfort-Fit Underwear for Kids - Final Round-Up

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

plaidboxers.jpgLike our first set of bloggers, our final set of reviews of Hanes Comfort-Fit Underwear for Kids frequently mentioned the dreaded wedgie. One reviewer reported that her boys were initially reluctant to try the new Hanes underwear until she issued The Wedgie Challenge: “Soon, they were grabbing the package, fighting over who was going to put the pair first. They tried to wedgie themselves first… no luck. It was only a matter of time before hands were down everyone else’s pants trying to pull up on the underwear… that truly did not ride up.

Another blogger questioned her son: “[I asked him] ‘Did they *ahem* stay put?’ At his puzzled look, I elaborated. ‘Did they ride up at all? Give you a wedgie?’ He grinned. Wedgie, he understood. ‘Nope.’” One reviewer saw the light: “It’s all about underwear staying where it’s supposed to, isn’t it? I don’t think I realized that until just now.

While one blogger’s son initially refused to wear plain white underwear, another’s celebrated the simplicity. The first blogger wrote: “My oldest son initially was skeptical about the white briefs. He dug around for his familiar “Cars,” “Madagascar,” and “Spiderman” varieties. But, with help from the Laundry Fairy, the next time he looked for underwear, only the new white Hanes were available.” And the second explains, “I showed the tighty whiteys to my son. Do you know what he said? “Hooray! Throw spaghetti up in the air! Plain white undies!” Then, he took the entire package up to his room and put all 6 pairs on, one atop the next.” A third blogger mentioned the all-whiteness of the briefs as well: “[my older son's] only complaint was that there were no fun pictures on them.” Fortunately, the first blogger’s son ended up preferring the Hanes, even though they don’t have cartoon characters: “When the Laundry Fairy returned his usual underwear alongside the stack of new Hanes, my son actually selected a pair of Hanes each morning.

The girls’ underwear has fun patterns. “Funny Frog!” one reviewer’s daughters enjoy exclaiming, laughing about the “cute frogs on [the panties.]” But as one reviewer explains and approves, these patterns are not television characters: “I do like the fact that the panties don’t have characters on them which should appeal to people who don’t want to purchase licensed merchandise for their children.” Challenges another, “Try to find the older toddler preschool underwear that cover the butt and aren’t covered in characters? Good luck to you.” One reviewer’s daughter loves the floral patterns in particular: “my daughter loves that they’re ‘just so pretty.’ She has even resorted to wearing her brand new ones, which are a size too-big, just because she likes the pretty florals.

Indeed, the little girls tended to be very excited about their new underwear: “[My daughter gave Hanes] two thumbs up – they’re pretty and comfortable, and has been busy trying to show them off to her grandmother, me, her brother, and her dad since she has a bad habit running around the house in just her underpants.” Boys do the only-wear-underwear-thing too, of course: “My youngest son grabbed the boxers, declared them “shorts,” and has attempted to leave the house with just them and a T-shirt on. Indeed, when I picked him up at preschool yesterday afternoon after their “Luau Party,” I was only slightly surprised to see him shirtless, wearing just a lei and his Hanes Hawaiian Print boxers.

As for fit, one reviewer gave us a run-down on how the “briefs versus bikini” question is answered for her daughter, and how Hanes rises to the challenge:

When my youngest daughter wears skirts, she wants full coverage of her booty area. This is where the Hanes Briefs come in very handy. She has comfort, no wedgies (for real. No. Wedgies.), and doesn’t give a second thought to her panties all day.

When she wears jeans, it’s a totally different story. Any mom with girls over the age of six months knows that jeans only come in the low rider/hipster/where the heck is the zipper it’s only an inch long variety. Which means normal panties stick over the waist band of the jeans. So. Not. Cool. Mom.

With the Hanes bikini panties - She was covered and still cool in her jeans. Enough coverage to make me happy, lower fit to make her not humiliated enough to die a thousand deaths, OMG.

Durability may not be exciting to talk about, but it is certainly exciting for our wallets and the fewer trips to the store to purchase yet another pair of underwear. And comfort is huge, especially for sensitive kids who get off-of-center if they feel a tag or believe their undergarmets or socks are too itchy. Explains one reviewer, “As soon as [my son] was old enough, he started demanding we cut the tags out of his clothes. He hates scratchy socks, tight shoes, and heaven forbid his shorts get a spot of water on them.” But Hanes gets a ringing endorsement: “All was well. He’s kept them on with no problems. And if he keeps them on, in favor of his normal naked from the waist down mode, it’s great.

Another reviewer’s son similarly didn’t complain with his new Hanes: “He put them on with little fuss. There was no tag to irritate his skin. The material is soft and durable. I know that last part seems weird, but we have underwear from a certain chain store that is thin and a little rough. After a couple of washings you can basically see through them in spots. The Hanes underwear has double stitching on the seams.

Speaking of “seeing through” things, Hanes makes good on its no-gap-fly promise: “The one thing I dread with boys and boxers is the dreaded “fly gap”, and somehow, Hanes has gotten it right - there is never any gap with these boxers. Particularly helpful in a family of both boys and girls. (We’ve had to do some, ah, education a time or two.)

The underpants definitely get a thumbs-up from our reviewers, as do the socks: “They live up to the ‘Comfort Fit Promise.’ I haven’t seen a tug at the rear or a gouge in a waistline since we’ve switched. The socks? Great as well - super soft and they’ve worn really, really well. One other thing I really like? The underwear is tagless - one less tag to keep tucked in.

One reviewer’s son gave the socks a real test: “One night, my son wore them outside, without shoes, to catch frogs. Not only did it protect his feet and keep them dry from the dew, but the socks soon became a not-so-lovely shade of dark brown and green. Even after walking on rocks, twigs and mud, there were no holes in the socks. I popped them in the washer for a long soak, and they did not shrink; nor thin out.

And if you don’t agree with our reviewers’ assessments? “Hanes offers a guarantee on their underwear. Whether you buy them at the store, or on-line, Hanes will refund your money or replace the item, if you’re own tough customers are not completely satisfied.

On August 22nd, we’ll be hosting a blog blast where you can win your own Hanes underwear, just in time for back-to-school!

Couponers.com Blog Blast this Friday, plus Burger King Blog Blast Winners!

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

With a veritable recession upon us, we’re all trying to get by on the lowest common denominator regardless of our income level. Whether it’s snagging a brand name purse at half-price or catching a sale at your local grocery store to stock up on essentials, everyone loves to save money.

So we want to know, what was your best bargain find EVER? Share pictures and/or tell us how you found it - and while you’re at it, make sure to share any bargain hunting tips or favorite must-visit websites that help you save at a time where wells are drying up everywhere.

This week, we’re working with Couponers.com - a coupon and deals shopping platform that averages over 100 new coupons and discounts daily from hundreds of your favorite stores. Instead of picking deals for you, Couponers.com constantly updates new offers in a searchable and organized format so YOU can easily find the best deal for YOUR needs.

Here’s how to participate:

Write a post about your greatest bargain-hunting successes. Post anytime this weekend - Friday, August 15 through Sunday, August 17.

Make sure to link http://www.couponers.com and http://blog.parentbloggers.com somewhere in your post.

Then email us the link to your post at parentbloggers@gmail.com.

We’ll be linking them up on our blog all weekend long, so be creative with your title!

What can you win?

We’ve got three $100 gift cards and five $50 gift cards from your choice of one of over 750 Couponers.com stores (like Barnes and Noble, Restoration Hardware, and the perennial fave, Amazon - just to name a few).

Eight lucky winners will be drawn at random.

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Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s Blog Blast sponsored by Burger King!  Congratulations to our randomly chosen winners - SusieJ with her post Call the Security Guards, They’re Here Again and Sacred and the Profane with her post This Is What I Get for Bragging - they both won a $250 VISA gift card!

Yoplait Kids Yogurt - Campaign Launch

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

I’ve always been a fan of yogurt as a kids’ snack. It’s a little self-serve cup of calcium and Vitamin D, and kids can help themselves to it without waiting for us to finish folding the laundry or feeding the baby. And I’m not alone; lots of our bloggers already had a package of it in the refrigerator when we asked them to participate in this campaign.

All kids’ yogurts are not created equal. Yoplait Kids not only has omega-3 DHA - you know, that stuff that helps kids’ brains grow - but it’s got 25% less sugar than other kids’ yogurts. Unless your kids routinely snack on leaves and twigs, there aren’t many more wholesome snacks you can offer.

Thirty of our parent bloggers received a coupon to redeem for a free package of yogurt so that they can tell you without a doubt how they (and their kids) enjoyed it. They’ll also be giving away goodies on their own blogs, courtesy of Yoplait, so click through! Finally, everyone can print a coupon for themselves at the Yoplait site, good for $1.50 off (more than half the cost!).

Thurs 8/21 - Builder Mama, Dana Reviews, mothergoosemouse
Fri 8/22 - Radioactive Reviews, Sarah’s Dandelions, Toddler Planet
Mon 8/25 - Mom to the Screaming Masses
Tues 8/26 - Baggage Reviews, My Family Loves It
Wed 8/27 - Bleenies, Jennster, Mayberry Mom
Thurs 8/28 - Mom Reviews, SusieJ
Fri 8/29 -
Mama Maven, One Chic Mama, slackermama
Tues 9/2 - Creature Bug
Wed 9/3 - Ovolina
Thurs 9/4 -
Cheese Party, Lawyer Mama, Taste Like Crazy
Fri 9/5 - Slouching Mom, The Delaney and Waylon Diaries
Mon 9/8 - Ebony Mommy, Little Bird Reviews
Tues 9/9 - Snarky Momma
Wed 9/10 - Motherhood Uncensored, The Chunky Purse
Thurs 9/11 - Crazy Momcat
Fri 9/12 - Blog Blast and Round-Up Review on PBN