Product reviews: Mabel's Labels "for the stuff kids lose"

Label your life and gear -- end the madness!

by Sarah Pendleton guest writer

[Editor's note - Sarah is a full-time freelance editor and writer]

Kids lose stuff. A regrettable fact, but true. When you live in a small town and everyone shops at Wal-Mart, everyone owns the same stuff. This can make the lost and found pile at school difficult to traverse.

I used to rely on the tried and true permanent marker method. I scrawled my kids' names on everything I could… but somehow the the permanent in front of marker didn't always hold true. Besides, it looked tacky!
Sew-in labels take forever, and I'm the queen of procrastination. So when I found Mabel's Labels, it was like they were made just for me! As a matter of fact, they were - all of Mabel's Labels come with free personalization.

Mabel's Labels come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles and materials so everything my kids own is clearly marked. The iron-on labels stay on, even after dozens of washings. The Tag-Mates are even better for a lazy mom like me - you just peel and stick it to the clothing tag. I didn't think these would stay on after a round in our crammed washing machine, but so far, so good!

There are labels for everything you might take anywhere - cups, cookware, beach towels and sleeping bags. Mabel's Labels even carries sturdy metal 'Bag-Tags' for sports equipment bags, luggage and overnight kits. Camp equipment can be tossed in with everyone else's and easily retrieved later.

The one tag that really got me was the Shoe Label. Remember, I said small town - I mean small. If I think every fifth kid has the same coat mine does, every other one has the same pair of sneakers. Permanent marker just isn't when matched up against the relentless friction of little feet.

The Shoe Label is a stick on tag that won't come off, wear off or even fade - it has a water resistant coating for sweaty days or rainy ones when they jump in puddles. Just slap one in the insole of each shoe, and nobody can miss it.

I could go on and on. There's labels for organizing your house, your garage and the rest of your life. They've even got tags to label your cords so you don't spend an hour unpacking your computer after a move, trying to figure out what went with the printer, the modem, the mp3 charger and the fax. (Can you tell I moved recently?)

I have to put in a word for the wristbands, too. I used to write my cell phone number on my kid's arm in indelible ink when I dropped them off for field trips, day camp or VBS. You think I'm kidding? I invented paranoia. Now my littlest can sport a tricked-out wristband with his name and my number on it, and I can be confident whoever's in charge knows how to reach me!

I actually plan to give a friend of mine some of the special 'Allergy Alert' labels and wristbands for Christmas - her little boy has severe allergies, including peanuts and bee stings, so she is constantly having to write and stick notes on everything. These labels will make her life 100% easier!

Mabel's Labels - for the stuff kids lose, and so much more.

copyright 2009 - all rights reserved, Sarah Pendleton for Just Camping Out
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Lizzie Sorensen, founder of 32FlavorsPR, representing Mabel's Labels, adds:

"One product that I think campers would like is the Skinny Mini labels. They are waterproof and would work very well to help campers identify which belongings are theirs. Skinny Mini labels can be personalized and there is even a pine tree (also a tent) icon! Picture this -- a skinny adhesive label [with your name] on your compass, your tent, your cooler, your thermos, headlamps, hiking boots, fishing poles -- you name it. Literally." [~Jim]