One thing that caused me to roll my eyeballs in my pre-child days was labelling, as in, crazy people waving their label-makers around and using them as weapons against chaos.
Then, guess what, kids came along, school started, and we started losing stuff. Suddenly the Martha army didn’t seem so loony. THEY HAD A POINT AFTER ALL.
I’ve tried products from two different label companies over the past year or so and wanted to share the info with you. Please note, each sample pack was sent to me gratis, although I was under no obligation to write anything about them.
1) Mabel’s Labels have a cult following in the momosphere. I had the opportunity to meet the co-founder Julie Cole last year. She is hip and gorgeous and a smart lady who has a keen understanding of what it means to be a mom and the need to keep track of stuff. :)
We’ve used Mabel’s bag tags and have had success with their other labels too. (They come in a variety of sizes). I can’t tell you how many times they’ve come in handy. I’ve labelled our SIGG water bottles (they are $$ and I never want to lose one), winter gear, boots and shoes, pencils … man, I even stuck a label on Emma’s recorder the other day. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN LABELLED. My one complaint: their clipart-like selection of graphics is a little ho hum. And then there’s the font. I’m a font snob. I wonder why designers of children’s products seldom venture into bold territory that isn’t already covered by Comic Sans.
2) Oliver’s Labels are four-colour labels. The labels themselves have the same stickability and wear as Mabel’s (which is, in a word, excellent). Label design is a little different (although my font issue is the same) and they’re okay, but I’m looking for something a little more contemporary. What sets Oliver’s apart is their online lost and found system. Labels have a tracking code which, if found, connects the lost item to you item via your email address. I think that’s pretty cool.
So there you go. Have you tried either of these products? Or do you have a label-maker of your own? Or maybe you think labelling is only for disorganized Martha wanabees? :)
