Put a Sock In It

September 18, 2012 · By ·

Let’s talk about baby (and toddler) socks for a minute. I know, most exciting blog post ever.  My neighbor said to me the other day, “I’ve been meaning to tell you, I took your advice and bought the boys Walmart socks and it has changed my life”. Life changing might be a bit extreme, but here’s my sock saga:

When Thomas was born we got tons of socks. I don’t know why…maybe because most people think boy clothes are boring (I love shopping for Thomas…Nell’s clothes are harder for me) and shoes and socks in baby sizes are always cute? Anyway, most of them fell right off his foot, and I was constantly losing matches…in the laundry, at the park, in the car. I still find his infant socks in random bags/strollers/corners to this day. We had expensive boutique socks that were supposed to stay on, random Target brands, you name it, we had it in the sock drawer.

And then, we received a pair of Faded Glory baby socks. They were a little big, so I put them in his closet in the bin of clothes he’d grow into and forgot about them until I was hunting in his sock drawer one cold Colorado morning, had nothing, checked in the next size up bin of his closet, found these socks and threw them on his feet. And they stayed on. And when he started cruising, they had no slip grips, which was great for my little guy who was unsure about mobility.

So I went to Walmart the next day and bought five packages of these baby socks ($1.87 for two pairs/pack) in white and threw every other sock in our house away. If one got lost, they all matched so it wasn’t a hunting and gathering expedition. 

It was a sad day when I realized T’s feet were too big for the Faded Glory baby socks and he probably didn’t need the no slip grips for his shoes. So, I threw a pack of their low cut toddler socks in my cart sure that they would fall right off his chubby little 13 month old foot. And they were awesome, too. 


So now I only buy the kids’ socks at Walmart. And I *try* to only buy white socks for matching purposes (the baby socks have proved difficult to come by lately, unfortunately, so I broke down and bought Nell some pink ones the other day because she didn’t own any socks and it was cold. Maybe I should stop telling my neighbors about Walmart’s awesome socks that stay on baby feet for less than $1 a pair so that they’re not always out of stock when I go to buy them). 

Little Nell kickin’ it in her cheap white socks…but not kicking her socks off.

So here’s what I do. Twice a year, or when they grow out of them, whichever comes first, I throw out every single pair of socks in our house and buy Thomas and Nell each 10 pairs of socks (Santa usually puts new socks in everyone’s stockings, as well). The twice a year thing seems to be just about right -by then they’re either too small or have holes form being worn outside without shoes, etc. T’s socks come 10 pairs to a bag for 6.97, and Nell’s come 2 pairs to a pack for $1.87. Again, I only try to buy white, to make laundry matching less of a chore, but this week I had to add some pink to the mix because my Walmart only had one pair of white 0 – 6 month baby socks. And normally, I don’t even fold them together, I just throw them all in the sock drawer in each kiddo’s respective closet and grab two every morning knowing that they’ll match. 
In fact, I do the same with Mr. B’s socks. He has work socks and athletic socks and I only buy the same brands and colors for him so that I don’t have to deal with orphan socks – but I only replace his socks once a year unless otherwise needed. This system has revolutionized my laundry day(s).
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Comments

  1. Jenny says:
    September 18, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    I hate the baby sock conundrum, too. Luckily, it’s been summer, so Ruby hasn’t been wearing a ton of socks, and luckily the Target ones work pretty well for her (I pull them up instead of roll them, so they’re like baby knee-socks).
    I have yet to lose a single sock, though. Of course, now that I said that, I’m going to, BUT… My genius idea was to keep a lingerie laundry bag clipped to the side of her hamper with a clothespin. Socks and tiny washable things go straight in there, I zip it up on laundry day, and they stay in there, even in the dryer. It has really helped!

  2. Kristi says:
    September 18, 2012 at 2:09 pm

    I find baby socks ridiculous as well. I finally found a package of regular crew socks that actually stayed on my babies’ feet. I like your idea of getting rid of the socks as well. We have two baskets of socks and many of them are single and mismatched. I may have to start fresh, with Wal-Mart socks.

  3. Mrs. 5C says:
    September 18, 2012 at 3:23 pm

    I think that Katherine has worn socks twice in her whole entire life. Because that was an exercise in futility. ;) Why is it that the cheap stuff is what works? The cheap-o Gerber bottles… the Walmart socks…
    Thanks for the heads up!

  4. Lesley says:
    September 18, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    I also just figured out the joy of walmart socks. They aren’t the faded glory ones but they are also a 10 pack for 6.97. I got hooked b/c they were the only place I could find plain white socks. Yes baby socks can be cue but they don’t always match and I lie matching socks! I am so excited to hear I am not the only one wo justthrows socks in the drawer. My husband wants all his socks put together whic is a pain but for mine and the toddler I just shove the cleans one right in the drawer.

  5. Meredith says:
    September 18, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    Dude, I’ve been buying Lizzy the boys Faded Glory white socks for almost a year. They really are the best!

    That’s a great idea about replacing socks twice a year. We should totally adopt that for both socks AND underwear.

  6. Kim says:
    September 18, 2012 at 9:12 pm

    I’m totally running to Walmart this weekend to get baby socks – nothing stays on the kiddos feet, even the expensive ones!! Thanks for this!

  7. Kim @ NewlyWoodwards says:
    September 21, 2012 at 2:46 am

    Well, you’ve convinced me. Henry only had a few pairs of socks that stayed on, and he’s close to outgrowing them.

  8. Kim @ NewlyWoodwards says:
    September 21, 2012 at 2:46 am

    Also – Nell is such a cutie.