Let's Talk About Socks, Baby

In the Madsen home we discuss important things like politics, the economy, homeland security, er... foreign politics... foreign economies... well, you get the idea. And today is no different. Today I want to discuss something pertinent to every American man, woman, and child.

I'm talkin' about socks, people.

I am on a quest to find the perfect sock. You might think that's an easy quest, but then you probably also think that babies can't pull your house apart one piece at a time or that little boys can't have broken three bones by the time they're four. And you would be wrong.

I'm an ankle or low cut kinda gal, and I wear mostly white because who really sees my socks? (Socks of other colors are for 'special' occasions; i.e. when I remember I have them.) But here are a few other criteria for the perfect sock:

• Heavy, but not too thick - I don't like it when my shoes feel tight!
• Light, but not too thin - I hate cold toes! Plus, when they're too thin they bunch up in my shoes.
  
• Durable - I don't want to see holes in the heels or toes in a month or so!
• Affordable - socks shouldn't cost too much; I mean, they're just socks for Pete's sake

I'm especially interested in the durable and affordable aspects, because I have bought all sorts of socks in the last year and I have discovered that the more expensive ones wear out just as quickly as the cheaper ones.

Right now my regular white socks are all Target Circo brand. They're okay, but they seem to wear out a bit quicker than I'd like. (Or am I asking too much of a sock?) I bought some Hanes black, blue, and gray socks the other day, and they seem pretty nice, although a bit on the thin side. I bought some Payless socks a while back because they were something like $1 when I bought some shoes, but regularly they are pricier than what I think they're worth. (Although I do quite like them with the shoes I bought!)

Now, I'm talkin' about socks for me. I buy Lance whatever is on sale at Target and he hasn't complained yet so I'm not worrying about him. And for the boys, the cheaper the better, I say. Because who's gonna spend more money on socks whey the boys just: 1) lose them, 2) grow out of them every 16 days, and 3) stain them so badly that their white socks become their black church socks. (Just kidding, because that would be really gross. And I would never admit to it on a blog.)

*Side note: never buy the cheap Wal-Mart socks for kids. The elastic in those things are so tight that it's like putting a Chinese finger trap on. Have you ever put a sock like that on a squirming toddler? It's about as fun as, well, I can't think of anything it's as fun as. Because fun it is not.

BTW, we get socks every year for Christmas. I always got them as a kid and swore that I wouldn't do that when I was a mom. But it seems like everyone always needs them around Christmastime, so what's a girl gonna do? Besides, I crack myself up by putting "To: so-and-so, From: Target" on the gift labels. Haha!

Okay, back to the main reason for this post. And that main reason is, in case you have gotten lost in the sea of side notes and random thoughts: what kind of socks do you like and why?

Discuss.