Also, the unpopular opinion of the day

Heffalump

It may actually be popular, I don't know, so here's hoping:

TOMS.  What in the everloving fuck?  I thought these stopped being a thing a few years ago, but I've seen like three different people wearing them in the past week.  Two were in the mountains, so I'm hoping that Toms' demise is like spring:  it just takes longer for it to reach all the way up there.  But just in case, I really hope these are not still around or ::shudder:: making a comeback.

Apologies to those who love Toms.  I guess.  I think they're fugly, and if you're so concerned about poor people, why don't you just donate some cash to Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, or the NGO of your choice, and then buy yourself a decent pair of shoes.

This may just be my fatigue talking, though.  Never been a big Toms fan, but they usually don't send me into a delayed reaction mini-rant days later, either.

AuntFlo

I'm not a fan either - they are ugly and don't look comfortable at all.  And when my co-worker wears hers in the rain her feet get soaked and they look like they're going to fall apart.

*Barbie*

I wouldn't call hate for TOMS unpopular.

I think they're ugly too - it's like a Pinterest project gone horribly wrong. 

mrsconn23

I don't hate how they look, but I've tried them on and they just don't work for me.  

In the sea of shoes (and various pricing), I don't need $60 shoes that look cheap. 

6fsn

I don't care either way about toms. I'm on a trick or treat war. I try my best to think about the fact not every kid can have certain candy and some kids no candy and some kids have sensory issues. That said there is only so much crap I am willing to buy. If you can't take my candy I'm sorry. I'm not also buying plays oh and bouncy balls. My kids hate mint. They say thank you and either take it or don't.

*Barbie*

6fsn said:

I don't care either way about toms. I'm on a trick or treat war. I try my best to think about the fact not every kid can have certain candy and some kids no candy and some kids have sensory issues. That said there is only so much crap I am willing to buy. If you can't take my candy I'm sorry. I'm not also buying plays oh and bouncy balls. My kids hate mint. They say thank you and either take it or don't.

The kids need to just say thank you, and be happy that whatever free stuff you give them is not laced with poison/razor blades. 

AuntFlo

I have a special place in my heart for kids with severe allergies.  My cousin's kid has a peanut and tree nut allergy and has come close to death too many times.  One of my former coworker's had a son die from his peanut allergy.  I get it completely, and it's so scary.  I'm not sure I would be able to let my kid out of my sight if she had an allergy like that.

That being said, I pass out chocolate (usually kit kats and twix, my faves) that is not allergy-safe and that's not going to stop.  If your kid has a severe food allergy, or a sensory issue, then ToT is no place for them.  

I DO have a problem with ToT (and every holiday, dammit) being made into such a big freaking deal.  But that's a whole other rant.

mrsconn23

Re: Halloween...My unpopular opinion?  I hate it.  I always have.  I mean, ToT as a kid had to happen or how else would I get free candy?  But now that I'm an adult, I dread ToT, Halloween Party invites, etc. I'd rather just stay home with a bowl of fun size candy I bought myself (and is exactly what I want) rather than go out.  I usually make DH take the kids, but DefConn wants me to go with and I'm sure we won't have many (if any) ToT'ers at the new house.  

Heffalump

I love Halloween and ToT, so I think that qualifies as unpopular on this thread, at least. 

Our candy is pretty allergy-friendly, since it's mostly pure sugar:  no nuts, dairy, etc.  I don't think most people expect you to accommodate their restrictions, but as someone whose oldest had a milk allergy (that she thankfully outgrew) and whose youngest is currently lactose-intolerant, it's always a nice surprise to have options that work for you.

GBCK

Kids get the box of rasins choice if they hate my candy.
(When I did other hands on stuff, I handed out weird sci toys.  windbags, slime, play doh, balloon cars--they were a hit.  I'd do that again.)

PMeg819

In regards to TOMS, my mom buys them for DS. Well, used to because he now prefers his shoes to light up and have superheroes on them. I don't care because quite frankly I don't give a shit about shoes- but I will say this- they are really easy to put on kids. DS was also able to pull them on quickly once he got older so that was nice as well. I don't care about the charity aspect.

In regards to Halloween, I don't mind it but I hate our neighborhood. I think there needs to be an age limit. Like if your kid shops in th adult Halloween costume section they need to stop. Buy them a bag of candy and call it good. Also, kids still wear those Scream masks and it sort of gives me a sad because I realize they probably have no idea it relates to a movie. And that Scream came out in the 90's. 

hmonkey

i'm just glad it's fall and i don't have to see people's hideous interpretation of "gladiator sandals." i swear, i should make those a free space on my white girl bingo card.

goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826

hmonkey said:

i'm just glad it's fall and i don't have to see people's hideous interpretation of "gladiator sandals." i swear, i should make those a free space on my white girl bingo card.

I thought I was the only one that hated gladiator sandals that much.

MesmrEwe

Yea, not a ToT fan here either...  Dressing the kids up and going to the daycare party is about as much as I want to do and provides more than plenty of candy for the kids to get their fill and pitch the rest..  From there, yea, no...  IMO - I have food sensitivities and allergies, one thing I've learned is to avoid those foods, but most of all, that's MY job, no one else's, to avoid my trigger foods.  No one allergy is any better/worse to have than another, but it's only the nut kids that get accommodated for in many places.  Thankfully we don't get any ToT here in the middle of nowhere so the candy is MINE - all MINE! 

Heffalump

MesmrEwe said:

No one allergy is any better/worse to have than another, but it's only the nut kids that get accommodated for in many places. 

With all due respect, a lot of kids with nut allergies will go into anaphylactic shock and need an EpiPen to keep their airways from swelling shut.  Whereas a kid with something like a dairy allergy (like DD had) will typically have digestive problems but nothing life-threatening.  Plus the kids with nut allergies tend to be very sensitive--a lot of times just coming in contact with something/someone that touched nuts is enough to trigger a reaction.  But for something like dairy, you actually have to consume it before you'll get sick, and in more than trace quantities.  So yeah, some allergies actually are worse to have, and I really feel for people who allergic to something that could potentially kill them.

kerbohl

I have never heard of TOMs.  Is it an American thing?  If they are that bad, it must be a blessing to leave in blissfully TOM-unaware Canada.  I shall not take it for granted. 
I don't like ToT, but I have always liked dressing up.  I wish that masquerade balls were still a common thing.  Every time I see a Shakespeare movie with a masquerade ball as a major plot point, I get slightly jealous. 

MesmrEwe

Heffalump said:

MesmrEwe said:

No one allergy is any better/worse to have than another, but it's only the nut kids that get accommodated for in many places. 

With all due respect, a lot of kids with nut allergies will go into anaphylactic shock and need an EpiPen to keep their airways from swelling shut.  Whereas a kid with something like a dairy allergy (like DD had) will typically have digestive problems but nothing life-threatening.  Plus the kids with nut allergies tend to be very sensitive--a lot of times just coming in contact with something/someone that touched nuts is enough to trigger a reaction.  But for something like dairy, you actually have to consume it before you'll get sick, and in more than trace quantities.  So yeah, some allergies actually are worse to have, and I really feel for people who allergic to something that could potentially kill them

That is an INTOLERANCE - not an actual allergy to dairy that you're describing.  Sure, an intolerance may seem as bad as an allergy (where you FEEL like you want to die as it moves through the system), but it's not even in the same ballpark as an allergy.  My aunt swells up like a balloon needing an epi pen when she comes in contact with dairy, eggs, etc. that's not a digestive issue.  An intolerance is a digestive system reaction not an immune system one as an allergy is.  I have an intolerance to peppers which will leave me doubled over in the bathroom until every last bit of it is out of my system.  However, If I come in contact with (food borne allergen), my throat is going to close or if I touch it, I'll break into a case of nasty hives.  I'll take an intolerance any day over gasping for air!

Heffalump

MesmrEwe said:

Heffalump said:

MesmrEwe said:

No one allergy is any better/worse to have than another, but it's only the nut kids that get accommodated for in many places. 

With all due respect, a lot of kids with nut allergies will go into anaphylactic shock and need an EpiPen to keep their airways from swelling shut.  Whereas a kid with something like a dairy allergy (like DD had) will typically have digestive problems but nothing life-threatening.  Plus the kids with nut allergies tend to be very sensitive--a lot of times just coming in contact with something/someone that touched nuts is enough to trigger a reaction.  But for something like dairy, you actually have to consume it before you'll get sick, and in more than trace quantities.  So yeah, some allergies actually are worse to have, and I really feel for people who allergic to something that could potentially kill them

That is an INTOLERANCE - not an actual allergy to dairy that you're describing. 

Oh my god, don't fucking mansplain the difference between intolerance and allergies to me.  I have a kid who had an actual, honest to god dairy allergy, in which her body produced an overabundance of IgE in response to cow's milk proteins.  Which is the fucking textbook definition of an allergy.  Blood in her stool, the whole nine yards.  She was breastfeeding at the time and I had to eliminate all dairy from my diet.  DS is the one with lactose intolerance, totally different trigger, totally different pathways, totally different reaction.  Maybe before you start correcting people, you should know what you're actually talking about.

MNNEBride

@kerbohl - Here are TOMS:

http://www.toms.com/?cid=ps_usbrand&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=toms shoes&utm_campaign=US+Brand+Head+Terms+-+Exact&utm_content=sSHAS2FGL_dc|pcrid|45988323655|pkw|toms%20shoes|pmt|e|

theycallmelinz

Re: Halloween. I love it, and it makes me sad that my neighborhood is full of older people who don't have little kiddies to come TorT at my house

Re: TOMS. They aren't the most stylish shoes, but damn they're comfy. I had a brown pair that I wore until they had holes in them. However, I did read an article how that whole "Buy a pair, give a pair" thing actually hurts economies of the people the shoes are donated to because it can put the people who actually make shoes there out of business, among other reasons the TOMS project isn't awesome. I don't know this for a fact as I've never traveled to a place where TOMS are donated, but I can understand what they're getting at. 

Edited to make more sense.

*Barbie*

kerbohl said:

I have never heard of TOMs.  Is it an American thing?  If they are that bad, it must be a blessing to leave in blissfully TOM-unaware Canada.  I shall not take it for granted. 
I don't like ToT, but I have always liked dressing up.  I wish that masquerade balls were still a common thing.  Every time I see a Shakespeare movie with a masquerade ball as a major plot point, I get slightly jealous. 

Canada just rose a few points in my book. 

goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826

*Barbie* said:

kerbohl said:

I have never heard of TOMs.  Is it an American thing?  If they are that bad, it must be a blessing to leave in blissfully TOM-unaware Canada.  I shall not take it for granted. 
I don't like ToT, but I have always liked dressing up.  I wish that masquerade balls were still a common thing.  Every time I see a Shakespeare movie with a masquerade ball as a major plot point, I get slightly jealous. 

Canada just rose a few points in my book. 

Okay I thought I was the only one not to hear of them.  I thought they were Crocs or something.  I just looked them up.  I think in Canada we call them boat-shoes.

*Barbie*

goldchocobo said:

*Barbie* said:

kerbohl said:

I have never heard of TOMs.  Is it an American thing?  If they are that bad, it must be a blessing to leave in blissfully TOM-unaware Canada.  I shall not take it for granted. 
I don't like ToT, but I have always liked dressing up.  I wish that masquerade balls were still a common thing.  Every time I see a Shakespeare movie with a masquerade ball as a major plot point, I get slightly jealous. 

Canada just rose a few points in my book. 

Okay I thought I was the only one not to hear of them.  I thought they were Crocs or something.  I just looked them up.  I think in Canada we call them boat-shoes.

Boat shoes are different: http://www.sperrytopsider.com/en/home?cid=G_Sperry's&cid=58837694688&tmad=c&tmcampid=27&tmplaceref=0-Sperry-Brand-Exact_Sperry-Core-Exact&tmclickref=KW_Exact_Sperry's&gclid=CJzUqaj-rsECFc1_MgodoWIASA

FWIW, I don't like Sperry, but TOMS and Crocs are way worse. 

hmonkey

toms would be horrible on a boat -- they're canvas instead of leather and the soles don't grip as well. 

sperrys actually have a purpose as boat shoes. the only purpose of crocs and toms is to let me know that we will probably not be friends.

tawillers

Toms make me think of my Grandma.  She has worn black canvas shoes with a white sole for as long as I have known her. 

NOLABridesmaid

Plusalso, they look horrible when they're dirty.

runs out of post.......

GBCK

sketchers version (bobs) are actually better looking, at least some of them, IMO.

(I don't own either)

goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826

Ah okay!  Either way they look unpleasant.  Also, uncomfortable.  They look rough and would give you blisters

Heffalump

goldchocobo said:

Ah okay!  Either way they look unpleasant.  Also, uncomfortable.  They look rough and would give you blisters

SITB

DD received a pair as a gift once, and they constantly shed glitter (yes, glitter, sigh) until they actually fell apart.  Worst 2-3 weeks of my life.  Aside from aesthetics, not impressed with their quality.  At all.

loveislouder

PMeg819 said:

In regards to TOMS, my mom buys them for DS. Well, used to because he now prefers his shoes to light up and have superheroes on them. I don't care because quite frankly I don't give a shit about shoes- but I will say this- they are really easy to put on kids. DS was also able to pull them on quickly once he got older so that was nice as well. I don't care about the charity aspect.

In regards to Halloween, I don't mind it but I hate our neighborhood. I think there needs to be an age limit. Like if your kid shops in th adult Halloween costume section they need to stop. Buy them a bag of candy and call it good. Also, kids still wear those Scream masks and it sort of gives me a sad because I realize they probably have no idea it relates to a movie. And that Scream came out in the 90's. 

If we get someone who is *obviously* not a child, we make them sing I'm a little tea pot. If they do actions, they get extra. If they refuse, they get a hunk of wood that says "I'm not a tea pot."

wrigleyville

MesmrEwe said:

Heffalump said:

MesmrEwe said:

No one allergy is any better/worse to have than another, but it's only the nut kids that get accommodated for in many places. 

With all due respect, a lot of kids with nut allergies will go into anaphylactic shock and need an EpiPen to keep their airways from swelling shut.  Whereas a kid with something like a dairy allergy (like DD had) will typically have digestive problems but nothing life-threatening.  Plus the kids with nut allergies tend to be very sensitive--a lot of times just coming in contact with something/someone that touched nuts is enough to trigger a reaction.  But for something like dairy, you actually have to consume it before you'll get sick, and in more than trace quantities.  So yeah, some allergies actually are worse to have, and I really feel for people who allergic to something that could potentially kill them

That is an INTOLERANCE - not an actual allergy to dairy that you're describing.  Sure, an intolerance may seem as bad as an allergy (where you FEEL like you want to die as it moves through the system), but it's not even in the same ballpark as an allergy.  My aunt swells up like a balloon needing an epi pen when she comes in contact with dairy, eggs, etc. that's not a digestive issue.  An intolerance is a digestive system reaction not an immune system one as an allergy is.  I have an intolerance to peppers which will leave me doubled over in the bathroom until every last bit of it is out of my system.  However, If I come in contact with (food borne allergen), my throat is going to close or if I touch it, I'll break into a case of nasty hives.  I'll take an intolerance any day over gasping for air!

Wrong. You might want to do some research before dismissing something as an "intolerance".

Some people are lactose intolerant, but some people do have a true milk allergy.

http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/milk-allergy