Stupid Silly Bandz

I've tried to avoid it as much as I can... but I couldn't stop it from showing up in my house last week, in a bag of Halloween goodies.



See the one that's shaped like a ghost??? It's sitting in my room at the moment. I need to get it out of there. I need to forget that it exists, because if I don't... more will show up.

No, it's not a cookie cutter or an eraser.... the object is part of a trending toy/accessory called Silly Bandz.



Silly Bandz are silicone produced and are worn like bracelets. They come in hundreds of colors, styles, and shapes. When worn as a bracelet, then removed, the silly band goes back to its original shape. The shapes can be anything from animals to food, to cartoon characters and holiday themed bandz.

I first noticed them at Walmart this summer. I was shopping with my Mom and my son. My Mom saw them and exclaimed that all the kids that went to trampoline camp were wearing them and trading each other for different ones. She mentioned that the guy who invented them was already a millionaire. I grabbed a package and just stared. A guy took a simple, everyday product and reinvented it to appeal to kids. Why can't I think of stuff like this???

So the trend has exploded this summer. All the grade school kids are wearing them, trading them, and begging their parents for more. About a month into the school year, I received an e-mail from my son's principal about Silly Bandz. Apparently kids like to fling these at one another, much like my generation did with rubber bands. So the rule at my kid's school is that Silly Bandz are off limits... SWEET!!!! Now my kid won't come home and ask if he could have them because the other kids do. I was a happy parent that day.

With the exception of the Halloween ghost silly band in my kid's bag, I have completely avoided the trend altogether. However, we are approaching the busiest shopping holiday of the year, and I have a feeling that a certain parent of mine *cough* MOM *cough* might just stuff some of these little things into my kid's stocking... especially since I noticed Transformers and Star Wars Silly Bandz this week at Target. I might have to "accidentally" lose them...

But... one thing that does peak my curiosity of Silly Bandz. I wonder if any adult-themed ones may make it to the adult stores. Then, I might have to reconsider my thoughts on them, because if my kiddo catches me wearing, say, one that's the shape of a pair of lips or a martini glass, then I would have to give in.

That was just an example... I'm still not going to give in. Dammit!