Sep
19
For the last couple of months I’ve been doing some community management work for Cherokee USA, which is a fancy way of saying I’m in charge of the stuff that appears on their Facebook page. For all my complaining about Facebook (seriously, would it KILL them to add an edit function? Does this not exist because of the fear that someone will post “I LOVE puppies, don’t you?” and 10,000 likes later, swap out puppies for “child pornography”? Because okay, that WOULD be sort of funny, not that there’s anything funny about—anyway, all I’m saying is I hate that I can’t fix a typo without deleting the whole thing and starting over), I’ve really been enjoying the gig. I’m basically just there to try and make the page a non-sucky place for parents to visit, so it’s pretty low-key and conversational—much more fun than the sort of corporate brand-bot weirdness where the writer attempts to pretend they actually ARE the product, not that I’m pointing fingers, BIZARRO-LAND MIRACLE WHIP TWITTER ACCOUNT.
Cherokee and Cozi have teamed up to offer up some Target gift cards to blog readers, and today I’m jumping on the giveaway bandwagon. I’ll get to that part in a minute, but just so everything’s all up front and tidy: not only is this a sponsored post, it’s sponsored by a client of mine. I’m just saying, if I was selling out any harder right now I’d have to launch an eponymously-named fragrance.
The general topic for the giveaway is back to school clothes—specifically, first day of school outfits, and how parents choose to capture the moment. This isn’t a subject I’m much of an expert on, frankly. On Riley’s first day I mostly looked for an outfit that wasn’t wrinkled or stained, and while I’ve seen plenty of inspiration for first day of school photos, I sort of phoned it in with a last-minute printed speech bubble:
So I didn’t exactly knock it out of the park creativity-wise for his first day photo, but I think I’ll try this idea from Kim (aka Miss Zoot): I’ll take the exact same photo—same outfit and all—on his last day, too. Check out how Kim’s first day/last day photo of her daughter turned out:
Cool, right? I would love to have a photo like that to see how Riley changed over the year.
I’m not super fussy about what he wears to school, but I do set out Riley’s outfit the night before. It makes things easier in the mornings, and also ensures that he’s not heading out the door in a pair of swim shorts with a Spiderman pajama top. My standards may be low, but they do exist.
Here’s my question for you, if you’ve got an opinion on the subject: what do you care about more, your kid’s outfit for the first day of school, or their first school picture day? I see by our calendar that our picture day is on October 21st, and I suspect I’ll be in a tizzy the night before trying to find a photogenic outfit for his FIRST PICTURE DAY OMG. Hopefully they have a different backdrop than the Infamous PenisTurtle Theme of ’07.
And with that unsavory image, on to the giveaway! The prize is a $100 gift card for Target, which you can of course use to buy a stack of new Cherokee clothes—or, you know, whatever else captures your fancy. To enter, leave a comment on this post (any comment will do, just be sure and include your email address). Contest ends . . . let’s say Wednesday morning, okay? Two days from now on the 21st.
Good luck!
PS: there’s another big giveaway going on where you can win a $1000 shopping spree from Cherokee and a $300 smart phone from Cozi. Contest info is here.
PS part deux: if you’re a Facebook user, I’d be super honored if you would visit Cherokee’s page and maybe even hit that Like button—only if you want to! No pressure!—if you’d like to see my updates appear in your, uh, stream-hole.
*** Contest now closed, winner to be announced soon ***
Comments
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Definately school photo day! First day of school clothes, who is going to remember those? But the damn photos and goofy picture faces – those will haunt you forever :>)
Ooo, ooo! Me, me!!
Both. As a girl, I spent the summer months planning my first day outfit, but obviously, the picture matters too. And I do hope I win the Target gift card, but even as a side note, I love Cherokee clothes. I used to buy them a lot for myself at Target when I was in grad school in the late 90s but then they stopped carrying them for a while, focusing, I think on Mossimo and a couple of more “trendy” brands. I do by them for my son though, and I’m excited they (hopefully) back with more khaki shorts and weekend clothing for women! They just last forever. My shorts from lawschool still look great and I’ve been out since 2000! ack!
My son has been in Pre-K for about a month now. In that time, I showed up on the wrong day for the first day of school (so I was lucky enough to have to come up with TWO back to school outfits) and forgot picture day (he was wearing a grey t-shirt with a jet on it). I win at mothering.
Gah, I feel like such a sellout here because YES, COULD USE THE CARD! but also I am totally agreeing with you here about the wardrobe thing. Last year, we had our “school pictures” about the same time as yours, so I sent him in your usual fall-themed colors (navy, maroon, hunter green – THE GAY ACCENT WALL PALETTE OF THE 90S), and the damn backdrop was NEON LASERS. NEON LASERS, LINDA. DOESN’T THAT SCREAM FALL?!
My kids wear uniforms to school which I love! No choices to have to make and no kid fashion do’s or don’t’s to have to keep track of. On the first day of school and on picture day they just wear the same thing they always do.
I amused myself when I was a school librarian by taking first and last day pictures of myself. Of course, I was 8 months pregnant in the last day picture, so it was awesomely different from the first day picture.
I’m a slacker and only got a pic of my daughter, quickly and poorly snapped before going to the bus. None of my son because we were rushing around so bad. i like the same outfit/first day/last day pic though. I hope i win, i do love me some cherokee clothes, esp for my son they have nice quality-made stuff:)
My kids are in daycare-school and I lamented the no ‘real’ first day photo for preK because it was a whole lot like the week before but in a room across the hall. The only thing she noted as different was that she had a different potty. So I vote picture day as more important. PS. I love target too. I’m doing my MBA in MN next door to their corp HQ so I’ve had a target person in virtually every class and it is, for real, a good company.
I’m more concerned with picture day that the first day.
I crack up everytime you post that scary turtle picture. No wonder the poor guy was crying! And Yes, I could use the gift card too! :-)
I liked Cherokee on FB, too!
Random of the day: The first four letters of my maiden name are (is?) Cozi and I’m mildly annoyed with myself that I didn’t buy that web address before the online calendar company.
Even though am kid-less, do I still count? I’ll do a whole first day of fall/first day of summer work photo look :)
My son is a 1st grader this year, and I never buy a “special’ first day outfit for him, I let him pretty much choose what he wants to wear jeans/swishy pants and t-shirts….. my daughter just started preschool and I find I am pretty much the same way, while there were plenty of girls in dresses and hair bows, allie wears jeans/tennis shoes/t-shirts…. I kinda have a thing where I ONLY send the kids to school wearing tennis shoes because I think its safer on the playground/gym and since tennis shoes don’t really go with her dresses, I just don’t bother. Not sure what I will do for her picture day though
Picture day is more important around these parts since it is one of 10 days that he gets to wear what he pleases. Otherwise, it’s uniform all the way. Which is really nice for shoving your kid out the door. You know what has to be clean and pressed. *nods*
That picture of Riley is awesome. I *love* the idea of “shot on this day/shot on that day” shoots.
I want that giftcard!
My kid’s not in school yet, but I think I would consider picture day more important in terms of getting that perfect outfit. I think first-day-of-school pics should be more about capturing the moment. I have a great pic of me about to get on the bus for the very first time. I don’t remember much about the outfit, what stands out in my memory is the big construction-paper apple with my name on it that was pinned to my sweater ;) and the huge smile on my face!
Picture day is way more important than the first day of school outfit, imo.
My kid wears uniforms too, so it’s definitely picture day that wins for making careful choices. It’s one of the only days he can wear what he wants. And it’s coming up in a couple weeks, and I planned on getting his outfit at Target, so I could really use that gift card! Speaking of Cherokee, they make the best uniform pants, way nicer and cheaper than the fancy uniform places. Also, that picture idea from Zoot is great. I think I’ll do that too.
Picture day today. ugh. The school brings in the worst photographer that tell’s the kids ‘show me your teeth’. I have an annual progression of my kids looking like they are overdressed for their dental checkup.
I was a uniform wearer, so first day of school pictures didn’t mean that much….and all of our school pictures were also in uniform. So far, with the baby, all we have is a picture of his first day of daycare! We went with a very stylish onesie.
I homeschool my kids so they don’t have school pictures, and I also school year-round so there’s not really a start day, AND I suck at taking pictures in general….
Probably I’d be happy to get a couple decent pictures a year of the kids that don’t get taken because OMG, I have to capture the stupid thing they did NOW.
So. Helpful.
Um, let’s see … Beans already had his school photos done and delivered. Thank Zeus he didn’t flash his goober smile during the photo! :)
I’m now wondering if our charter school is doing school pictures. Huh…
I was just thinking of that picture of Riley this morning, as I dressed my son for his daycare picture day! The only “first day” picture I’ve had to take of my son was his first day of daycare. My husband snapped it on his cell phone, and it captures the saddest day of my life, SO! I’m way more into picture day.
I’d say both. For my daughter’s first day of school this year, we went out and bought a special outfit, and will most likly do the same thing for picture day.
really LOVe the first and last day photo. hope i remember these things when i have kids. ;)
I remember OBSESSING about my first day of school outfit for my entire school career. I also remember being mortified when I got called out on the skank-factor of my SHORT SHORT white denim shorts on the first day of 7th grade, so I’m grateful that my mom never did first day pictures.
School pictures are more important. He picked out what he wore the first day of kindergarten. I pick out the picture day clothes! We’ve already had picture day, just waiting for proofs to look at. Fingers crossed!!!
That mushroom picture is so classic. Also, what the heck?! Wasn’t Riley that little, like, yesterday?
Dude. I need that $100 gift card.
Picture day is Wednesday for my Kindergartner. I’m already mentally planning his outfit and the bribe I will offer in exchange for wearing it.
Cute pics! We love Cherokee clothes.
Last year I took really nice pictures of my sons’ first day of school, but this year I was a slacker and didn’t get to it.
I like the first day of school pictures better than the picture day pictures. At my age, I can’t even tell anymore what photo corresponds to what grade. I need to use signifiers to remember, i.e. pink shirt = second grade, bizarre hair = first grade, unfortunate glasses/braces combo = anywhere from sixth to eighth grade…
That 2007 picture makes me laugh everytime. And I am thankful for uniforms each and every day, though my two girls still find a way to fight over which white blouse they get.
Love that turtle picture of Riley!
School picture day, for sure. I want to put her in something really cute, but then I’m worried she’ll get it dirty or her hair will go all AWOL before the photo is taken.
First day of school outfit is more important to me. Mostly because I don’t buy the school photos anyway. Sure that photo ends up in the yearbook BUT I put together the school yearbook. Ha! I’ve got ’em beat :)
That is such an awesome picture of Riley. You should make it into one of those huge canvas prints, save it, and then hang it in his dorm room.
Anywho, my son’s first picture day is in 2 weeks and I would to get him a cute new outfit from Target.
i’m just grateful my kid still has pants ON by the time they get to school….. as for the pictures– it sounds good in theory but the practice is always much more harried in my house, especially the last minute window during which i actually remember!
Our 3yo still goes to daycare (though we call it school, makes us feel better) and we always manage to find out about picture day the day before it’s actually scheduled. His outfits are usually fine but I always wish I’d had time to get his hair cut. In his last set of pix his cowlick gave his too-long bangs this curly/wave look–horrible!
Huh. I think I’d probably care more about school picture day. However, when I said something about how we’d buy Callum’s school pictures in a few years when he’s actually, you know, in school, my husband stared at me like I was crazy and asked why we would pay buckets of money for one crappy staged portrait when we have a lovely DSLR here at home. So that may be a battle down the line. But I WILL win it.
I was always fussy over piture day but it never really mattered my daughter would be a mess by the time they got taken anyway. She was such a tom boy kind of girl.
Guess I am an outlier. Our school pictures are always complete crap. It like they hired monkeys or 16 month olds to take them. So for fun I let the kids wear whatever they want and pick the cheesiest background available. Then at least they’re entertaining instead of disappointing. Oh, and buy the cheapest package possible, because there ain’t no way I am hanging that picture of my kid in a Smurf T shirt with fake fall foliage superimposed behind her on my WALL.
On the first day of school I make them wear something that sends the message that MOM CARES. Except on picture day, that is.
At my place, the kids are MOST concerned about first day of school (who cares if you spend eternity in a class picture with a cowlick and a old, stained t-shirt?), while I am most concerned about picture day (*loooook* *cuuuuuute* *aaaaaagh*). So — on the first day, they get to wear a special, never-before-worn outfit. For my 9yo, it was a Wimpy Kid shirt and for my 6yo, it was a hamburger on a trampoline shirt. For picture day, I dig deep and pull out the nice, preppy polos which will go far in upping the cuteness factor.
My 3 year old just started preschool this year. We did the obligatory “first day of school pic” he looked pissed in it. We will try the “last day of school” pic, hopefully he will look less, I dont know, abused? The gift card would be great for buying new clothes!!
Consider me commented! I’ve always let my kids pick their own clothes. I don’t give a rat’s ass what they wear on picture day because I’d rather they were dressed to express their own personalities and if their choices make my mother gasp in horror, all the better. :)
I will never tire of that picture of Riley. It makes me laugh every time you flash back to it. It just encapsulates everything I remember about my own studio portraits as a kid.
Ohhhhh That picture KILLS me everytime. I love Cherokee clothes. Will be liking that page right…about…now.
Picture day. Oy. My son is a new teenager and smiling is no longer cool. Ugh. And, then, yesterday, he wanted to buy a t-shirt with some squirrels on it that said “Protect your nuts.” *sigh*
I let my kids pick their own clothes – so my 6 year old went to school on his first day this year with a white dress shirt, blue tie, popped collar, and pajama shorts.
I do it because it allows them to be independent, make choices, and realize conseque- oh who am I kidding. I do it because it makes me laugh.