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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I would love to win this give-away. Thanks for having it!!
I’m still giggling about “stream-hole.” Target is the shizz.
I want her to look nice every day, but picture day is most important. I fret all day wondering if they took pictures in the morning before everything we worked at early has fallen apart. If she just smiles a real smile and not a ‘hey i don’t know you guy taking my picture’ frightening fake smile – we’re good. Also, I love Target and its RedCard (debit).
for everyday, I struggle with trying to make sure he looks nice but isnt wearing anything that will be a loss if they get trashed.
With teenagers, I am no longer in charge of what goes on their carcasses (except for the PAYING of said clothes, of course). Thanks for the giveaway, and of course I will “like” you!
dressed is best!
I did the first and last day of photos for pre-k, k and now first grade but not in the same outfit. The backstory for me dates back 20 years!! I had two friends in HS who happened to be neighbors since kindergarten. On the last day of their senior year, they showed me the year after year photos of them on the front porch on the first day of school and I remember thinking if I ever have kids I am doing that. The photos were so sweet in their simplicity! I decided to do the end of the year photos when I noticed how much he was changing in pre-k. It has been neat to see the difference!
As for school photos, I do not “stress” about it but I do try to stick to plain colored clothing. A photographer we go to suggested no stripes or dots or graphics. I like the idea of having a decent picture from picture day and not letting him look like a dork like I always did. I know some parents just let their kids wear whatever to picture day. My son seems to like the idea of a special “shirt” to wear on those school picture days!
TOTALLY forgot about my daughter’s first picture day at preschool and I own the evidence – crazy fuzzy hair and horrendous yellow “Fargo” mosquito tshirt and all. Since then, I’m quite a bit better about at least remembering and fixing the hair although I don’t go too crazy with clothes. I’d like the picture to look like HER, kwim?
I’m terrible at picking clothes for my kids. Maybe because they are boys and I’m, well, just a crazy woman/mom? Don’t know. Anyway, I’d love $100 and I promise I wouldn’t buy anything too crappy for my boys to wear.
I have already spent way more than $100 on Cherokee clothes for my little one for her school clothes this year and dang if she doesn’t look cute! They outdid themselves this year. I don’t really care what she looks like the first day of school, but picture day (which is tomorrow for us) we do get a little fancy over here.
My daughter started pre k 3 weeks ago and i pick out her outfit everynight because she dresses herself and sometimes her choices are a little unique LOL. I just want her to match and look like she has parents that care.
Im not even going to pretend like I have kids I need to buy school clothes for. I just want to buy myself new clothes. AND there is this chair on Target.com that I have my eye on.
We haven’t had to do the “first day of school” outfits yet, so for us I worry more about school (daycare) photo day. Which rolls around at least twice a year, and I meticulously plan outfits that coordinate between the two kids. And then, without fail, my youngest cries. So we get no pictures anyway.
But I’m sure I’ll put the exact same level of stress and planning on first day of school outfits, too, knowing me.
Great giveaway!
I don’t stress about either one. My daughter on the other hand does. She says she got made fun of for wearing her 1st day of school outfit on picture day. I’m thinking, wow, I can’t even tell you what I was wearing 2 days ago!
And I love your idea with the bubble. It’s to late to start it with the older two, but I will have to do it with the youngest one.
Oh! Help with outfitting the child for fall/winter?! I would LOVE that!!! Haven’t reached the first day of school thing yet, but I do remember planning my own outfit each year once I was old enough – even into highschool. I think I may have been a dork.
We have public school uniforms here in Nashville so no worrying about what to wear…ever! It is so easy!
My standards, too, are pretty low. I cannot tell you how many shirts have been ruined at school. And for the price of those dang school photos (we go with 25$ for the photo cd – per kid!) you know I stress out over the picture outfit the most.
I heart target gift cards!
My favorite memory of fall was always back to school shopping!
Can’t…stop…looking…at…PenisTurtle…
My daughter’s too young for first day of school pictures but I love them anyway. It’s fun to see all of my friends’ kids on their first day with new shoes and backpacks. Love.
I have been following you for years and I super heart you and target! :D
and by follow I mean your blog not you…lol let’s clear up that creepyness.
Waa, pick me!! I’ve been following you since DIARYLAND! Assuming that, you know, you are picking yourself by scanning the comments for the most creepy stalkery levels and not using a random number generator.
Definitely more concerned about photo day. Although we did tote his school clothes in the car so he wouldn’t mess them up for his pre-first-day-of-preschool Chipotle lunch. Got him changed in the parking lot. Why yes, I AM that mom who let her kid run around outside in nothing but a diaper.
I’ve had her outfit for her Kindergarten pictures bought 2 months ago! I was not prepared like this with the first two though! Maybe me being older now has something to do with it?!
I will no doubt be tizzing about photo-day as well for my kindergartener, especially since I have no idea when it is…
I love the first day/last photo idea! I’m definitely going to do that.
First day of school outfit for me, because that’s where I take a bazillion photos with (vaguely) real smiles and (reasonably) attractive backgrounds like nature and stuff. Those photos make it in frames and on FB, because I am awesome and stuff.
The official school photos? Totally cheesy backrgounds and deer-in-the-headlights pained grins. So we just go with it…choose the worst background (lasers and fog, holla!) and the worst outfit. I may have even instructed my child to include jazz hands in his pose. Those photos we giggle at and save for blackmail. (They don’t go in the yearbook; I am not cruel, people.)
BTW, I like ya, so I “liked” ya.
Ohhhh, Target. I love you.
Cool giveaway, funny post!
I love first day of school pictures! I have them from Pre-school through my Senior Year of High School. They are just awesome at capturing who you are each year. And funny how you can tell EXACTLY when my mom stopped picking the outfits and when I started :)
Love the first day\last day photo idea. Pictures always turn out horrible so I have always put extra time into the first day outfits. However, this year my daughter wears a uniform so picture day will be a biggie since she can wear whatever she wants for the picture.
Well, we just had school picture day, and I was so worked up about it (probably since I missed the memo on pictures two years ago, the HORROR) that I put my daughter’s hair in rag curls like we are from the PAST. So, school picture day, definitely.
looks like with these many responses, there’s more a chance my kid will be potty trained today because he decided to stop torturing mama, than i have at winning a gift trip to tarjay : ) but i’ll throw my hat in just cuz i’m feeling optimistic
yay tar-jay!
:)
We’ve got school photo day this week. I’m going to go start picking out some shirts now… :)
I rarely comment but yay contest! Also every time I see the school picture of your son I get tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard. He will love/hate that picture when he gets older!
Definitely photo day.
Now that my kiddos are little, the first day of school clothes are way more important. But once they hit middle/high school, that photo outfit will be SO essential. I’m still embarrassed by some of those yearbook photos. (Ruffle pirate shirt? Yep. That’s me.)
I totally didn’t think nearly enough about first day of school clothes. Ours just went to preschool, so I probably have some time to get my act together for Kindergarden….
I think the first day because those pictures tend to be “whole kid” where our school still does the “top half” pictures for picture day.
I cannot believe how old Riley looks in that picture by the fence– what a spunky little man!
I’m with you – no (big) wrinkles or stains, and the outfit will suffice. That’s why I have two boys, right?
Haven’t been to Target in ages. Would be fun to spend a bunch of cash there. Thanks!
I have no chilluns and can’t really say what I’d prefer, but I can say that I don’t know about eponymous fragrances. Who’d want their name to be the answer to “What smells?”
Definitely clothes on picture day, those could back to haunt you later.
I would prefer the school pics to look better!
Not only did I not choose a nice outfit for the first day of school, I forgot about picture day and he went wearing an old t-shirt that’s almost too small from his first year of soccer. I fail at preserving precious memories.
photo day!
Picture day definitely wins. But I also think that photo with the turtle is the BEST THING EVER.
I have almost no say in what my daughter chooses to wear each day, except to insist that it’s appropriate for the weather. I can only imagine what she’ll choose for picture day. I suspect it will either have a skull and crossbones or a monkey on it.