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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First day/ last day pic is a great idea. Always love your posts.
I don’t have kids (unless you count the bizillion I am in charge of at school). However, on of my favorite school picture of myself is from about 1980. I’m five and I’m wearing a colored striped shirt, suspenders, and 2 or 3 jr.fire marshall badges. I don’t know if my mom didn’t know it was picture day or didn’t care but I love that the picture really captures the kid I was…not the kid my mom thought I should be.
I always try to find something cute for the first day of school and then I have my kids wear the same thing for picture day.
I don’t have kids yet, but I always try to look nice on both the first day of school and picture day (I’m a seventh grade teacher!)
My vote is for first day of school pictures taken at home. My parents took those every year and I’m much more relaxed and “normal” looking than in my actual school pictures.
I’m not a momma, but personally, I felt like my back-to-school pictures were always cuter than picture day pictures. I would say that I always picked out my outfit for each day carefully. Not because of the picture on the first one, but because you want to look good when you see your friends after the long summer!
I would love to win this! Thanks for the chance!
Hoo, I went out and bought all KINDS of cute outfits for my daughter’s first day of pre-k. And she was so upset about going that she wore a pajama top and old jeans. She was the one crying as I deserted her in the midst of a parent picture taking frenzy. Good times!
Picture day…much more important for the better outfit. And really only a good shirt…those school pictures basically chest up.
I love the first day photos because then I get pictures of my boys together.
I could LIVE at Target!
I love that first/last day of Kindergarten idea! Too bad my littles aren’t in school yet and my big (14) is not likely to humor me. Thanks for the Target giveaway, we love Target!
Awwww, Riley’s traumatized day care picture! I remember that. Hope school picture day captures your biggest boy with a smile like he just won a Target gift certificate. Oh wait, that probably would make me smile more than him.
First day of school – first impressions are a one time only thing!
*And usually my kiddo trashes her new clothes by picture day. She’s rough and tumble!
Tough question…probably picture day gets more thought. Love Cherokee clothes at target!
PenisTurtle. Seriously. No wonder he’s crying.
I don’t have any children yet, so I can’t weigh in on the first day of school outfit. I do, however, want to share that I have a friend who is in her mid-20’s who remembers EVERY first day of school outfit she’s worn, from kindergarten through, I assume, college and grad school. I don’t know why I’m so amazed by that, but there you have it.
I have been reading you for a while now and I am a big fan! The penisturtle almost made me pee my pants laughing. You are one of the blogs that have been on m googlereader since I have had it. Thanks for sharing your life and family. You are amazing!
Picture Day ALL THE WAY!
Picture Day – my daughter’s school pictures happened during the pre-Kindergarten orientation. We were there with her so I was able to smash down both cowlicks before the pictures. Yay!
Love free stuff from Target too.
Oh, that picture of Riley with the turtle just about kills me.
I care about the first day photo. I don’t do a sign, but do make him stand by the door in all his clean, spiffed up glory. :) School pictures are so hit or miss (and his happen in November), so I make sure to get the first day.
Definitely first day photo. Assuming that I remember the day and he doesn’t actually wear a pajama top–i’m torn, he wants to chose his clothes, and i want to encourage independence, but really? plaid shorts and a striped shirt? sigh.
I wish my kids wore uniforms!! It would make mornings so much easier.
My kids arent old enough yet for first day pics but i will never forget my first day of freshman year picture…white granny boots, pegged jeans, one of those Forenza deep vee-neck sweater vests and an asymmetric feathered hair cut. Good times.
I care more about the picture day outfit. We already had ours. With three under 5, I was happy to just have her in something clean that day.
Both! I always buy a school photo package, despite the gazillion pics I take anyway with my professional camera. It’s a rite of passage, I think.
Are Canadians eligible for the gift card? I can make the trip to Target over the border ;)
I picked a cute outfit for my daughter for the first day of preschool, but I will pay more attention to picture day I think!
I love how you all of a sudden get hundreds of comments once there’s a giveaway. ;) All the lurkers come out of the woodwork!
I’m definitely more concerned about picture day than the first day.
I hope I win!!! :)
I definitely care more about picture day!
Picture day is the most important for me. But the first day is also exciting. I love the idea of taking a last day of school photo. I will definitely do that for my daughter this year. Thanks!
I managed to miss the first day of school since my paperwork from the school was filled in with the wrong start date. Oh well, my kids should probably get used to it. Therefore, I would LOVE to think that she will be more jazzed about picture day than her “fake” first day of school. Oh my poor second daughter, if I am this lackadaisical with withe first, she will be lucky to get to school at all, forget any fanfare…
Hilariously, of all the things I had to worry about my kid starting kindergarten this year, clothing was not one of them because…. huzzah! Uniforms! Which, of course, I purchased at Target. Polos and khakis, baby. And pictures? Also in uniform. No thinking required, my fav. :)
I don’t have kids so I don’t really have an opinion on the whole picture day thing. But I LOVE that pic of Riley!
My son’s current favorite outfit is a Spiderman jumpsuit complete with fake cotton filled super muscles. Today he tried to convince me that he NEEDED the toy that shoots “spiderwebs” (silly string that is strapped to your wrist). SO perhaps if we won I could buy him that…….and maybe some underwear or something ;) You know… perhaps some real clothes.
My kid is 14 months old. She already insists on picking out her own clothes most day – and her own shoes EVERY day, multiple times a day. I’m guessing I’m not going to get much say in her wardrobe by kindergarten. Then again, my little diva-in-training appears to have more fashion sense than her Mama already, so maybe that’s not a bad thing.
We could definitely use more clothes for my son, thanks for the chance!!!
Pick me! Pick me!
Love all of your pics!
I wore the same outfit for school picture two years in a row… not a great idea, in retrospect.
I think the first day of school is the best picture because you get to see how excited the child is to go to school. The picture taken by the school doesn’t have that emotion.
Love your blog! :)
I spend way more time thinking about picture day – which means 4 minutes instead of 2. Oh well, we all have our strengths. Thinking about back to school outfits isn’t mine. My kids also grow at warp speed (my 7YO girl was just predicted to be 6’1″ by her doctor’s computer) so I’m just happy for the nanosecond when their clothes actually fit.
School photo day matters more – but when in first grade your kid does a wipe out on his bike and scraped his face two days before his school picture, it doesn’t really matter – RETAKES baby! The boy is now in fourth grade and HE CARES what he wears in his pictures!
Picture day for sure. I always wore a uniform to school, so a dress up day was a big deal!
We missed my boy’s Kindergarten picture day, we are on vacation, boo hoo. And the one day they don’t have to wear a uniform, too! Wahh.
Photo day, definitely. Outfits and haircuts, good or bad, that we’ll remember forever!
Always have loved reading your posts! Love living my photo creativity vicariously thru you!!
With 4 boys, I have to set out clothes for the whole week every Sunday night! Ohterwise, it’s crazy in the mornings.