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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We can always use a Target gift card, no doubt! Thanks for the chance!
Opportunity appreciated!
School photo day more as those pics will haunt kiddo forever, but first day’s still pretty important, too, as it can make things feel more special for starting off the new school year.
intlulu at yahoo dot com
I’ll take a $100 Target gift card, please.
The school picture has got to be awesome – it stays with you forever.
I take lots of pics on the first day of school, so both outfits are pretty important, although on picture day it’s more about the top than the whole outfit. And I LOVE Target!! I spend about $100 a day there, so one day for free would be awesome! ;)
I, uh, don’t remember what Cameron wore his first day…because that was, like, TWO WEEKS AGO. I’m not sure I would even notice if he were wearing pajamas and a swimsuit but I do get freaked out by the BIG WHITE TOOTHPASTE STAINS all over the front of his shirt every morning just as we’re walking out the door.
I can barely get myself dressed to go to work, thank goodness I don’t have kids to dress too! I’m even fretting over what I’m going to wear for my new driver’s license photo.
I obsess over both. Because both days require pictures (either mine or the photographer’s) and pictures are forever.
…unless my computer crashes and my backup drive gets corrupted. And then I cry.
Yay giftcards. Definitely picture day
I like the idea of the same outfit for the first and last day of school. Hate school pictures.
I imagine I will want the perfect outfit for both, but be more concerned with picture day.
My kids are just glad they are going to a new school so they don’t have to wear uniforms anymore. I loved the uniforms but after 7 years, I’m loving no uniforms too.
I care more about Picture Day. But I did feel super pressured to find something special for the first day of school. We ended up in Old Navy two days beforehand, and it was apparently the first time I’d ever taken my kids clothes shopping in a place with a dressing room! (Ages 5 and 3, both girls.) They had a blast trying on ridiculous things and running around, and I took photos, and it was a nice bonding experience, I guess. (No worries–the store was barren and there were no other people in the dressing room, and we totally cleaned up after ourselves.)
First day of school, I was just trying to get the crew (one in Kindergarten, one in preschool at an entirely different location) out the door without a) being late; b) killing anyone; c) forgetting his lunch (I’m responsible for that now?), classroom supplies or snacks. I aspire to put a little more effort into picture day, but who am I kidding, I’ll probably forget all about it and send him to school in a neon Little Gym shirt.
I’ll admit, I do like dressing my kids all cute and funky like, but not to send them to school where they drop food on themselves, and roll around in markers and glue sticks.
Gift me some gift card!
I have major empathy about the rough picture backgrounds but your penis turtle one trumps our’s last year- chipping paint white picket fence which we said symbolized the death of the American Dream ;) perfect for 3 year olds!
Rest assured I’d put that $100 Target to very good use!
I love the first day of school!!! And I would love an excuse to go to Target. :o)
I’m the loser mom who couldn’t care less about picture day because the expressions on my kids’ faces usually make them look like they just escaped from prison or something equally less than savory.
I wonder if I could find a turtle JUST LIKE THAT ONE at Target. Cause I’m feeling all bereft without one.
I’d love to win! :)
how many packs of night-time pull-ups can I buy with $100? Two?
I must say, I don’t buy school pics cause they are generally CRAP, so our first day pics are all important here :)
My pre-k’er will only wear Star Wars shirts, so pretty much every picture for the last couple of months has been all jedi.
I’m more concerned with the school photo day myself, but I do try to make her look extra cute on the first day. I should take photos, but alas, I haven’t.. next year!
My daughter is only 7 months old, but I know I’ll freak out about pictures! I have some horrible ones of me from my school years!
I don’t know about anyone else, but the first day of school was the first time I noticed that his clothes are wrinkled! Yikes! Thanks for the give away…
Love dreadful school pictures!
I let them pick their first day clothes, since I figure it’s more important that they feel comfortable than it is that I’m happy with their outfit. Their school pictures are so universally bad (seriously–where do they find these hacks?) that I don’t give them a moment’s thought. I’m always too busy giggling over the goofy looks on their faces to notice what they were wearing.
I guess the first day of school. I think that kids are like adults, if they feel like they look great, they will have more confidence, etc. I want my kids to start the year happy, confident, and ready to learn!
Picture Day, yeah more important. They usually get enlarged and hung on the wall for a full year and more people are apt to see ’em.
Gosh, Riley is sure getting handsome.
LOVE Target. LOVE the blog.
There is no way I can not comment when $100 at Target is a possibility! For me, definitely the school photo day, but not the individual… the class photo. The wardrobe battle is one I just will not fight, which I’m sure means there are many, many good people out there who think I’m a horrible mother based on the crazy combos my kids put out there. The individual headshot photos don’t really rile me up, since you can’t see enough to really do much damage (aside, of course, from making sure that is not the day the slip out the door hair unbrushed). It’s the class photo, where my short kiddos always seem to end up in plain view, that I fuss about.
Oh goodie. A $100 Target gift card would take care of the cover charge I pay whenever I go in!
What a great giveaway! The school picture totally matters more than the first day of school outfit.
I love Target’s selection of boy’s clothing, plus they have great prices for high quality!
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
I think school picture day will be more insane-making than the first day of school. And the penis-turtle of aught-seven will always and forever be the gold standard of awesome school photos.
Heh. Stream hole. And yes, school picture day. Even though I never buy the horrid posed pictures (contemplated doing it this year because they were so funny…).
school picture day hands down. My son started Kindergarten in SHORTS AND A T SHIRT because summer finally decided to arrive in southern Oregon @ 99 for love of jesus and NO AIR CONDITIONING.
Gotta love target!
Normally I would say picture day but since I completely forgot about picture day (it came on his 5th day of school – what the what) let’s go with first day of school!
Oh goodness, I had forgotten about the penis-turtle picture, and now I can’t stop chortling. Not chuckling! Not giggling! Straight up chortles for the tortles. Turtles.
I don’t have kids yet either, but I love that picture of Riley! He looks like a little model. What a sweet face.
Picture day was always more important, but we never get too stressed out about either one!
I have some really awful school pictures that would make the turtle one look like it was shot for Vogue. Or some magazine with clothes for kids. Or something :)
At least when you do a sellout post you make it funny and readable! :)
Love that Riley picture!
Sure, why the hell not? The 21st is my birthday, after all! (trufax yo)
At first I did a double take when it was Riley in the Cherokee updates…
We’ve already had photo day, and I really didn’t stress so much. I admit I did buy him something new for the first day school (shorts and sandals) but just put him in a nice shirt with a collar for picture day. Now I just have to see how the photos turned out…
I don’t like the look in that turtle’s eye…
My peanut is not yet old enough for school, but I didn’t take any pictures of her first day at childcare. I do try to dress her cute when she goes to childcare though.