Well, it’s official. Addie is signed up for her “fours and fives” Pre-K for Fall. I just got it all taken care of this past week, and now our first Back-to-School season is officially official, and we’re getting ready to rock. Last year was “twos and threes” preschool, and while we kept her going through summer in “Duckie Day Camp” (same place, same teachers, largely same class), Back-to-School shopping should be an exciting part of the Fall ritual – one my wife and I both enjoyed as kids. A new stop for us this year was Gordmans, relatively new to our area, but known for their savings of up to 60% off the competition’s ticketed pricing. Read on for our experience, The Rock Father’s “unexpected” connection to Gordmans, and your chance to WIN a $1000 VISA Gift Card and a $100 Gordmans Gift Card to help with your Back-to-School Shopping!
If you’ve been reading this site for awhile, then you probably already know that Addie is my little, four-year-old fashionista. Rocker one minute… Princess the next… and sometimes both rolled into one. I absolutely LOVE shopping for clothes with both of my girls, but with Addie being the oldest (Finn just turned 1), I’ve been known to go overboard on occasion. As we browsed the selection at the Gordmans store in Vernon Hills, Illinois, it didn’t take long to zero-in on a few possible combos.
As Addie browsed the racks with Mommy and Daddy, Finley started getting antsy, so we had to expedite the process a little bit. Addie was overwhelmed by some purses she wanted (but mean Daddy said “No.”) along with all the possible clothing choices. Eventually, she settled on a pair of outfits that perfectly fit her style. Personally, there was one I spotted that I thought would be cute for Fall but my wife vetoed for “looking like a little Farmer Girl outfit” – which is exactly why I liked it.
Three Fun Facts about Gordmans – The Rock Father Edition:
1. Gordmans is tailored to family. In addition to offering clothing, housewares, toys, home decor, and more, their stores are set-up with little accents to make the trip fun for all. Like the “Gordmans Giggles” area of the kids’ section. A place to chill out…
2. They have a Loyalty Program that pays you back. Quite simply, you get $10 back for every $200 you spend with gRewards, and that’s on top of some other bonuses. You also get 10% off for your Birthday, and at $300 you achieve “Platinum Status.” I signed up for it, because I’ll surely be back. Not only for the kids (I’ll go get that “Farmer” outfit my wife didn’t like), but because they also have clothing for Rock Fathers. And they have Halloween decorations, which I can’t get enough of. You can sign up online, here.
Pictured: Gordmans has GUNS N’ ROSES, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, BLACK SABBATH, PINK FLOYD, and RAMONES t-shirts.
3. The Rock Father was almost in a Gordmans commerical! It’s true. Some of you might not know that I used to be an actor… agent and all. My very last audition before (temporarily?) hanging up my acting hat was on Friday, August 13, 2010… for a Gordmans commercial. It was at O’Connor Casting in Chicago, and happened to be the day that I decided acting had to go from my mix since Addie had just turned one, and I needed to find balance as an at-home Dad (and then this site happened!).
So how did our Back-to-School Shopping trip to Gordmans wind up? See for yourself…
And…
So how do YOU get your little ones excited for Back-to-School? Leave a comment below to share your tips with the world, AND be entered for a chance to WIN a $1000 VISA Gift Card and a $100 Gordmans Gift Card to help get your family set for Back-to-School in Style! Official Rules
As noted above, this is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Gordmans. The opinions and text are all mine.
