Ah, the whiff of freshly sharpened pencils, crisp notebooks, the cooler morning air and the feeling of excitement mixed with a slight uncertainty; I’m talking about back-to-school. This time-honoured September tradition is probably the most nostalgic for me; to this day I can remember the first day of school so clearly. That anticipation of seeing all of your friends after the long summer, wearing a brand-new outfit you’ve been saving for weeks and gearing up a new year of learning.

Now, as a mother, I’ve got the same feeling of uncertain excitement for my child as he starts school (pre-school!) for the very first time. I am so excited for all of the learning Jack will do, the friends he will make and the experiences he will have. I just know that he will love it!

To prep for the busy month ahead, I’ve been checking off our list of all the important back-to-school stuff that we’ve had to get done. First things first was getting a real hair cut for Jack. Jack has been rocking his super sweet surfer guy hair for a while now, but I wanted to get something a bit more cleaned up for the fall. We brought in an inspiration photo (which is recommended if you are looking for something specific) and our stylist did a fantastic job.

Heading into Great Clips, I was really impressed with their service before we even got there. In case you weren’t aware, they have an awesome Online Check-In and App service that make things even easier for parents and busy schedules. First off you don’t need to make an appointment - the Great Clips App makes it super simple for getting your children in last-minute to the salon closest to you.

The App will show you the salon locations closest to you and all you have to do is enter your name, phone number and how many people will be with you. Then, just head on over and you’ll be all set up for getting a great haircut.

Clip Notes are another great feature that all locations have access to; basically, it is all of the information about the customer’s haircut that the stylist took note of for future reference. That means that the next time you head in for an appointment, everything from style, shape, type of hair is available to the stylist so that you don’t feel like you are starting from scratch again.

Another really great thing that Great Clips is doing this year is running a promotion in support of Kids Cancer Care. Spearheaded by Lisa Inman and Jennifer Mooney here in Calgary, this initiative is a really great way to teach your kids about giving back to the community. From August 22nd through to September 30th, Calgary customers have the opportunity to purchase a Kindle Bug for $3. With each sale of a Kindle Bug, $3 will go directly to Kids Cancer Care and with each donation customers will receive a $5 off coupon (expires November 16) for their next haircut at Great Clips!

I am so happy with how Jack’s haircut turned out. Our Great Clips stylist did a great job keeping the laid-back shaggy surfer vibe while cleaning it up into something much tidier for starting school. Now that we’ve got the haircut checked off of our to-do list, we can now focus on making sure we’ve got everything else ready for back-to-school!

**This is a sponsored post written by me in partnership with Great Clips. All writing is my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support The Archives of Cool!