Friday Favourites : Crayola Take Note! + A Giveaway

For just about as long as I can remember, Crayola has been a mainstay in our home in preparation for Back to School and really all the time.

All of my kiddos loved and still love to colour - to create, to take boring to bold.

Ava just finished a week-long art camp where she learned all about colour.

And Isabella? Entering fourth year at Ryerson and STILL colouring.

I often find her sitting in front of the tv - Crayola Take Note! markers out. Adult colouring book in hand.

She finds it relaxing and swears it helps her focus.

I might have started my 86 year old mother colouring recently as well.

When the team at Crayola Canada reached out and asked if the girls might like to create a pencil case and turn a boring old box into something boldly colourful; they jumped at the chance.
And this mama? I was just happy to see them doing something that doesn't involve screens creative together.
The TakeNote! Products are great for school age and university age alike. Isabella quickly snapped up all her favourites including washable gel pens, erasable highlighters and white board markers that take her from business classes to her after-school tutoring gigs with ease.

And all this fabulous colour helps keep her organized with colour coded notes that are helpful AND way more fun to look at.

Pretty fabulous n'est pas?

Equally as fabulous, the folks at Crayola Canada have graciously offered our readers a chance to win an entire set of Crayola's new Take Note! collection that features specially formulated and functional markers, washable (!) gel pens, ERASABLE highlighters (we're obsessed!) and lots more.
Take Note! is ideal for students who like to colour code notes, daily tasks and goals for maximum productivity - and just as awesome to transform practically any "boring" surface from paper, cloth, metal, plastic or glass.

What school age or university student couldn’t use a  little more colour in their lives?

ARV $85

Enter below and don't forget to leave us a comment telling us why you would love to have Crayola Take Note! products for Back to School.
Open to residents of Canada only.
#goforthebold


a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post was sponsored by Crayola. All opinions are strictly my own.
Good Luck! 

xo

Things Ava Says

I promised myself long ago, that I would do my best to always remember the things my children say.

But you see, age and the ongoing busy have a way of making you forget. 

So, I write things down. {brilliant idea right?}

I came across a note in my iphone the other day called Things Ava Says and thought I would share this pricelessness with you today.

Because this is the stuff.

These are the stories I want to tell her about when she's older.

How she made me laugh uncontrollably on our drives home.

How I had more than one what.the.actual.hell moment 

And more than a few where did this child come from?

Driving home from the first day at her new camp earlier this week -
"He totally has a crush on me. I can tell."
Mama: How do you know that Ava?
"He stares at me and always wants to be around me. Then he told me my clay pig was really good".

While watching her favourite dance show - The Next Step -
"I don't even know how she likes Noah, like when you look at him from THAT angle?"
"Mama, a lot them have some "small ones" {holds chest} - did you notice that?".

When she told me last year, rather out of the blue, that she wanted to take guitar lessons -
"It's hard to explain. I'm just more of a guitar person".

When I ask her how you know when someone's in love -
"They're doing a lot of "that" - {points at someone kissing} and whispers - having S-E-X. 
Yikes.

She hears a story about a woman committing a crime -
"She broke one of the 10 commandments!!"

When I call her anything but Ava Grace in public -
"I don't mind - at home you can do it as much as you want. I get embarrassed in front of older people when you say "boo boo" and all that".

And lastly, my personal favourite of late - when she has a big day -
"I gotta wear a pair of lucky underwear!".

My sweet girl.
Don't ever change.
xo 

I Should...

I have learned that I SHOULD leave the camera laying around.
And then I SHOULD leave the room.
In case Ava SHOULD  say "take my pitcher" when the light is just right. 
And Izzy SHOULD happily oblige.

on Ava:
top and leggings - Old Navy
necklace and bracelet - Stella and Dot

And you SHOULD too. 
So that you never have to say "I should have"...
Oh, and while you're at it, you SHOULD enter this Chicnova giveaway. Open Internationally!

Friday Fancies : Toddler Style Summer

Warmer temps (finally!) mean I'm starting to think of summer and outfitting Ava for the long, lazy days ahead.
Here are my must-haves:

1. Easy to pull on and off summer dresses. These casual stripes by Baby Gap and soft chambray by Zara Kids are just a couple of my current favorites. 

2. Shoes. I always have these at the ready. Crocs, for park play and beach days. Wash them down and you are good.to.go. A casual running shoe, these are by Skechers, for day trips or anywhere she may need to do a little walking. A cute sandal. Ms. Ava actually owns these particular Salt Water's and they go with everything!

3. Sun hats. Our girl is a hat girl. And I'm quite happy about it. This fedora style by Zara Kids is perfect and I am loving the flower detail on this brimmed sunhat by H and M Kids.

4. T's and tanks. Can a kid ever have too many? I say no. Right now, I'm loving prints, florals and lots of neon. one, two, three.

5. The shorts. Printed denim is just the sweetest. And, as always, Baby Gap gets them perfectly perfect. one and two. 

6. Sunglasses. A certain someone can often be heard from the backseat yelling "I need my sunglasses!". #diva would LOVE these. (and at $5.95 via H and M Kids, so do I!)

7. Swimwear. Seriously, is there anything sweeter than little girl's swimwear? And when else can you wear a one piece that has a tutu attached? Both of these are by Old Navy. Adorable.
one and two.

What are your summer must-haves for the littles?

Enter the Ancesserie giveaway for a chance at a $100 gc here

Enter the Mother's Day giveaway for a chance at a $500 visa gc here

Vacation 2013 In Pictures

I packed up my girls, {yes, our boys survived an entire week without us!} and headed to South Florida for a week. 

Pure bliss. 

It was so nice to enjoy the warm sun and some quality girl time.

Can't wait to do it again!

On Vacation

 I packed up my girls and headed South to find Spring.

In case you are wondering, we found it! 

While you're here won't you...

Sign the anti-bullying pledge here? Us mama's gotta stick together:

http://avagracescloset.blogspot.com/2013/04/words-hurt-put-end-to-bullying.html

Vote for Ms. Ava in the Joe Fresh/Today's Parent cover contest:
http://todaysparent.upickem.net/engine/Details.aspx?p=V&c=82902&s=32142915&i=1

Enter the Shabby Apple giveaway for a chance at a $50 gc: here:http://avagracescloset.blogspot.com/2013/04/shabby-apple-giveaway.html

"see" you in a week!

Ava & The Bunny

Oh, hello bunny. 

Hope your Easter's were full of good things.

Celebrating Three

You know when you plan and plan something. 

And then it goes even better than you hoped?

That happened.  

Know that it had nothing to do with the planning. The fact that I got all DIY on everything.
{It may have had a little bit to do with Ava's ensemble. I mean, really}.
But, it had everything to do with the company. The mood of the day. 
I can't explain it.
But it was perfect.

PS - In case you're wondering, {because I would be!} the Minnie Mouse cake is by Cakes by Adriana in a chocolate with dulce de lecce caramel filling. So, so good. 
Linking this post up here