This morning, I woke up at 5:30 am in my hotel room in Montreal, straightened my hair, did my makeup, ate a night-old croissant and muffin, and headed down to film – YES, FILM – my first ever TV appearance!
Breakfast TV Montreal did a live segment on back-to-school ideas using the Crayola Take Note! products, and I was invited to show off some of the ideas I put together.
We talked about organizing your bullet journal and notes, and personalizing your back-to-school supplies. We also showed off the Crayola TakeNote gel pens, felt tip pens, permanent markers, dry erase markers, 2-in-1 highlighters, and erasable highlighters on-air!
I’m currently on the train back from this two-day trip to Montreal and *seriously* struggling with a stubborn complimentary wifi connection. But I wanted to briefly share a few takeaways I had from the experience!
the products
I wouldn’t work with a brand that I didn’t resonate with, as I get several requests for partnerships each month. But I was so happy the entire time while putting together the props for this segment, because I had SO MUCH FUN with the Crayola TakeNote products!
First off, they’re affordable. I don’t believe in breaking the bank just to get a notebook and some pens to write with. Crayola products are really great quality at a fantastic price.
Second, they’re a pretty versatile and innovative brand, offering several different types of products for people at all stages. Just like their Crayons are for first-time artists, this TakeNote line is for older kids and adults! Crayola also come s out with unique ideas, like their smelly markers and more recently, these erasable highlighters that I mentioned in the segment.
Finally, i’s not a brand I would need to adopt; I already used it a ton when I was younger, and I resonated with their new, “grown-up” products. I actually showed an old melted crayon piece I did 6 years ago at the start of the TV segment!
the experience
I spent the weekend before the segment preparing all the materials (called “props”) that I would bring to the segment, and then on Tuesday afternoon I took the train in to Montreal from Kingston. Finished a fabulous book on the ride (“How to Stop Time” by Matt Haig), had a gym session and dinner at my hotel, went over my talking points, and then took an early night so I could be up early.
When I got to the BT Montreal set, I realized why it’s called a “set”. It reminded me of the school plays I’ve been in through high school and elementary school. It’s funny – I’ve noticed this with lots of other things you do in life for the first time – that often, things in retrospect are exactly what you would expect them to be. But you only have this clarity when looking at the past, never the future. Your entire mental image of that experience is permanently altered by having now experienced it. It’s almost like it’s been granted a definition, where previously there had just been a blank space.
The entire crew of Breakfast TV Montreal was so sweet that I immediately felt comfortable. Even though I’d spent a good half-hour doing my makeup and hair before arriving, I was surprised to be ushered into “makeup” to get the real-deal (foundation, more blush, hair straightening, hairspray) done. This part was really the cherry-on-top of the whole experience. Montreal was rainy that day, though, so my hair didn’t last long afterwards.
All in all, I loved being a part of this experience, and I learned so much leading up to it, in the days surrounding the segment, and afterwards. I also overcame some difficulties, having come down with a bit of an illness the very weekend (and days leading up to) to the segment, adding an extra layer of stress.
the video
To watch the full video, visit the BT Montreal website and search “Back to School with Crayola” or visit this link: https://www.btmontreal.ca/videos/back-to-school-with-crayola/
Don’t forget, there’s a giveaway accompanying the segment as well where you can win $250 worth of Crayola TakeNote supplies for your September needs! Enter that on their website, too!
