if you had to blow $30 million in 30 days and at the end of the 30 days could not own any assets, what would you spend it on? (only 5% to charity and 5% on gambling) and if you did this won $300 million

posted my answer on tumblr bloggy along with some other stuffs last night.

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what if this was all you had? [charity:water]

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Day 135: Are We Running Today?

For about a week of this month, I fell off my fitness game, I just didn’t feel like it. I’ve learned over the past few months of working out that consistency matters more than exactly what you do. I find I’m happiest and most productive when I get moving and sweat at the start of the day. It helps me relax, relieves stress, and opens my mind. Some days I totally zone out to music or a podcast. This week, I’m back at it! Since January, I’ve joined monthly challenges on the Nike Running app hosted by Amy (aka @lesbest) and they’ve been SO HELPFUL with motivation. This week I need to run 20k to make up for the week I missed, so I can get 60km for the month. Today I broke my own record for fastest 1 mile and I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF. Late 2019 when I started, it was a struggle to run one full kilometre and now I feel great when I run 5Km. For the record, I usually walk a little of the 5km but I’m getting there. Today I dreamed about running a 5km for charity, a race but only really to beat my own best time. Today was a great day! We had a BBQ for dinner then took a family trip to town. Picked Em up a new bathing suit and I got two new plants. Watched Floor Is Lava on Netflix before Em went to bed and I finished reading my latest book Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewel. GOOD READ. If you’re looking to get running or join a challenge, add me to the Nike Running Club app (CASIE STEWART) and join my challenge for August. We’re gonna start with 2km a day! I’d love to have some new…

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Sharing the Love on Valentines Day w/ NKPR

Hope you’re having a great day! Remember, the most important person to love on Valentines is yourself! The more love you have the more you have to give. Today I joined Cory Lee, Ish and a bunch of volunteers at NKPR for #NKPR26 where they are doing 26 Hours of Giving. We helped to pack sandwiches for #HashtagLunchbag, a global movement empowering everyday people in local communities to spread love, one lunch bag at a time. We packed over 700 lunches!   To learn more about Hashtag Lunchbag and find an event near you, visit hashtaglunchbag.org. Tonight Sean and I are having dinner with Emily. We celebrate each other & our love all year but later this month we’re heading up to a hotel in Muskoka and going snowmobiling. It will be my first time and Sean hasn’t gone out on one in years. Yes, mum, we’ll be safe! ? Sending you love and sunshine through the internet. Have a great day!

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TELUS Friendly Future Foundation: Helping Youth & Communities Across Canada

Across Canada, 1.5 million children go hungry without access to nutritious food every single day, 30K Canadians are homeless (mostly young people), and 40% of low-income families don’t have internet access putting kids at risk for falling behind in school. We can all do something to help and this year Telus launched the Friendly Future Foundation putting $120 million into addressing the social and economic challenges facing Canadian youth.  I am proud to work with Telus and have been a #TeamTelus partner for the last 8 years.   The Foundation will give grants to grassroots charities in communities across Canada who really know their community and how to help. By partnering with smaller charities, they’re able to help out groups that might be missed by huge corporate donors and make a big impact in small communities. I think this is an amazing approach. I work with Brands For Canada, an organization that provides new clothing & basic needs supplies to people across Canada and this method of working with local charities has worked great for them.  The Friendly Future Foundation funding will help kids build up digital literacy skills, get basic healthcare and mental health support to the homeless, and open up other educational opportunities. Here’s an example of doing good in a community not too far from us, Telus donated $20K to the Women’s Shelter in Barrie. The $120 million TELUS has provided for the Friendly Future Foundation is the largest donation made by a publicly traded Canadian company in history and one of the largest ever in North America. Way to go team! Over the past two decades, TELUS, team members and retirees have contributed more than $1 billion of value to Canadians, through $530 million in financial support and 1.21 million days of volunteerism. Last year alone they (we!) volunteered 1 million hours.  I’m continuously impressed by how Telus gives…

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Building a Great Influencer Program

This summer I went to Vancouver to meet with the Canadian team of Telus Advocates. I’ve shared my love for Telus over the years but this experience was truly amazing. They flew in content creators from across the country to visit their Vancouver office, tour Telus Garden, create, eat, explore, and build relationships. I’ve worked with heaps of brands but I truly admire the influencer program Telus has built over the years. Ok yes, I am a little bias because I chatted with the team before they created the program and shared my likes, dislikes, and brand experiences. They have set the bar high for what it means to work with a telecom company or a big brand. The experience (as an influencer) is tailored to each person’s style of content and audience. This kind of influencer marketing service is bound to provide a great product for their clients too, as they clearly value quality and retention. In this post, I’m sharing a few of my tips for creating a great influencer program with Telus as my example. Build Relationships The thing about being an influencer is that you’re usually sharing your real life, so when you work with a brand, it means authentically integrating their content into your own experience. You have to get to know each other in order to learn what works and create opportunities that mutually benefit the relationship. It’s cool when you work well together and even cooler when it becomes a friendship. I’ve worked with Telus for about 8 years now and we’re colleagues but also friends. I can text with jokes, links, or that odd time on the weekend when I broke break my phone. (Sorry!) Since we’ve built a good working relationship, we all reach out whenever something cool comes up like…

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#MillionHours + #TelusCelebrates + New iPhone!

Last week I attended an event at Telus HQ in Toronto to celebrate how they’re creating change in communities across Canada. Telus is unleashing the power of the internet and mobilizing people around the world to donate an hour of their time to collectively donate a MILLION HOURS this year for Canada 150. As a company, Telus is working with partners and local business leaders to make the future friendly. They’re collectively dealing with crisis, addressing social issues, and building a brighter future for Canadians. They’ve created Telus community boards for community giving with 13 boards across Canada and 5 globally. In 2016, Telus gave out $6M in charitable grants & 600 projects in Canada. Earlier this year, Telus made a donation in my name a charity of my choice. I picked SKETCH, a Toronto arts-based charity that helps youth and the donation went towards their new Media Arts program. I’m planning to get involved with the program!       One cool project supported by the Telus Media Fund last year was CUT OFF a documentary by VICE. It was shot by Sean’s company OCCUPIED VR! You can see his business partner J Lee with Chris Mooresby beside the camera, behind Justin Trudeau below. Watch the doc on VICE here. IN OTHER NEWS… I was totally caught off guard when a very cool person on the Telus team asked me about my iPhone and then surprised me with A NEW PHONE. I’m now on the new iPhone 8 Plus and will be testing out new features and sharing my thoughts on it soon. If you’d like to get involved with the Telus #MillionHours initiative, check out this link and sign up! Here’s to making the future friendly!

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Cottage Life & Having a Strong (Mobile) Network – Telus Love!

As you are welllll aware I spend heaps of time at the cottage over the summer. One thing our whole cottage crew knows is that I have the best internet. I’ve been with Telus for a looooong time and their mobile network is seriously amazing. When we’re driving along Southwood Road there’s a few spots where service drops, but not for me. We always use my phone to stream music from because my network literally, never misses a beat. ?? When we’re on the dock, it’s common for people on ‘other’ carriers to lose signal or miss calls. Not me! ?? I’m always popping on my WIFI hotspot to offer our guests uninterrupted scrolling. We’ve even given my number as a phone contact since I’m on Canada/Ontario’s largest 4G LTE network. Wondering about coverage in your area? Check out the Telus interactive coverage map HERE. Below is a screenshot of Muskoka, all purple means 4G LTE across the whole area. I’ve got the bandwidth to download or stream Netflix using my mobile connection. In Ontario, TELUS ranks highest, with its customers experiencing the lowest incidence of calling problems in the region. Humble Brag ?⤵️ According to the J.D. Power 2016 Canadian Wireless Network Quality Study, TELUS ranks among the highest in overall wireless network quality across Canada.  Aside from a strong mobile network they have an incredible human network of people on Team Telus and do lots of great stuff across Canada. I’ve had the opportunity to be part of some awesome charity and giving back initiatives through my work with them. They’re also the #1 national communications provider for customer service. Proud to be part of Team Telus and happy to share what makes them a great company to work with. Check out the website at telus.com and see the whole group of #TeamTelus advocates here. On that note, despite having an amazing network,…

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Friday, I’m In Love – Holiday Style!

I absolutely love this. One of my fav songs since I lived in Australia 10 years ago. Heart warming to see this big group singing amongst the lights of the Toronto Christmas Market. I’ve not gone by there yet but plan to pop by next week during the day. [iframe id=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/LvUnBEA7_ZI”] Something cool about this vid and another reason I wanted to share… To perform Friday I’m in Love, they required permission from Robert Smith of The Cure. After he watched a short clip they sent him, he loved it SO MUCH he asked them to donate the licensing fee to charity. Together, Koodo & Choir! Choir! Choir! (80 choir singers in TO)  are donating that fee towards sponsoring a Syrian refugee family. ALL THE FEELS. I love it. In other news, I went to the Koodo office during my last Telus visit and it’s full of bright colours and smiles. Happy Friday, spread that holiday cheer!   

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TD Canada + MusiCounts + Serena Ryder in Ottawa

Last weekend mum and I went on a trip to Ottawa. I was invited by TD Canada & TD Music to bring a guest to see Serena Ryder and attend a special ceremony where TD Cafe & MusicCounts made a music announcement. It has been a loooooong time since mum and I went on a plane together (NZ in the 90’s) so we made the most of every moment and it was so much fun. We flew Porter Airlines which involves taking the worlds shortest commercial ferry to the island. It’s a wonderful flying experience! MusiCounts is Canada’s music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to help keep music alive in schools across Canada. TD Canada has been working with MusicCounts since 2012. They support Community based organizations, schools, and picka  MuciCounts teacher of the year. This year’s winner was Steve Sainas from BC and he received the award at the JUNOS. TD Canada has worked with some great Canadian artists through MusiCounts including Arkells, Kevin Drew, and Tegan & Sarah. They’re excited to add Serena Ryder to the mix.  WThey also work w/ the JUNOS team to partner with artists. TD Canada is committed to music as an organization with a genuine interest in music and communities. They’re not just a cheque signing bank, they actually follow through and make communities better. Serena made a $25K donation to Musicounts.ca! These kids were SO EXCITED to hear the donation news, receive violins, and to find out they were performing on stage WITH Serena Ryder herself. It was a magical moment.  A photo posted by Gracie Carroll (@graciecarroll) on Jul 3, 2015 at 2:39pm PDT The concert was at TD Place in the new Lansdowne Centre and was opened by The Strumbellas. They were amazing. The 6 piece band rocked…

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156th Queen’s Plate is THIS WEEKEND at Woodbine Racetrack! #OffToTheRaces #QP15

Who’s ready to get dressed up and join me at the racetrack? This weekend is the 156th Queen’s Plate at Woodbine! I’ve been the last couple years and it’s really fun. Food, drinks, fashion, and the chance at winning a few bux by betting on the horses! I love seeing all the big hats, beautiful millenary, and overall style of attendees. Here’s a sneak peek of what to expect. At the event, you’ll be able to sip champagne on the grass while playing croquet, horseshoes or bocce ball, while keeping an eye onstyle. Your red carpet photo (from the party) will be on the Woodbine Racetrack Facebook Page here post event. As the Official Charity Partner of the 2015 Queen’s Plate, $1 from every ticket and program sold will be donated to Rethink Breast Cancer. Things to Note for The 156th Queen’s Plate Races begin at 12pm Queen’s Plate Post Time is approximately 5:38 p.m Parking and Admission are FREE Walk the red carpet in style at the Hats & Horseshoes Party presented by Stella Artois Enjoy live performances by Emerson Street Rhythm Band & more There’s heaps of food trucks onsite, so come hungry! A couple weeks ago I attended Woodbine Oaks, first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara series where I learned how to bet on horses (read here). At the Queen’s Plate, the The Betting Impact team will be roaming the Hats & Horseshoes Party to teach the Basics of Betting. You can pick based on the odds or get a little wild and just pick your fave horses name or number. Click here to read more about horse racing betting. For Queen’s Plate notes and early probability see here. Read more about the Queen’s Plate race at queensplate.com and learn about upcoming races by visiting woodbineentertainment.com.…

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 Photo Diary: New Hair, New Boots, Boats, Babes, Champagne, Rain

This week was a busy one. Not like ‘fake busy’, I mean I was full on running from one thing to the next every single day. I directed something Monday that was the 2nd day of shooting for a campaign. When we wrapped around 6pm, I went back to the 1188 office then over to RAINA+WILSON studio to celebrate the Globe Style Summer Issue.   It was only Monday but I was ready to wind down with a cocktail. Grey Goose was sponsoring and they had grapefruit juice, my fav. 416 Snack Bar was catering and the food was A+ too.     We were treated to a small private show by Calvin Love. The style issue comes out TODAY, Friday, June 12th. You can download it for FREE from iTunes right here.   Tuesday was rainy and my hair was a mess. I find it much easier to work and concentrate when it’s rainy out. When the sun is shining I wanna shut my computer and play outside.   You know what I mean?   I went to the Stage TEN office on Tuesday night for a live Pet Skills show.  It’s the world’s first live, interactive, web show! I’ll be sharing more about my involvement with Stage TEN soon.     The lower East side of Toronto is quite pretty, especially driving over this bridge when the sun is setting. It was almost 8pm here.   The bridge says ‘This river I step in is not the river I stand in’. It means the water is always changing, no river is ever the same. Think about it. Read more about it here.   Working together has been quite fun lately. I enjoy the morning drive and singing along to the radio.   Dylan and Sean dressed the same this week. So cute.   Really hoping we can get our car out for a drive soon. We’ve had…

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Uh-huh honey: Converse #MadebyYou + Honey Eyes  

About a week ago I attended a private dinner with some of Converse’s NY team and top ranked influencers in Toronto. We sat down at the Gladstone Hotel to learn about the latest #MadebyYou campaign from Converse and few other treats. I recently picked up a few new pairs of Air Optix Color contacts from Toronto Eyecare. We were talking about other colours available and I mentioned I’d love to give them a try, so VOILA! These ones are Honey and make my eyes look light brown in the sun. My natural eyes are hazel so there’s a slight difference. See all the colours at airoptix.ca. Met up with my sister for a late lunch before the Converse dinner. She’s really so lovely. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram @jeniestewart. Got the new HISY Selfie bluetooth remote recently. It’s a little black button that connects to your phone via Bluetooth and allows you to take snaps by touching the remote. It’s at the Apple store for $28+tax but you can get it on Amazon here. Love that sunshine on my face.  It’s always fun to look at my eyes as a different colour. These honey ones are a subtle difference. I reckon they’d look really neat on greener eyes and interested to see what they do to blue ones. My latest and greatest Converse from the Andy Warhol Collection. Tomato Soup wasn’t available in my size at the time but I was sent a pair of Black Bean Soup and I love them. Nice to sit beside my old friend Jalani. He’s a great photographer and person, you can find him online at jalanimorgan.com or @JalaniMorgan on Twitter. We were all asked to customize a pair of Converse with our name. This pair is one of a kind and made by me. They’re actually…

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Not at NYFW? No Problem! Watch The Shows Live, Right Here

As a publisher in the world of fashion, I’ve got access to the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week LIVE. I’ll pop a link in my sidebar so you can watch the shows anytime, over the next few days. Scroll down for the video and the list of designers on the catwalk today. People are getting seated for the first show of the day right now! Today’s NYFW shows: Nicholas K, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Richard Chai, Costello Tagliapietra,  Tadashi Shoji, Desigual, TOME, Nike Levi’s Kids Rock, Todd Snyder. Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection, Charity Water Looking forward to the Desigual show as one of their recent campaigns features Canadian model, Winnie Harlow. I imagine she’ll be walking the runway. Team Canada! <3 CASIE

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