I Had a GREAT Birthday! Sunshine, Patios, BFFs, Love

Friday was my 33rd birthday and I had an awesome day. I didn’t want to have a huge night out or wake up feeling groggy, true sign of getting older I guess. I’m feeling really happy and excited about where I am in my life. Being in a good place gives you reason to welcome being a year older with open arms. On Friday I had margaritas and snacks on the Valdez patio with a bunch of my BFFs. They have a range of cool seating which is a popular choice for wooden garden furniture, so it made it a great place to sit and chat away for hours. The BBQ there is open till 3pm and the food is AWESOME. Huge thanks to Cameron (Untitled&Co) for snapping pix of us girls. We had a blast! So many laughs. Have a ton of photos on my phone too. The sunshine on Valdez patio is perfect 2pm+ for afternoon drinks and tanning. Love these girls so much, L-R Lauren, Maria, Carla. Cam, designer owner of Untitled&Co, you should check them out at untitledandco.com. Charmaine just moved here from LA, creep her IG, she’s a babe. Lauren + Chloe (the other half of Untitled&Co!)   Perfect SUN! Later in the evening Sean picked up an amazing Mexican dinner and we ate it at Cherry Beach watching the sunset. It was perfect. Thanks all for the birthday wishes. I’m excited for all the things the next year will bring!

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Awkward Portrait Studio – BFF Edition

Last week my two BFFs and I stopped by the new Awkward Portrait Studio by Awkward Family Photos to preview it before opening weekend. Lauren, Sarah, and I were joined by the lovely Greta (Lauren’s cat) for a super cute photoshoot. Scroll down for a link to my giveaway for your own session. 😁 Once you arrive at the pop-up you can pick your backgrounds and use any of their many props. It’s located at Richmond & Bathurst and each 30-minute studio session includes 2 backdrops and 10 digital photos. You can also buy printed photos, merch, or the official Awkward Family Photos book. I have posted a giveaway on my Instagram for a FREE portrait session. ENTER HERE! The winner will be announced Friday. You must be following me and @awkwardportraitstudio. The session is for 30 mins and you can bring up to 8 people! Pets are welcome. If I were to do it again I would plan much more awkward outfits and weird poses. They have iPads where you can view all the background choices and get inspired by awkward ways to pose. Some of them are seriously hilarious! I planned for us all to bring denim jackets at the last minute and I love these ones so much. Awkward Family Photos – How It All Started Childhood BFFs Mike and Doug started the website in May 2009 after Mike saw an awkward vacation photo hanging in his parents’ house. Thinking there were probably heaps of other people with their own awkward family images, they created a friendly place where everyone could share and celebrate their awkward family moments. Book your family or friends session here and see us on their website.

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Day 554: An Engagement

Got dressed up and went over to Brock & Lauren’s after work. He did a surprise proposal! I’m so excited for two of my BFFs to be getting married! They’re so great together, congrats guys! Sean and I also attended the TIFF premiere of the Triumph film ‘Rock & Roll Machine’. It was nice to be out for an event but to be honest, it was also weird. I’m so not used to being inside an event venue with a large group. Didn’t stay long and went back over to celebrate with Lauren & Brock. Lauren asked me to be her Maid of Honor. I’ve never been involved in planning a wedding before. Ahhhhh! Blondetourage wedding ftw!

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Day 162: BFF Park Hang

Finally had a park hang w/ some of my BFFs this week. It was so nice to be back on my old stomping grounds! Forst real park hang of the summer. The park is a bit different these days with people in masks, lots of tents, fewer people crowding, socially distant circles. There was a yoga class taking place, so we moved out of our spot when they arrived, it was a bit of a weird vibe. I loved that they had Tibetan singing bowls but it was right in an area where people were having picnic dinners and there were tents set up. Might have been better suited for a less crowded area! We’re drinking bangarang a new malt seltzer made in London, ON during the pandemic. I’m one of their new partners and was happy yo have the gang try it.

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Day 131: Shiny Disco Ball

I ordered this outfit at the start of quarantine and tbh it’s one of my favs!. Sean likes to say I’m riding in the Tour de France in it haha. We’ve got a pretty nice indoor garden growing in the kitchen now. I put a little disco ball in the window and each day around 4 pm the sun hits it just right sending glitter dots all over the room. It’s a simple thing that makes me smile! This is the most populat tweet I’ve had in a while. I had a little meltdown about a project but everything was a-ok. Sometimes you just need to cry it out and make yourself a bowl of tiny pancakes. In other news, my roots are so long now that I had to get darker bobby pins! I don’t mind the way it looks now it’s just a change, longest and most natural I’ve had it in over a decade! I don’t think I’ll be having a hair appt for a while so I have to get used to it. ? Spent the night watching Love on The Spectrum on Netflix and had a Facetime hangout with two of my BFFs. Feeling good!

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Podcast: Lockdown Love w/ Jen Kirsch

I’m listening to this right now and have to share! One of my BFFs Jen Kirsch, journalist & relationship expert, has a new podcast on eOne called Lockdown Love and I love it! It was the Monday boost I needed this morning to kickstart my workday and have a little laugh. She shares real stories about her own dating during COVID, talks to experts and her dad Dr. Kirsch even makes an appearance to comment on her ‘dating’ during COVID. I love her voice, her storytelling, and how funny she is. I was literally laughing out loud. You don’t need to be dating to enjoy it but if you are, you might be going through some of the same things she is. I can’t wait to see what’s next in this 8-episode mini-series. Congrats Jenny Jen! Looking for love in lockdown? Join dating expert and columnist Jen Kirsch as she searches for a socially (but hopefully not emotionally) distant Mr. Right! She talks with experts and exposes her own pandemic love life to help you figure out the Do’s and Don’ts of the strange world of dating in quarantine. Expect funny stories, surprising insights, and just a dash of drama.

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Day 52: Friends, ILYSM.

This day was the first time I saw any friends IRL in months. I was so nice to visit at a safe distance to laugh, smile, and be together. It was hard to be so close and not hug each other. I love hugs. Had a nice shower and out on a dress before heading out on a drive around the city. It was a beautiful day, I had tunes on and the sunroof open. Michelle’s birthday is the day after mine (May 9th) and for the last couple of years, we’ve celebrated together. We will celebrate again once this is all over! I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU! Before heading back to the cottage we stopped by Jen’s place to safely say hi to her and her dad. She drew a birthday message on the driveway for me. I was so excited, laughing, and jumping up and down. I can’t wait to hang out again. Some of my BFFs started receiving their packages and it’s a way for us to stay connected. We’re all rocking friendship bracelets I made last week. I sent each package with a little handmade card filled with good vibes. I can’t wait to be together again. Tomorrow I’m gonna decorate for my birthday and make my own cake. I think we might do a Zoom party on Friday. Sending good vibes. Love you xo

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Day 8: Alone Together

Hi from the woods! ☀️??❄️Went for a nice walk this morning. It’s very cold but refreshing. Saw one neighbour out for a run and shared a smile & wave with the 2 cars that passed us. There is true beauty in the way we are all connecting right now through technology. ? How are you doing? I did yoga this morning w/ Misfits Studio and watched Snoop Dogg on IG Live. I think today I will try some new recipes and see what other workouts I can join in on IG Live. At noon I did a bit of the Fit Factory and some Barry’s for about 15 each. I didn’t feel like doing the whole class but something each day is better than nothing. Sean packed a couple of film cameras and has been shooting film. Yesterday he cleaned the whole fireplace. He hasn’t seen it that clean since he was a kid. He put a GoPro on the remote control truck. It’s pretty rad! Yesterday was so cold & gloomy I didn’t feel like doing anything. I basically lazed around all day eating snacks. The sunshine today makes me feel alive again. I have a feeling tonight’s internet part will be LIT, lol. If the internet was ever going to crap out, tonight’s the night! Everyone will be online. I wonder who will be going live? I might hang out with my BFFs on FaceTime and put IG Live on the iPad. Tonight is going to be the biggest internet party in history. — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) March 21, 2020 Sending you love & sunshine!

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Make Time For Yourself

You only live each day once, tomorrow is a new day. How are you spending your time?  A few months ago I was feeling really burnt out and over everything. I had no energy to go out, write, do anything creative. May was a really stressful month and by the time June/July rolled around I was stressed TF out. All I wanted to do was stay home, watch Netflix, my room was a mess, I’d piled up boxes and paper that needed to be processed. I didn’t have the energy to do it. So I rested. I took time to chill. I’m grateful for the privilege to mostly work from home, to work on myself, and to breathe. I started spending a bit less time on asocial, taking breaks. I began to really love seeing the + beside my name on IG Stories, showing I hadn’t posted anything in 24 hours. That felt like a win with me. I’ve been updating the internet for 15+ years about my life and what I’m doing, burnout is real and it’s ok to take a break. I thought about what I wanted (even though I’m constantly trying to figure out exactly what that looks like!) and I focussed on it. Made some other changes too. I got serious about drinking less and explored being sober curious. I even spoke at an event where I shared some stuff I’ve never talked about. I was hesitant at first but I figure, if I can make this change in my life, it might be helpful to someone else going through the same things. It was the first TIFF in 10 years where I didn’t get drunk, I didn’t even drink at parties. And y’ know what? IT WAS AWESOME AND I STILL HAD FUN. I started intermittent…

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The sun is finally out!

Yaaaaay! GUYS, spring. It’s like almost hereeeeeee! If you go outside today there are so many smiling people. ?????????????????? I mean it’s mostly the sun but it could also be 420. We are having pizza at the office. Tonight I’ve got a double date with one of my bffs to the Tokyo Smoke event at The Design Exchange. We’re planning a cottage visit this weekend and I wonder if the lake has thawed? It’s about time to start looking at water pipes for sale for my bff maybe to make use of it at the cottage! Today I posted on Instagram for the first time in over a week. I haven’t felt like posting on my own account. Behind the scenes, I’ve been manning client IG accounts but with the long, grey, freezing days, I’ve been so BLARGHHH. I stook outside on the roof patio with my arms up facing the sun, trying to charge my batteries. It’s amazing how much of a difference sunshine makes. I wish I was wearing this outfit right now and every day after. I love it so much. It’s a rental from the girls at Studio Fitzroy. A post shared by CASIE |Writer Speaker Director (@casiestewart) on Apr 20, 2018 at 5:08am PDT   Sequins, so hot right now and forever. I’m pretty sure my 10 years in dance as a kid are to thank for my love of sequins. I could wear them any time of day, any day of the week. A post shared by Duckie Confetti (@duckie_confetti) on Apr 12, 2018 at 9:46am PDT Met these ladies in Jamaica with Andrew. It was such a fun trip. They retired and moved there to live their best life. So happy and fun. Here’s to a great day!

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CAMP WAS SO MUCH FUN! TWO ISLANDS WEEKEND 2017!

At the start of September, Lauren O’Nizzle (my bff) and I packed the car with all our gear and hit the road to Camp Timberlane in Haliburton for Two Islands Weekend.  Imagine, 250 campers, mostly 30-40, sleeping in cabins, eating in a mess hall, doing group activities, and an open bar for the entire weekend. It was so much fun! The organisers invited me early in the summer to come to camp as a guest and my email reply was something like ‘OMG YES I WANT TO COME OMG‘. I went to camp as a kid but this place sounded legit amazing. There were heaps of activities like Beyonce Dance Class, archery tag, dance party, karaoke, talent show, jazzercize, movies, camp sing-a-long, and heaps more. We were a bit of a situation when we arrived. Both of us were super excited after the 3hr drive, parked the car, and walked down the big hill past everyone, wearing huge sunglasses, city clothes, and more luggage than two people need for a weekend. We were so extra, haha!  For our first event, Welcome Drinks, we wore matching INTERNET sweaters by Shelfies from a shoot with Becca Lemire a few years back. Everyone stared at us like we were weird but we didn’t care. We ARE weird! And matching outfits were part of our weekend plan! Also duh, internet is our jam! I don’t know what I was expecting but it was totally a real camp! There were about 8 girls in our cabin and we slept in stacked bunks. We made heaps of new friends and had so many laughs the whole weekend. The organizers did an amazing job of wrangling everyone to and from activities and meals. Thank you! On the last night, there was a talent show followed by a dance party. I…

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Panago Pizza Picnic Party in the Park 

Summer isn’t over! Ok, I know you can feel the change in the air but we’re still got a few weeks of sunshine left before we all hibernate for the winter. Last week to kick off Labour Day long weekend, some of my BFFs and I ordered Panago Pizza to the park (yes you can do that). I ordered a bunch of decorations on Amazon Prime two days before and we got everything set up in the park before Harmony arrived. We were actually all there on time (for once) when the birthday girl arrived! It was perfect! You might recognize these pizza boxes from earlier this summer when I posted about them here. To celebrate Canada’s 150th this year, Panago partnered with Toronto-bred, Vancouver-based illustrator Chairman Ting . The boxes have heaps of Canadiana on them from Mounties to mountains, beautiful forests, lakes, trees, a moose, the CN Tower, and heaps more. I coloured one and posted it on Instagram here. If YOU colour YOUR pizza box and tag it #ShareMoreCanada, Panago’s social team will be keeping an eye on the hashtag and giving out #RandomActsofPizza. We saw this cool guy carring a huge beautiful painting. Great way to meet girls in a park I tell ya! You can only get the Chaiman Ting X Panago pizza boxes till the end of summer. So, celebrate the last few wonderful weeks of great weather and order your friends/yourself a pizza! PIZZA FOREVER! Artist Designed Pizza Boxes + Pizza from Panago! ?? #ShareMoreCanada

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Long Live Summer Chill Vibes

Sat out on my patio w/ some wine thinking about the last few months. It’s been nice to spend the last two weekends in the city but most my summer weekends were at the cottage. I’ve mentioned a whole bunch this year how I’ve been working hard to maintain balance. With social media and the life I’ve created surrounding it, it’s hard to keep balance. I’ve actually had to learn and discover what balance means for me. Part of that has been yoga, reading more books, and getting to bed earlier. At the start of August Sean, and I spent a glorious 11 days at the cottage. We had a few nice days and it rained for 5 days in a row. It didn’t even bother me because I watched 2 entire seasons (Ozark + OITNB5) and read three whole books (How to Murder Your Life, The Killing Circle,  The Currency of Love). Each was a different story that took me to another place or made me think about my own life in a new way. I’m looking forward to September, the change of seasons always brings a new energy, change of pace. Autumn is great for layering outfits. I ordered a few great items online that should *hopefully* all arrive in time for TIFF. Next week is going to be really busy with the film festival and Toronto Fashion Week. I’ve got tickets to a couple films and fashion shows along with a few gifting lounges. I will be documenting EVERYTHING. I live for/love this time of year. It’s a chance to see heaps of colleagues, friends, and media related people I don’t see in my day-to-day stuff the rest of the year. SUMMER FOREVER / LONG LIVE SUMMER Shoutout to Jacob’s Creek winery from Australia. They sent over a few of…

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Best Buy Appliances Dinner at Baro w/ Celebrity Chef David Rocco

This week I had a totally amazing dinner on Wednesday night with about 100 other media people from around the city. We were ushered up to the 3rd floor of Baro, King West, and greeted by an amazing tablescape and cocktail bar. I was happy to see Ryan Emberley, friend and amazing photographer who I credit for the great photos! The dinner was hosted by Chef David Rocco and Baro Executive Chef Steve Gonzalez presented by Best Buy Canada to showcase their new appliances. We are hoping to renovate our kitchen, so checking out new appliances is something I do now. Yay, adulting!  The chefs used the most pimped out badass appliances I can only dream of having! LG’s 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with Ice & Water, Samsung Smooth Top Induction stove, Bosch Built-In Dishwasher, and a few other smaller kitchen appliances for making the meal. They all cater to the new trends of being energy efficient, compact, stylish, and connected. I wrote about Best Buy Smart Home earlier this year here. It was great to see a bunch of friends. I’ve been really hibernating this summer so it was nice to be out of the house and share laughs over a great dinner. I sat with Gunnarolla and Gracie. We were all invited into the kitchen to help David Rocco and it was amazing. He is so nice and fun. He was prepping some cheese to put into the risotto when he cut a piece and handed it to me on the end of a sharp knife. I was totally swooning at that moment! Dolce Vita! David Rocco Interview Time! What is one ingredient you always have in the kitchen? Always have two olive oils on hand. One for drizzling and one for cooking. One litre of olive oil is made up of 1,375…

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Enjoy A Little, Endure a Lot

This week felt like a long one and it’s finally Thursday. As Keri would say, “Best night of the week!”. Tonight I’m heading to my BFFs house out of the city and tomorrow we rented a sweet hotel room in a random Ontario town, not too far, for a well deserved girls getaway. Sometimes when I look back at my story of the day, on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook, my short term memory forgets things even happen. This was the case a few times this week. I started the week slow, was super tired, and had a sore shoulder from an awkward sleep on Sunday. Tuesday I spent most the day dragging my a$$ through the motions, but, by the end of the day I was so inspired I couldn’t sleep! I was a judge at the Women in Wearables Tech Meetup for the Female Founders Cup.  It was  great to be surrounded by incredibly amazing women making waves in the tech community. You can watch the livestream here if you’re looking for some inspiration.  Women & Wearables: An evening of celebration, discussion & activism Full house for #WWTO! #techtuesday (@ MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, ON) https://t.co/YBfoWuGYVy pic.twitter.com/Rhlijqql5j — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) March 28, 2017 Wednesday seems like a blur. Did yoga at 7:30 then drove home, picked up Emily and took her to school. Shawn Hawaii came over for quick head shot shoot around 9am and by 10:30, Sean and I we were heading to 1188. The rest of the day was non-stop and by 9:30pm I was finally ready to sit down and do things on my computer. I am SOOOOO looking forward to a 2 night getaway with my BFF and a s-l-o-w pace. I love what I do but life is exhausting and I’ve had to teach myself to take breaks. Also, I can’t wait till we open the…

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I made a custom lipstick, meet ‘n00d’. Thank you @BiteBeauty! #BiteLipLabTO

The other day we drove past the BITE Lip Lab on Queen, it was snowing, and there was this gorgeous man standing in the window. I stared at him and then I was like ‘omg I know him, that’s Christopher!’. Hadn’t seen him in forever, sent him a FB, then he invited me in to make a custom lipstick. I’d like you to meet my first BITE/CASIE colour: ? ‘in the nude’, ‘send nudes’ what should I call my new BITE/CASIE lipstick!? ?✌? Made this today w/ @christopher_aaron_slade, initials engraved on the bottom! So cool! TY for inviting me in today, I loved every minute of it! #TGIF #bitelipstick #biteliplabto A photo posted by ? C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Feb 3, 2017 at 1:41pm PST The Lip Lab is on Queen just West of Bathurst. Heaps of colours and I love how they’re displayed on the wall. You can add up to two flavours to your lipstick. I did mint (only).  I’m happy, it’s refreshing. I bet there’s some pretty great combos with these tho. It didn’t take that long! I loved the first colours we mixed up and then Christopher got the ingredients, mixed it, chilled it on a cold plate, and put it in a tube. Then they engrave it for you at no extra charge. Before I knew it, I had my very own unique lipstick, with my initials, and I waltzed off into the sunshine! ☀️ Now I want to make a bright red and peachy one for spring. ? If you’re interested in stopping by, here’s your options. ▼ They said it’s super popular for mother daughter, bffs, sisters. I was there 3pm on a Friday and it wasn’t busy when I got there but there were more people…

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Cerulean Sea, Blue Skies, Boston Besties

This weekend in Boston was really fun. ?? ✈️  The friends I was visiting totally surprised me and flew in a couple we both know from San Francisco, (who used to live in Boston). I totally screamed when they walked in the backyard! ? I love surprises and they totally hid this from me for the last week. THANK YOU BOB AND ELLEN ILU! ?   They pulled together all my Boston BFFs and we had heaps of fun eating great food and lounging by the pool. On Friday night we had dinner with Kristen (in photo) and from then till Sunday morning when I left I was smiling and laughing. I took a break from Snapchat and Pokemon to spend some real FACE TIME with my friends. It was great! It’s been 2 years since I saw any of the crew and some even longer! They always say I bring the sunshine and I totally did, it was an absolute perfect day on Saturday. ☀️? I got home last night after another great flight with Porter Airlines. I absolutely love flying Porter. I’m not 100% on my next vacation destination  *yet* but early August we are up at the cottage for 9 days and I can’t WAIT. It’s Sean’s birthday that week and last year we rented a Seadoo. Have a post-op appt with my surgeon today and hopefully everything is a-ok. Still recovering and in some pain. I’m really happy with the results tho, it’s the first time in my life I’ve been able to comfortable wearing a bathing suit top! ☀️ Here’s to a great week! ☀️  

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Digital Detox #tbt 

Looking back at my Amazing trip to Costa Rica where I stayed at Anamaya Resort. Read about my digital detox here. I’m ready for another one TBH! Check out this cool Summer Solstice RESET happening on June 20th in Trinity Bellwoods. Have a beautiful day!  XO CASIE A photo posted by ? C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Jun 9, 2016 at 8:26am PDT

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TSO & AGO, The Decades Project: A spellbinding journey through time

On Wednesday night I’ve got a hot date with one of my BFFs to go to the TSO. It’s one of those great attractions we have downtown but I feel like people always forget about it when they’re looking for a night out. It makes a great date for someone you love (BFF, BF) or a really nice night out by yourself. The TSO has partnered with the AGO for The Decades Project: an unparalleled concert-going experience that combines transformative orchestral performances with exciting surprises galore. [youtube id=”mcdYBjmKG9A”] Wanna go? The TSO gave me a pair of tickets to share. The show is at 8pm. If you can get there you are eligible to win! Contest closes Wednesday AM and I’ll notify the winner at noon.  a Rafflecopter giveaway About the Show: Ravel Daphnis et Chloé, WED, JUN 1 at 8:00pm Under the inspiring baton of Basque conductor Juanjo Mena, this riveting program of masterpieces from the second decade of the 20th century brings you Ravel’s voluptuous mythological ballet score, Daphnis et Chloé, in its full, original version. Charismatic Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto performs the robust Violin Concerto by Danish composer Carl Nielsen, three of whose symphonies the TSO performed to great acclaim last season.

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National Wine Day + Montes Wine Giveaway

A couple weeks ago I hosted a fun night with some of my bffs thanks to Montes Wine where paired Chilean cuisine a few of Montes finest . To celebrate National Wine Day (yes, thats a real thing!) I’ve partnered with them to do a wine giveaway. Montes Wine is from Chile and can be found at the LCBO. My fav from the tasting are Montes Twins Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Montes Alpha Malbec 2o12, and the Montes Alpha Cab Sav 2013. I don’t usually drink white wine much but their Sauv Blanc was delicious.

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Chilean Girls Night In w/ Montes Wine

Last week my BFFs and I celebrated Jen’s birthday with a wine tasting thanks to Montes Wine.  Montes was founded  in 1987 and is the the pioneer producer of premium quality Chilean wines. Our night started with an informal tasting with a totally awesome sommelier, Lesley Prevost, followed by a delicious selection of Chilean catering. Learning heaps from @purplelips! She’s awesome. TY @MontesWines! pic.twitter.com/NPODF26IkL — CASIE STEWART (@casiestewart) April 26, 2016 We were treated to four of their premium wines you can now find at the LCBO: Montes Twins Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Montes Twins Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Montes Alpha Malbec 2o12 Montes Alpha Cab Sav 2013 We all really enjoyed the Sauv Blanc, it was light and fruity, with nodes of tropical fruits pineapple, grapefruit and orange blossom. I could deff see myself drinking this all summer. I think it would be really nice w/with some fruit/Perrier on ice. I really enjoyed the Malbec/Cab Sav blend, it has 14% alcohol and low acid (good for me with acid reflux ? ). The other two reds pair really well with meat & cheese. Look at those angelic faces, Montes Angels!  Nice discussion over these two. ??#MontesAngel pic.twitter.com/nDfFgBhJki — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) April 27, 2016 If you’re looking to try something new at the LCBO (and love Chilean wine), give Montes Wines a try. They’ve also got a carmenère at the LCBO I’d like to pair with a nice BBQ at the cottage. Spring, get here alreadyyyyy!  Later this month I’ve got a giveaway with Montes Wine that’s open to anyone in Ontario. Will let you know when it’s live! 

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Return on Enjoyment: Finding That Work-Life Balance

I find taking vacation or ‘staycations’ essential to my sanity. If you’re following my Twitter or Snapchat you’ll know that I’m always on the go doing something, events, speaking, dinner, travel. I love it, but tbh it’s pretty exhausting. Putting heaps of energy out (friends, work, or social) can take a lot out of you. In a recent TD survey, they found that us millennials have a hard time finding balance between financial and work commitments, and taking time to relax is a challenge. I can totally relate to this. TD found that 46% of millennials don’t take their allotted vacation days, mostly due to heavy workload (31%) and lack of travel funds (29%). Back when I was working in an agency, I hardly ever took vacation, felt pressure to work late, and when I did take vacation, found myself constantly checking my phone and responding to emails. I know I’m not alone here! The survey found, 90% of Canadian millennials agree that vacation time, even mini-vacations or “staycations”, are essential to keeping them happy. Taking time to recharge doesn’t have to be expensive, I find a good binge weekend with some cooking, takeout, and a nap (or two!) boosts me up. Having a financial plan and a budget will help you get that ROE – Return on Enjoyment. ? This weekend we opened the cottage, going there, even for a 24 hour getaway gives me leaps and bounds of energy. Don’t have a cottage? Make friends with someone who does (heh heh) or check out options like Airbnb or Glamping Hub for affordable getaways. Millennials like us can save for activities by creating a financial plan to account for funding life’s pleasures (or unexpected moments). We could all use a little more vitamin SEA, amiright? ? Other activities with…

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The Perfect Summer Road Trip #SummerCovered

Summer is the perfect time to hit the road with your BFFs and ditch the concrete jungle. You may already be in the process of looking at a Christchurch motorhome hire company to plan your trip to New Zealand, or maybe a road trip to California is something that you’d all agreed on. Either way, planning your trip is essential. I love packing up the car and heading up north, to Montreal, or across the border. Next time, I might plan on investing in an RV instead of driving. It’s just so I can have a different experience and I’d be with my best friends, so it’d be hard not to have fun! If you are like me and are considering going on a road trip in this fashion, seeing as I was recommended to check out sites such as good sam ESP here, I’m now offering my knowledge to you guys too! I’ve had some pretty epic road trips over the years! However, I’ve never been on a road trip in an RV, which is something that has been reccommended to me on many occasions. I know that Texas has outstanding rv routes, so this would probably be my desired road trip of choice. Once a couple friends and I drove to Austin, Texas for SXSW and another time we drove and sang our way to Chicago. Another one of my favs was a road trip to Montreal, so great in the summer! There’s always a few things I make sure to stock up on before hitting the road and you can find them all at Shoppers Drug Mart. This is my second post in partnership with Shoppers, your one-stop spot before you hit the open road for a summer road trip. Did someone say snacks? SUMMER ROAD TRIP…

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Today is #BestFriendsDay! Tell Your BFF You <3 Them!

Whether you’ve been reading here for years or you’re new to the space, you’ll know my blog a positive place on the Internet. If you’re ever having a bad day, you can always pop over in and see bright colours, and something to put a smile on your face. Usually me, shining back at you from across the Internet. 🙋💛 I was recently contacted from 3M to help spread the word about Best Friends Day, June 8th. As a long time lover of Post-It Notes (yes, they’re all over my home office, work desk, books, purse) and firm believer in spreading love, I was IN. It’s the perfect time to tell your BFF how much they mean to you. Late last year 3M joined forces with students across North America for Positive Post-It Day, encouraging people to grab a note, write something nice, and share it around campus. This movement on October 9th sparked a whole bunch of events where people were sharing positivity on Post-Its to friends and strangers. Today is Best Friends Day and I’m encouraging YOU to share a note with a BFF you care about. It could be a BFF, sister, brother, GF, BF, mum, dad, or anyone you wanna remind of their awesomeness. I didn’t have a lot of BFFs growing up but over the last few years I’ve developed a few relationships with BFFs who are now like sisters to me. A couple of my positive Post-It BFF Day notes below! Spread the love for Best Friends Day by writing a note to someone on a Post-It. If they’re close by, sick it somewhere they’ll find it, or snap a photo and tag them and @PostitCanada on Twitter or Instagram it with the hashtag #BestFriendsDay. Looking forward to seeing your messages! There’s already heaps of tweets today. 😎✌🎈 Today is #BestFriendsDay and the perfect opp to tell your BFFs how much you 💖them.…

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The Zombies Guide to Surviving Among the Living: Communicating Like a Human

Last week I introduced you to The Zombies Guide to Surviving Among Living as part of my partnership with shomi, and my love for all things zombie. This week, we’re onto Chapter 2 of the guide, communicating like a human. If there’s anything I know REALLLLLY well it’s communicating like a modern millennial. Here’s a couple tips (and GIFs) on just that!   If you’re a zombie girl (boy) living in a human world, you want to hide all chances of someone recognizing your cravings for brains or zombie-like drone in your voice. They key here, always text. Don’t pick up that phone! When texting, avoid all zombie related conversations like eating brains, your fav blood type, inability to tan, or again your craving for brains. Make sure you use short forms like OMG, IRL, TBT, OMW, WTF, and FTW. Also, try to use as FEW words as possible, one word answers are great! Typing ‘kk’ to a response is sure way to show friend that you’re a true human (you might even annoy them like their other BFFS). If someone tries to spark up a conversation, reach for your phone and pretend it’s an important call “I’ve gotta take this’. Then walk away. You’ll be able to avoid small talk without seeming (too) rude. Humans can be kinda touchy-feely, so another tip to communicating is to give in, and hug it out.  It’s gonna be weird, but after a while you might begin to like it. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post on communicating when you’re a zombie jus’ tryna live amongst the humans. Check out the trailer for iZombie here and get yourself a free 30-day trial here. Next week we’re onto Chapter 3: Eating and Drinking. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #shomi #TheZombiesGuide. CASIE

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Friiiiyay! CHEERS TO THE WEEKEND! <3

Started bright and cold early this morning and went to a blogger breakfast with Ford Canada at the Canadian International Auto Show. It is damn cold out here today. My new MotoG smartwatch tells me it’s -22 right now. I’ve also completed my 10K steps for the day so I’m gonna stop working early. Totally got spoilt for Valentines Day by Motorola because they sent me a NEW PHONE and the MotoG watch. I’m in love with wearables and this things is an absolute vision of beauty. THANK YOU MOTOROLA. ILU! Felt a little bit bad for my bf who got me a great gift but when he see’s all the things that arrive from the Internet, it’s hard to compete. Not that he has to but, I did get a bunch of gifts this year. I’ll share more goodies over the weekend. I arrived to the auto show to the wrong area and was surrounded by the sales meeting team and walked in all leopard print, bright red, and standing out like a sore thumb. (As usual, but more here when everyone was wearing black and suits!) Finally asked someone and located the blogger crew. Sent a photo of this cute little hybrid hot rod, Hot Wheels to my dad. Would love to drive one of these little bad boys! I woke up in a Bugatti! Ok, woke up and saw a Bugatti. Always wanted one of these. Still might have one someday! Had a Valentines lunch date with Alison. Had a heart shaped pizza delivered to Sean’s office for him. Pizza my heart.  🙂 Travelled on the GO train to visit Keri for a slumber party. Can’t forget your BFFs on Valentines Day! READ HER BLOG HERE. SHE IS REALLY AWESOME. Ahhhhh, the country! Nothing but the sound of… well, NOTHING.…

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Blogging + Brunch = Bon Weekend!

Started the day w/ a nice latte and brekky at Cafe Neon near my place. I was working on an exciting new project you’ll learn about over the next few weeks. Loving the new leather gloves from Danier I got on my mega shopping spree yesterday. I had to pop by Le Chateau to pick an outfit for an upcoming photoshoot so I rounded up gift cards from mall stores and went to town! FYI all the winter accessories are 50% off at Danier right now. Picked up a nice pair of gloves and some goodies for the BF too. It was pretty nice out today. Birds cherpin’! Check out this gorgeous bag I picked up at Ted Baker’s new Eaton Centre Store. I’m in love. It perfectly matches my fav lipstick and current nails. There’s 50% off a ton of items at Ted Baker too! Pop over and check out my Nail Game on a new app I’ve been using called Selfish. I’ve got other stories documenting my ukulele learning and travel adventures too. In other news, I’ve entered a  contest to win a trip to Montreal for Nuit Blanche at the end of Feb. I know I said ‘no more contests’ but WHATEVER. Wanna come? Join my train right here! THERE’S ROOM FOR YOU and it’s a FREE TRIP. Invite yo friends! It would be super fun to have some of you guys (yes you reading this) on the train with me and my BFFs. All aboard! Hope you’re having a great weekend. I’ve got a birthday at the Soho House tonight and a bloggers brunch tomorrow.  Looking forward to tweeting the Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday night. Tweet along with me at @casiestewart! <3 CASIE  

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