Travel| Refreshed, Recharged from Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica!

I’m home. The last week has been so wonderful. I wrote down some thoughts about my Anamaya Resort/Costa Rica experience last night and it’s hard to explain it all in words, but I’m gonna try. Working on an article about my first real digital detox (SPOILER: it was awesome!), and posts about staying at Anamaya Resort, the yoga retreat, the INCREDIBLE food, activities, new friends, the circle (I’ll explain), the treehouse, and a style guide to packing light for jungle living. One things is, Anamaya is an incredibly amazing place to go alone, with a family member, partner, or when you really need to hit the reset button on your life. After 7 days of gluten, dairy, and mostly sugar free free, with no red meat, heaps of fresh juice, tons of water, sunshine, and fresh warm air, I feel alive, and calm. [iframe id=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/5tiGSZ4KAJU”] Picked up groceries today and loaded up on healthy grains, coconut milk (instead of my usual lactose free), heaps of veggies, fruits (papaya and plantain too), and I’m going try and keep this way of life going. Made a new BFF and am hopefully going back to stay with her in Costa Rica in October. Here’s to a wonderful week and *hopefully* spring like temperatures!

View Post

VICE Travel Week + Costa Rican Adventure Contest

Holllllla! Hi from Thailand! It’s VICE Travel Week and they’ve put out a great new series I’m sharing with you. Co-presented by their buds over at Cayman Jack, they’ve put together VICE’s most awesome, classic travel pieces. They’ve also got a contest for a sweet trip to Costa Rica. Two years ago I was in Costa Rica on a surf trip and it was one of the best experiences of MY LIFE.  The VICE travel vids include adventures in Mongolia, Israel, The Congo, China, Manila, and more. The fashion ones are my fav, obvs. I’d love to do a travel series with VICE one day.  VICE TRAVEL WEEK: Fashion Week International VICE TRAVEL WEEK: Thumbs up! China More Vids + Contest Details: Cayman Jack Presents: VICE Travel Week Cayman Jack Costa Rican Adventure It’s easy to enter, visit this link, Like Cayman Jack on Facebook, and enter your contact details. As always, if you win the trip you are more than welcome to invite me as your +1!  Costa Rica is a beautiful and awesome country. Good luck! <3 CASIE   Buy Isotretinoin without prescription Buy Kamagra without prescription Buy Lasix without prescription Buy Levaquin without prescription

View Post

Yoga with Joseph at Anamaya Resort in Costa Rica, Pura Vida!

Last winter I visited Anamaya Resort for a yoga & surfing retreat in Costa Rica. It was heaven! A truly magical place. I am dying to go back there to the ocean and the jungle. Especially right now since it’s NOT EVEN WARM OUT YET! I just got sent this lovely video of us on the deck doing synchronized yoga with Joseph. I can’t tell you how WONDERFUL  it was to do yoga here each morning and surf in the afternoon. [iframe id=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/OX-mSRLxIHQ”] Check out Anamaya Resort if you are looking for a great travel destination. It’s a beautiful eco lodge in Montezuma, Costa Rica. There’s boat tours and all kinda of fun things you can do there! Take me back to the jungle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Friday Thursday!

View Post

Travel | Aerial Silks Workshop at Anamaya Resort in Costa Rica

Yesterday before surfing I did a class in aerial silks lead by Joseph, one of the Anamaya owners. It was awesome! It’s pretty hard and you have to be strong but I loved it. Thanks to my Dad for being a gymnastics coach when I was growing up. It’s all helping now! I’m not quite as graceful yet but we’re getting there 🙂 Can’t wait to give this some practise.

View Post

Good morning from Costa Rica!

 I wish could show you a photo of right now, there are about twelve ten year old boys around me speaking Spanish and giggling.  One said he loved me. They are very cute.  I’m not on the wifi at my resort yet and using an old PC and Explorer to write this. I have taken lots of photos, mostly on iPhone. This keyboard is in Spanish. I’m at an old mansion turned hotel and was woken by all the kids laughing. They’re watching soccer tricks on Youtube now. One might be reading this behind my shoulder but I’m not sure they speak English.    It’s been raining since I arrived but I don’t mind. It’s nice to be away and thwe weather is warm. Will be at the beach later. Hope you have a gorgeous day. xo Casie  

View Post

Day 255: The Magic of The Universe

Well hello there! Spent the whole day inside, did not run today. Curled my hair with vintage hot rollers and I looked like a cherub. Decided to pop on a nice yellow jumper to brighten the day. Tomorrow I’m meeting Talia in the morning for a socially distanced coffee date. I really miss seeing friends! Usually, at this time of the year, I would be getting ready for a week away in New Orleans with some of my best friends. Seeing Facebook memories pop up makes me really miss travel. Seven years ago during this time, I was in Thailand with Contiki and 20 YouTubers. Such a great trip. Today I was dreaming about going on vacation and the first place I would go back to is Costa Rica. If I was going to move to a tropical climate, I would love to live in CR. In other news, remember how I mentioned wanting a treadmill? Well, ladies & gentlemen, the magic of the universe has shined its light in my direction! Sean’s dad emailed him to say they have one in their garage. AHHH! I am so thankful! It’s amazing how you can manifest great things in your life if you put positive messages out there. Keith, if you are reading this I am sending you my love!!

View Post

Day 170: It’s September

Spent most of the day at my computer. It was really hot today. Whenever I opened the patio door, I was instantly hit with a wave of heat. I’m not ready for summer to be over. I love fall fashion but cooler temps gets my mind thinking about winter. It’s already such a hard time with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) that a pandemic sends my mind swirling with ways to try and cope. If a second wave comes, (and it looks like it might), should we go back to the cottage, or can I run away to Costa Rica? Hard to believe this is Day 170 of my daily pandemic blog diary, where did the time go? I’ve always loved September, the last decade has meant returning to events post-summer relaxation, TIFF, Fashion Week, seeing all my friends at once. I feel sad for the times we won’t have but grateful for the memories, all mostly documented here or on Instagram. I’ve got tickets to one TIFF screening so far and we’ll see how many more tickets I can snag for my at-home TIFF experience. Over the past month, I’ve been a bit slack with working out and keeping track of the days. This month I’m sticking to my goals. A fresh stary of sorts and there’s a full moon tonight. I didn’t run today but I did 100 situps and 10 pushups before bed. A small feat but one I’m trying to make a routine. I put some water and my crystals out last night, made 6 wishes at the moon and stared at it or a bit. Does the moon see me? I’ll do whatever I can do bring good vibes right now!

View Post

Beat Winter SAD: Take A Vacation

Last winter was really hard, we had one of the coldest seasons in ages, there was ice everywhere, and my arm was messed up. I spent most of the winter inside our house going Marie Kondo through every cupboard and drawer. This winter, I’m determined to find joy in simple things and actively make an effort to warm myself up and beat winter SAD. I wrote a few posts with ways I’m trying to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder with the hope it will help make our days a bit brighter. Some take a little more money/planning but others you can do at home right now. I’ll update this post with a link to each so you can scroll once they’re live. Vacation The easiest way to boost your mood in winter? Take a vacation. I know this isn’t an option for everyone with work/family/finances but if you can do it, it’s so nice. This year, I took a 7-day all-inclusive trip to Cuba with a friend. We have been talking about doing a low-key beach getaway at the start of January for 2+ years and finally did it! Cuba was a good option because we were not going for luxury, our conditions for the trip were affordable, beach, sun. The beach was beautiful and the sun was hot. The food wasn’t luxe but we managed to eat simple, the main things I ate were bread, rice, fruit, pasta, and eggs. I read an entire book, took heaps of photos, and finished the week well-rested and refreshed. We went to bed early (and sober) most nights. I stuck to Amy’s 1K a day challenge and did some type of activity each day (long walk, dance, NTC). It was just what I needed and a perfect reset to start the year. I…

View Post

Interview: Vocab Comm Influencer Tuesdays

I recently did an interview w/ Chrissy, longtime friend, OG PR, and founder of Vocab Comm. I talk about the social media landscape, influencers, and my career. I included part of the interview below, read the whole thing here. Chrissy used to host MMVA and celebrity gifting lounges at the beginning of social media, we worked together on a few. This was a fun one. Tell us a little about yourself. I grew up in Cambridge, Ontario. My parents immigrated here from New Zealand and my dad had a custom Hot Rod shop growing up. I created my first business in grade 2 and at 14 I wrote a book and started a publishing company. I went to Conestoga College and last year was given an Alumni Award for my work from the President of the college. I went to university in Australia and have a B. Com in International Business. I have lived in Toronto since 2005 when I started my blog. Through my blog, I’ve built some amazing brand partnerships (Pepsi, Telus, Aeroplan, Sassoon) and traveled to incredible amazing places in the world (Thailand, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Disneyland). How do you define an influencer? I think the word ‘influencer’ has really taken on a whole new (kinda negative) meaning with the rise of Instagram influencers. To me, influence is a product of something someone does. It’s not something you get by having a lot of followers. My influence has grown from being a pioneer in a new industry and constantly innovating. I share my life with the world and love discovering new things, my influence comes from building trust with my audience. What advice do you have for other people looking to become an online influencer? Don’t do it. Find something you love and do that! Don’t…

View Post

Long Live the Weekend – Love You Canada!

Been having a pretty relaxing weekend. Can’t believe it’s already Monday. Back to the city tonight or tomorrow. I love being up here but I’m looking forward to going home. Feels like I’ve had more time at the cottage than home lately! My friend Steph is here from New York City. Sean and I met her last year at Anamaya Resort in Costa Rica. [Read about it here!] The weather has been a bit meh but it’s finally nice and sunny today. We created a super tasty wine spritzer with Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc mixed with La Croix, strawberries, and a bit of juice.

View Post

Bueno Has an Awesome Trip Giveaway Right Now. ✈️ You Should Enter!

I spent a while going through all my travel posts to write this one. I love adventure and travel, going places and discovering new things. It makes me feel alive. I’m in a constant state of ‘where and I going next?!’. Heard about the Bueno Getaway contest and had to tell you about it. Aside from winning an amazing trip, you will probably get some chocolate! I’ve loved Bueno since I was a kid, the soft, creamy, hazelnut goodness just melts in your mouth. You should enter, the prize is a trip to one of 15 incredible places in the world valued at $8,500. I’d so love to visit all the great places on the Bueno Getaway:   Paris, Cape Town, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Nairobi, Goa, Xi’an (Terracotta Army), Lisbon, Moscow,  Lima, Santiago. I’ve been to the North American destinations Austin, TX, NYC, and Tulum. There’s 3 easy steps to enter the contest:   Pick your continent Choose your destination Enter your PIN  Take the Bueno Quiz to Find Out Your Dream Destination It’s my dream to one day visit Marrakesh, Morocco. The winning trip there is described so beautifully, totally sounds like my kind of adventure. Marrakesh, Morocco:Living on the edge, everything for the moment, a walking “yolo”: these are just a few ways to describe your philosophy on life. (Right?!!!) Funny enough, they are also a few ways to describe the culture of Marrakesh. Your adventure could start in the ancient Medina Market, overwhelmed by craftsmen and artists. It could continue in Ville Nouvelle, where you’d explore dinner featuring flavours you never dreamed existed. There is only one constant in Marrakesh: beautiful unpredictability. A Few of My Fav Trips Travelling gives you a feeling you can’t get anywhere else, it takes you places physically but also mentally, it opens your mind to new experiences, people, and food. These are…

View Post

These Are The Vines of Our Lives

I loved Twitter’s Vine app. I used it heaps when it first came out and have 200+ thousand views and 400+ videos. Yesterday Twitter announced it’s shutting the app down (and cutting 9% of global staff). This is a good reminder, it’s not about the platform, it’s about the content. As someone who’s been on the internet, making stuff for over a decade I’ve seen a lot of apps have their rise to fame, go viral, get a huge user base, then die. Lets look back at 12secondstv, I was one of their top users and in 2010 they got bought by AOL and closed up shop. I made short videos of almost everything I was doing and posted them on the app. Around the same time I’d been an active user on Dailybooth, a website where you shared a photo of yourself everyday (mostly from your computer webcam). When Instagram came out, nobody needed Dailybooth anymore, there was a new app with filters right in your phone. Dailybooth died in 2012. Anyone remember Viddy? I hung out with the founders in 2013 at CES in Vegas and joined the app right away. It was the video version of Instagram!  Justin Bieber and bunch of celebrities used it all the time. Then, one day, Instagram added video. It was game changer. In months Viddy was done. Users jumped ship to an app they were already on to share content to an existing audience. “it’s not about the platform, it’s about the content” SOME OF MY FAV VINES OF THE TIMES Here are a few of my fav Vines from my channel and the Internet. I hope you enjoy. As a reminder, keep making good content and try all the platforms to see what is out there.   LADA GAGA SCARES LEO – Remember this? OOP! https://vine.co/v/iMAHYTw00bH https://vine.co/v/inAiBuI6UOX THIS KID IS ALL OF…

View Post

You Know That Feeling, The One Like You’re Flying

Last night I went to an aerial yoga class at Fly Fitness . It was a media class and my first time trying it. Small group, couple friends in there, but MY GOD did I need that. I feel so fucking good! Seriously. I don’t usually swear (sorry mum) but that’s really how I feel. This summer has been a life changer, having the BR surgery, recovering, reading, thinking, and setting some goals has really made me feel good. I’ve spent a lot of time cottage chilling but September is like a fresh start, a new start. Last night took me back to sitting at opening circle at Anamaya in Costa Rica. We all sat around together and had an uplifting talk about intentions, positive thoughts, it was so wonderful. We connected and smiled and tbh thinking about it makes me feel all warm inside. Yes, it’s a bit cheese but if you were there, or you have been in a moment after a great class like like that, you know what I mean. Thank you Lisa Simone Richards for the invite. They studio gave me a 2 week unlimited pass so if anyone out there in the world wants to join me for a class I’m gonna give it a go. I’m going back for hardCORE reformer pilates tonight after I pick up Em from school. I’m really keen to get fit again and want to keep this momentum! Also, not having to wear multiple bras makes it that much better. Ha!   

View Post

The 8th Wonder of the World, Beautiful Niagara, Ontario

When I was growing up, visiting Niagara Canada was something we did a few times a year. My parents are from New Zealand, so the wonder of the falls and all that surrounds them was something we wanted to show ALL overseas visitors. Now that I’m a grownup, (yay adulting!) I’m looking to visit for a nice relaxing weekend of togetherness. A few years ago we went to Niagara for vacation and it was so fun driving around and discovering new things. There’s heaps of attractions in the Niagara Region, so I’m making a list of fun, couple stuff we can do together. It’s a great getaway that’s not too far from anyone living in Ontario or just over the USA border. Road trip time! This month, Niagara Canada is stating their claim as The 8th Wonder of the World. The region has so much to offer – it’s truly one of mine and Sean’s fav places to escape for romantic couples getaway. And of course, those falls are a massive 176 feet with 150,000 gallons of water crashing down per second, now that truly IS a wonder. Fun Couples Things to Do In Niagara, Ontario Nightlife – I really love casino carpets and stage shows so we definitely want to pop over to the Fallsview Casino Resort and check out one of their amazing presentations. Everyone (including us) has heard about what an unbelievable experience it is to play casino games in Las Vegas and this is something that we would love to get to do one day. Our friends can’t stop going on about it, so I can’t wait until we can join in with their conversations. I have played a few online casino games like those that involve a combination of Online Fishing, Real Money, and eye…

View Post