Oh man, did you get a shock when you woke up this morning? I opened my curtains to see that the patio door had a layer of icy frost! Damn. It’s cold out there. Broke out the winter boots and warm jacket. Here we go guys, it’s winter. I’ve been a little off my game this week. Maybe I’m coming down with something? Slept in more than usual today and went to bed at 10 last night which is pretty early for me. I didn’t even make yoga once this week. I also ate so much crap I probably gained 5 damn pounds! We’re closing the cottage this weekend and I’m not looking forward to it. I wish we could keep it open all winter! I know I said I like the closing duties but once winter hits, it’s all bittersweet. I’m heading to have lunch with April and I always feel energized when we hang out.  Stay warm out there my friends! Keeping this quote in my thoughts today and sending sunshine in your general direction through the internet. In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. – Albert Camus  

This weekend was fun. I went out for one last kayak before we put all the stuff away. It was surprisingly warm, but damp, great weather for getting things done. Although it’s a lot of work, and I can feel it in my arms today, closing the cottage is something I kinda look forward to. Sean and I do together as a team; heaps of lifting, holding the ladder, carrying the canoe, putting away the outside stuff, and family trips to the dump. We had Embot with us and her fav part was deff packing the trailer then chucking everything into the huge garbage at the dump. For years I’ve been wanting to make cutting boards from some of the beautiful wood laying around and we finally did it! I marked and measured, Sean put them through the planer, then cut them into pieces. I spent ages with the sander making them nice and soft. Before I started my project, I did a look of research and read quite a lot of information on orbital vs sheet sander. After careful consideration, I realized which one I should be using for a nice finish so it was a good job I looked into it! The next step is sealing, drying, and wrapping for the holidays. I need to visit Lee Valley this week. I spent lots of time in the garage with my dad as a kid so doing that as a family this weekend was nice. This weekend I finished a book called The Party by Robyn Harding (a soft-cover gift from Jen Kirsch!) and started another book called The Party by Elizabeth Day (on Kindle!). I was searching Amazon for one and found the other! Since I got a Kindle last year I’ve read SO MANY BOOKS. It’s the…

#WhatIfWomen is a fundraising event for War Child, an organization that helps children in war-affected communities get back their childhood by giving them access to education and opportunity. On Monday I’m excited to celebrate The Power and Promise of Women with War Child Canada. You can get a ticket here.  Growing up, my mum really instilled in me that I could do anything and be anyone I wanted when I got older. It wasn’t easy and there were struggles but nothing like growing up in a war-torn country like Sudan or Iraq. For the past couple weeks, I’ve been working with the War Child team to join a group of incredibly inspiring women in this campaign. When they approached me about volunteering it was around the day when all the ‘Me too’ posts hit the internet and I nearly broke down talking about how important it is for women to support other women and girls. THOUGHTS ON MY MIND… What if women were given the same work opportunities as men? What if women had the courage to speak up without consequence? What if women had equal pay? What if women had equal access to education? What if women were given the chance to lead? What if women didn’t have to be scared of walking alone at night?  What if women grew up knowing they can achieve anything they want?  #WhatIfWomen earned the same as men? I’m volunteering w/ @WarChildCan, see blog for details! ❤️ https://t.co/lsnMMPo4xg pic.twitter.com/unZUt79ssZ — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) November 2, 2017 November 6, 2017 | Eglinton Grand | Toronto | 6 pm | #WhatIfWomen You can still get a ticket to Monday’s event at Eglinton Grand featuring performances by Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk, and Ruth B. It’ll be a room full of strong voices coming together to show the world that compassion…