LIFE - CASIE STEWART

Casie April 11, 2016 LIFE

Travel | My Digital Detox Diary on The Co.

I know I’ve Mentioned how great my last trip to Costa Rica was but was the first real vacation I’ve taken in a while. I’m feeling inspired and I’ve got a fresh perspective on life. I wrote about the experience on The Co. by Jones Media and it’s on the front page today! Read it here! Today I’m picking up a little Ford Fiesta and cruising home to spend some time with mum. Tomorrow I’m speaking to the grade 6-8 kids at her school about bullying and following your dreams. I wish i had someone like me come and tell me everything will be ok, it’s cool to be weird, and that the job I’d be doing didn’t exist yet. Still eating healthy since my trip and exercising daily. About to go for a run! ? It’s truly amazing what a good getaway will do, staying at Anamaya Resort is a magical experience. Here’s to a wonderful day! A photo posted by The Co. (@voiceoftheco) on Apr 12, 2016 at 11:31am PDT

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Gettin’ Fit in the 6ix w/ The New FitBit Alta

Before vacay I joined a bunch of blogger buds at Sport Chek to test out the new FitBit Alta. Remember, with companies like PromoCodeWatch that offer discounts on Fitbit products, make sure you use this when before you hit the checkout button! I’m sure you would like to save as much money as possible on something as cool as a Fitbit. Since receiving the device, I’ve become obsessed with making my 10K steps each day. It wasn’t hard to surpass my daily goal in Costa Rica, I was so active! I forgot to pack my charger so after about 5 days, it died. I was super impressed it lasted that long tho, if only an iPhone could do that! Here’s a couple snaps by George Pimentel from our workout with celebrity trainer Harley Pasternack. We were set to train outside but it was pouring down with rain, hence the raincoat, but we picked out head to toe New Balance gear and set up our devices for an indoor workout. I am seriously loving the leggings, they’ve got a drawstring and are super soft, comfortable. Ready to hit the road! We took a brisk walk through the PATH underground walkway then arrived at the Toronto Athletic Club to sweat it out.

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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!

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This is My Life | Treehouse ✔︎ Hammock ✔︎ Sunshine ✔︎

Today has been a great day, the whole week! Really taking a break from my phone. I’m sitting in this hammock right now blogging via WordPress Mobile. Have yoga shortly, then dinner, and a circus performance at Anamaya Resort. This trip is incredible. Have so many photos to process and share when I get back home. Hope you’re having a great day! PURA VIDA!

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Fashion | Celebrating Spring Style w/ Hudson’s Bay & Fashion Magazine

During fashion week I worked with Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren to celebrate spring style with Hudson’s Bay and Fashion Magazine. The event was in the contemporary department on the 3rd floor and there was no shortage of activations including a Sandro sponsored photo booth, Maje sponsored nail bar (gold nails!), BCBG sponsored gelato bar (chocolate coconut? yes, yum), an amazing fashion illustrator, candy bar, and mojito bar. Here’s some of my fav ? from the night. Most are from Snapchat & iPhone 6s but the pro ones are by David A Pike. Before the event I stopped by the Denim & Supply section at HBC to check out key trends for Spring/Summer 16 season. Things to note – cropped denim (cute for tall and perfect for short peeps like moi), dresses (top I’m wearing is a dress), wovens, anything white, and shredded denim. I really love white denim for summer, and picked a pair of the cropped whites for myself. I was really torn between this white dress and the military jacket. There are a bunch of great jeans and tops as well. I think I’ll go back for the cropped denim jacket. Gotta have at least one of those in the wardrobe.

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Anamaya Resort – Welcome to the Jungle, Pura Vida!

Good morning from Anamaya Retreats in Costa Rica! Yesterday was our first full day here and it was magnificent. I’m really making an effort to take a digital detox on this trip but documenting is something I love. I’m running on wifi and often not able to connect with the online world. I’ve been taking photos, making notes, voice recordings, I wanna remember all my thoughts and feeling on this journey. It’s absolutely beautiful, photos don’t do it justice! Feels good to be back on the yoga mat too, I’ve been a bit slack this winter and this trip is like hitting the reset button. Our menu this week is all gluten free and local, Anamaya has a farm that we’re visiting Wednesday to see where a lot of our food comes from. We are staying in a treehouse that is 50ft up with a yoga/hammock deck, and a loft bedroom. It’s the most beautiful treehouse I’ve ever been into, it’s fully equipped a king size bed, drinkable running water, and AC. It’s giving us some good inspiration to build one at the cottage.

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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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Social |Changes to Instagram Newsfeed ⤵️

Word on the street is that the new Instagram timeline is dropping tomorrow. Here’s what you need to know! Apparently 70% of us are missing posts we actually wanna see, this new algorithm will hopefully make it better. For advertisers, this means you really need to pay to play Hopefully, the changed algorithm will result in more likes for us all. Although, I haven’t been in need of many more links since finding the best powerlikes service on the internet. If your favorite musician shares a video from last night’s concert, it will be waiting for you when you wake up, no matter how many accounts you follow or what time zone you live in. And when your best friend posts a photo of her new puppy, you won’t miss it. – Instagram blog If you’ve been on IG the last 24 hours you might have noticed a ton of posts tagged #turnmeon or #turnonnotifications, this is people asking for you to make a slight change so you don’t miss their posts. It’s kinda annoying and tbh, I don’t want to notifications from everyone, there’s a bunch of people I follow that I should probably just unfollow. BUT, if you want to turn on notifications for your fav peeps, it’s v easy. ??thoughts on the meme of the day??: The interwebs is exploding with people urging other people to turn on post notifications… ? take it from me, unless you are dying for up-to-the-nanosecond posts about my nailpolish whims, you don’t need to turn it on tomorrow. #trustmeonthisonepeople. (PS This is @opi_products in Olive in Green, possibly my new favorite color!) A photo posted by Eva Chen (@evachen212) on Mar 28, 2016 at 10:07am PDT How to Turn on Notifications in Instagram 1. Tap the little ?? ?? ?? on…

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This is My Life | Special Day of The Year ☀️

I’m pretty excited because today is one of my most fav days of the year, the day we open the cottage! ????✌?️?????✋? We’re en route to Muskoka to see how it handled the winter and do some cleanup. It’s a fair bit of work but I take joy every moment. Being up there is so relaxing, the fresh air, lake, trees, country roads. It’s so calming. Make sure you’re following me on the Snapchat ? for a little bit of cottage life.

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This Is My Life | I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.

I’ve kinda neglected my blog the last week… Posts have been few and far between but I’ve still been active on all the socials. Over the last 10 days I won a Canadian Screen Award as an innovator in social & digital media (Voice Pioneer), I spoke at a conference in Edmonton where my name trended in Canada (ahhh!), spoke at the United Nations of Canada International Women’s Day event, and was a director on a TV commercial. So, safe to say lots has been happening! I’m happy and healthy and wanted to let you know, in case you’ve not peeped my daily Snapchat stories (follow here ?), read tweets, or seen posts on Instagram. I’m hustling hard to make 2016 the best year ever! So far, it’s been amazing. These flowers were on set yesterday and now they’re brightening my home office and filling it with a springy scent. I’ve FINALLY organized the spare room to have an office that’s tidy, with a great work station, and bright light. I’ve been spending more time at the 1188 offices since January but I’m planning to spend more time working from home and the cottage for the next few months. Title of this post is a quote by Arthur Rubenstein and it really resonated with me today because although i’ve slightly neglected my blog the last two weeks, I’ve been showing my life extreme love and appreciation. Each day I’ve put my head and heart into my work and feel like the universe is rewarding me with gratitude and more of what I truly want. On the day of Canadian Academy of Film & Television’s #AcademySocial Awards I had a complimentary psychic reading with Angel Morgan at the Spoke Club. I’ve not really been into that type of things but with…

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IWD 2016 – Women @ Work Managing Career, Family & Legacy

Yesterday I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. I know we all have those days. I’ve been working on something with my speaker agent, prepping for a keynote in Edmonton, and then there’s a mounting email, and social updates. Sometimes I feel like I just need to shut down and take a break, I wonder how the heck I’m gonna do it all?! That’s usually when I ring mum and she talks me through, reminding me not to give up, and how hard I’ve worked to get here. She reminds me I’m probably tired, and maybe hungry. For this, I’m grateful. I call her almost everyday with something, so today on International Women’s Day, I’m especially thankful. When I got off the phone with mum the other night I arrived at the Rotman School of Business at U of T for a special presentation with TD, their 10 Lessons: Women @ Work Report. I was happy to see my friend & fellow social entrepreneur Gracie’s smiling face and we sat down together, all ears. Tweets from the night can be found at #YourStoryYourFuture. Excited to attend @TD_Canada's Women @ Work talk tonight with my girl @casiestewart! WERK! #yourstoryyourfuture pic.twitter.com/ZBtplnt3h1 — Gracie Carroll (@GracieCarroll) March 7, 2016 TD partnered with University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management to release a joint report that uncovers insights about how women across the country perceive the challenges and opportunities in advancing professionally. Career, relationships, family, finances, it’s hard (and often stressful) to manage this stuff all at the same time. I don’t have my own kids yet but there’s challenges with a blended family, we’ve got a sassy 8yr old 50% of the time, and Sean and I are both entrepreneurs, managing very different businesses. Learning about the challenges of other women in professional careers, really…

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Mill Street Brew, Segway Tour, HTC Vive, Photoshoot

Hello spring, is that you? How nice was it waking up to warmer temps today?! So lovely! ☀️ Spring is just around the corner. Daylight savings is this weekend too! Weeeee. I’m at the 1188 office today and the sun is making the office nice & bright. On Saturday afternoon I hung out with Mill Street Brewery and a bunch of bloggers & media for a brewery tour and to learn about the brand. It was super fun. The team at Mill Street is v chill and I loved getting to know them. If you follow me on Snapchat you’ll have seen the tour happen in real time. [Add me here!] Learned that 30% of the hops they use comes from […wait for it] NEW ZEALAND! Love when there’s a Kiwi connection ???. The other cool thing we did together was ride SEGWAYS. This is my segway gang. It was super fun and we had lots of laughs. Felt like total nerds but tbh I don’t really CARE what other people think! On Saturday night we were in the 1188 studio shooting for an upcoming project. It is v handy to have a BF with a studio! The guys set up all the lighting and we were rollin’. I quite like being behind the camera too! I got to try out HTC Vive and IT WAS ONCE OF THE COOLEST THINGS I’VE EVER DONE. It’s not out for another 6 months and it is truly a next level experience. I was drawing in 3D in a galaxy of stars where I wrote my name and made a pink glittery fire ball. I also tried fruit ninja and it was AWESOME. [vine id=”iXqhUKxxuiK”] Here’s to a great week, it’s beautiful out!

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Events | Towards Tomorrow w/ Toyota

This week I ventured out to Square One is Mississauga. I hadn’t been there in YEARS, man that place has really changed! Toyota invited me to check out their pop-up inside the old Target store that’s directed at millennials like me with a love for tech & digital. Yesterday the story was featured in Marketing Magazine and Strategy online with me in VR as the lead photo. Huzzah! The event is spearheaded by Desperado and Saatchi & Saatchi Canada. Scroll for my experience & see some stuff I made ?. Toyota’s ‘Towards Tomorrow’ opens this weekend during mall hours and is around till the end of May. Fresh out of the oven! our VR game for Toyota gets a write up from @StrategyOnline https://t.co/4eu8kSVBPH #vr — Globacore Inc. (@globacore) March 3, 2016 Being an artistic individual, I was feelin’ the digital paint/graffiti wall. My creation features pink wheels and rooftop gardens, because why not? I’d love to see customizable car colours and more gardens in the future. Toyota is looking attract next gen of car buyers by giving us tech-focused experiences and a place to interact with cars outside the dealership. “ Inside the space you’ll find the iM (read my review), Rav4 Hybrid, Prius C, the 4th-gen Prius, and a slew few tech showcases like VR driving with Samsung Gear VR, digital painting (love this), a selfie station (see top photo??) all with sharing capabilities for social & email. If you’re keen to get behind the wheel, you can test drive the vehicles on display and a couple other models outside. Test driving is always fun because you can really get a feel for the car and whether it is the right car for you, trying out different models and testing them to see whether they are worth purchasing…

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All Smiles – I Finally Went to the Dentist!

I can’t remember how long it’s been since I went to the dentist similar to Tandartspraktijk Antwerpen Euro Dent, even though they provide a great service so I hear (shame, I know). It’s something I’ve been thinking about but I’ve kinda just put of each time it comes up. One of my friends, who moved over to the UK, had a terrible accident a week or so ago. She slipped and banged her face on the edge of the bath, breaking her tooth in half in the process. I felt so bad for her! Luckily for her, she was a regular visitor of this Emergency Dentist Glasgow, so she went straight in for an emergency appointment to get it fixed. That’s what really got me thinking that I should find myself a dentist. Well, a friend messaged me on Facebook a couple days ago about a dental practice run by her brother, thinking we’d get along well. Michael invited me to pop into NOWSmile and write about my experience if I enjoyed it. Well, it was great! Dentist. A person I would never have described as cool, but I have to say my dentist is probably one of the coolest people I know. If I was nervous at the start, before the end, I was so calm and relaxed, which is what everyone wants visiting the dentist. NOWSmile is more like a dental spa than your traditional dental office. I was kinda nervous that he was going to tell me my teeth were rotten, had cavities, and I had gum disease or something. You always think the worst! Turns out, my teeth are a-ok. I should floss more, which I’ve been doing since my appointment. Dentists recommended a check up every six months, so I think I need to take…

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Speaking | International Women’s Day Panel at United Nations Toronto

Excited to announce I’m speaking at the annual United Nations Association in Canada event for International Women’s Day. I’ve invited my mum, my favourite teacher from grade 8, and my sister will be there too. I’d love to see some more familiar faces! Bring your mum, your bff, your BF, or come solo and hang out with us. The event is at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on Saturday, March 19, 2016 from 12- 4:30 pm. My panel is about Women and Entrepreneurialism. The discussion will be led by other female entrepreneurs including Jacquila Rose, Melissa Macher, Morgan Toombs, and singer/songwriter Domanique Grant (who will also be performing). About The Event: Step Up for Parity: The Global Pledge towards planet 50-50 The United Nations Association of Canada, Toronto region invites you to the annual International Women’s Day event. The event will feature a series of panel discussions that will focus on the significant contributions that women have made in the economic, political, cultural and social sectors. The first panel will highlight non-profit organizations with key note speakers from North York Women’s Shelter, Plan Canada and White Ribbon, who will explain what they are doing to promote women’s rights. The second panel will have a discussion on female leaders in the workforce, and the third panel will cover women and entrepreneurialism with a discussion led by entrepreneurs such as, Jacquila Rose, Melissa Macher and Casie Stewart.

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Media | Interview on DaniPress

I sat down with the lovely Dani, traveller, photographer, dreamer, and owner or DaniPress. We chatted about life, work, and some of our adventures. I was instantly in love, she’s cool, funny, and a smart entrepreneur. Her #10witha10 series features people doing cool things, a snap with an instant camera, and 10 questions about work/life. Read the interview here. “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do things worth writing.” Benjamin Franklin Check out DaniPress. Had a fun hang w/ @danipress today. Total girl crush! Love ya babe. ✌?️☀️? pic.twitter.com/jBdFm34qyJ — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) February 4, 2016

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Travel | CO/NNECTED: Tech Travel Must Haves

I wrote about a few of my fav things, read it on The Co. here. I’ve got a few items I don’t leave the house without, this stuff is in my bag for work and long trips. Gadgets & tech for a worldly adventure or a weekend getaway. The Co’s travel and tech expert Casie Stewart shares the ultimate globe trotter’s guide to staying connected while abroad. [Read more] PureGear braided Apple Belkin BOOST↑UP™ adapter This is Ground Cord Taco, Fitzy Cord Keeper Happy Plugs, Telus Rudsak Clutch Other things I never leave home without? Burt’s Bees original, a Sharpie, and a great pair of sunnies. Happy to share any other fag gadgets or travel apps. If you’ve got a question or something to share, leave a comment or tweet me @casiestewart. Wishing you safe & happy travels!

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Artventure ? Artist Project + Winter Stations ?

This weekend was relaxing and cleansing. Yesterday Sean helped me deal with my room sized closet of disaster hoarding (let’s get real here!) and it was therapeutic. I can’t believe how much crap I was holding onto. Including clothes, we removed about 15 garbage bags from the house. I feel so much lighter. I’d left a ton of things undone and unpacked, they started piling up. I didn’t foresee everything going as calmly as it did but it was truly wonderful to have someone you love say ‘we need to do this’ and help. I’m still fighting a cold but overall my head feels more clear than it has for a while. A messy room makes for a messy head, being clutter free opens the mind. On Saturday I took Em to The Artist project. Art is her best subject and a fav of mine, so we set off an an artventure exploring. Lots of neat stuff to see. I was there on Thursday night for the opening party and we picked up a few pieces for the house. Next we went to the Winter Stations in the Beaches and hung out with my sister. It was really nice to be outside, in the sun getting fresh air. The stations are around till March so there’s plenty of time to visit. Was really quite hoping the warmer temperatures would stick around a bit longer but it looks like we’re getting a cold spell this week. Thursday night is the ‘Muskoka Bound’ cottage life theme dinner at Lisa Marie with U-Feast. I can’t wait, been thinking about those ribs since I had them a week ago. There’s only a few tickets left, get one here. Here’s hoping your Monday is off to a great start. I’m heading to an important meeting with myself, a much…

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Recharge Those Batteries, Girl

This week has been a rough one. I’ve been fighting a cold all week and spent 3/5 days mostly in bed. Hopefully I’ll kick this cold sooner than later! The first 6 weeks of the year were non-stop go-go-go and I reckon I’m totally tuckered. Planning to catch up on some blogging and binge Netflix till Monday.

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Valentines Day | Do You Have Kissability?

It’s Valentine’s Day and I know it’s cheezy, but I love it all! ? Hearts on everything, love in the air, planning secret things for someone you love. I sent Sean a V-Day gift on Tuesday because I couldn’t wait till the weekend. Show love all year, right? According to the latest Emervel Kissability Report, Canadians are a pretty kissable bunch. Raise your hand if you’ve kissed a Canadian? I know I have! ??? 80% of Canadians rated their last kissing partner as “very or somewhat kissable,” and respondents said they lock lips with their partner about three times a day on average. I can tell you, I kiss his beard as much as I can, I just can’t help myself! Scroll for some interesting stats about kissing and making those lips more kissable.

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Life | Spring in February, I’ll Take It!

Oh man yesterday was such a lovely day. I was out for a walk in the sun, added some pink to my hair, greeted the day with a smile. My Lumee Case arrived for iPhone, think ring light x phone case, it’s awesome. Upping my selfie game! Last night I hosted an event at WILDFOX for the launch of the fairytale collection. Today I have a photoshoot but am feeling a bit under the weather. Been a bit slack on blog stories this week but have still been updating all things social. Daily stories on Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter. Randomness on tumblr & Pinterest. This weekend I’m working on the finishing touches for a talk I’m doing in Ottawa next wee. I know it’s Thursday but I’m ready for the weekend to start now. Hope things are going your way 🙂

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Life | WHAT A TIME TO BE ONLINE

Well, well, well, hello February. Feeling good about this month. I feel like I did enough work and travel in January to fill two months. ???? I stayed in a treehouse, went to Detroit w/ Ford, spent a week in Cabo, did a workshop at The Gladstone, partied w/ VICE at a hologram party, and had a cameo in a music video.

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Travel | Treehouse Glamping in Ontario w/ Glamping Hub

My first trip of the year wasn’t to a sunny destination, it was up north to a tiny little solar-powered treehouse north of Toronto. Glamping Hub invited me to stay at a destination of my choice, so naturally I picked a cool one. Glamping Hub is home to some of the coolest non-traditional camping spots around the world. They’ve got luxury camping available in tree houses, yurts, tipis, camper vans, safari and fancy tents. I’m hoping to explore a few more of their destinations in South/Central Ontario. Here’s my first Glamping Hub experience! [symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”5″ margin_bottom=”5″]

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Speaking | Get School’d Workshop on Saturday – Sign Up!

On Saturday this weekend I’m hosting a lil’ workshop on building a brand online using social media. They’ve got a great series called Get School’d and last year I hosted one about Blogging. The Gladstone Hotel has made all the workshops free! Most of my talks are at conferences with tickets that are $$$ so this is a chance to come out and learn some stuff, ask questions without breaking the bank.

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#NoHairSelfie – Shave Your Head for World Cancer Day

What do you think of this look? I’ve joined the #NoHairSelfie movement, demonstrating my support for those undergoing cancer treatment by shaving my head (virtually!). Scroll down to see how you can join over 30,000 people shaving their heads (IRL/virtually) and donate to the cause. [symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”5″ margin_bottom=”5″] This year alone, 15 million people were diagnosed with cancer worldwide, by 2030, this number will reach 22 million, an increase of 47 per cent.

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Work | Updated My Business/Professional Website

Last night I updated my work/business/professional/resume website. You might not even know I had this, but I do! I’m kinda proud of it. It’s nice to see all my work displayed in one place after all these years. You can creep brand partnerships, upcoming and previous speaking engagements, and mentions in the media. Here’s a little snapshot, you can see the full site at casiestewart.biz.

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Travel | Hi From Mexico

Cabo was amazing! More about our trip later. Some photos till then!

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