It’s My Blog and I Can Blog If I Want To

Yesterday I wrote a blog about my new speaker and I seriously considered not reviewing the product here because it wasn’t sponsored and would people be thinking, “is this sponsored“? But, in all honesty, I jus really liked the thing. I like a lot of things. I hardly post sponsored stuff and sometimes my blog is about bike riding on a sunny day or speaking at an event. I used to blog about everything I liked, I’ve blogged for over 10 years. There are thousands of blog posts here about nothing in particular other than a thought or a feeling. Almost gone are the days of people blogging because they love blogging or just want to get their thoughts onto the blog. But really, those are the blogs I love the most. The old blogs. The diary blogs. The blogs that tell a story and make you have feelings or brighten your day. I want to bring back the blog, the writing, the thoughts, and all the feelings. Today is a new day, a new month, an opportunity to make a change. Mercury is longer in retrograde and Leo Season is upon us. You’re in charge here. Blog Goals for August 2019: Write Something Every Single Day I’m putting myself up for a challenge to write something new each day for the whole month of August. I love to write and the last few weeks months I have been in a bit of a slump. I needed to take some time to relax my brain and body. To find that place inside where creativity comes from and open the door. It took some time, but I managed to crack that door and I’m making my way in. I’ve packed up years of hard drives and developed all my disposable cameras.…

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Review: Sonos x IKEA Speaker Collab

This week I went to the 2020 Ikea Catalogue media preview where they announced their partnership with Sonos. I love IKEA and smart home accessories so was keen to learn more. Through this partnership, IKEA is focussed on enhancing your home with sound and lighting. This post is not sponsored by Ikea but I would love if it was! I was given the new SYMFONISK speaker and set it up as soon as I got home. Wanted to share my thoughts right away because I’m super impressed. It’s my first Sonos and by far the nicest speaker I’ve ever personally owned. Symfonisk Setup In a few minutes, I set it up on my home wifi, connected it to Apple Music, and my Amazon Echo to work with Alexa. The SYMFONISK I received is a bookshelf speaker which is quite the coincidence because I have been looking for the best bookshelf speakers recently so this was perfect timing! It can go vertical or horizontal and be mounted as a shelf that can hold up to 7lbs. Multiple speakers can be paired for surround sound, paired over wifi, or to your TV. You control the speaker with the Sonos app and can set up voice controls. Mine is connected to Alexa and works perfectly! Symfonisk Design x Quality Both speakers in the series come in black or white and are designed to blend in with your home decor. The bookshelf speaker is $149 and table lamp speaker is $249. Pretty good price for the sound quality and Sonos brand. For the one with the light, you can add in smart bulbs like Phillips Hue or Ikea’s own smart bulbs to make the light change colour. At the media preview, they had a bunch of the speakers paired together for ‘party mode’ which…

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Summertime Weekend Vibe 2019

We had such a great time at the cottage this weekend. The weather called for rain and thunderstorms and it turned out to be perfect summer weather. Cory & Ish were up and we had great food, swam, floated, boated, and had heaps of laughs. I’d been a little nervous to get back up on the wakeboard after the whole broken collarbone of winter 2019 thing but I DID IT. I got up right away and did better than last summer! I’m so proud of myself bc I was scared for years to even try wakeboarding and I love it now.  Fun things to look forward to this week, Wednesday I’m speaking at a LinkedIn event about branding and Friday is the Canadian premiere of Astronaut Movie. Get tickets below if you wanna join! LinkedIn Event: Increasing Opportunity through Personal Branding (Use CASIESTEWART as code for a discount!) The Canadian premiere of Astronaut:  cineplex.com/Movie/astronaut Hugest sun hat ever. ☀️ pic.twitter.com/hjbnRVsiAf — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) July 22, 2019 buy celexa online buy female viagra Amitriptyline No Prescription Metformin no prescription

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ASTRONAUT – In Theatres & Streaming July 26th!

I’ve been sitting on this info for a while and I am so happy to finally share! I’ve got a part in ASTRONAUT starring Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss, directed by Shelagh McLeod. The premiere is at Cineplex YD Square on July 26th and in select theatres across North America. If you’re in Van, NY, LA, Miami, Denver, Dallas, or Boston, check your local theatre. If you’re in Toronto see local times at Cineplex here. Astronaut will also be on streaming services so if you’re not near a theatre or just like staying home, you’re good! I’m hoping to have a few behind the scenes videos of us talking with Colin Mochrie later this week. Here are some photos from behind the scenes when we were shooting at the Canadian Warplane Museum and 299 Queen Street. It was pretty neat to be back at Much Studios 10 years after I worked there, to be A ON CAMERA IN A MOVIE. Astronaut was shot at the end of 2018, right before I went to NZ for a month and after a directed a real estate commercial for Great Gulf. I remember I was flying high, thinking every single day, wow ‘THIS IS MY LIFE’. Was pretty cool to see my updated IMDB to include actress. My role in the film is ‘Actress‘ and I play a celebrity contestant in the movie’s gameshow. I can’t wait to see it! Thank you for reading and following me. I’m constantly amazed at the course my life is taking. It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you are open, kind, and believe in yourself. Next stop, the moon! http://noprescriptionrxbuyonline.com/cialis_soft_tabs.html http://rxbuywithoutprescriptiononline.com/lipitor.html Buy Lipitor online

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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…

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Take Time For Yourself.

I’ve been finding just about anything to distract me from doing the things I should be doing today. Last week I went to Vancouver a day before my meetup so I could be ready and rested before spending the week with Telus creators from across Canada. I love what I do but it takes a lot out of you to be present online AND in real life while creating content in real-time. On influencer trips, there’s always a camera around, you’re posting to the internet with the proper hashtags, making sure your outfit is cute, and talking to people face-to-face. It can be pretty taxing! One of my favourite moments last week was walking around downtown Vancouver w/ Cory Lee and stopping by Pink Alley. It was such a beautiful day to be outside surrounded by bright colours, making memories. Would you believe I spent 15+ hours on Instagram last week? I’m due for a digital break but there’s always something exciting to do and I want to share it with you and the world. I know I should disconnect and take time away from screens but then again I have heaps of things to get done and they all involve being ON A SCREEN. Ahhhh! Over the years I’ve learned it’s good to take breaks, to let your mind rest, thoughts wander. Years ago before Instagram, I had 40+ posts month over month. These days I find myself writing a ~10 blog posts a month when I’m in the mood or have a due date. I love documenting my life but don’t put the pressure on myself I used to. Over the years, the mediums have changed and the content is in different places but I think the message is still the same: You’ll never be younger than you…

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WOM_N Tarot Deck Launch: You’re on the right path.

Yesterday I had my tarot cards read at an event hosted by my friend Nataleigh for the launch of the WOM_N Tarot Deck. It was such a great event! I didn’t think I would be able to get into psychic readings. But since experiencing it, it is a little easier now to see why people are interested in this. I’ve even begun doing research into sites like Psychic Sofa, in case I ever decide to get another tarot card reading or just want a bit of guidance in life. It’s pretty cool when you actually think about it! Of course if you can’t get to one of these places you can always try phone psychic readings to get a nudge in the right direction. Some people swear by it! Michelle and I got matching tattoos, Sean got a tattoo, the drinks readings were amazing, and the room was filled with wonderful women and people supporting them. I’m honored to be THE SUN card in this beautiful new deck. I had a reading using someone like this Psychic Reader at the start of the event and it confirmed some stuff for me. the last few months have been filled with lots of adventure and there are new things on the horizon. I’m doing things I’ve always wanted to do and excited for what’s in store. One of my projects this summer is to study the cards and learn about each one so I can do readings for my friends (and myself!). I may even get a psychic text reading to learn more about the different forms as I learn about tarot, too! About the WOM_N Deck: This is a deck of celebration. WOM_N: a celebratory and intuitive tarot deck, with a new-fashioned and transcendental take on tarot symbolism. A physical reminder…

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Thoughts on Graduating: Find Something You Love

Last week I spoke at the graduation for Conestoga College. There were 15 programs graduating and hundreds of students. I got to wear a gold cape as a ‘special guest’. I checked the colour of the cape before the event and came prepared with gold shoes. It was pretty cool! The top photo above is me with Conestoga College president John Tibbits at the presentation of my Alumni Award last year. I was in shock when I found out I’d been nominated for the Premiere’s Award then Conestoga surprised me with an Alumni Award. [The highest award from a college delivered by the president!] This isn’t the kind of award you can apply for, and I am so honored to be recognized. I took my mum, and her BFF (aka my second mum & Fairy Godmother!) to the ceremony. We had a great time! Looking Back… I’ve spent the last decade working in social media as the industry grew and developed. I’ve had my blog for 14 years. When I went to Conestoga College for Marketing, social media was not invented. Blogs were not invented, there was no Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. I was into marketing as soon as I knew what it was. I chose to study it in college because I had a *feeling* the internet would be something big. SMART THINKIN’ EH! Honestly, in college, I used to skip class and I hardly ever bought textbooks. I didn’t have much money in college or university, but I always did the work. I worked well in groups when I was the leader, I liked writing, I was really into presentations. I didn’t really know what I wanted to be when I left Conestoga College, so I went to university, in Australia. I liked business but I had no…

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Travelling Europe w/ Telus Easy Roam

May was a bit of a crazy month! I touched down in Spain, France, Germany, and Switzerland. Had an amazing press trip in Spain, went to Cannes Film Festival, Collision Conference, Lift&Co Expo, was in a fashion show, and gave the graduation address at Conestoga College. Today I’m writing this from the cottage in Muskoka and after a few days in the woods, I feel back to my old self again. I am so incredibly thankful to work with a partner like Telus. During my whole trip, I never once missed an email, text, or phone call because I didn’t have data or a working phone. I also always carry a spare phone battery while I’m on the road (I like this Mophie one). I look forward to the moment my plane lands and I get that familiar text from Telus that saying “Welcome to [insert country]. You have Easy Roam.” After long flights and meals on the go, it’s comforting! With Telus Easy Roam you can access your Canadian data plan from and you pay a daily fee to access the data in 190+ international destinations. Honestly, as an entrepreneur, the $12/day is so worth it to not be constntly hunting for wifi to share my adventure on social or reply to work email. Telus even has Cuba on their country roster which is so great, I can’t wait to plan a trip there over the winter. [You might remember when I went there last time and had NO SERVICE.] I love being in transit. Photos from Cannes Film Festival France I really loved Spain and want to go back to explore more. Read my post on our Spain trip here. Next week I’m heading to Vancouver for the Telus Creator Summit with the Canada-wide group of Telus Ambassadors.…

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Wine Touring in Spain: Get to Know Rueda

In May I went on a press trip to Spain hosted by D.O. Rueda (Denomination of Origin Rueda) wine region and Glo Communications. We drank heaps of wine, explored Spanish cuisine, ate lots of tapas, met great people and explored a few historic sites. It was my first time visiting Spain and I was lucky to travel with a great group including Jen Kirsch, Jess Glover, wine expert Konrad Ejbich, and wine podcaster Matthew Cauz. I loved learning more about wine, touring vineyards, meeting winemakers, and learning how their wines are made. I’m not a wine expert but I definitely know more than when I left and sampled my fair share along the way! We went to 13 wineries and countless restaurants over the course of the week and I’m sure I’ll be sharing stories about the trip for a lifetime. In this post, you’ll find some of my favorite moments including beautiful wineries and unforgettable experiences. On the first night, we met for a great dinner at Lobo 8 in Madrid and tasted wines from the D.O. Rueda that paired with our meal. We stayed at Hotel Ibis Styles, a cute boutique hotel in the heart of Madrid that was walking distance from just about everything. Rueda, located in Castile and Léon, is about 2hr northwest of Madrid and comprised of 72 municipalities in the provinces of Valladolid, Segovia and Avila.  Rueda is the only region that specializes in white wine and is a leader in the commercialization of quality white wines. Segovia On our first full day, we ventured to Segovia, a historical town centered around a Roman aqueduct with 160 massive arches. I absolutely LOVED it there! Right beside the base of the aqueduct is a famous restaurant Meson de Candido where we were served a traditional meal from the area…

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