Day 40: Quarantena, Meaning “Forty Days”

Wow, 40 days! Thankful I’ve kept a diary because all the days would have mixed into weeks by now. It’s taken about forty days to figure out what balance looks like right now. It’s been a bit challenging to adjust to this new way of life but I think we’re getting the hang of it. Below I’ve linked to a few of my favourite posts since the start of isolation. We ordered takeout for the first time in 40 days today and it was so good! Muskoka Beer Spa offers pizza, beer, and a few other local pre-made items for pickup at the brewery in Bala. Aside from pre-made pizza from Pie Muskoka we got butter tarts and meat pies. When we were driving back we say the most beautiful fox. I think we interrupted him having a little snack. Looked right at me! Yesterday by 10am I’d written a blog post, done some client work, and ran 2.6K. Some days are productive others not so much. I did 3.85K today and I’m on track to complete my goal of 55k by the end of the month. I can’t believe how much I look forward to running. Order new shoes today because I’ve worn mine out! Looking Back, 40 Days of Isolation

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Day 39: Book Recommendations

Last night I finished the first book I’d read a while and then we watched 1917. I’m not usually into period pieces or wartime moves but it kept me in suspense the whole time. I started another book in bed before falling asleep. I think an escape from reality was just what I needed yesterday. A couple of months ago I was wandering aimlessly at Chapters (remember doing that?) and surprised myself at how many books I’d actually read. I took photos of all the covers to make a blog post with recommendations. I guess I didn’t really find the time until waking up at 5:30 this morning saying, today’s the day! You’ll notice a theme, lots of thriller/suspense, almost no self-help. Reading for me is a distraction from the outside world and I love a good story involving some type of crime or murder. Idk why, I just do. This post isn’t sponsored, I bought my own Kindle and most of these books. A few in the list below were advance reader copies from the publisher via PR or Netgalley. All books are linked on Amazon and can be found in my reading list here. I love reading on the Kindle. Until I got an e-reader, it had been ages since I’d read a whole book. I love traditional books but with Kindle, you have almost any book at your fingertips, you can read in the sun, in the dark, in water, or highlight things to look back on later. I also quite enjoy Audible, especially when the book is read by the author. A great feature of both Audible and Kindle is you can preview the book before you buy it, this has really come in handy with recommendations and the discovery process of finding your next read.…

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Day 38: Sometimes I Don’t Feel Like It #20

Fitting that the 20th post in this series is being written in 2020. It’s been a while since I wrote one of these. This year started out pretty good, we woke up January 1st at the cottage and six days later I was in Cuba. The month flew by and I saw a lot of friends in February. Little did we know what March would bring and now, April is almost over and the world is a different place. We’re in a global pandemic, the death toll is rising everyday, people are out of work, businesses are collapsing. Yesterday 19 22 people died in a mass shooting in Nova Scotia. It’s a lot to process. I feel tired, sad, grief. I woke up overwhelmed by it all. I’m cold, my arm aches, maybe it’s the weather? I didn’t workout today. All I want to do is lay on the couch, read, or watch a movie that makes me feel warm inside. Around noon, I pulled myself together and put on a nicer sweatsuit for a trip to the post office. It was the first time I’d driven somewhere alone since lockdown. My weighted blanket of anxiety was heavy on my chest as I got in the truck and backed out the driveway. Why did I feel so nervous? I’m an experienced driver, I’ve driven the truck on the these roads heaps. I had a mask and gloves, my tracking numbers. You have to mentally and physically prepare every time you leave the house right now, plan your route, give yourself extra time. It’s hard to adjust to the way things are right now. Some days I’m happy in the isolation bubble, creating, making things, then days like today, it all hits me and I’m filled with anxiety. It’s ok to…

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Day 37: My Blog is 15 Today!

At the start of the 2020, I’d planned that this year, finally, I was going to have a blog party. Well, that didn’t quite work out! Today marks 15 years since I started writing ‘Casie Stewart: This is My Life‘. My first online diary was MSN Spaces during university in Australia (2004), next I moved to casiestewart.blogspot.com (2005), and finally, found a home at casiestewart.com. I have grown and changed so much over the past 15 years. I’m really thankful to everyone who has been part of this blog. It’s been a huge part of my career development and me growing as a person. I was in my early 20’s when I started and over the years, keeping this diary has helped me work through so many ups and downs. Glad I didn’t give up, there were many times I didn’t feel like blogging but writing was what helped me though. Thank you for reading, commenting, reaching out, and for your friendship. Maybe next year I’ll do a Sweet 16!

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Day 36: How to Bleach Dye Your Denim

This little project turned out so good! I’d seen this DIY on Pinterest and Instagram (@primandprimp) so I decided to give it a go. If you want to try, it’s easy, here’s a how-to. You Will Need Jeans Tape Plastic Bag Bleach Spray bottle Gloves Somewhere to bleach with good ventilation ex. outside A couple hours 1: Tape Your Denim Pick a side you want to bleach then tape along the middle seam. Make sure to really get in there so the tape goes right to the edge of the stitching, you don’t want bleach to leak onto the darker side. Once done, grab your plastic bag, roll up the leg that’s not being dyed, and secure the bag. Tape to seal. 2: Spray Get your gloves and workspace ready. If you’re able to go outside, great. I like to use the lid of a storage bin and cover with a garbage bag to avoid making a mess. If you have to do this inside, open a window and turn on a fan. Start spraying your denim and make sure the whole leg is covered. Don’t forget the inseam and sides. If you don’t have a spray bottle, a sponge will work. Use what you can find! 3: Wait Set your project somewhere safe where the colour can develop. I had mine outside on the lawn for about 2 hours then moved inside to the shower for about 45 minutes until the colour stopped changing. It might be a bit drippy at the start, so keep away from anything bleach will ruin. 4: Wash Rince the dyed leg in cold water. You might find he tape is starting to come off because the fabric is wet. This is ok. Throw your new jeans in the washing machine and then the…

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