Meet The 2016/2017 Team TELUS Advocates (waves hi!)

I first met with Telus PR in 2009, since we’ve done some amazing things together. Back then, ‘influencer marketing’ was something for celebrities (Paris, Britney, Beyonce) and I was still working at Much/MTV. Since then, Telus and I have done some really fun things together like mobile updates from around the world, scaling a building, building a garden, and donating to charities. Last year, TELUS created #TeamTelus Advocates, an official group of influencers across Canada to help them spread Telus vibes across the country through community involvement, sharing experiences, and talking about tech. I’m happy to share I’m on the 2016/17 team w/ a bunch of great Canadians! I’ve got a few stories planned over the next couple months including getting my dad set up his first android, travel packages (I’m away most of October!!) AND MY NEW iPHONE 7+! OMG, I can’t wait to get my new phone and take that camera on adventures. Check out some of the #TeamTELUS Advocates below, see full list here. In case you missed the videos we did this year, check out the Mother’s Day one below and scroll a little bit more to see my excited face after scaling down Toronto City Hall at the Rope for Hope for Make-A-Wish Foundation the year before. [youtube id=”7fShXKG4Udw”] Recently, I wrote about my love for the Telus mobile network when we’re up at the cottage, I seriously have the best service up there. Next week I’m joining the Toronto team for The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. October 1st 1pm, Beaches, Toronto. Details here if you want to join me! Thanks for following my adventures, and since a lot of updates come from my phone or via mobile wifi, we really Telus to thank for keeping us connected. I’m excited to share adventures and stories with you this year. Next trip announcement coming soooooooon, there will be…

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Best Buy Life & Tech Show @ YD Square

Last week I went to two wearables events sponsored by Best Buy Canada. Fashion and tech are two of my fav things so being part of, and covering events like this is so much fun. On Wednesday night was the We Are Wearables event at MaRS where I took the runway as a model. Ya, me! Took me back to my teenage years!  The following night I attended the Best By Life & Tech event at Yonge Dundas Square. In this post, I’m sharing some of my fav tech and moments from the show. ???

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Money Hacks for Millennials: Have You Saved for a Rainy Day?

Coincidently I am writing this post on a rainy day, and despite always hearing this expression, I didn’t know exactly what it meant. “Save for a rainy day?” more like “save for a rainy three to six months” in case you lose your job, break a limb, or god forbid some other unexpected life moment goes down. Over the past two years I’ve written a few posts with money tips for millennials. If you missed those, let me give you a little background on my situation, in 2005 I returned from Australia, tiny, tanned, and educated. I brought something else home with me tho, a HUGE debt. I owed over $30k in student loans and credit cards!? It was a tragic look at reality when all the bills started rolling in and I’d barely started my first full-time job in Toronto making under $30k/year. It seemed literally impossible to dig out of the hole I was in. I found myself saying “I need cash now ” more often than I wanted too. Having to find quick ways to get cash is difficult and I did struggle. Payday loans such as Fresh Loan were constantly recommended to me for a short term solution. Soon enough, I’d had enough and decided I needed to gey myself in gear. There is no way I was going to live in this debt forever. For many others it’s the same circumstance, they find themselves in a vicious circle, having to take out loans, ending in debt and hardly seeing a way to get out. Small loan lenders like this Norwegian based company, små-lån, can help people finding themselves in the same situation. Before taking out a small loan, you should read every detail carefully and fully understand your repayment methods. Not long after that I…

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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…

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5 Books to Read This Summer & The New RECO App

When I was a kid my summers were spent playing outside or at the library. Each year mum had us join the Summer Reading Club where we would read a bunch of books, play with the other kids, talk about books, and at the end of the summer, a Teddy Bear Picnic. ??? I have such fond memories of reading but over the last few years I hadn’t read many book, this year I set a goal to read more. A couple months ago I got an ereader a couple months ago and since then I’ve read 10 books. More than I’ve read in five years! Here’s my top 5 summer reads that will leave you wanting more. Download the new RECO app from Chapters Indigo and read reviews of all the books I’ve recently read. Reco is about inspiring your friends to read great books more often, so on that note, here’s my fav five I’ve read recently. 5 Books to Read This Summer This list is a mix of light summer reading and suspense drama. I like to switch it up! I love books that take me on an adventure and leave me thinking about the characters when I’m going about my day. Safe to say I loved each one! She’s Not There by Joy Fielding – This is my most recent read.  Darling daughter Samantha (2) is kidnapped from their hotel room in Mexico while Caroline Shipley and her husband are celebrating their 10 year anniversary. This book is a suspenseful thriller and has a few twists as the story unfolds. I couldn’t wait to finish this one,  was left wondering what would happen next every single time I put it down.  You by Carolyn Kepnes – I was sent a copy of this from Simon & Shuster and it was SO GOOD.…

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Muskoka For The Win, Amazing Cottage Weekend ✔️

It’s like a mini vacation with every visit, like hitting the reset button. ?????? Today Sean and I had the best day, ice cream and a car show, then Grand Electric Muskoka for tacos and ceviche. ??? TBH I like the Grand Electric Muskoka vibe WAY better than the Queen West location, not as loud and the staff are higher on the chill scale.?

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Summer eReading in the Sun + Kobo Giveaway

Since getting my Kobo reader I’ve read more in the last 2 months than I have in the past couple years. ? I used to spend (a little too much) time scrolling my phone before bed, now I scroll a few pages of my book. Reading a book is much better relaxation before bed than reading random tweets or Facebook status updates, trust me on this one. I also really love how easy it is to read in the sun, together we’ve lazed on the dock, rode the sunny streetcar, and chilled in the park. Last month I accepted the Kobo 7-Day e-reading challenge (read that post here), to replace my print book with a Kobo Glo HD for 7 days. Don’t get me wrong, I love paper books but fitting a pile in your carry-on or daily purse is just NOT practical. Kobo was created to please us fans of print books and tech lovers alike. Aside from my loonnnng reading list I just learned they have MAGAZINES. ?? I’m currently reading HER, a novel by Harriet Lane and have recently finished YOU by Carolyn Kepness and Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave. During the summer I like reading light hearted chick lit or mystery novels. It’s a great way to take my brain on an adventure and step away from work. A few other great things about Kobo reading a preview of a book before you buy using the app on any of your devices built in wifi super light (not heavy) The kind folks at Kobo have given me a device for YOU.  The brand new Kobo Glo HD retails for $139.99, comes fully equipped with wifi, customizable fonts/text size/margins, and the battery lasts f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Ok, well not forever but waaaaay longer than your iPhone.   The contest is open to anyone in Canada and runs today till Friday, June 10th. Enter below! a…

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Beer, Chips, Ferris Wheel, and The Adventure Contnues

My packages all get delivered to the 1188 office so sometimes I arrive art the office and it’s like Christmas! Yesterday I got a rad present from Blue Moon Brewery & VICE Canada, a party invite in the form of a colouring book with a nice set of pencils. So neat! The drawings are all by The Crazy Plate Lady (check her out here, so cool). DYK THERES A KETCHUP DAY? Now you do! Lay’s sent a BOX of ketchup chips. I’ve shared most w/ the office because even though I could eat them all, I really shouldn’t. ? Another clue in the weekend adventure w/ Ford Canada, they delivered this bag complete with a custom luggage tag.  The Twitter conversation continued after this delivery but I still don’t know where we are going or what to pack. I’m thinking I’ll take everything Columbia Sportswear has given me and stay super casual.  @FordCarsonM I'm great at packing versatile outfits pic.twitter.com/hasrftEqip — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) June 8, 2016 @MattDS_FOC @FordCanada @NATIONALPR a ha! #escapeanddiscover pic.twitter.com/PHRfecOM8u — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) June 8, 2016 On Monday night I went to the Rogers Upfronts. If you’re not familiar w/ TV, it’s where they gather media and advertisers to share stats and introduce new programming. After, they have a huge banger. I laid on the field at 3rd base with a few of my bros and watched the show. After, ate all the snacks and rode the ferris wheel that was INSIDE the Blue Jays Stadium. So cool.  Each of the channels (Vice, sports, etc) had a booth set up to share cool things about new shows. There was also beach volleyball, candy bars, and a couple food trucks.  Saw this on my travels yesterday and loved it. You really don’t have to be a…

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Fitzroy Boutique Does Rentals Now! ?

Last week I had an event and as usual was scrambling to find something to wear. A few days earlier the girls at Fitzroy Boutique sent a note about their new dress rental service. Decided to popped by there a couple hours before the event to see what they had. I needed a Cinderella moment! The store is always full of beautiful dresses, flowy things, and great accessories. The latest pop-up is at 98 Ossington, half-way between Queen & Dundas, west side. They’ve got two racks of dresses for rent, and for $50 you can borrow a beauty for 3 days AND IT INCLUDES DRY CLEANING. Check out all the dresses here. I wore this super cute Sea Shell dress by Blessed Are The Meek. The back is open making it fit really nice in the front, not too tight on the tatas. It’s super flowy and short making it the perfect dance number for a wee lil’ lady. This is the intro price so if you have a summer full of weddings and garden parties, book now! Thanks A&J for making me feel like a qween! Some fun stories coming up this week, 2 upcoming trips, a HUGE life change, some thoughts on mindfulness, being your best self, an upcoming workshop, AND a Kobo giveaway. I’ve been reading heaps since I got mine and love it, perfect for on the boat, in a hammock, or on a long drive (to the cottage!). Here’s to a great week and sunshine all around!

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Kobo 7-Day Reading Challenge

Growing up I spent heaps of time at the library with mum. Each summer we joined the Summer Reading Club and went back and forth to the Preston Branch carrying books in the wagon, the stroller, or homemade bookbags. Mrs. Macdonald, the librarian, was a familiar part of our lives and helped us learn to love books and reading. Since joining the internet, I’ve read less books, well, I’d say less books overall since college/uni. This year I set a goal to read more books, scroll less websites. So far I’ve not done too bad! Last week I started a 7-day reading challenge with Kobo to discover the joy of e-reading. The new Kobo Glo HD is the latest eReader, it’s 6″ screen is super clear and reads just like paper. There’s 4GB of storage which is a LOT of books. Up to 3K! This is my first time with an e-reader and I really like it. I find it much easier to read on this device than phone or iPad due to the screen (Carta E Ink). You can also customize the light, font, and margins to personalize your experience. Next week I’ve got a GIVEAWAY for a Kobo Glo HD so we can be twins. If you’re keen to get reading before I then, DL the Kobo app on any device (with this link) and get a $5 credit towards your first purchase. [symple_spacing size=”10″] Things I like most about my new Kobo: – It’s SUPER light, nothing like carrying around a few novels ? – Fits in a small purse or the pocket of my trench coat – Battery lasts ages – You can read in the sun, no glare! ☀️ – The Kobo app has so many books and recommendations, all you need is wifi ? This weekend I started YOU by Carolyn Kepnes,…

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