? This week in LA was a relaxing, reset, recharge. It started w/ a Sunday sound bath & breath workshop where I set my intention for the next few days. ??I spent a lot of time alone this trip, driving a convertible all over LA, one-on-one visits w/ old friends, discovering new things, random shopping, last minute airbnbs, and a fancy ? dinner by myself before flying home.
Today we hosted Emily’s 9th birthday party ? (whoa kids!! ?) and after I started thinking about work. And it made me feel good! I love Sunday cooking and tomorrow I’m making a soup for my job. Sometimes I think to myself ‘this is my life?’ and I’m *finally* starting to (hello 2017) say ‘YEAH GIRL IT IS YOUR LIFE, YOU CREATED IT‘.
I’m feeling energized and inspired by everything around me right now, similar to when I started my blog almost 12 years ago. Whoa dinosaur, April 2017 is 12! ?
I’m really exited for 2017, to try new things, and put even more action into stuff that brings me pure joy.
Feeling a fire in my soul and warmth in my heart and what is another word for #blessed bc, well y’know what I mean. Here’s to making every single day feel like vacation. ?
Woke up in Beverly Hills and checked to make sure the car was there, it was! (I parked on the street and thought it was a safe spot but in the morning I learned that was actually a red zone. All good!)
Left my airbnb to drive around Rodeo Drive before going to The Academy, The Broad, and the Arts District. I’ve been busy so will break things up a bit, heaps of photos! ☀️???✈️
My goal for this LA trip was to spend time doing what I want when I want. I needed a reset. I needed a break. I wanted to explore LA, see friends, and take in the whole experience while driving a convertible. Well, check that off my 2017 list baby because it’s exactly what I’ve done. Yay! ?
First trip of 2017 starts bright and early tomorrow morning.I’m heading to LAS VEGAS!
I’ll be joining a bunch of journalists + influencers from North America for CES and my trip is sponsored by Harman Kardon (JBL, Bang & Olufsen etc). They’re hosting us at the Hard Rock Hotel and on Friday night they’ve got STING playing a concert in the hotel bar.
I AM SO EXCITED.
Aside from my set itinerary, I’ll be exploring the conference floor, attending talks, and rounding up all the hottest tech trends.
▶︎ Later this month I’m speaking on a panel at WeAreWearables Toronto about tech trends from CES. Get a ticket for it here! I’m also checking out VR stuff for Sean’s company Occupied VR.
I can’t wait. CES is so freaking exciting. I went a couple years ago, tech heaven! It’s also a bit warmer there than Toronto. I’m also hoping to check out the Neon Sign Museum and maybe do a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon.
After Vegas, I’m driving to LA with a friend and staying in Venice Beach for the week. I can’t wait to document this trip.
Did you have a nice time over the holidays? I did! I took a break from blogging and IG to recharge my batteries and I feel so alive! It might help that yesterday I went for a b12 shot and IV of vitamins at REVIV. In 2017 I am excited to focus on doing great work, telling stories about tech, and helping others.
As I was driving yesterday the sun was going down and it was so bright and beautiful I stopped to catch it lighting up my face.
Lovin’ that first Sunset of 2017!
Over the holidays I did a couple volunteer shifts for different charities including cooking & serving lunch at Evangel Hall on New Years Eve w/ the #GivingBackVibes crew. [We did this last month too, see here.]
Jen and I with a HUGE salad
I fulfilled my dream of wrapping presents at the mall before christmas w/ Nneka Elliot at TD centre in support of StepStones For Youth. The day before I volunteered to help sort clothes with the NuScreen Digital team at Brands for Canada. I feel so good that I was able to give some of my time to help others. You’re going to see more of this in 2017.
I went home between Christmas and New Years to spend some quality time with my parents. Set both mum and dad up with new tech gadgets and had lots of laughs over great food. They’re only an hour away so this year I want to spend more time hanging out.
On New Years Eve, Sean and I went to Ikea to get some organizing stuff and things for Em’s room. We watched the Minimalism doc on Netflix a couple days before which kickstarted a HUGE purge on the entire house. It feels so good going into 2017 with more room and less clutter.
The bed I ordered from Amazon is all set up in the Boudoir (nickname for third floor) and it’s the blogging studio I was dreaming of. I’ve got a couple more lights for my home photography setup and can’t wait to take more portraits this year.
Got a b12 shot yesterday after a drip of vitamins at Reviv. They’re the global leader in IV infusion and booster shot wellness treatments. The IV boost I got is a mix of vitamin and nutrients that restores your body w/ minerals, anti-oxidants, and electrolytes. I might check out their LA or Vegas locations this week!
This morning I went for a run in my neighbourhood. I’m so loving the Junction Triangle! I usually run on the West Toronto Rail path which is being extended all the way to King Street/Liberty Village. I learned this weekend that The Drake Hotel is building a spot in the area right beside the Tower Automotive Building, where the the new Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art will be.
I’m feeling really excited and optimistic about this year. Thursday I’m heading to Las Vegas for CES then I’ll be in LA all of next week.
Mum wanted me to share this with you as a reminder you can do anything you want in your life. You are the author of your own life story.
This week I was a guest on the final episode of the UrbanizeTHIS Podcast with Matthew Slutsky & Ara Mamouran. We had a blast recording and a bunch of laughs before and after. I chatted about the web, influencer marketing, social media, and real estate.
Click the play button below to listen!
I got to try on my first pair of Spectacles from Snapchat since Ara has a pair. I AM SO JEALZ OMG. I didn’t connect my Snapchat to test out recording but they felt cool. These glasses allow you to handsfree record videos and post directly to Snapchat. FOLLOW ME ON SNAP: CASIE STEWART
I am hoping to try and track down a par at CES in January! I’ll also be in LA so if the Snapchat Bot is anywhere near, I WILL FIND IT!
Subscribe to the UrbanizeTHIS podcast here. I you have a topic suggestion or guests you’d like to hear from Tweet @aramammo or @iSlutsky. (Yes that’s his REAL NAME! ?)
This weekend I did more than just watch Netflix, I made a thing! On Friday night I saw this cool bed table laptop stand thing found it on Etsy. It was $60 but then $40 in shipping and I was like HELL NO. So I decided to make one!
Original inspiration from Etsy
Saturday morning I went to Home Depot and picked up 1/2″ copper pipe, 4fittings, and 4 steel flange. I asked a dude who worked there for help to save time and he cut the pipe for me too. I didn’t think about cutting the pipe so this was a huge help!
I used a large cutting board we had around the house as the table top. Next time I’ll use a bigger piece of nice wood from the bunch we’ve got at the cottage. I think rougher edges would look nice.
All the pieces cost just under $50 and it didn’t take long to put this stuff together. The glue is to hold the pipe bits together and I let it dry overnight.
So happy with how this turned out. I saw it, wanted it, and made it! I’m no expert on DIY, yet but I’ve got a long list of things I want to make for the house and cottage.
This does however mean that I am going to have to invest in some more tools! Most important of all, I need to find a good cordless drill. The staff over at Coolest Gadgets made a comparison of the top-rated cordless options, so I will definitely be checking out their article for some inspiration.
Making things gives me so much joy, I used to spend heaps of time in the garage with my dad growing up. This DIY category is about to grow.
This week I’ve been doing work around the house and on myself. I actually look forward to this winter wonderland weather each year so I stay inside and complete projects I’ve had on my to-do list. Thanks to Amazon Prime, Ebates, and Uber Eats I can get free 2day shipping, money back on purchases, and my fav food delivered. Why leave the house?
Today my new glasses arrived and some furniture from Amazon. Amazing!
Would like to take a min to say THANKS everyone who joined the #InstaxHolidays twitter hang last night. We were trending in Canada for a WHILE and earned millions of impressions! There were 15 winners with $3,500 in prizes.
This weekend I’m installing a new bed frame (yay Amazon!) and have a couple DIY projects I really hope I can pull off. It’s like you make the Pinterest board, get the supplies, then give it a go. More often than not my projects don’t nearly look as good as they should! We will see.
I’m really focussed on planning for 2017 right now and have a couple projects in the works. Blogging might be a little sporadic over the holidays but it’s been like that for a decade so no real news here.
Hope you are warm wherever you are and making the most of this holiday hangout time.
Christmas is just over a week away and there’s a good chance you still have few people on your nice list (including yourself!). ?? Telus has a ton of amazing gifts you can buy online or from one of their interactive stores across Canada.
You’ve gotta check out the Eaton Centre store in Toronto if you haven’t yet, theres heaps of things for your home, travel, audio, AND toys, aside from phone stuff. Last year I got a Nest thermostat, amazing JBL speaker, great USB cables, and a MIP robot for the child.
Last weekend I surprised Embot with a tiny little BB8 Droit. She loves Star Wars and robots. BB8 comes with a stand for charging and connects to Force Band through the app on your phone via Bluetooth. Once connected, you use THE FORCE to push, pull, and control BB-8 like Em is doing here. She’s been having so much fun using to guide him around the house. He can easily go over carpet, rug, tile and wood floors too.
This camera is great. A total hit at holiday parties and with the parents. I took photos of everyone at mums one Christmas and this year I’ve packaged up some stuff to send back to New Zealand filled with Instax prints from the last few months. You can order one of these online or pick up at a Telus store. They’ve got the Instax Mini 8 cam available in Rose Gold, Blue, Black, and white. See this post for an #InstaxHolidays giveaway + Twitter party details for tonight!
I gifted mum one of these for her birthday in September and she was so jazzed about it. She’s been wanting one for a while and was excited to track her steps at work and throughout the day. I downloaded the Fitbit app from the PLAY Store and connected the device to mum’s Samsung in a couple minutes. My friend told me that you can change your band on your Fitbit charge 2 so if you get bored of your strap, you can buy another!
I used to be losing cables and chargers all the time but this cable has been with me everywhere the last 12 months and I’m so proud to still have it. A good/unique charging comes in handy more than you know. This is what yours might look like after a lots of travel and adventure, a little run down but still working great. Piece of leather around it is a little Cord Taco from Amazon.
You can check out the WHOLE gift guide at telus.com or pop into the Telus store when you’re out and about. If you’re going to Yorkdale, make sure to show your RBC Avion Card for free valet parking + coat/bag check.
Went for my first yoga class in a while today. I feel so good. Found a studio that’s a 7min walk and beside a great coffee shop. I also downloaded a countdown app for my next trip (California!) and set a countdown till the New Year. There’s 21 days till 2017 and since it’s been such a sh*t year for heaps of reasons, I’m gonna try and make the last bit really great.
IF NOT NOW, WHEN?
In case you’re just tuning in, I had breast reduction surgery this summer and have been a bit slow getting back to it. The recovery was not too long/hard but big stretches with arms over the head were not in my favour. I did some aerial yoga about 3 months after but not full on yoga-yoga. Plastic surgery is something that I had been thinking about for a long time so I made sure to do as much research as I could before committing to a procedure. One of my friends has recently had a breast reduction operation at the luxurgery facility in New York. I cannot wait to meet up with her soon so we can swap stories about our procedures.
Today was the day.
Registered for a noon class at YOGA YOGA and set out to make it a good one.
A couple weeks months ago I picked out some great yoga gear from the new Gaiam website as a gift from the brand.THANK YOU! Today I opened all the packages and put on new stuff for class. WOO HOO.
YOGA YOGA is a vinyasa yoga studio in the Junction Triangle super close to my house. Had it not been a snow storm I’d totally have been there in 2mins via bike.
Felt good to stretch. The class was warm and it was nice to see a familiar face in our teacher Sandy Braz (owner). Namaste, girl!
One of the items from Gaiam was this non-stick yoga towel (turquoise) for extra grip. I didn’t use it today, but the thing I like about it is you can pack it for travel and use instead of a mat. As you can tell it’s pretty new… ?
The yoga carrying bag (black) is great. You can also wear backpack style. Has a small zipper to easily fit a wallet and keys. For $15 makes a great gift for the yogi in your life! [see here]
Wore my entire Gaiam outfit and the bra is definitely my new fav thing. It doesn’t move and holds your bits all in one place. This is the FIRST yoga class since surgery and I’ve not been able to wear just 1 bra to a fitness class in a VERY LONG time. It felt so good.
Luxe Yoga Pant – These are pretty thick as they’re ‘compression’ fabric. Great leggings for around town but a bit hot for hot yoga. I was sweating A LOT.
Iris Layering Bra – This is the best sports bra I’ve had ever. It’s also good for running! Had worn this before today.
Clover top – Love the back details on this top (below). Will be so nice for spring/summer.
Feeling pretty good over all that I went for a workout. I also set intentions for the week and did some meal prep/baking.
Other things I’m really feeling right now:
Signed up for ebates and bought a pair of glasses at eyebuydirect.com. Wasn’t sure about it but then I got back $2.39 on my $30 purchase. Ebates also gave me a 20% discount code.
Still loving AmazonPrime and made a whole list of things to order for the 3rd floor bedroom reno. You can use ebates there too!
Beach Body 21-Day – I saw my friends from Instigator Communications were reppin’ this workout so I asked for a copy. It arrived JUST in time for 21 days till New Year.
Photo Studio is A+ – had my sister over for a photos shoot and I can make headshot magic at home anytime now. I’m so impressed with this ring light (Amazon obvs haha).
CALIFORNIA – In January I’m spending a few days in vegas then a week in California. I can’t WAIT. On my own schedule this time to checking a few things off my bucket list!
Two things I totally love things about blog life are travel and new tech. Nothing like a great adventure or new gadget to kick things up a notch!
This week I got the new Instax Sp-2 printer and this lil’ thing is so awesome. It’s a sleek printer that takes any photo from your phone or tablet and prints it on Instax film. It makes a great holiday gift for someone you love or yourselfbecause you can print out your all your selfies for the fridge/fam. I already have so many of these prints around the house!
I’ve joined forces with a couple blog friends to do a sweet giveaway worth $350 that includes the Instax SP-2 Printer, an Instax camera, and a bunch of film. We’re also hosting a Twitter party with $3,500 in prizes.
You know I’m a big fan of the Instax camera ever since I directed the commercial for it last year (this one). This new printer is next level, you seriously print ANY photo from your phone or tablet in t-10 seconds.
It’s super easy to use right out the box and you don’t need to be tech savvy to operate it. Pop in the film cartridge, line up the yellow stripes, charge it up with the USB cable, and you’re almost about ready to roll. Just download “instax SHARE” from the App Store or Google play and connect wifi to your phone or tablet.
The thing I like most about it is the design, you can store it on your book shelf or dresser as decor.
These photos are amazing keepsakes. I have so many in our home. It’s super easy to enter the giveaway, sign up below!
SP-2 + Holiday Bundle (3 Packs of Film and 20 Border stickers)
4 Prize Winners of – mini 70 + Xmas pack (4x$200)
Mini 70 + Holiday Bundle (3 Packs of Regular Film and 20 Border stickers)
8 Prize Winners of – mini 8 + Xmas pack (8x$130)
Mini 8 + Holiday Bundle (3 Packs of Regular Film and 20 Border stickers)
Sign up for the Twitter Party by clicking this blue button ↓
Disclosure: I am participating in the FujiFilm campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions are my own, obvs. Love this little printer!
