This is the Best Travel Accessory EVER.

Mum and I arrived in New Zealand earlier this week and the flight was pretty great. I was a little nervous about driving in NZ on the other side of the road with a right-hand drive car but it was totally ok. I was super alert after sleeping half of the flight from San Francisco to Auckland. Everyone knows the travel pillows below but they’re bulky, not that stylish, and don’t really hold up your head. Well, do I have the best travel accessory ever for you!  I ordered the Trtl pillow from Amazon and when mum came over before we left, she was like “ok I need one of these too”. So now I have ordered two. It was an absolute lifesaver for the journey here. It wraps around your neck like a scarf and the plastic bit under the cover holds your head up. I slept 5 hours on the 11-hour flight, incredible!  I picked up a few other things for this trip and they’ve already come in super handy. We’re in Auckland this week and driving up to the Coromandel Peninsula tomorrow to spend some time at the beach with some family on my dad’s side. I love it here so much. [amazon_link asins=’B00LB7REE6,B000NBM8JM,B071WZR9TP,B073RLH9M6′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’casiestewartc-20′ marketplace=’CA’ link_id=’47bbdd10-eb4e-11e7-9d00-05a50c9e7c7b’] With love from New Zealand!

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I’ve Got No Roots, But My Home Was Never on the Ground

People often think short hair is low maintenance, it’s not. I  mean it’s quick in the morning on a daily basis but this short blonde hair is totally high maintenance. Through my partnership with Sassoon this year, I’ve had regular salon trips to trim my hairline and bleach + tone touchups every 6 weeks or so. The crazy thing is, I’m almost always just between having it cut or needing a cut. I wouldn’t change it though, this short blonde hair is something that makes me unique, stand out, feel good, I love it. I really love getting my hair done at Sassoon Toronto. Kimberly, who does my blonde is hilarious and I would love to have beers with her. She is also blonde, same age, has a beardy BF, and incredibly good at getting the perfect blonde. Last week 2 things happened that were super great but stressful. One, I learned never to change my blonde and two, was in a commercial shot by 1188 (Sean’s company!). At my Tuesday hair appointment, I told Kim that I wanted to go ash blonde. A little more ashy blonde, this on someone with long hair isn’t that big of a change. On short blonde, it is major. My hair is normally the ‘Baby Blonde’ you see below, ash is the light blonde in the bottom right. Big difference! SO, Kimberly did what I asked and gave me a beautiful ash blonde. When I sat up from having the colour washed, I was like WHOA. No. Omg no. I didn’t like it. To anyone else, it was a cool ash blonde but to me, I looked like someone with brown hair! I don’t know what I was thinking changing my look. I’m never doing it again, and the week of a shoot fml. The team at Sassoon, especially Kimberly were so cool about it and we gave it…

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Weekend Workshop + Book Recos + Monday Motivation

This weekend was fun. I went out for one last kayak before we put all the stuff away. It was surprisingly warm, but damp, great weather for getting things done. Although it’s a lot of work, and I can feel it in my arms today, closing the cottage is something I kinda look forward to. Sean and I do together as a team; heaps of lifting, holding the ladder, carrying the canoe, putting away the outside stuff, and family trips to the dump. We had Embot with us and her fav part was deff packing the trailer then chucking everything into the huge garbage at the dump. For years I’ve been wanting to make cutting boards from some of the beautiful wood laying around and we finally did it! I marked and measured, Sean put them through the planer, then cut them into pieces. I spent ages with the sander making them nice and soft. Before I started my project, I did a look of research and read quite a lot of information on orbital vs sheet sander. After careful consideration, I realized which one I should be using for a nice finish so it was a good job I looked into it! The next step is sealing, drying, and wrapping for the holidays. I need to visit Lee Valley this week. I spent lots of time in the garage with my dad as a kid so doing that as a family this weekend was nice. This weekend I finished a book called The Party by Robyn Harding (a soft-cover gift from Jen Kirsch!) and started another book called The Party by Elizabeth Day (on Kindle!). I was searching Amazon for one and found the other! Since I got a Kindle last year I’ve read SO MANY BOOKS. It’s the…

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CREEP IT CUTE ?

Happy Halloween weirdos! I wasn’t really feeling in the ‘spirits this morning but Sean asked what I was dressing up as so I started into a ‘little’ Halloween lewk. Well, about 45 minutes and huge coffee later, VOILA! This haunting creeper was born out of a desire to make a cute skellie with pink and sparkles. I love looking like this so much. I also really adore this wig (from Amazon) and will likley wear it more just for fun. BTW, superzoom in Instagram is so much fun. See video below.  I tried it out finally. I’ve been a but quiet the last couple days dealing with some family things but I’m a-ok. I’m working on a HUGE adventure for December and I want to tell you about it so bad but it must wait. Be safe out there and let your freak flag fly! A post shared by CASIE |Writer Speaker Director (@casiestewart) on Oct 31, 2017 at 8:06am PDT Not sure what my plan is for tonight after handing out candy but I’ll be creepin’ it real all day!    

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Healthy Eating FTW! My Food Prep Favs from Amazon

I love making things, cooking, baking. Have been eating a bit healthier after a few changes in the diet/exercise category back in January. I generally feel healthier, happier, and that my life is better since. I don’t really blog about food much because it’s a time I like to put my phone down. I find it relaxing. I usually put on music or a show and take my time creating things to eat. I have, however, been using some badass kitchen appliances I’ve bought over the last year and they’ve helped with the food prep and healthy eating. I always read reviews before buying appliances, from places like All Great Appliances, because they can be pricey so I don’t want to make any rash decisions I might regret later down the line. They’ve helped me find some real treasures that made food prep so much easier.I love making a bunch of things on Sunday afternoon, I’ve even started planning them. We’ve been at the cottage the last few days and the weather is amazing. I’ve got the windows open, music on, and I’m putting things in the oven and prepping food, while typing away on this week’s work. When I look out the window the leaves are falling every few seconds and catching sunshine on the way down. Instant Pot: Last year for Christmas I got Sean (well, us!)an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker and I use it so much. I love that little thing. It’s great for cooking a bunch of chicken breast, rice, stew, chilli. I even made up a risotto recipe. I’m planning to get more adventurous and try some new stuff this winter. Spiralizer: I’m obsessed! I would love to get an electric one but I have read some bad reviews so I haven’t ordered one…

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Speaking at Centennial College – Advanced Social Media

Here I am on the TTC again. I really wish I had headphones but they’re still in my travel bag at home. I’m heading over to Centennial College to chat with a class of Advanced Social Media year 3 students about my life and work. I try to say yes as often as I can when a friend or close contact asks me to chat with their class. It’s always an opportunity for me to learn. I love their questions. I love reminding them that the job they’ll have one day might not, and probably doesn’t even exist. It’s ok if they don’t know what they want to do yet. I remind them to find something they love doing and become really, really good at it. I tell them to explore creativity and try new things. To not be afraid of other people who can’t see their vision or grasp their unique idea. There have been so many times in my career where the person/people I was working with or for, didn’t get my idea. Most the time it was because only I could see so far ahead, not as far as me. They weren’t there yet. Having the skills and knowledge to see an idea before anyone else will often keep you ahead of the pack.  When I worked at CTV for Much/MTV Canada I remember telling my boss it would be a good idea to put the show hashtag on the tv screen. He totally thought I was crazy and made me feel bad about my ‘dumb’ idea. We all know how that turned out, eh? Another time at an agency job I suggested we get this cool InstaPrint thing from NYC. It involved hiring a guy to man 4 machines onsite for the event that would print little…

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TIFF 2017: #EssentialsLounge8 Recap

This week I’m *finally* getting to all the goodies I received during TIFF this year. I had such a fun time! One of my fav events every year is the Essentials Lounge hosted by EGPR. In its 8th year, the one-day lounge exists to equip media with TIFF survival items to heal, hydrate, and help them through the festival fun. All photos by the amazing Ryan Emberley. I arrived just before lunch and slipped into something a little more comfortable aka Keds then had a fabulous express facial from the team at SkinCeuticals.  Before the treatment, I put my head into the contraption below and was given an in-depth skin analysis and a selection of skincare essentials to pamper my skin. Tweezerman hooked us up with a set of personalized Slant Tweezers, a Mini Nail Rescue Kit, plus a Mini Brow Rescue Kit filled with their brow essentials. Dior was onsite to touch up my makeup and hook us up with a few of their fav items. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been loving the Dior FIX IT 2-in-1 Prime & Conceal Face – Eyes – Lips and FLASH LUMINIZER Radiance Booster pen. I’ve been known to be a bit silly so when the Michael Kors team said I could get my ‘sexy Ruby’ engraved with 3 letters, I went for something fun. LOL! Some of my other fav things from the lounge were TuckShop Trading Co. ‘City of Neighbourhoods’ Collection Tee, plus 6 Panel Wool Ball Cap. I picked Queen West, obvs.  I’m a fan of  Green & Black’s chocolate and was happy to find a few in my gift bag. Sean and I broke into them last night after dinner! ? Thank you Esther, Jessica, and the wonderful team at EGPR for the invite and hosting a great event. I’ve been attending the lounge since it started (I think?) and have watched the team and…

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Best Buy Life and Tech Show 2017

Earlier this month I attended the Best Buy #LifeandTech event at YD Square. This is my second year attending and honestly, it feels like Christmas for tech lovers! I got to test out and bring home some of the coolest tech around. You can find everything mentioned in this post at BestBuy.ca. I’ve been working with Best Buy Canada for the last couple years and it makes ME SO HAPPY. I love being invited to test out the latest wearable tech, smart home gadgets, and overall life-enhancing products. Here’s a few of my favourite things from the Best Buy Life and Tech show! SMART HOME SECURITY: One of my ultimate favs is this Ring Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Pro. I haven’t set it up yet but I can’t wait to creep anyone who comes to my door or walks past. Since moving into a house with a front door (from a high-rise condo) I get so freaked out when I’m home alone and someone knocks on the door. Who does that! Unexpected! Gah! I get all packages delivered to the office so it’s extra weird if someone sends something to the house. I feel that this new burglar alarm will give me peace of mind and make me feel much safer. I like that I can see everything in real-time too, so if there was a burglar, I would be able to have an instant description of them! With the new Ring, you are able to monitor hour home with audio and video from anywhere. The rep I chatted with was from Minnesota and he showed me his backyard while we were chatting in YD Square. He’s able to record video, sound an alarm, or say something to an intruder if he see’s someone suspicious around. So cool! Imagine yelling ‘HEY…

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Where Would You Go with 1 Million Miles?

I love to travel and have been jet setting round the world since my first NZ/Hawaii trip when I was 2. When I was a kid mum was adamant about us collecting Aeroplan miles on those long trips and we’ve since redeemed a bunch towards other trips and non-flight rewards. I’m currently saving up money and racking up miles on my Aeroplan Visa to go visit my family in New Zealand. However, with the latest contest from Aeroplan, you and I could be there in a heartbeat, WITH an entourage!   Aeroplan has announced a new contest where they’re giving away 1 MILLION MILES A WEEK for 5 weeks. This is their biggest giveaway ever and honesty, a life changer for each person who wins. Do you have any idea how many things you can do with miles like that?! Take 20 girlfriends to Hawaii in for Economy Class Take your 8 fav rellies to Paris, ride bikes, and eat baguettes by the Eiffel Tower   Be the best bae ever and take your one true love on a FIRST CLASS trip around the world. Fly Premum Economy to Dubai w/ 7 friends OR YOU take 40 trips in Economy from TO to LA (or Toronto to Vancouver) How to Enter?! Aeroplan wants to know where your Aeroplan miles have taken you and the amazing memories you’ve created. Show and tell a little bit about your adventure by posting photos, videos, and stories and tag them #withAeroplan on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  Each post is a chance to win 1 of 5 prizes of 1 million miles. For more information and rules/regs on the Aeroplan Memories Worth MIllions contest visit this page on aeroplan.com.  If you’re curious about how many miles you need to take your dream trip, there’s a chart right here.…

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Sure Kid, Play w/ Your Fooooood!

If you scroll Instagram for one minute you’ll definitely come across a fully grown adult foodie who’s played with their food a little to make the perfect snapshot. Last month I got an email about ‘making playing with your food fun again‘ from Whippet asking Em and I to have a little fun with their new Whippet Sticks. So, we totally did! I picked her up from school and let her open the delivery of Whippet Sticks in coconut and brownie. They’re made with real coconut and chocolate, and no artificial colours with 0 G of trans fat per serving. So, a sweet snack, but not a bad snack! I’m pretty sure she thought I was legit crazy when I told her what we were doing. YES, PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD. I maintain a childlike fancy in my life and get along pretty great with a 9yo. We sat up on the patio deciding what we were going to do with our treats and ended up doing the ‘Sumo Squish‘ with a few, played tic-tac-toe, and made a few little critters. Emily lives with us 50% of the time and I really try to do fun things with her that don’t involve a screen. I so fondly remember doing activities with my mum like going for walks, the library, crafts, and making things in the kitchen. You can find Whippet Sticks at your local grocery. Pop by their Facebook page to see what other fun things people have been doing. Thanks Whippet for the fun after-school (summer daycare) activity.  Don’t forget to tag your posts #HowDoYouWhippet! I srsly recommend the coconut ones, they’re not too sweet and the dark chocolate is divine. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!  

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THIS IS YOUR DAY 

Woke up and went right outside to stretch on my mat. I’m really going to miss doing that over the winter! Can you believe it’s already August? I’ve been making the most of my summer but it seems to be just flying by! Next week we’re at the cottage for 10 days and I can’t wait. It’s been a few weeks since we were up there. One of my fav things on the way up to the cottage is stopping at a little Fruit Market and getting heaps of fresh berries, other fruit, and vegetables. Usually, when we drive through the Holland Marsh, I put down the window, and smell the fresh air outside. The vegetables don’t smell as strong this year because of all the rain I think. It kinda smells like fresh celery. ? Looking forward to waking up and having my coffee on the dock. Afternoon naps. Kayak and stand-up paddle on the water. Random DIY projects. Cooking. Silence. Time to read and write. Lots of sunshine. Quality time with friends. Been reading a poetry book called LOVE HER WILD sent over by Simon Schuster. It’s full of short ones that remind me of broken down tweets. Before I had a blog I wrote so many poems, it was my favourite thing. It’s making me want to write more! Love this one via @AtticusPoetry. Thank you @SimonSchusterCA ?? pic.twitter.com/QFhOAdeoOQ — CASiE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) August 1, 2017   With love,   

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West Queen West Has a Metro Now!

Heaps of prepared food. Lots of fresh juice. Massive gluten free section. Huge bread assortment including pretzel croissants (??) and Italian bread with real Italian ingredients (might be made by a real nonna?). Huge meat selection that will do custom cuts and a cool female butcher. Fresh sustainable seafood. So much yogurt. Exotic snacks. Self-checkout. Starbucks and collective art space on the lower floor. I also rode my bike there. A new grocery store in the hood is pretty exciting. Before I lived in the West End, I was at Cityplace when the new grocery store opened up. [I actually even set up a Twitter account based on the store which I then shut down]. Everyone was so excited and that might seem a little dorky but when a new food store opens in your neighbourhood with all your fav things and fresh prepped food, your life is instantly better. So, I  biked over to the new MetroWest Queen West for a tour on opening weekend (10mins bike from home!). This location puts a focus on local and community with organic chicken from Yorkshire Valley Farms in Etobicoke, pastries from Dufflet in Toronto, and Portuguese products from Borges Foods Ltd. in Mississauga. Thanks Metro, for inviting me to the opening and the pedicab ride! Make sure to stop by and order a ready-made pizza, pick up some beer for the weekend, and grab yourself a fresh juice. For info about Metro in-store events and other happenings, follow them on Facebook at Metro Ontario.

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Testing the Surface Pro 4 from MicrosoftStore.ca

I don’t get jealous often, but it’s time to come clean! ?? For the last year or so, I’ve watched two of my colleagues at 1188 Films use and rave about, their Surface Pro devices. They use it as a tablet on set, a computer in the office, and a notepad in meetings. While here I am lugging around multiples devices… It does seem that the interactive screen is becoming increasingly utilized and well-regarded in a business context thanks to it being compact, mobile, easy to use, fast, and highly accessible. I wanted to take one for a test drive, so when I got an email from the Microsoftstore.ca team to do just that, I was totally game! As you know, I spend a lot of time on my computer.  I shift from being a blogger to working as a director with 1188 Films Inc. and doing a variety of other client-related tasks throughout the day (aka. emails galore). I’ve only had the device for a couple of days, but it’s seriously impacted my productivity. The  Surface Pro 4 is both computer and tablet, so it saves me lugging around 2 devices. It’s also small and light, so it’s easy to carry in a purse or backpack. Lately, I‘ve been lugging around both my iPad Pro and MacBook Pro which makes my purse kinda (super) heavy. As a girl on-the-go, I found the Surface Pro to be super portable, and versatile. It’s like powerful little studio all in one device. The fact that the device converts from computer to tablet is a solid feature for creatives like myself.  I’m able to work on a document in computer mode, present something in a meeting in studio mode, and give directions on set in tablet mode. All in one device. You can also work on a bunch of things at…

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You’re young. You can do whatever you want. 

Found this in an alley near my house the other day. I would be kinda annoyed if this was my wall but I also like the message. This is a little reminder that you can do anything you want. Just go, get up off the couch and DO IT. Want to start a blog? Make one. Be an enrtepreneur? Do something every day to bring you closer to your goal. There is nothing standing in your way other than your own self-doubt, fear, or anxiety. Not having time or money is not an excuse. Face whatever is holding you back, head on, and make a change. There’s no point wasting your time and energy doing something you don’t want to do. Life is short and every day you should do something that makes you happy. I originally drew this back in 2009. It was around the time I quit a job I didn’t want to do anymore. I wasn’t allowed to do use social media at work since it wasn’t part of my job (they blocked Twitter & Facebook!). I’d removed time stamps from my blog as to hide when things were posted. I quit that job to do social at Much/MTV and have never looked back. Since then, if I find myself in a situaion where I don’t want to do whatever it is, I quit. I find a way to get out of it or change it into something I do actually want to do. Make the most of each day. You’ll never be younger than you are right now. ?    

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