Casie September 15, 2018 BLOG MUSKOKA, ON

Never-Ending Summer

I love this weather and the sunshine. It’s so nice to be out on the lake. Next week I’m going away for a few days and it feels like never-ending summer. ☀️?✌?

casie stewart, toronto, blogger, celine, bathing belle, travel blogger, travel tuesday

KINDNESS

I think about Princes Diana a lot. I know that might seem a bit weird but she’s always been someone I admire mum was inspired by her so much she named me after her, Casie Diana Stewart.

I follow a couple accounts dedicated to her on Instagram and am always in awe of her poise, beauty, and kindness in helping others. She’s someone we can all look up to. It’s been 20 years since she passed away and I think about that night/morning when I found out. My sister called me at LB’s house (we had a sleepover for her birthday) and all the girls were in the basement. Jenie was only about Emily’s age, 10 or so and she called to say Pavorotti killed Diana. She didn’t know what a paparazzi was so you can imagine my confusion thinking Diana had an altercation with an opera singer. Diana, you live on in our hearts. ?

When I was a kid we spent a lot of time at the library, the park, on adventures, and had a few elderly adopted family members we helped with groceries, errands etc. Mum was home with us until I was in high school when she went back to work. It was so great to learn from her and with her. We were always reminded to be kind, give, share, we didn’t grow up religious but those were our virtues. I didn’t know this Diana quote until today but I imagine mum might have said the same thing.

Years ago I was a student of Kabbalah and one of the things I learned there (again) was the importance of giving and kindness. A positive attitude is something you feel and it shows in your actions. It shines right out from your head when you smile and with lasers in your eyes. It’s electric. Giving is great and the more you give, the more you have to give. Sometimes people can get so focussed on ‘what about me’ and that’s like a negative layer of paint on everything you do and everywhere you go.

Good news, you can change your attitude anytime you want.

As I’ve been writing this a giant blue heron has flown back and forth across the lake close to the water near the boat. Some things the heron represents are intelligence, strength, independence, tranquillity, flow, self-determination, and self-reflection. What timing!

According to North American Native tradition, the Blue Heron brings messages of self-determination and self-reliance. They represent an ability to progress and evolve. … Blue Herons reflect a need for those with this totem to follow their own unique wisdom and path of self-determination.
The Message of the Blue Heron

You Are My Sunshine, My Summertime, My Love

casie stewart, land rover, travel, yellow, blogger, toronto, influencer

Hard to believe it’s already September! Where did the summer go? Remember back to March when we had the winter that felt like three years? It was so cold. We all rejoiced for those warm spring days and bright sunshine.

This summer was great and lucky for us it’s still feeling hot af outside so it’s not over just yet. There’s still a few weeks of warm days and cool nights. I love this weather. Enjoy these moments while we have them!

This week is TIFF and Toronto Fashion Week. I’ve got an appointment at Sassoon, I think it’s back to bleach blonde for me. After TIFF we’ll spend some time at the cottage. Hopefully Thanksgiving too. I’m booked for Cancun before October. Will be heading up to Blue Mountain, then Stratford, and Montreal in October. Booked my ticket for New Orleans in November. It’s going to be the holidays before we know it! We were at Costco on Friday and they already have Christmas cards & decorations out.

Wearing this shirt today.
Got it at LX Factory, Lisbon!

I took last week off from the blog to give myself some space and time. I’ve still been writing, I’ve got some fun stuff to share. The next few weeks are full of exciting events and great opportunities. I love documenting it all and sharing what I learn and experience with you. I’ve learned I need to give myself breaks to recharge my batteries.

We are like a vessel and if we’re constantly putting energy out into the world and to other people, we need to do things that fill us back up so we don’t get depleted.

For me, that’s taking cooking, reading, naps, snacks, and a good Netflix binge. This weekend I watched most of Sisters, an Aussie TV show on Netflix and there is a girl from New Zealand named Kasey. Ha!

Sending you love from across the internet. I hope you have a great week. Be the sunshine in someone’s day. Smile. Call someone and tell them you love them.

The Internet of Things – Protecting Your Smart TV

We just got a new Smart TV and I’m super stoked. Sean and I worked from home the day it arrived and we also ordered tacos which turned into a great game of tv or tacos?! It’s my first time having a *brand new* TV.

Our previous model was bought 2nd hand years ago, we’re retiring it to the cottage now. The Sony 4K Android Smart TV is so clear and it was really easy to set up. It comes with Google Play, Netflix, and internet connectivity making it easy to watch your fav shows, download movies, or watch videos on YouTube.

Over the last year, I’ve been making our home smarter with the addition of Hue Lights which I’ve heard a friend managed to build some of his own, wow! He told me he built some with parts he found at Octopart but I digress, a Dyson fan, Alexa, and now an Android Smart TV. As we start to make our home smarter, we’ve got so many entry points putting us at risk for privacy and hacks.

90 percent of Android TVs are reportedly vulnerable to hacking

The solution is to make sure we can browse the internet and watch all our fav shows without having personal data compromised. ESET is a leader in security solutions for home computer & mobile. They’ve created the world’s first ever security solution for Android Smart TVs, using tech to guard against cybercriminals with their eyes on connected TVs.

I quite like their i-Robot style dude below.

There’s a free version available for download as well as a paid version that gives you premium features for a year at $14.99. I went for Premium. If you have a Sony Android TV, the app is already downloaded you just have to pop into the HOME section from the remote and click Accept.

Android TVs are run on the Android OS used for phones and tablets meaning the software can extend to more of your devices. ESET can be used on up to 5 devices under one Google Account.

You wanna watch more Wild Wild Country tonight, honey?

There’s Anti-Virus and Anti-Phishing and the ability to set up regular scans anytime. It also keeps an eye on any browser you might be using on your tv. One thing that really peaked my interest was the ability to watch for spying using TV sensors like the microphone and camera. Audio spies really creep me out, we’ve all seen ads on Facebook after having a conversation about something.

In a time where we’re getting smarter with our gadgets, it’s time to get smarter with our home security.

This post is in partnership with ESET. Smart home security is important. Take the time to secure your networks and always use a smart password!

For more information about making sure your Android Smart TV is secure, check out ESET for a free download.

New Zealand: Aeroplan + Moments Worth Millions

casie stewart, new zealand, aeroplan, travel, blogger, toronto, kiwi

What would you do with a Million Miles? Where would you go? I visited New Zealand and Portugal #withAeroplan this year and if I had a million miles I’d be off to India, South Africa, and Japan. I’m so inspired by adventure! Travelling is the best way to enrich your soul, feed your curiosity, and expand your mind. Portugal #withAeroplan

Aeroplan is back this summer with their incredibly cool contest, Moments Worth Millions. They’re giving away 5 Million Miles over the course of 5 weeks where 5 winners will each win 1 million miles. Think of the possibilities?

5 weeks. 5 winners. 5 million miles.

Do you know how many trips you can take with a million miles? You can take 20 friends to Hawaii in economy or a handful of besties in business. You can take 40 trips from Toronto to LA or take someone you love on a first class trip around the world.

To enter the contest, follow @Aeroplan and share your favourite travel memory and tag #withAeroplan.

Last summer I wrote about the Million Miles contest and how I was planning to use my miles to visit family in New Zealand. Little did I know I’d be heading there so soon with mum over the holidays.

That trip created so many memories and was really special for mum and I. Road trip sing-alongs in the car while driving the other side of the road, exploring the North Island, Eketahuna, Taupo, Dessert Road, visiting family, friends, and spending our last moments with Nana. It was an experience that enriched my life in so many ways my heart swells with love thinking about it.