CASIE STEWART

THIS IS MY LIFE • BLOG EST. 2005
Tech HOT TECH TIPS FOR YOU

Best Buy Life and Tech Show 2017

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 BUDDY GET OFF MY LAWN‘ from another country, haha! Especially if you have it paired with something like Crestron Lighting along with your home security system!

SMART LIGHTS: Earlier this year I went to the National Home Show with Best Buy Canada and decked out our house with the Nanoleaf Aurora Smart LED Light Panel and Phillips Hue smart bulb starter kit. The lights are so cool, I have them set to dim every night at 11pm and have really grown to love the ‘concentrate’ setting for its bright whites.

BIG SOUND for INDOOR OR OUTDOOR: Talk about boom for your buck! This little UE Wonderboom speaker has loud, 360 sound, and is waterproof. I took it on my recent trip from Toronto to Montreal and New Orleans, the battery lasted the whole trip for hotel room dance parties and background noise while I worked (up to 10 hours battery!).

I also tested the waterproof-ness at the cottage over the weekend and can verify, it is definitely water safe. I only tossed it in the lake for a couple seconds but the speaker can be immersed in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. It’s also avail in pink, red, black, lilac, and grey.

ui portable speaker, life and tech, bestbuy, best buy, speaker, 360 sound, casie stewart

WEARABLE TECH

MEDITATION: I got one of these a couple years ago around TIFF and I can tell you Muse, the Brain-Sensing Headband definitely helped me feel calm. Muse is like a personal meditation assistant, it measures how calm or active your mind is, then helps you channel that energy with guiding sounds. It’s created by Toronto company Interaxion and the co-founder Ariel Garten is a friend!

FITBIT: Fitbit’s new wireless headphones are so cool! Since I’ve been working on trying to live a healthier life, I’ve come to really love my FitBit. I currently have the new Fitbit Alta HR and Sean has the brand new Ionic (with Fitbit Pay!). These headphones can withstand the sweatiest workout, have great sound, 6-hour battery, and have music & call controls. This is my first pair of wireless headphones, I love the future! I wish there had been more headphones featured at the show because I know there have been some big steps taken recently in sound quality. The latest headphone technology includes things like 360 audio, how cool!

DON’T LOSE YOUR STUFF: What is that tiny little gadget you ask? This is TrackR Bravo, a Bluetooth tracking device you can add to your keys, wallet, luggage, purse, child, anything, then keep an eye of its whereabouts from the app. I used it recently on my luggage and although I was only doing carry-on, I knew where my stuff was at all times.

You know when it’s a full flight and they still make you check your tiny suitcase? This is a great way to make sure all your outfits are on that plane. I also keep one inside my purse, god forbid I ever leave it somewhere!

Another great moment from the day was chilling in this Lamborghini w/ Alcantara interior. Microsoft was on site to highlight the Alcantara fabric used in the new Surface Laptop. I tested the Surface Pro earlier this summer, great machine! The laptop has a 13.5″ PixelSense touchscreen and Alcantara fabric covers the keyboard for comfortable, quiet typing. Find it at Best Buy here.

Ok, when can I take this baby for a test drive?!

LIFE AND TECH FTW!

LIFE

You are one yoga class away from a better mood.

You are one yoga class away from a better mood.

I’ve missed a lot of yoga classes thing month due to work. My schedule is usually pretty chill but the last 4 weeks have been non-stop events, travel, and work w/ 1188. It has been really fun but also very exhausting. I’ve been hustling pretty hard, up early in the morning to get blog things done before heading to the office, working on things late at night, rinse repeat.

Today I went to an event, had some chats, a meeting, and was really not in a good mood after. I missed doing something kinda fun due to the meeting. It was hot. I was tired. I was being snarky to my bf. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine all the time, ok? I was laying on the bed in my yoga clothes, thinking about bailing when I got off my ass and out the door.

The hot, fresh air, riding my bike to class felt so nice. I felt free. The sun was shining bright and lighting up the studio as I walked in. I was already glad to be there. Our class was hot and sweaty, I worked hard. I breathed right into my back, side ribs and let the air out slowly. It’s amazing what a good yoga class will do.

Sending love & sunshine, 

YOGA YOGA, JUNCTION TRIANGLE

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Travel TWO ISLANDS WEEKEND

CAMP WAS SO MUCH FUN! TWO ISLANDS WEEKEND 2017!

two islands weekend, casie stewart, camp timberlane, haliburton, lauren onizzle, influencer, camp, summer camp

At the start of September, Lauren O’Nizzle (my bff) and I packed the car with all our gear and hit the road to Camp Timberlane in Haliburton for Two Islands Weekend.  Imagine, 250 campers, mostly 30-40, sleeping in cabins, eating in a mess hall, doing group activities, and an open bar for the entire weekend. It was so much fun!

The organisers invited me early in the summer to come to camp as a guest and my email reply was something like ‘OMG YES I WANT TO COME OMG‘. I went to camp as a kid but this place sounded legit amazing. There were heaps of activities like Beyonce Dance Class, archery tag, dance party, karaoke, talent show, jazzercize, movies, camp sing-a-long, and heaps more.

We were a bit of a situation when we arrived. Both of us were super excited after the 3hr drive, parked the car, and walked down the big hill past everyone, wearing huge sunglasses, city clothes, and more luggage than two people need for a weekend. We were so extra, haha! 

Attention everyone, we’re heeeeeere!

For our first event, Welcome Drinks, we wore matching INTERNET sweaters by Shelfies from a shoot with Becca Lemire a few years back. Everyone stared at us like we were weird but we didn’t care. We ARE weird! And matching outfits were part of our weekend plan! Also duh, internet is our jam!

Shoot with Becca Lemire back in 2014!

I don’t know what I was expecting but it was totally a real camp! There were about 8 girls in our cabin and we slept in stacked bunks. We made heaps of new friends and had so many laughs the whole weekend. The organizers did an amazing job of wrangling everyone to and from activities and meals. Thank you!

On the last night, there was a talent show followed by a dance party. I really pulled out all the stops and busted some fire ? moves on that dance floor. It felt so good to just let go, I even left my phone in the cabin. I wish there was a video of my dance solo to ‘Single Ladies’ because I drew a crowd and they all cheered after. It was so much fun. I love dressing up and busting moves!

Aside from all the drinks, new friends, sing yelling, hangovers, AND losing my voice, the best part was the environment. They have a zero-tolerance policy for hate, discrimination, or bad vibes, everyone was accepted. When we first arrived I had a flashback of high school like ‘omg, they’re gonna hate us‘, but that never happened! Everyone was so incredibly nice and fun. It was something truly magical. 

They were also super accommodating of different diets and allergies, offering vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-specific foods. There was no shortage of snacks and the food was good. Special thanks to Great Lakes Brewery for ALL the beers I drank, love you! ?

Thank you so much to the team for having us as your guests. We had an incredibly memorable time. I would love to make Two Islands Weekend an annual thing and go back to see the camp crew.

I highly recommend texting this post to your BFFs and getting on the list for 2018 tickets.  

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LIFE MUSKOKA

So Long Sweet Summer 2017 ☀️

So Long Sweet Summer 2017 ☀️

This weekend was so lovely. Spent a bunch of time sitting outside staring at the lake. Went out on my stand-up paddleboard. Had a great BBQ and family dinner. Pie and Kawartha Dairy vanilla ice cream. Slept in. Took naps. New book. Drank hot coffee & read magazines in the still morning sun. The weather was the best we’ve had all summer.

Let’s hope we have a few more great days. Soak up that sunshine. Let it charge your batteries!

Here’s to a great week!

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LIFE

Hot Fun in the Summertime! 

It was SOOOOO nice out yesterday. Biked down to the office. Put in some directors notes on a spot then packed up and met Lauren in the park. There were heaps of people hanging out and enjoying what’s left of summer.

Look for my face on Queen West!

This weekend we’re up at the cottage for what is looking like the best weekend of the year. Got a cute mani yesterday. Can’t wait to take my SUP board out on the lake. 

Here’s to a great weekend w/ lots of laughs, love, and sunshine! ☀️❤️✌?

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