byMINISTRY Enlightened Dining Club

I recently attended a new kind of dinner with amazing food that was infused with cannabis (THC & CBD). The entire experience was highly curated to take us on a journey through incredible food and unique experience. The team at byMINISTRY aims to show how cannabis can be integrated into life through food & drink, culture, and wellness. They’re taking your plant-forward lifestyle to a higher place and I am here for it. The Experience Sean and I arrived to be greeted with a non-infused temperance cocktail as there was no alcohol on site. Before each course, the chef (Ted Corrado) walked us through what we were about to eat and if it contained CBD or THC. It was nice to learn about the food before eating it, including how the mushrooms were foraged or fish arrived at our plates.

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Cali Sober & The Holidays

Here’ an excerpt from a piece I wrote for Twisted Extracts about the term ‘Cali Sober‘ and the holidays. If you’re not familiar with the new-ish term, it’s essentially not drinking (or drinking less) but still using cannabis. When I learned it at the Pretty Elevated event a while back I thought ‘hey, that’s me!’. I shared some thoughts on how the holidays are often all about drinking and to have some other options than beer and wine at your holiday hangout. Scroll down to read a snippet or check out the whole article on twistedextracts.com here. Side note, if you haven’t tried Twisted Extracts, I highly recommend them! I absolutely love their cara-melts or jelly bombs that come in CBD, THC, or a 1:1 combo. They’re the perfect dosage and the CBD is good quality. RESHARED FROM TWISTED EXTRACTS, READ IN FULL HERE: I’m not here to define exactly what sobriety means to you, but navigating the holidays as someone who doesn’t drink can be a bit awkward. Drinking culture is such a big part of society and I think it’s time to redefine holiday hosting without all the booze. This year, if you are hosting a holiday get together, please have other options than just beer or wine for your guests. Making a signature cocktail? Try creating a temperance cocktail or an option without alcohol. If there’s someone who isn’t drinking, be considerate of their choices, and if they don’t mention it, don’t pry with questions. We all have our own reasons for making changes, maybe they’re not drinking that night, that month, or ever again. That’s their decision to make! If you’re attending holiday events, be respectful of where and when you are using cannabis. Check with your host to see if they have a preferred place…

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CBD: What Works For Me

I’ve been asked about CBD a bunch over the past few months so I’ve finally put down some thoughts. This post is IN NO WAY medical, I am not a professional, this my personal experience. You should 100% consult some kind of professional before trying something for medical purposes. You can’t go wrong with someone who can tell you the difference between cbg and cbd, and their different medical uses. On the other hand, if you are already familiar with the cannabis plant or have been self-medicating for some period of time, you’ll enjoy this! The photo above is from Sugar High Love Stoned and I bought the sweater while I was writing this post. ? I’ve tried a bunch of products and these are my favorites. There are HEAPS of products out there, my recommendation is to get any cannabis product from somewhere credible or recommended by a trusted friend. If you are using CBD for a specific reason such as your an athlete, then I suggest you go to aethics for specialist products. A lot of beauty, health, food products are coming out claiming to have cannabis or CBD, where it could be low-grade CBD or hemp seed oil. You can also get help derived CBD products, which can be confusing. My friend Ama Scriver wrote a great piece on cannabis and the beauty industry for healthline.com here. CBD To Calm Down + Focus + Sleep Aurora CBD Liquid Gels Product: Small gel capsules, each with 8.5mg of CDB and 0.3mg of THC. You can find them at Nova Cannabis on Queen, OCS, or through your accredited Licenced Producer. They look like mini Advil. Thoughts: These are great. The THC content is pretty low (0.3mg) so they don’t make me high, just relaxed. I find they’re good when…

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Podcast: #WiththeJoneses – Episode 3 – The OG #Blondetourage

Last week, my bff  Lauren O’Nizzle and I were on the Jones Media Podcast – Keeping Up with the Joneses. It was super fun! If you know Lauren and I or have been on the internet for a long time, you’ll enjoy this. We talk a lot about influencers, brand partnerships, and how social media has changed over the 10 years we’ve been friends. This week on Keeping Up with the Joneses, we have Casie Stewart and Lauren Neil in conversation about starting as OG bloggers, tweet ups, their first paid gigs, how they transitioned into today’s influencer culture and tips for parents on how to engagement their kids in conversations about the internet.  Memory Lane – Stuff Mentioned in Podcast Thanks for tuning in! I’ve opened up comments on this post to feel free to leave one if while listening!

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Pack Your Bags! Earn More Miles with Aeroplan

Over the last few years, I’ve had some amazing adventures with Aeroplan. In this post, I’m excited to share that Aeroplan has a booking tool that will help you earn more miles, faster. Making Memories with Aeroplan Looking through travel photos gives me so much joy. I was browsing iCloud finding photos for this post and was reminded of how travelling is truly one of the greatest things in life. You learn so much about yourself, other cultures, and it enriches your life, leaving you lasting memories. Portugal 2018: On this day I took a bus tour around Lisbon by myself, listening to facts about history and architecture. I went shopping, ate a fresh Portuguese egg tart by the Belem Tower, and had ice cream on the beach. I took heaps of photos of the city and hardly any of myself. When I think back to this moment I was so warm and free, happy in the sunshine. It was one of my all-time favourite adventures with Aeroplan. If you’re heading to Lisbon and looking for some tips, check out this post. Aeroplan’s Booking Tool In addition to earning Aeroplan Miles on flights and purchases, Members can earn miles with 250,000 hotels and more than 11,000 car rental locations in 50 countries. You also earn miles on bookings made through aeroplan.com when you book using cash. My friend did the same when booking her trip to Crete, she then checked out e-mietwagenkreta for car rental deals, so I hear and it just made her trip so much better. “travel has never been easier and more achievable” Aeroplan They’ve made it super convenient and enhanced the online experience so you can add multiple items to your shopping cart and check out with ease. One of my favourite ways to earn is…

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Sometimes I Don’t Feel Like It #17

Next month my blog is 14 years old, can you believe that? I’ve been building my little piece of the internet and sharing stories longer than the time I’ve had this blog. Before WordPress, there was Blogger, MySpace, and MSN Spaces. I love sharing and being an ‘internet person’ but it can take a toll on you. I love it most the time, but sometimes, I don‘t feel like it. It’s Not Easy Being On The Internet It’s crazy the things people say on the internet when they’ve got a screen barrier to give them extra confidence. Often forgetting there’s a human on the other side, manning the comments. Like, a real human being with feelings. One little comment can stay in your head all day or a tweet can jump right through the screen and punch you in the heart. The other day I tweeted how ‘Having a sister is legit the best.” and a friend replied, “Yes it was”. I had to fight back tears. I know he lost his sister and maybe was having a hard day, I was too. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I called my sister crying. This comment made me think how ‘influencer culture’ has kinda made the internet worse. This was in response to a post I shared about #PinkShirtDay with Telus. I didn’t have to post about it, I wanted to. Telus has a great program and is invested in making a difference in communities across Canada. I love this about them. It seems like everything is sponsored these days. Is it bad? I don’t know! To each their own! We all have the ability to curate our feeds and if you think someone has too many sponsored posts, mute or unfollow them. Your feed, your life. I started…

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Planty Places in Toronto

Last night I went deep into a hole of finding and following Instagram accounts that are beautiful plants and planty places. Scrolling through Instagram content has become so much easier now that you can put multiple links in Instagram bio. I’m sure a lot of you at home will be desperate to do this too! Some were very easy to find because they had large followings on platforms like Instagram. Although, I did wonder if they had used Buzzoid.com to achieve such fantastic figures. Over the last month, I’ve really pared down everything I personally own and cleaned TF out of my bedroom, closet, and set up a new home office space. It’s been a lot of work, to say the least. I want to reward myself and bring life to the space with MORE PLANTS. This post is not sponsored I was just looking for some planty places in Toronto and I put them here because I found some really good stuff! Allan Gardens Conservatory Warm, beautiful, green, great spot to lift your spirits, take some photos, and make you forget it’s arctic outside. This place has a long history you can read about on toronto.ca. The have 2 Tropical Houses, a Cool Temperate House, Palm House, Tropical Landscape House and the Arid House which has unusual cacti and succulents. It’ open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days/year, with free admission, and is wheelchair accessible. Super cute for dates or BFF hangs. Afternoon sun is best. I’m sure I’ve been there since this photo was taken on a cold day in November, 2011 for FAJO Magazine. I loved those Jeffrey Campbell shoes from Nasty Gal so much. Plant World THERE IS A PLANT SALE FOR ALL OF THIS MONTH. Saw this on FB and you can find more…

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Great Reasons to Visit Stratford, Ontario

A couple weeks ago I went on an autumn adventure to Stratford, Ontario.  Home of Justin Bieber and the Stratford Festival, the city has lots to offer and is just a 2hr drive from downtown Toronto. We have so many great plces to visit within a 2hr drive of Toronto and it was so nice to visit Stratford again. I hadn’t been since I was a kid! I spent the day with Stratford Tourism and learned it’s quite the quaint destination for culture, food, shopping, and of course theatre. I was happy to find a few cute boutiques with vintage finds, local brands, unique jewellery, and beautiful housewares. Luckily I drove so I had room to fit my purchases in the boot!  What to Do: Stratford Ontario Here’s a few of the things I really loved about Stratford aside from catching a show. If theatre is your jam it’s definitely worth seeing one of the many nightly shows, we saw To Kill A Mockingbird which was great. (I did not know this story which is like whoaaa btw). The Stratford Festival is world renowned and for $29 you can get a bus to and from the theatre from Downtown Toronto. Upcoming shows include Billy Elliot, Othello, The Neverending Story and more. See the full list here. Shopping La Osa Vintage – This store is amazing. It’s on a side street from Market Square and FULL of vintage and new items from Canadian designers. They also carry heaps of unique jewellery. I could have really lit some $$$ on ??? in there! Wills & Prior – This spot in the heart of Market Square has heaps of beautiful items for your home. The owner used to live in TO and work in PR and she’s left the city for small-town life. I was kinda jealous hearing about her journey and the…

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San Francisco: 5 Great Things to Do

There’s no shortage of things to do in San Francisco, you have the water, the Wharf, the city, parks the hills, and over 3,500 restaurants. The key is finding a few ways to see the city with enough time to explore. If I’m on a short trip to a new city, I like to pick 3-5 things I really want to see and give myself lots of time to do it. That way I can leave early in the day and take the scenic route, enjoy meals, take streets without a map, and follow the sunshine. In this list, you’ll find five great things to do in San Francisco if you’re on a short trip but want to see a lot. I’ve also included my runner-up for street art and FOOD.  Fisherman’s Wharf & The Grotto  There is no shortage of great food in SF but if you’re looking for fresh (and sustainably served) seafood, you’ll want to book a table here. The Grotto was first opened in 1935 and the first sit down restaurant at Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s recently been renovated, restoring many of the original features, giving a modern touch to the 1930’s decor. Here you’ll find great views of the bay, the bridge, and boats while taking in the incredible menu by Executive Chef Paul Bruno. Make sure you check out the new beehive on the roof as you walk in the dining area, it’s not be missed! Golden Gate Bridge & Alcatraz Tour I was keen on getting to Alcatraz and biking across the bridge but found myself a bit short on time. I found the perfect way to get some sun and see the sighs from the water with Blue & Gold Boat Tour. Over the course of an hour, you’ll get a great view of the city from the bay, get up close to the bridge…

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Bueno Has an Awesome Trip Giveaway Right Now. ✈️ You Should Enter!

I spent a while going through all my travel posts to write this one. I love adventure and travel, going places and discovering new things. It makes me feel alive. I’m in a constant state of ‘where and I going next?!’. Heard about the Bueno Getaway contest and had to tell you about it. Aside from winning an amazing trip, you will probably get some chocolate! I’ve loved Bueno since I was a kid, the soft, creamy, hazelnut goodness just melts in your mouth. You should enter, the prize is a trip to one of 15 incredible places in the world valued at $8,500. I’d so love to visit all the great places on the Bueno Getaway:   Paris, Cape Town, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Nairobi, Goa, Xi’an (Terracotta Army), Lisbon, Moscow,  Lima, Santiago. I’ve been to the North American destinations Austin, TX, NYC, and Tulum. There’s 3 easy steps to enter the contest:   Pick your continent Choose your destination Enter your PIN  Take the Bueno Quiz to Find Out Your Dream Destination It’s my dream to one day visit Marrakesh, Morocco. The winning trip there is described so beautifully, totally sounds like my kind of adventure. Marrakesh, Morocco:Living on the edge, everything for the moment, a walking “yolo”: these are just a few ways to describe your philosophy on life. (Right?!!!) Funny enough, they are also a few ways to describe the culture of Marrakesh. Your adventure could start in the ancient Medina Market, overwhelmed by craftsmen and artists. It could continue in Ville Nouvelle, where you’d explore dinner featuring flavours you never dreamed existed. There is only one constant in Marrakesh: beautiful unpredictability. A Few of My Fav Trips Travelling gives you a feeling you can’t get anywhere else, it takes you places physically but also mentally, it opens your mind to new experiences, people, and food. These are…

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Valentines Day | Do You Have Kissability?

It’s Valentine’s Day and I know it’s cheezy, but I love it all! ? Hearts on everything, love in the air, planning secret things for someone you love. I sent Sean a V-Day gift on Tuesday because I couldn’t wait till the weekend. Show love all year, right? According to the latest Emervel Kissability Report, Canadians are a pretty kissable bunch. Raise your hand if you’ve kissed a Canadian? I know I have! ??? 80% of Canadians rated their last kissing partner as “very or somewhat kissable,” and respondents said they lock lips with their partner about three times a day on average. I can tell you, I kiss his beard as much as I can, I just can’t help myself! Scroll for some interesting stats about kissing and making those lips more kissable.

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Cottage Life | Video + Wood, Boats, Dock, A Fall Beard

[youtube id=”uEihYSAjbKA”] This weekend we did a few big jobs involved with closing up the cottage. On thanksgiving morning we took the big boat out of the water (which involved me driving the truck with big trailer attached). Add that to my skills! Once the boat was away we stacked HEAPS of wood. Skills include driving truck w/ massive trailer. pic.twitter.com/WauYIFPu1j — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) October 12, 2015 Was pretty exhausted after so Sean and I took a break and I did a festive thanksgiving take on the ‘flower beard’ we did in Calgary this summer. So cute. We stacked HEAPS of wood. It’s was big job but the weather was nice, worked up quite a sweat. Last task of the day was taking out the other small boat and the dock. We put on wetsuits and went for it. I think we were both surprised we did it by ourselves (and my strength!). Sean is strong, my muscles are not as good for heavy lifting. Over the winter I’m planning to work on my editing skills so I can make more + better videos. I would love if you subscribe! Kowing you’re subscribed motivates me to work harder and produce more entertaining things for you. I’ve also signed up for Skillshare, if you use this link you can sign up for a free month. I figure this year I should learn some new skills/perfect old ones instead of just sitting on the couch or Netflix & chilling. 😛

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Today in #Toronto: Tattoos, Water, Wine, Bikes, Blue Skies

Out on my bike this morning to put on a basket before hitting the road. I’ve got 2 things on today: EskaQuest giveaway w/ Eska Water at 2pm in Yorkville – find me first to win a $300 GC to StillWater Spa at the Park Hyatt Vintage Ink Wine presents: GENERATIONS, a celebration of tattoo culture through art at 99 Sudbury. It’s open to the public and you’re invited. Other than that, the day is mine! Gonna bike around and see what I can find.  Took a look at the new-ish street art under the bridge on Bloor at Dundas. It was all done a couple weeks ago and worth checking out. A bunch of Toronto artists’ work to see. Went on lock up and found my Schwinn Twinn! In case you missed it this week, I’ve been welcomed to the Schwinn Team as an official ambassador. They hooked me up with a sweet bike! Picked this one out, it suits me, good for cruising the city and just needs that basket. Bike selfie is dangerous but I’ve got it locked down. The city workers were taking down all the street art near the new Union Pearson Express station at Bloor-Dundas. I asked what was happening to it all and GO was giving some away but decided to keep it all. I would have dragged this one home and taken it to the cottage. I’ve been writing this while circling the Dollar Store for zip ties and now I’m gonna go riding. The PanAm Opening Ceremony last night was really neat. Loved watching all the athletes walk in. I posed a bunch of photos etc on twitter.com/casiestewart. Have an awesome day! CASIE ??

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Up Up & Away! 

Today Sean and I travelled to Calgary. ✈️🇨🇦👍🏼  It’s been two years since I was in this fine city and I’m happy to be back.    This week we’ve got a fun itinerary of arts & culture activities in Calgary. We’re shooting them all with Tourism Calgary and the video will be on their website once finished.     Got a nice new mani and passport yesterday. We have 10 year passports in Canada now but I only renewed mine for 5 years so I can get a new photo! I know mum will have a chuckle reading this. 😉    One of my fav travel accessories, cosmetics bag by Ted Baker.     Why does this July cover say Bruce?? Been loving this little shoes sent to me by Toms. The Huarache sandal is made in Mexico and comes in dove (off white) leather and black. They’re really comfortable. Pretty sure I had a similar pair as a kid.    I love traveling together. 💛  We’re staying at Hotel Arts, a boutique hotel downtown Calgary. I stayed here about 2 years ago and since, they’ve put $7 million into renovations. We’ve got a beautiful suite with kitchen, balcony, living room, and 2 closets so we can have one each.       Looking forward to a few days of fun activities. Follow me on Twitter @casiestewart for all the fun!  💛🇨🇦✈️ ✌🏼️😎 CASIE

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