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Casie February 4, 2022 2022

Bars Are Open Again: Hemingways!

Went for dinner with Erin & Natalie at Hemingway’s. Was nice to be out! I had fish & chips and it was kinda greasy (obvs) but I wanted something that reminded me of New Zealand. Wore a cute outfit and wasn’t out late. Sean picked me up at 8:30 and I got takeaway tacos. My last visit there was summer 2021 when bars opened after lockdown, Natalie and I had a ball of a time lol. If you’ve been reading my blog a long while you’ll know I used to work at Hemingway’s 10+ years ago. I love that place and all the New Zealand nostalgia. Always a good time!

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Casie July 15, 2021 2021

Day 497: FULLY VACCINATED.

You’re looking at the face of a Toronto woman who is fully vaccinated. Had the afternoon off work to get my 2nd dose of Pfizer and biked down to St. Joseph’s Hospital for my appointment. Pretty smooth process, everyone was nice, I wore a dress. On my ride home I stopped into my new favourite takeaway shop in Roncy, Sunnyside Provisions. It’s really cute, they have heaps of local food, soups, sandwiches, snacks, beer & wine. I got the roast beef sandwich (incredible!), local fish for dinner, a couple of cocktails, and a Flake bar for dessert. (As kids we used to get Cadbury Flake bars sent from our fam in New Zealand, they were so hard to find here!) Sean is still up at the cottage until tomorrow. I’ve got a half-day on Friday and plan to do next to nothing all weekend. My reaction to the first vaccine was brutal and I was sick for three days. Really hope that doesn’t happen again but if it does, I’m prepared. Please stay safe out there. This weekend we pass 500 days and the sooner we all get vaccinated, we can hopefully have some type of normal-ish life. Whatever that means, I’ve never been normal! Sending love,

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Casie June 11, 2021 LIFE TORONTO

Day 453: Patios Are Open!

The day has finally come! Patios are open in Toronto so of course, I went to one! Natalie and I met up for a girl’s night and snagged a spot at Hemingway’s. I used to work there over a decade ago and it hadn’t been back in ages. It was nice to be back and we had a bunch of drinks, so fun. One of the bartenders I used to work with was still there and we laughed a lot. Hemingways is owned by a Kiwi and there is memorabilia from new Zealand all over, love it. Over the summer, I’ve booked off Friday afternoon so pretty excited to make the most of an almost-long weekend, every weekend. Woo hoo!

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Day 269: Instagram Verified!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, today is a special day because I now have the coveted blue checkmark of IG of verification! I’d like to thank me for all my hard work over the years, and not giving up on me, and for staying committed to my goals. Ha! Jk, I worked with a friend at an agency who helped initiate the process. I’m now verified on Twitter (2012) and Instagram (2020). If you haven’t seen Snoop give this award speech where he thanks himself, you’re welcome. Getting verified made me think about some of the cool stuff I’ve done over the years. The process involved submitting a bunch of references to verify my work and who I am in the world. If you ever wanna do a deep creep, I have another website at casiestewat.biz with speaking, directing, brand partnerships (over 100!), and press/media over the years. Here’s a little hilight of some videos, awards, commercials, etc. Canadian Academy – Academy Social Looking back, this was a pretty neat experience and I don’t think they ever did this section of the awards as a separate event again. I was up against someone I really wanted to beat and was SO NERVOUS I would lose. I remember drinking too much that night to try and escape the anxiety. The Canadian Academy awards (Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television) are kinda like the Canadian version of the Oscars, awarding excellence in film, TV, and digital. Sunwing Commercial We shot this over a 4 day stay in Mexico. One day to rest once we arrived, 2 days to shoot (all on iPhone!), and 3/4 of one day to rest before leaving. It was a fun shoot but very busy. The whole team was great to work with. This commercial ran during the Superbowl…

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Day 237: Leopard Loving Lady

Sean and I drove back to the city in the AM so we could pick up Emily after school. I took a long walk in the late afternoon and stopped by the Bathing Belle Studio for a visit. My bff Michelle just started working there and I’m so happy because Bathing Belle makes the NICEST SWIMSUITS I’VE EVER WORN. In other news, I got this great coat at a second-hand shop in New Zealand and it’s been hanging in my room ever since. Decided it was time to bust it out! Tomorrow I’m meeting April at the Hippie Market and she’s going to spend the week at the cottage with me. I can’t wait!

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Day 198: Love Yourself First

Spent the morning with calls and meetings then went to the 1188 office to work for a bit. I cleaned out my desk there a few weeks ago to de-personalize it, the desks work more like co-working now. People aren’t really coming into the office much these days but if someone needs to for production or a meeting, there’s space. It was so nice and warm out once 3pm hit I had to get outside. I think it’s the last summer0like day we’re gonna have…for a while. Stopped into Visit Zane for a little hangout, Zane is one of my oldest friends in the city. We’re both from Cambridge and used to hang out in high school! Next, I had a margarita in the sun on the Squirly”s patio, read my book a bit, and caught up with an old friend in New Zealand over DM. Forgot I had this great shirt from LX Factory in Lisbon, it says “The love of my life is myself.” You gotta LOVE YOURSELF before you can truly love anyone else. Y’know?! The weather was perfect so I decided to walk back to the house in the Junction Triangle. It was lovely but my feet were not a fan, walking 7km in platform Converse is not recommended. Spotted some Briony street art along the way!

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Day 115: Kia Ora

Today we made our way back up to the cottage with Emily for a few days. In the afternoon I went to town and pick up supplies. This is one of my fav masks by Evan Biddell. Crazy how masks are a fashion statement now eh?! I chatted with mum and I feel like each day she has a new excitement about being retired. Yesterday she said she was looking into learning Maori again as she spoke it when she was in New Zealand. Reckon it might be a bit harder for me to learn but there are always a few things I remember from learning when I was little or talking with family. ‘Kia Ora‘ is the most commonly used Maori saying in New Zealand, a way to say ‘hello’.

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South Western Ontario Road Trip!

This week I’m making my way from Toronto to Cambridge, then to Leamington, Ontario visiting my family along the way. I’m really excited to visit my dad’s new house. He’s lived there for 2 years and I’ve never been! Leamington is the most southern point in Ontario, on the same latitude as Northern California, with a slightly warmer climate than Toronto. The last time I saw dad was in the summer when he came to the city in his hot rod. I’m looking forward to hanging out tomorrow and exploring the area. Ford Canada lent me a 2020 Ford Edge for the week. This vehicle is a great compact SUV, it’s good on gas, has a great system, and I’m in love with the heated steering wheel. I’ll share a more thorough review of the car after my trip this week. I drove around the city quite a bit this past weekend visiting my sister, hanging with friends, and helping a friend move some new furniture. Today I’m going to my hometown (Cambridge, ON) to spend some time with mum. I can’t wait to see the house renovations and spend the night in my childhood home. It’s always an adventure at home, especially going through my old stuff in the basement. It takes about 4 hours to get to dad’s from Toronto so I’ve downloaded Jessica Simpson’s ‘Open Book‘ on Audible and I can’t wait to listen. I’ll also catch up on The Papaya Podcast and listen to my favs on Spotify. I love road trips and being in the car by myself. The last time I took a long solo drive was in New Zealand two years ago. It’s a great way to clear your head and get some perspective. I’m hoping to come back with a few new…

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Found on Film: Memories from Bondi Beach, Australia

Last week I took a couple mystery disposable cameras to be developed and one was from Australia in 2004 while I was at university. It’s crazy to think how many apartments and places this camera has been. My life has changes to much but this year was such an important time of my life. Let’s go back in time, this is pre-blog and social media, I was 21. I decided to go to Australia because it was the furthest place away from Canada. I’d always felt a down under connection my family is from NZ and I am New Zealand citizen. My BFF Cheryl and I both had no idea wtf we wanted to do after college so this was a really great option. We could drag out school for another year, spent it in Australia (hello beaches & babes!), and turn our marketing diploma into a degree. Australia is just full of amazing beaches and the best way to experience them is to hire a campervan from somewhere like campervan hire Brisbane, so that you can park up metres away from the sand and sea. That way, you’ve always got everything you need and you save so much money on accommodation, as well as having some amazing views. I think this exact day was the first time we went to Bondi Beach. These were taken at the top of the hill before you go around the bend and see the water. It’s so beautiful, if you haven’t been, I highly recommend it. One of the most beautiful and magical places. Cheryl and I ended up making friends with some people who lived in the white building overlooking Bondi Icebergs. There were so many internationals living there, it was like nothing I’d ever seen. So many people in their 20’s,…

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Interview: Vocab Comm Influencer Tuesdays

I recently did an interview w/ Chrissy, longtime friend, OG PR, and founder of Vocab Comm. I talk about the social media landscape, influencers, and my career. I included part of the interview below, read the whole thing here. Chrissy used to host MMVA and celebrity gifting lounges at the beginning of social media, we worked together on a few. This was a fun one. Tell us a little about yourself. I grew up in Cambridge, Ontario. My parents immigrated here from New Zealand and my dad had a custom Hot Rod shop growing up. I created my first business in grade 2 and at 14 I wrote a book and started a publishing company. I went to Conestoga College and last year was given an Alumni Award for my work from the President of the college. I went to university in Australia and have a B. Com in International Business. I have lived in Toronto since 2005 when I started my blog. Through my blog, I’ve built some amazing brand partnerships (Pepsi, Telus, Aeroplan, Sassoon) and traveled to incredible amazing places in the world (Thailand, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Disneyland). How do you define an influencer? I think the word ‘influencer’ has really taken on a whole new (kinda negative) meaning with the rise of Instagram influencers. To me, influence is a product of something someone does. It’s not something you get by having a lot of followers. My influence has grown from being a pioneer in a new industry and constantly innovating. I share my life with the world and love discovering new things, my influence comes from building trust with my audience. What advice do you have for other people looking to become an online influencer? Don’t do it. Find something you love and do that! Don’t…

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Hello 2019!

Here’s a little update with what I’ve been up to so far this year, my latest Sunwing commercial, and some Netflix recos for the winter storm that’s coming this weekend. I’m prepping to stay inside for more hibernation! First up, I’m doing quite a bit better with the collarbone and took some much needed time off over the holidays. I got new x-rays today and my bone is healing slowly with no complications. Thankful it’s winter and totally a-ok to stay home for days on end in lazy clothes. Sean and I went to the cottage for almost a week during New Years and it was the perfect break from everything. We kept warm by the fire, watched movies on DVD, and went for walks on the frozen lake. Woke up New Years Day feeling fresh and ready for a new year. 2018 started pretty rough. I was in New Zealand with mum and on New Year’s Eve, I accidentally put diesel in the gas car the on New Year’s Eve. I was stressed out and upset when I got gas. I’d never done that before and hopefully won’t do it again! However, the car was toast! ? We had to have a flatbed truck come to our cabin in the park to bring a new car and take the old one. I was hungover, embarrassed, and frustrated. It also set us back a few hours on our trip to see Nana. The first 2 weeks of the year were pretty stressful as we spent time with family and Nana before she passed away. It was a hard time to go through but it also brought us closer. After all 2018’s ups and downs, I was ready to start 2019 with nothing but positive vibes. I’ve watched heaps of great…

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You Are My Sunshine, My Summertime, My Love

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. 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…

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Amazon Prime Day is Today – Get 5x Aeroplan Miles!!

I look forward to Prime Day each summer! I bought my first Instant Pot on Prime Day years ago and I’ve been obsessed ever since. If you’re an Aeroplan Member, you can earn you 5x the Aeroplan Miles on Prime Day this year. Think about that for a hot second, get amazing deals AND rack up those miles! DYK what day it is tomorrow? Prime Day #PrimeDay gotta get deals on #PrimeDay ! So what i love amazon prime ok. pic.twitter.com/5RgkaFiFBo — CASIE STEWART ?? (@casiestewart) July 15, 2018 I’ve been earning Miles w/ Aeroplan as long as I can remember because mum was keen on getting any help we could in order to visit the fam back in New Zealand. I really love Amazon Deals and Amazon, in general, it’s such a great addition to life. An easy way to get just about anything sent to you in a day or two. If you don’t have a Prime Membership, sign up here. I love the future! Amazon Prime + Aeroplan Details WHAT IS AMAZON PRIME? The basic benefits of being a prime member are FREE 2-day shipping, access to Prime Video (Man in the High Castle, Mozart in the Jungle Transparent), access to Prime Music, AND special deals on Prime Day! There are over 100,000 deals across heaps of categories like electronics, fashion housewares, and more. How it works: Amazon + Aeroplan Visit aeroplan.com/estore Using the search function on the page, find Amazon.ca Enter your Aeroplan number and last name Click on the ‘Shop Now’ button to be redirected to Amazon.ca. GET ALL THE DEALS. Happy shopping! The Aeroplan eStore promotion starts on Prime Day and lasts until July 18th. Prime Day starts at 3pm ET on Monday, July 16 This week is an exciting one, today is Prime…

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Portugal: Europe’s Hottest Destination for 2018

I’ve always dreamed of summer in Europe and although I’ve travelled to heaps of countries, I’ve never done a Euro trip. I KNOW! Well, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. As part of my ongoing partnership with Aeroplan, tomorrow I’m heading to PORTUGAL. We leave mid-month and we’re back on the 30th. Have I said I’m excited, yet? I was originally heading to Paris with Sean but that trip is a little delayed and I’m so glad this worked out. It’s a great feeling to text your friend and say ‘hey want to come to Europe this summer?’. Ahhhhh pinch me, it’s times like this I’m like omg, this is my life! I am so excited. Portugal is the hottest spot to go this summer, just check your Facebook feed or of your fav online celebs and they’re all checking in to Lisboa, Porto, Sintra, and beautiful coastal beaches. Yesterday I was reading this article on W Magazine and it’s one of many about how Portugal is THE SPOT to be. We’ve planned out most of the adventure but I’ve left a few days up in the air to figure out as we go. I love not having a plan and the freedom to make things up as we learn more about secret beaches, hidden hideaways, and locals only spots. If you have any food & drink recommendations, family, friends, hotels, Airbnb, vacation properties, restaurant owner friends, anything, PLEASE COMMENT. We have a Google doc and Slack set up to manage everything (yes, we are nerds) so I will add all of your suggestions. So far we’re arriving in Lisbon, going to Sintra, then to Porto, we’ve got a few days with no plan, then back to Lisbon before coming home. We’re gone for almost 2 weeks. It is going to be so hot and…

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Creativity: It’s Always There, You Just Have to Find It

I haven’t written much in the last week. I’ve been busy but I’ve also been tired/lazy. Last week I directed a commercial, went to a conference, and had a press trip. It was non-stop go-go-go and although I relaxed over the weekend, come Monday I felt drained. I love my work and what I do but I am much more of a homebody and introvert than you might realize. I love staying home! Being a blogger (writer) means you spend a lot of time at home on your computer. I’m listening to the Call Me By Your Name Soundtrack, did you see that movie? It’s beautiful. I saw it on one of the flights I’ve taken since January. By the end of February, I’d seen almost every new movie on Air Canada. I was happy to see this one pop up, it’s good. After coming back from New Zealand I was pretty relaxed and ready to start 2018 business. But now, I can’t believe it’s April and I feel like the last two months have been a blur. I was super sick for half of February then I had a week in Vancouver, a week in San Francisco, a couple weekends at the cottage, and few days in Ottawa (Gatineau). Where did the time go?! This weekend we are heading up to the cottage and I can’t wait. Before we head north, I’m attending a creativity workshop with FITC. I’m hoping for an electric charge that inspires me to make things. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine, feeling tired but your creativity is always there, you just have to find it. I’m a very creative person but I go through waves of stopping and starting, staring at my computer, into hour-long blackholes of scrolling FB or IG. It’s easy to get caught…

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Travel Essentials: Don’t forget these on your next trip!

I’ve been travelling a lot this year and have a routine when I pack. I never forget, a hat, an eye mask, thongs (aka flip flops), multiple pairs of sunglasses (no matter what the temperature), a couple scarves, insurance, and my passport. Wardrobe and accessories always depend on where I’m going. Something REALLY important people often forget is INSURANCE. Millennials, I’m lookin’ at you. Apparently, we’re more likely to hop on a plane without insurance (55%) than without our cell phone (45%). Raise your hand if this is you?! In a recent TD Insurance survey, more than 1/3 of Canadians forgot to purchase travel insurance at least once (37%) or said it’s the last thing they think of (36%). Over a third of Canadians think they have travel insurance with their credit card (37%) or their job (37%), but don’t check what coverage they really have. You should definitely double check before you get on that airplane and consider buying a supplemental health insurance policy if you don’t have out of country emergency medical coverage. We’ve all heard stories of people having accidents on trips and you don’t want to rely on a GoFundMe to get you home safe. Almost half of Canadians travel outside the country/province more than once a year. It’s important to have Canada-wide coverage as well as international. DYK that government health plans won’t always cover out-of-province emergency expenses like bringing a family member to see you in hospital, returning you home, or ambulance rides? If you travel heaps like me, check out the TD Annual Plan that covers you for unlimited trips of 9, 17, 30 or 60 days throughout the year. This will save you from *forgetting* insurance again and save you unwanted expenses in the event that something bad happens.

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Go Ahead, Use Your Phone! Telus Has Easy Roam!

Even though I was really glad to be home from New Zealand, I would LOVE to be back there on the beach right now. This winter seems never-ending and I even missed a month of it! While I was away I didn’t miss a beat posting things to the internet. For three weeks I used Google maps as my navigator, Stories, Twitter, and Facebook to share photos, and was able to stay on to of emails. A few people asked about my phone data usage and what plan I had. If you have ever travelled overseas, the phone/data situation can be stressful and very expensive. That was, until now! ? Telus has a great add-on called Easy Roam where for you can use your phone’s regular data plan in over 100 countries. If you’re in the USA, Easy Roam is $7/day and capped at $100 per billing cycle. For international destinations, like New Zealand, the $10/day fee is capped at $150 per billing cycle. Telus Easy Roam lets you use your Canadian rate plan while travelling in the US and 100+ international destinations – now and on all future trips. Honestly, this is such a good deal. I remember travelling to the states for a weekend and a friend racked up $1,000 because she didn’t have a data plan like this. The good things is, you’re only charged for days that you access your Canadian plan in your destination. So, if you don’t need to use your Canadian data plan (hellooo wifi!) you’re not charged. While in NZ, I had wifi at almost every place I stayed, so that helped for nighttime/morning scrolling (just like home haha). Safe to say, I didn’t go over my monthly data and or get a shocker of a bill when I came home. If you’re planning a winter…

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Theres A Butterfly In There Somewhere!

It’s crazy that when everything is going great you can also feel like everything is crumbling. I don’t mean Murphy’s Law but like just life, in general, has this up and down thing as much as you try to keep a plateau. This week I had two great things come to the table, one that I have been working on in the background of everything else for years, and another potential opportunity to do something I used to do well. I was feeling good about it but I’m at the point in my career that I don’t get too excited until I have the cheque in my bank or a signed contract and we’re making the thing. There was a time I’d get sooo excited about an email. I’d ring mum at work and be like ‘omg mum guess what?” and go on about how someone from some company or tv station sent an email about doing a thing. Sometimes it turned out and sometimes it didn’t. I don’t count chickens anymore. Yesterday I woke up barely breathing with a deathly chest cold and it was hard to talk. The whole day was been hard because being sick makes everything harder. I had to cancel 2 meetings. 1 of which I first cancelled last week because I was sick. I’m going on day 7. I feel really bad about cancelling twice and even worse because I’m sick and I can’t help it. I took the photo above while sitting on the floor in my living room with the camera on the back of a chair. I’ve been wearing this vintage wolf shirt for at least 24 hours and I feel like complete garbage. I put on makeup to go to shoppers to get cough medicine to make myself feel better but tbh…

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Let’s Talk

Three events today. Ignore…. 33 Facebook notifications. Too many unread emails. Twitter notifications. Instagram notifications. Unread messages. It’s overwhelming. Then add on [that you’ve been keeping a public diary about your life for a decade and] all kinds of people who don’t really know you who think they ‘like totally’ know you because they’ve known you for 5+ years. They know about the cottage and people, places, things, thoughts. Boyfriends, birthdays, best friends. They’ve had babies and you’d recognize their kids now, but you don’t really know them. They know you, part of you, the sunshiney part where you’re always smiling and wearing bright colours, or going somewhere great looking good. They don’t see behind the screen, in the pile of clothes or messy closet. The days when you just can’t even, when you think about leaving the house. Or going to that event. When all you want to really do is stay home and cook in your kitchen or go to yoga because it makes you feel better. I feel like I need a break and maybe it’s the winter blues talking post vacation SAD*. Maybe it’s because I’m on the waitlist for yoga at noon. Maybe it’s Time’s Up or Me Too. I don’t know. It’s freezing outside and blowing snow gives limited visibility. It’s also Bell Let’s Talk and Spring is just a few weeks away. It’s ok not to be ok. I’m not always ok. The last few weeks have been really hard. The trip to New Zealand was super fucking hard. My nana died and one of my uncles was being super controlling from the day I arrived to the point where I blocked him on Facebook. Travelling with your mum is not easy. I cried a lot for the first week of the trip. I cried…

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Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful

Hellooooooo! Hope you had a nice weekend. Mine was pretty quiet and it started with me not feeling so great on Friday. I spent most the day in bed and had a quiet night. On Saturday morning I went to yoga and made some stuff in the kitchen. I used the Instant Pot to make a great black bean soup, the most delicious Instant Pot rice infused with coconut oil, and bran muffins. On Saturday afternoon a few friends and I went to my friend’s Aunt’s vintage shop and played dress up. It was so fun! On Sunday I was also a slug and hardly did anything. We finished watching Unibomber which I highly recommend. On Sunday night I watched The Grammys which I thought were pretty boring. Next, we watched Get Out which was crazy and super good. Real edge of your seat thriller that gave me nightmares. This week I have two things planned I’m really looking forward to. I signed up and bought my own tickets. This year I’m continuing my personal mantra to do more self-care and these kinds of events are right up that alley. Tuesday – Practical Magic: Awakening Your Self-Healing Potential hosted by She Does the City Wednesday – Bad Girls Colelctive, Read 005 – The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion – Wine + Cheese + Women + Words THE READ: Votes are in. We’ll be closing the year off finding perspective with Joan Didion and her Year of Magical Thinking. Now read women! #Read005 A post shared by Bad Girls Book Club (@badgirlscollective) on Nov 27, 2017 at 9:22am PST

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JUST HOLD ON WE’RE GOING HOME: live blog from 35,000ft!

Helloo! I’m on United flight 916 from Auckland, New Zealand to San Francisco, California. Mum and I are watching Battle of the Sexes movie about the Billie Jean King story. For years I’ve had a Billie Jean King quote framed on my wall that was given to me by mum when I was a teenager. Perfect timing for this movie considering what’s happening in the world right now. As the plane took off I put through an order for a ‘Time’s Up’ shirt via PayPal on my phone. Mum thought that was pretty cool and such a ‘me’ thing to do as the plane was taking off. As we were boarding I got a notification a new game of HQ Trivia was starting. I’ve got mum hooked on it this trip. We haven’t got higher than 7 questions but what does it matter?! we both love Scotty (the hilar host) and we have a bunch of laughs every single time. Passport in 1 hand @ScottRogowsky in the other. Boarding in AKL heading to SFO! HQ BABYYYYYY! pic.twitter.com/JJPK4vzzI7 — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) January 15, 2018 Before driving to the airport I bought 2 books of stamps and sent off a pile of postcards I’ve written this trip. I asked people to give me their address and also sent them to people I’ve worked with or haven’t seen in a while. I love travelling so much. Sending postcards is something I’ve been doing the last few years and it always makes me feel great writing them and sending sunshine to people around the world. Sent heaps of postcards before I came to the airport! ??☀️?✌??❤️ pic.twitter.com/pBNxGrS0wO — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) January 15, 2018 This trip was really awesome. I saw parts of NZ I’ve always wanted to and spend a…

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On The Road Again: Palmerston North to Lake Taupo

I spent most of today in the car on a 3hr road trip from Palmerston North to Taupo. Woke up feeling a bit groggy from loud singing Adele with mum after an amazing dinner and few bottles of wine with my cousins. We had so much fun together last night. I love having my family close, getting to know them, making jokes together, them making fun of me, and laughing. This trip has been so exciting. I went to say my last goodbye to nana at the home this morning. She was doing better than yesterday but she’s had quite a decline from the first day I saw her over a week ago. Getting old is sad. Next, we visited my cousin Lisa and gave gifts to her three darling little daughters. It was nice. Lisa came to visit us in Canada when she was 9. Her and my sister used to look so much alike. Lisa is 1/2 Maori and beautiful. Mum is staying in Palmy this week to spend more time with her mum and I’m on the road alone. The best parts of my trip today were stopping at least 10 times to take photos and post things on the internet. A long drive on the open road is nice but I like to take photos so luckily for me, New Zealand has a lot of rest stops. Aside from driving on the other side of the road, it’s pretty challenging because the roads are narrow and twist and wind all over the place. You really have to concentrate. I had my GoPro along for the drive and haven’t even checked the card for that yet. I’m planning to do some data backup and management on the long, nearly 24-hour journey back to Canada. I stopped to take some…

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The Best Fish & Chips Come Wrapped in Paper

The last couple days have been so incredibly lovely. We’ve been staying with Catherine and having so many laughs. The first day we visited nana who was doing ok but she seem’s a bit better. My last update I was feeling super emotional, it was real talk. Happy to report I’m feeling much better now. I’ve been meeting up with cousins and getting to know my family and my heart is full of love. Yesterday we went to Himatangi Beach for a long walk and swim. IT WAS AMAAAAAZING. Both my mum and dad used to go there heaps growing up. My granddad used to have a beach house but I didn’t know which one so I don’t have a photo lol. I walked along with mum, and my cousins Alec (dad), Margot (his daughter), and their two little Scottie dogs. It was so much fun. They call them ‘doggos’! We ran up and down the beach playing with the pups and walking on water while the tide was out. After we stripped down to our togs (kiwi for bathing suit!) and body surfed in the ocean. That night Alec invited us over for dinner and we had a good kiwi bbq w/ salad, potatoes, steak, sausages, and wine. Lots of wine! Mum drove home lol. We all told stories around the table and laughed our heads off. We had more wine back at the house with my other cousins and I loved every minute of it. Doing a good job of making up for lost time while I’m here. Did a pop by and made dinner plans for my mum’s twin brother’s daughter and her family next week (another cousin party!). Today we tried to go to yoga but it was closed for the week. It’s crazy how everything shuts down…

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Hi from Palmerston North, aka Palmy!

Well my friends! It’s been almost 10 days since I’ve been away and it feels like forever! I had a nice time over the weekend at Coromandel with my family and the weather was beautiful. We had fresh fish everyday and I took as much time to read at the beach as possible. It’s lovely here but I can’t help but miss home, I miss everyone, my bf, my house, and even the snow. I’m grateful but it’s been a bit hard. I’m in Pamerston North now which is about 6 hours south from Auckland in the North Island. The air is warm and the air here smells fresh and clean. I love the smell of new Zealand. Yesterday I met some of my cousins for the first time and we shared laughs and stories at a cafe called Baristas. We’re staying with a friend of mum’s, like a sister, and she is so incredibly lovely. An artist who is all about positive energy with a garden full of monarch butterflies, apple & lemon trees, grape vines, and green grass. She also has 5G wifi and I’ve got my own room, so, about as good as it gets! Travelling with a parent is kinda stressful and if you have any tips please share. Stayed at a great Airbnb at Lake Taupo yesterday and then drove to our next destination Palmerston North. We visited my nana yesterday, mum’s mum, who isn’t doing that great and tbh don’t think will be around much longer. I’m glad I was able to bring mum to see her but just the weight of it all is heavy. I’ve cried a lot the last two days. It’s kind of weird being here because a lot of it is familiar from my previous trips but so much…

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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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Paris in the Springtime?

I’m nervous/excited today and that’s my favourite feeling in the world. The feeling you get before something big happens, before you make a significant change or a go on a great adventure. Tomorrow I’m on set for a few scenes of my cameo in a feature film. Yes, me! Huge call sheet with lots of scenes and set times, characters, craft, lighting. So exciting! On Sunday mum and I leave for New Zealand. This is where we are spending 3 days over New Years with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. If you’ve been following, you’ll know Aeroplan covered the tickets for mum and I to go back to NZ. The video I shot with 1188/Aeroplan is now out and I am genuinely so excited. Scroll down to watch it! In other exciting travel news, Aeroplan just launched a new tool for using your Miles to book flights and get travel deals. I’ve been an Aeroplan member since I was a teenager and redeeming miles has been helpful in my adventures. I also have a credit card that helps me earn rewards. I got a chance to check out the site as soon as it launched and obvs my first instinct was to check the great deals. As more people book the great deals, more will come available. Some of the destinations on my vacation dreams list are Barcelona, Venice, Lisbon, and Athens. The interface is nice and clean and it’s easy to navigate. I found a great deal to Paris in the springtime which has been a dream of mine for the last few years. I imagine Sean and I riding bikes with berets and baguettes, romantic walks by the tour Eiffel. Lots of flowers and cafes. I’m really excited and can’t wait for adventure that lies ahead. See my Aeroplan video below and check out the new travel…

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HAPPY DECEMBER!

I’m so excited for this month. I love doing Christmas things like baking and getting the tree with Sean and Emily. I love Christmas music! I can’t wait to take the trip of a lifetime w/ my mum. Next week I’m shooting a fun video I already can’t wait to share. Feeling grateful to be starting the month in New Orleans and ending it in New Zealand. It’s been 7 years since I’ve seen ANY of my family and 18 years since I’ve seen most of them! Looking forward to making lots of memories this month. Flying home tomorrow and can’t wait to see my bf! With love from New Orleans!

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