CASIE STEWART
THIS IS MY LIFE • BLOG EST. 2005
2020 Muskoka

Day 109: You’ve Got A Friend in Me

Day 109: You’ve Got A Friend in Me

Today I had a great day. I went to visit Talia at their cottage about an hour away and Elise was there too! We swam in the pool and it was so nice to have a girl hang. I was so excited I didn’t even take ANY PHOTOS. I don’t know what I was thinking! Over the past month, I took a step back from posting to give space to creators of colour and support Black Lives Matter. the ripple effect sharing and documenting less on social media has directly changed my behaviour. I’m spending more time enjoying the moment and less picking up my phone to capture everything for the ‘gram. I spent some time reading a new book in the afternoon and when Sean was done work, our friends surprised us with a visit on their boat. The boys went skiing and we listened to music on the lake. Sean, what a dreamboat! This has become my new fav outfit, I got it at Joe Fresh a couple of weeks ago and used Sasha’s SASHA25 code for a discount. It’s totally wild and so comfy. I love being here so much. We’ve been meeting more neighbours on our road and the lake, everyone is so nice. Tomorrow there’s a garage sale at the Mayor’s house down the road. ?

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LIFE Muskoka

Day 5: Routine

Day 5: Routine

Today we started the day with a trip to town to pick up our Click & Collect groceries. It was the first time we’ve ordered them like that and it was quite convenient. They had to substitute a few items for smaller quantities (ex. 3 avocados instead of a bag) but it wasn’t an issue. I forgot a couple of things so had to run inside, making sure to distance myself and leave the aisle if I saw an older person coming close. We all have to do our best and we’re living under the notion that we could all be carrying this virus. I also ran into the LCBO, I have cut down on drinking over the past year but honestly, it’s challenging times so I want to have a few things on hand. I had a FaceTime with Talia & Nelson who are also up at their cottage. She took me for a walk in the woods, I gave them a tour of the cottage, and we watched Nelson hit some targets. I did a workout from Fit Factory TO in the kitchen and then we made salad & cannelloni for lunch. I watched Miley Cyrus hang out with Cameron & Lauren from Love Is Blind and there are so many people going Live right now, there is lots to watch. We got our cottage WIFI properly active as there was a delay from Bell because they have limited staff on hand. I am able to login to our account and watch our home cable on the iPad. Sean also got the hot water working so I finally had a nice shower. I needed one after all my workouts lol. Sean and I went for a walk on the lake which I thought would be romantic but tbh…

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LIFE Square One, Mississauga

The Food God at The Food District

The Food God at The Food District

When you get invited to have lunch with Kim Kardashian’s BFF, you go! A couple weeks ago I joined a suite of media babes for a late lunch at Square One Mall’s soon to be epic food market. The almost 40,000 sq ft Food District opens later this month is now OPEN and aims to provide shoppers with an elevated culinary experience. There’s a few downtown Toronto favourites like Pie Commission, Hale Coffee, La Carnita, Sweet Jesus, and other options including Italian, Indian, bbq, Danish, and DIY cupcakes. There’s also a fresh flower shop. The space was still under construction during our visit but it’s now open. For more info about the Food District, check out Blog TO and read about the opening on Toronto Sun.

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Travel Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal Pt. 1: What to Do in Lisbon

Portugal Pt. 1: What to Do in Lisbon

Portugal is amazing! My trip with Aeroplan this month was great and if you were following on social you’ll know because I posted heaps of photos!  The air was hot, the food was good, and I found inspiration in the bright colours and kind people. I took over 2,000 photos and kept notes during the trip. I did a bunch of research before I left and have been asked heaps about recommendations, so, I’ve broken down my trip into 5 posts based on things I did, which is only a fraction of what there is to do. Next trip I’ll rent a car and drive around to see the Algarve, Braga, Cascais, Coimbra, Aveiro (the Venice of Portugal), and the historic town of Óbidos. I’d like to take a second to thank Telus for keeping me connected. I have an Easy Roam package on my plan where for the cost of a coffee & snack each day I could use the data of my Canadian plan without having to worry about roaming. It’s great to disconnect but for me, being able to still share my experience as it happens is part of the fun! Links to other Portugal Posts are at the bottom and I’ll update as each is published! Obrigada! What to Do In Lisbon I arrived in Lisbon with a loose plan of what to do for the next 10 days. It was my first visiting and I’d been building a Pinterest board of the things to see and do for weeks. The city is so beautiful, bright coloured buildings fill the streets and the hills make it so picturesque. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk a lot. When you arrive from the airport it can be a bit confusing, if you don’t want to Uber or taxi, there’s a…

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LIFE Niagara on the Lake

Two Sisters Vineyard, Niagra on the Lake: Local Flights, Wine, & Baby Goats

Two Sisters Vineyard, Niagra on the Lake: Local Flights, Wine, & Baby Goats

Monday was just a casual day y’know? I flew to Niagara on the Lake (NOTL) with a small group for lunch & wine tasting at Two Sisters Winery w/ the two sisters. It was such a great experience! Small groups or private adventures are a great way to get people  (media, content creators, friends) familiar with your brand. Thank you, Two Sisters (the actual sisters!) for hosting and Fly GTA for the great flight. Can’t wait to try their Muskoka route soon!  Scroll through the IG post below and read the captions below. I shared 10 great things about the day. This is an expansion of the original IG post. I’m not sure if I’ve done before? It usually goes the other way (WP->IG vs IG->WP). ? A post shared by CASIE |Writer Speaker Director (@casiestewart) on Jul 11, 2018 at 5:24am PDT 1. Arrived at the airport I was a last minute invite so I went right to the office like HELLOOOOO. Thank you Stilez for hooking me up! ? 2. The flight is 10-25mim depending on route and $99. Very beautiful!✈️ 3. Hot pilot alert ??‍✈️ 4. Two sisters took over a peach ? farm 4 years ago. 5. They have a great team who takes care of the vineyard by hand. 6. I love Italian food and lunch was INCREDIBLE. Love the Burrata & polenta. Also HOT SAUCE. 7. What a voice, don’t miss this video or check out my NOTL Story on IG. Impromptu acapella performance from a band visiting from Portugal. ?? 8. Step inside the wine cellar, theres a table for private dining. ? (See IG video) 9. Private tour of the family farm with BABY GOATS ? ? ? 10. They also have a hidden pond on the vineyard with a family of ducks and ducklings + heaps of fish. THE CREW!…

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Speaking NATIONAL SPEAKERS BUREAU

Speaking at Blue Mountain – Digital is the Direction

Speaking at Blue Mountain – Digital is the Direction

If you’re not constantly innovating, you’ll get left behind. Last week I spoke at a conference where I stressed the importance of a ‘digital first strategy when it comes to marketing and expanding your business. On the way to Blue Mountain, I stopped by a corn field to take a couple photos in the corn, a la Children of the Corn. I like to spend some time by myself before I hit the stage so I grabbed lunch at the Italian restaurant in the village. Wore my fav new blazer from Zara. Yes, the same one I was wearing in the video last week. We all know what happened to Blockbuster when they didn’t think ‘digital first’, they essentially died and were overtaken by online movie streaming services like Amazon & Netflix. we’ll always have traditional media but if you want to connect directly with your audience in real time, social media is the future    

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LIFE TUESDAY MOTIVATION

“Dreaming is Free. You can’t be stingy with your dream you have to go big. “

“Dreaming is Free. You can’t be stingy with your dream you have to go big. “

The other day I watched Franca on Netflix. It’s a documentary about Franca Sozzani, former Editor in Chief of Italian Vogue, who died at 66. She was cutting edge and groundbreaking. I won’t spoil it with too much detail but it’s an inspiring film. I wrote this quite down as I watched it and it stuck with me. When I was in high school I printed out a Shakespeare quote, attached it to a magnet and stuck it on the fridge. I still have that magnet on our fridge today: “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure This quote stuck with me because it’s easy to give up on your dreams, it’s easy to do something everyone has done before, easy to get a regular job, or not step out of your comfort zone. HOWEVER, when you do that, that’s WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS. By fearing to attempt, you lose the good you might win by trying. By not trying, you give up on yourself before you even start.  I’ve always done things my own way. A lot of the time it made it harder, took a bit longer, but it’s given me so much joy. I didn’t go right into a ‘regular’ 9-5 job, get married, have kids, like so many of my old friends but that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted a life less ordinary.  Yesterday was a hard day for me reading the ‘me too’ posts from almost every single female friend in my timeline. I was overwhelmed with anger and sadness, I took a 2hr nap in the afternoon. BUT THAT WILL NOT STOP ME. We are resilient and we can do this. I found my inspiration today and I’m…

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Travel

Yes, I am Still At The Cottage

Yes, I am Still At The Cottage

But I’m starting to get cabin fever. I’m ready to come home. It’s been about two weeks up here and mostly just Sean and I here together. I’m so looking forward to friends, events, a conference, and my good blue shampoo. (If you are blonde, you’ll understand! My hair is yellow!) I also really need a manicure. Today I screamed at a chipmunk that startled me, like a total crazy woman. I want a Starbucks. I got a couple new bug bites taking out the garbage this morning (it comes on Mondays) and I just about lost my shit. Enough damn bugs! The views are beautiful but everyone has a breaking point. Sean and I cooked a great surf & turf BBQ last night w/ aglio olio (Italian pasta). Then we had a dip in the hot tub and watched a beautiful sunset. But I’m still ready to come home. Tomorrow Lauren and I are attending an entrepreneurship conference that includes an aerial yoga class. So fun! I’ve got a media preview at the Spoke Club after then a Sweat yoga class. I miss yoga. I’m not as good as I would like to be at self-starting a practice on my own up here. I do at home! I don’t know what it is about the cottage that makes me so lazy and eat all the snacks, I guess that’s what they call ‘relaxing’. I sent an RSVP for a TIFF event this morning and I am really getting excited about it. I’ve been doing TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) for about 10 years now and it’s fun. The city is so alive! The first couple days are the best and I love media day before the official opening. I’m going away to adult summer camp (Two Islands) on the…

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Events METRO WEST QUEEN WEST

West Queen West Has a Metro Now!

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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Tech MaRS, Toronto

2017 Tech Trends from from @WeAreWearables & #CES2017

2017 Tech Trends from from @WeAreWearables & #CES2017

Last week I was on a panel at We Are Wearbles TO Meetup. Five journalists took the stage on a panel to talk tech trends from CES 2017 earlier this month. I was at the conference in Vegas and there was definitely lots to see.  If you’ve not been to CES, IT IS HUGE.  Imagine Toronto’s MTCC x 10 with other demo areas set up in massive hotels (ex. Aria). During the panel we talked about trends and products we saw on the CES floor. Mostly sensors, wearables, VR/AR, fashion, hearables, & smartwatches. A really cool sensor I saw at CES was the Corning ‘Glassie’  a smart mirror class that has a camera in it and can take your photo. Perfect for those OOTS amirite?! Next evolution of the selfie is GLASSIE. @Corning Glass just took a video selfie of me and it was so cool. NEED FOR HOME ASAP. #CES2017 pic.twitter.com/RoBw8ueAMn — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) January 5, 2017 I learned about the Nex Band that has 5 customizable buttons unlike any other smart watch wearable. The Nex band is ‘a smart band that lets you create custom hacks in seconds, with no coding required!”. Very cool, like to try one of these out.  [?? waves hiiiiii!] Lowdown Focus is the latest from Interaxion, makers of the Muse Headband. I wrote about using the Muse here. The glasses are packed with sensors including EEG, EOG and EMG technology, they also have a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyro, 3-axis magnetometer, UV sensor (UVA and UVB), temperature gauge and a pressure sensor. Pretty incredible considering they look like a totally normal pair of glasses. The Lowdown Focus is the brain-child of Safilo, the Italian eyewear giant that produces sunglasses, sports eyewear, and helmets under its five house brands, including Smith Optics and 22 licensed brands like Dior and…

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