Christmas in July is Fun

Christmas in July is Fun

I love the holidays and yes I know they are months away BUT that doesn’t mean we can’t think about decorating or throw fake snow in a 360 camera rig. ???? I went to holiday events for Hudson Bay, Sears, and Canadian Tire recently and they were all quite lovely.

The Sears preview at Story’s Building smelled like Christmas when you walked in and had live music from Kat’s band Lady be Good. They had a holiday house setup with different rooms filled with all the housewares from Debby Travis, new clothes in the Jessica line, and a kids room filled with toys and clothes. I took at seat at the art station for kids and left a pretty pink holiday drawing. There was a lot of nice stuff especially the housewares, its been a loooong time since I checked out a Sears and this was a nice nostalgia

The HBC preview was at Arcadian Court and little less interactive but there was heaps of stuff I’ve added to my wishlist. HBC has some great stuff coming for the holidays and late September they’ll have toys in store. There’s a whole collection of new items added to the traditions HBC stripes including puffer jackets and jammies. I was really feeling the Wrap Me paper you can have customized at HBC on Queen Street with your own images.

As soon as I walked into Canadian Tire’s Christmas in July I could smell all the trees and it was lit. As in there were heaps of lights, y’know. We always get a real tree so it was kinda cool to compare real and fake trees. Some of the artificial ones smell real, crazy. They had a 360 camera rig (The Big Freeze) setup and since it was not my first time in this thing I knew exactly what to do. Grabbed some snow and threw it into the air as the circle of cameras snapped and VOILA!

christmas 360

CT 360 christmas

The setup here was pretty neat, also different room setups, the living room was bright and casual and the tablescape for dinner was filled with rose gold. So into this trend for the holidays! My one true love here was the tree dress, it wold be heavy but amazing AF to wear! ??

All this really has me thinking I’d love to have a Christmas in July part at the cottage next year.  

In other news, Michaels AND Dollerama have Halloween stuff.

img_4121-1.jpg

 

Long Weekend! Make It Count ☀️?????

Long Weekend! Make It Count ☀️?????

In Muskoka for the weekend. ☀️???? The weather is so nice. We came up today instead of last night because it was a long week! Finished Stranger Things on Netflix, great show. ?  I hate that empty feeling when you’ve binged something good and then it’s over. ?

We’re at PIE right now waiting for pizza. ?????  There’s a couple locations in Barrie, this is the first in Muskoka. The pizza is SO GOOD. We order a coulple then take some home each time. Cold pizza is my fav breakfast. ?

Saw this sweet Corvette outside. Sean has one from 1982 sitting in our garage. ? This weekend I’m driving a new Cruze from Chevrolet Canada, it’s sweet!

I borrowed a tent from Mountain Equipment Co-op and Emily and I put it together with no sweat. ?☀️??  The last time I put up a tent I think I was her age. Things have gotten easier since then! 


Tonight we’re having fireworks and a fire.  ?? 

PIZZA IS HERE, OK BYE. ❤️?

Skincare Stuff You’ll Find in My Summer Bag

Skincare Stuff You’ll Find in My Summer Bag

Summer, yay! ?? Hard to believe it’s almost the of July! ?? Have no fear, there’s still plenty of time to soak up the sunshine, read books in the hammock, and have delicious snacks on the dock.

As you know I spend most weekends at the cottage over the summer, this list of skincare stuff isn’t super fancy but it’s a combo of things I was sent to try out (then replaced with my own money) or products I stock up on so there’s one at home and the cottage. I love all things skincare and there are so many other products I want to try. If you’re as passionate about skincare as me, you could become a social marketer. If you don’t know what this is or you’d like to learn more, click here.

This post is sponsored by Boxed Water, is a socially conscious packaged-water company re-thinking the way water is sold, shipped and consumed. For every photo posted of Boxed Water with#ReTree on social, they’ll plant two trees. ?? I love the little box, so cute.

Ok, here we go!

Summer Skincare Stuff I Love

1. WATER – Drink heaps of it. Your skin will thank you. ? Drinking water has some fantastic benefits, it can make your skin look really bright. The Neostrata Enlighten Ultra Brightening Cleanser is a creamy foaming cleanser that also brightens the skin if your skin often looks a little dull. Boxed Water is triple filtered for purity using reverse osmosis, carbon filtration and UV systems and filled in both Michigan & Utah. The entire carton is recyclable and 100% BPA free with 1% of all sales going to reforestation. ? ? ? You can find it at Loblaws or Sobeys in Canada. ?? Keep your skin and immune system healthy by drinking filtered water on the go. Did you know that you can now find and buy water bottles that have their very own filter system already in it? Sites such as Water Filter Way have reviewed some of the best bottles on the market, so be sure to check them out here – (https://waterfilterway.com/best-filtered-water-bottle-reviews/). At least this way you are able to have constant access to clean water so this should give you no excuses.

enlight1.jpg

2. WIPES – Do not leave home without them. Found these ones Yes To. Coconut ones at Shoppers and they’ve got coconut water and kukui nut (from Hawaii) to hydrate your skin. Perfect for removing makeup, wiping hands on long car rides, or god forbid you have to take a wee on your nature hike.

3. SELF-TANNER – I love the sun and having a tan but I don’t wanna have old wrinkly bacon-like skin. I was sent Vita Liberata earlier this year and I absolutely love this stuff. It goes on easy with a mitt, is not streaky, and best of all is not smelly! I order online from Sephora.

4. NIGHT CREAM – No matter how tired you are PUT IT ON EACH NIGHT. I started using this Nivea Q10 Plus Anti-Wrinkle Night Care a couple months ago and it’s super hydrating. I’ll take all the no-wrinkle things I can get at this point. It was sent to test out but I picked up a refill from Shoppers.

5. SUNNIES – The skin around your eyes is super sensitive, you don’t wanna be squinting or having those UVA + UVB rays attacking your eyes. Keep your face looking young and get huge glasses that cover your face.

6. Dermalogica Age Smart Primer Spf 30 – This primer is tinted and perfect for summer when you need coverage but don’t wanna wear a lot of makeup. I’ve been doing stuff with Dermalogica for a few years now and this is a product I always like to get my hands on. [More Dermalogica posts]

7. SUN BLOCK – This Clearly Sheer from Coppertone is new this year and it’s quite nice. There’s a smaller one in a spray bottle that’s perfect for your purse. ALWAYS wear sun block, OK? ?

8. AFTER SUN CARE – I’ve been using this Hawaiian Tropic Silk aloe lotion for years. It’s a saviour if you’ve had a long day in the sun or someone gets a sun burn. lather it on, like slip-slap-slop it all over your tender skin. once it dries, re-apply. You’ll avoid getting read and burnty. ?


This has motivated me to think about other lists I can make… LMK if there’s anything you’d like to know my thoughts on!

Here’s to a wonderful long weekend and LOTS OF SUNSHINE! ?? ? ??

img_5278.jpg

You, You’re a Babe.

You, You’re a Babe.

To be honest, I’m really excited to get my hair done today. I’m going full blonde and cutting it short-short. One of the great things about having short hair is changing it ALL THE TIME.

Before my surgery last month I really wanted to change my look, but when I went to the salon the person doing my hair wasn’t the regular person and they didn’t do the best job or what I wanted. So, it’s not looking too cute right now.

You can’t really tell how not cute because I carefully wear a veil of internet and you can’t see past the screen you are reading this on. ??

img_3932.jpg

I’m going to update this post later with some photos. I hope you’re having a great week. I’m looking forward to being back up at the cottage and floating on the lake.

img_2879.jpg

 

Had Dinner w/ Montes Wine and Now I Wanna Go to Chile

Had Dinner w/ Montes Wine and Now I Wanna Go to Chile

Wine Wednesday? Perfect time for this story! A couple weeks ago I attended a media dinner with one of the winemakers from Montes Wine. After hosting a tasting and doing a giveaway of the wine earlier this year, it was really neat to hear personal stories about the family business. (I’d tasted a *few* glasses and read so much before the dinner!)

I joined a few bloggers for dinner in a private room at Red’s in the Financial District. We sipped wines from their vast selection while the winemaker told stories about his father and the partners getting started in 1987. A few things stood out about the history of Montes and how they came to be the pioneer producer of premium quality Chilean wine.

One thing I loved is that he was really into skydiving and his father was a pilot. They would fly around the area looking for good soil, the son would jump out of the plane, check the soil, and they’d go from there. Some of their wines are now produced in soil they found together.

He also said they used to have men and women sort the grapes but the men would always get distracted by sports, start talking, and stop working. The women who sort the grapes (by hand) are able to chat and work at the same time with no disruptions. Ha!

montes wine, casie stewart, blogger, canada, chile
Montes Founding Partners

The four founders grew Montes from nothing to now being sold in more than 100 countries. They helped put Chile wine on the map. I would loooooove to visit Chile. The winery looks beautiful and I want to see all the things they’ve done to be sustainable. They use grazing animals (llama and sheep), have responsible waste management, a biodiversity program, and heaps more. ??? I’m secretly hoping they invite me to visit! 

Montes Images by Peter
Montes Images by Peter 

img_4245.jpg

Theres a few different types of Montes Wine avail at the LCBO. BTW did you see they deliver now? WHAT A TIME TO BE ONLINE. 

If you’re reading this in another country there’s a good chance you can find some near you too.

My favs were/are the Montes Alpha Malbec 2012Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Cherub Rosé.

casiestewart, casie, montes wine, chile, travel, blogger