CASIE STEWART

THIS IS MY LIFE • BLOG EST. 2005
Food

Summer of Turkey! Recipes to Try from Chef Sahir w/ Butterball.ca

A couple weeks ago I had Emily help me at the cottage with hosting hacks for summer (see that post here!). The other night I gave a few of the recipes by Chef Sahir for buterball.ca a whirl. I made a spinach salad, tacos, and burgers for our last night as a fam at the cottage before back to school.

The directions weren’t hard to follow and the shopping list feature made it easy to see what things we needed/already had. Scroll down to compare my photos with the professional ones, we didn’t do too bad. ? I really got in the turkey mood and even found an extra recipe for a delicious grilled turkey sandwich! I’ll have to make it for work one day. Thanks to Sean for being an all star helper on this one! ILY!

There’s plenty of time to bbq before ‘old man winter’ so fire it up and give one of these recipes a go!

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Recipe 1: Beet, Spinach and Apple Salad, w/ Pomegranate Vinaigrette

I love beets and they’re so good in salad. Instead of peeling, cooking, and cooling them I picked up pre-cooked from the salad section at Loblaws. No shame! The almonds are a nice touch with pomegranate dressing. ??

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How to Make the Beet, Spinach, Apple Salad ?? shopping list

  1. For dressing, place all ingredients except oil in blender container; cover. Blend well. With blender running, gradually add oil through opening at top of blender, blending well after each addition. Pour dressing into storage container and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. For salad, combine all ingredients, except almonds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  3. Whisk dressing and toss with salad mixture just before serving. Sprinkle almonds on top.

Recipe 2: Turkey Tacos

These tacos were so good. I ended up making a breakfast taco and then having the rest of the leftovers after the cottage drive. I added to the filling with a great Chipotle & Cheddar salad from Dole that comes pre-mixed with kale, cabbage, and toppings. We grilled a few hot peppers to go with the tacos too. I love the spice!!!!!!

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How to Make Chef Sahir’s Delicious Turkey Tacos ?? shopping list

  1. Heat oil in a skillet and sauté turkey and onion. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) to heat up taco shells.
  2. Add garlic, turmeric, chili powder, salt, paprika, pepper, and water. Cook uncovered until water evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
  3. Heat taco shells for 3 minutes.
  4. Using a spoon, fill shells with mixture and garnish with diced tomatoes, grated cheese, salsa, guacamole, or sour cream to taste.

Recipe 3: Athens Turkey Burger

I got small grape tomatoes instead of Roma tomatoes but they were still delicious. Obvs! I absolutely love cooking tomatoes in the oven like this. If you love garlic throw in a couple whole garlics cloves. I cooked some extra garlic and tomatoes to add to breakfast the next morning. I skipped the olive tapenade because I don’t like olives!

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How to Make the Athens Turkey Burger ?? shopping list

  1. Combine Feta and whipping cream in a bowl. Whisk until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. Tip: Can be made day in advance.
  2. Combine kalamata and almond tapenade ingredients in a food processor until mostly smooth, but not a puree.
  3. Combine roma tomato ingredients in mixing bowl then coat evenly with olive oil. Slowly roast in 275°f oven for 3 hours, until softened and flavors intensified.
  4. Cook Frozen burgers on grill as per package directions (approximately. 5-7 minutes on medium heat, being careful not to cook outside too fast.)
  5. Cut buns and half. Grill on direct heat until nicely toasted.
  6. Spread 1 tbsp. of tapenade on bottom buns, and then evenly distribute Feta mousse.
  7. Top with Romaine, burgers then slow roasted Tomatoes. Top and Enjoy!

Each recipe can be found at butterball.ca and I’ve linked to them above. The original recipe photos are below. See?! We did pretty good!

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Working with Butterball Canada this summer has also introduced me to a few new recipes to switch things up with my cottage cooking.I’ve got my eye on recipes for Thanksgiving and winter soups. Whiskey marinade? Yes.

It may be the end of ‘summer holidays‘ but remember it’s still officially summer until the 21st of September. Try a ‘summer of turkey’ recipe already! Check my hosting hacks from the last post for your next dinner party, link below.

Happy grillin’!

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Simple Summer Hosting Hacks for Outdoor Dining

 

Tech

Best Buy Life & Tech Show @ YD Square

best buy life and tech, wearables, YD square, tech, fashion

Last week I went to two wearables events sponsored by Best Buy Canada. Fashion and tech are two of my fav things so being part of, and covering events like this is so much fun. On Wednesday night was the We Are Wearables event at MaRS where I took the runway as a model. Ya, me! Took me back to my teenage years!  The following night I attended the Best By Life & Tech event at Yonge Dundas Square.

In this post, I’m sharing some of my fav tech and moments from the show. ???

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LIFE

Watch ‘Behind the Red Carpet’ on The Hollywood Suite Network

Behind the red carpet film, casie stewart, documentary, actress, blogger, toronto, TIFF

In 2004, during TIFF, I was filmed for a documentary about the festival. I was followed around to events, parties, and interviewed about what it’s like behind the scenes, behind the red carpet. Alongside me, the films stars celebrity photographer George Pimentel, PR pro Natasha Koifman (NKPR), and national journalist Chris Jancelewicz.

The film is playing on Hollywood Suite network in Canada all month. If you are keen to watch it and don’t the channel, you can get it on iTunes, Amazon, Playstation, GooglePlay, or xBox. Details on the website here.

About Behind The Red Carpet

Behind The Red Carpet introduces us to the movers, shakers and key players behind all the happenings and craziness of the Toronto International Film Festival. We follow five lead characters who are the top in their field including Toronto/New York based publicist Natasha Koifman, a foremost journalist, Chris Jancelewicz, Casie Stewart, world famous blogger, George Pimentel, Canada’s most renowned celebrity photographer, as well as Pierre Jutras, venue operator and president of The Spoke Club. Our key players are thrown into the fire as they try their very best to appease the biggest and brightest stars from around the globe. We are on the inside lines of the biggest red carpets with the hottest stars. It’s about being at the right place atthe right time, red carpet call times, media arrival times…photo opp…any time! After the whirlwind of festival…which of our characters is left standing…who has had the most success, who has thrown in the towel and who is ready for more?

This week is gonna be a busy one. Busy and exciting! We’re heading back from the cottage today and for the next week I’ve got films, afterparties, gifting lounges, and more. I’m planning to share them all on Snapchat, Instagram (and Stories), Facebook Live, and Twitter. FOLLOW ME!

I’m excited. Here’s to a great week back to school for the kids and great back to the hustle for everyone else!

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LIFE

End of August Thoughts & Things

End of August Thoughts & Things

This week has everyone talking about how summer is ‘over’ but tbh guys, there’s still a bunch of nice days left. It was so hot out yesterday. It’s that perfect time of year when the days are warm, nights cool for sleeping, and there are NO bugs. As I mentioned the other day it’s a great time to ditch old habits, clean out that closet, and make a new routine.

I really need to get my ass in gear when it comes to what I’m eating and exercise. Maybe I just need to workout more? People always said that after 30 your metabolism slows down and damnit they were right! 

We hadn’t planned to be at the cottage this past weekend but in a twist of events, it was vacant so we jumped in the truck and hit the road. We never stop for anything but burgers (Webers!) on the way up BUT Sean asked if I wanted to go to the 400 Market. It’s just before Barrie on the 400 HWY and neither of us had ever been.

WELL, it’s a sight to be seen. Before we event went inside the building I fell in love with this fur coat. Sean tried on an awesome leather biker jacket with a half-naked lady on the back. I wish I took a photo but only posted it on Snap. ? Sorry! Follow me over there: casiestewart.  There were so many treasures in there. We got some amazing hot sauce, samosas, a couple sausage rolls, sunglasses, and a few other knick knacks.

SUMMER OVER? ??WHATEVER. ✌?️ New jacket from market. ? @weare1188 ? #furbaby #winter #cottagelife

A photo posted by ? C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on

This weekend we are back up at the cottage for the last hurrah of the ‘summer’. September weekends are some of the best though, everything is a little more calm. Except for TIFF, next weekend! I’ve got the gifting lounges and parties for days. I can’t WAIT. BEST part of September!  ?

I’ve been doing TIFF for a few years now, it’s so fun. Check out some previous posts here. If you’re keen to know what goes on behind the scenes for PR, photographers, journalists, bloggers, I’m one of the leads in Behind The Red Carpet, a documentary about the Toronto International Film Festival. Get it on iTunes, Google Play, etc.

There must be something in the air bc I’m feeling really jazzed about everything right now! 

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Travel

Weekend Roadtrippin’ w/ Enterprise CarShare

Weekend Roadtrippin’ w/ Enterprise CarShare

Last weekend I had my first Enterprise CarShare experience. I applied for a membership a couple weeks before, then downloaded the app for iPhone, logged in using my Member ID, and started browsing cars and dates.  In my experience it’s nice to have a small car for city driving that’s convenient to park and good on gas.

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Mini Countryman booked w/ Enterprise Carshare App

Once my car was booked in the app I was ready to roll. I scheduled pickup for Friday at noon and arrived at the pickup location shortly after. Tapped my card on the windshield sensor and it was unlocked. Spent the afternoon running errands in Queen West then popped over to visit my sister in the Beaches. It took a few tries to get used to locking and unlocking the car but it was a breeze overall (instead of using the power locks you tap your member card to the windshield sensor). View Post

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Contests

2016 MTV VMA Twitter Takeover w/ @dippitydogel ???

I really love award show tweeting. I joined Twitter in 2008 and since then my experience watching almost everything on TV has been enhanced. Hello, The Bachelor? In 2009 I joined Much/MTV Canada as their resident social media wizard and tweeted award shows, Jersey Shore, MMVAs, MMVAs and everything in between.

givin' a kiss to an MTV Award at MTV Canada in 2010
givin’ a kiss to an MTV Award at MTV Canada in 2010

This weekend I’m doing a Twitter Takeover of the Dippity-Do Gel account for the MVT VMAs. They have heaps of fun hair chalk I’ve been using since last year to make my hair violet, pink, blue, etc. It’s great bc washes out with shampoo. ??

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LIFE

Sometimes You Just Need a Break

Sometimes You Just Need a Break

This weekend I’m taking a little drive to Cambridge to visit my parents for a few hours and I’m so stoked.  It’s hard to believe the summer is almost over! I love September, it feels like a little reset, opportunity to move forward, ditch old habits, and set new goals.

mum picking flowers for me in her garden
mum picking flowers for me in her garden

I talk to mum almost everyday but haven’t seen her since before my birthday in May. She spends most of the summer on her boat and I’m at the cottage most weekends. It’s also been ages since I’ve seen Dad! Neither of my parents have seen me since my BR surgery in June, so I’m quite keen to visit. I’ve arranged a car that can fit both parents and their partners so I can take the whole gang out for brekky!

It’s not THAT far away but since I don’t own a car it’s a bit of a hassle to get there and back, especially for a short visit. I’ve booked a carshare for Saturday morning and it’s pretty affordable & managed in an app.

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I’m totally guilty of being ‘busy‘ all the time and the rest of the time I feel like I’m tired. Sometimes I just need to sit on the couch and do nothing or tweet alongside something like The Bachelor to give my brain a break.

On that note, I’m making more time to exercise, I’m looking to try just about ANY workout class that gets me off the couch right now. Since my surgery I feel A LOT better in workout clothes, I was REALLY self conscious before. Was gifted a 30 day membership to justtryit.ca so my plan is to try 10 classes at 10 gyms. I’ve gone to a few more aerial yoga and reformer pilates classes since my class last week. My two week pass is up on Tuesday. I really like reformer pilates I need to commit to that with my wallet and my intentions.

☀️ Sending you sunshine and warm wishes for a wonderful weekend.


We’ll be at the cottage Saturday afternoon and the weather looks great. Summer is NOT OVER!

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LIFE

Money Hacks for Millennials: Have You Saved for a Rainy Day?

Coincidently I am writing this post on a rainy day, and despite always hearing this expression, I didn’t know exactly what it meant. “Save for a rainy day?” more like “save for a rainy three to six months” in case you lose your job, break a limb, or god forbid some other unexpected life moment goes down.

Over the past two years I’ve written a few posts with money tips for millennials. If you missed those, let me give you a little background on my situation, in 2005 I returned from Australia, tiny, tanned, and educated. I brought something else home with me tho, a HUGE debt. I owed over $30k in student loans and credit cards!? It was a tragic look at reality when all the bills started rolling in and I’d barely started my first full-time job in Toronto making under $30k/year. It seemed literally impossible to dig out of the hole I was in. I found myself saying “I need cash now ” more often than I wanted too. Having to find quick ways to get cash is difficult and I did struggle. Payday loans such as Fresh Loan were constantly recommended to me for a short term solution. Soon enough, I’d had enough and decided I needed to gey myself in gear. There is no way I was going to live in this debt forever. For many others it’s the same circumstance, they find themselves in a vicious circle, having to take out loans, ending in debt and hardly seeing a way to get out. Small loan lenders like this Norwegian based company, små-lån, can help people finding themselves in the same situation. Before taking out a small loan, you should read every detail carefully and fully understand your repayment methods.

Not long after that I was on a TV show called Maxed Out where I got some solid financial advice, consolidated my loads, and began my journey to financial freedom. It wasn’t easy but by the time I was 30 I’d paid back everything, boosted my credit rating, and could set new financial goals.

solo trip to Mexico at 30
solo trip to Mexico at 30

In this post, I’m breaking down that age-old advice and putting some measurable ‘money hacks’ out there. According to a recent TD survey, the top three pieces of advice millennials get from parents/guardians are:

  1. Don’t live beyond your means 55%
  2. Saving a percentage of every paycheque 52%
  3. Save for a rainy day 47%

Although this advice is useful, it doesn’t realllllly give us a blueprint of how to get out of debt and build that nest egg. With the help of Shirley Malloy at TD Canada, it’s time to turn those old money tales into measurable things you can implement.

Money Hacks for Millennials from Shirley Malloy at TD

“Don’t live beyond your means” What that means: “Don’t mistake credit for cash”

  • – Malloy suggests credit can be a valuable tool when used responsibly, and reminds us that not all debt is bad.
  • – A mortgage or student line of credit can be considered an investment that helps generate income in the long term and increases overall net worth. The key is to have a plan in place to pay it back. MAJOR KEY ?
  • – TD’s money management app, My Spend, can help track expenses and keep essential and discretionary spending in check.

“Save for a rainy day” | What that means: “Save for a rainy three to six months”

  • – Everyone should aim to set aside three to six months’ income to provide a financial buffer against any unexpected life events.
  • – Plan to save a two month buffer this year, and increase to four months once you’ve reached your goal.
  • – The Simply Save program is a great tool to help build savings. Every time you use your TD Canada Trust Access Card for debit purchases or ATM withdrawals, an amount of your choice is transferred into your savings account.

“Save a percentage of every paycheque” | What that means: “Save 10 per cent of EVERY paycheque”

  • – Malloy suggests that 10 per cent of every pay should be the goal, but start small if that figure isn’t realistic.
  • – Set up an automatic transfer of $50 to a savings account. Then, set a bi-monthly meeting to revisit the budget.
  • – Challenge yourself to reach your goal of saving 10 per cent each paycheque over time.

If reading this gives you a bit of anxiety, that’s ok. It’s uncomfortable to deal with things that take you out of your zone. Something I’ve learned is that the sooner you face this stuff head on and make a plan, the better you’ll feel about it. After a few months or years, you can look back and see how far you’ve come. Once you’ve got saving down to a science, start setting bigger goals!

* Post sponsored by TD Canada, debt story and lessons learned all mine!

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Fitness

You Know That Feeling, The One Like You’re Flying

Last night I went to an aerial yoga class at Fly Fitness . It was a media class and my first time trying it. Small group, couple friends in there, but MY GOD did I need that. I feel so fucking good! Seriously. I don’t usually swear (sorry mum) but that’s really how I feel.

This summer has been a life changer, having the BR surgery, recovering, reading, thinking, and setting some goals has really made me feel good. I’ve spent a lot of time cottage chilling but September is like a fresh start, a new start. Last night took me back to sitting at opening circle at Anamaya in Costa Rica. We all sat around together and had an uplifting talk about intentions, positive thoughts, it was so wonderful. We connected and smiled and tbh thinking about it makes me feel all warm inside. Yes, it’s a bit cheese but if you were there, or you have been in a moment after a great class like like that, you know what I mean.


Thank you Lisa Simone Richards for the invite. They studio gave me a 2 week unlimited pass so if anyone out there in the world wants to join me for a class I’m gonna give it a go. I’m going back for hardCORE reformer pilates tonight after I pick up Em from school.

I’m really keen to get fit again and want to keep this momentum! Also, not having to wear multiple bras makes it that much better. Ha! 

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Travel

The 8th Wonder of the World, Beautiful Niagara, Ontario

The 8th Wonder of the World, Beautiful Niagara, Ontario

When I was growing up, visiting Niagara Canada was something we did a few times a year. My parents are from New Zealand, so the wonder of the falls and all that surrounds them was something we wanted to show ALL overseas visitors.

Now that I’m a grownup, (yay adulting!) I’m looking to visit for a nice relaxing weekend of togetherness. A few years ago we went to Niagara for vacation and it was so fun driving around and discovering new things. There’s heaps of attractions in the Niagara Region, so I’m making a list of fun, couple stuff we can do together. It’s a great getaway that’s not too far from anyone living in Ontario or just over the USA border. Road trip time!

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This month, Niagara Canada is stating their claim as The 8th Wonder of the World. The region has so much to offer – it’s truly one of mine and Sean’s fav places to escape for romantic couples getaway. And of course, those falls are a massive 176 feet with 150,000 gallons of water crashing down per second, now that truly IS a wonder.

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Fun Couples Things to Do In Niagara, Ontario

Nightlife – I really love casino carpets and stage shows so we definitely want to pop over to the Fallsview Casino Resort and check out one of their amazing presentations. Everyone (including us) has heard about what an unbelievable experience it is to play casino games in Las Vegas and this is something that we would love to get to do one day. Our friends can’t stop going on about it, so I can’t wait until we can join in with their conversations. I have played a few online casino games like those that involve a combination of Online Fishing, Real Money, and eye catching visuals in the past but I have been told that nothing compares to the real thing! For the time being though, we will get to play at the Fallsview Casino resort instead and we are very excited. Perhaps even more so after reading these Canadian gambling reviews that those same friends told us about to get us in the mood. We are very much looking forward to playing casino games at the next best place until we can make it over to Las Vegas. We both love theatre so I would love to attend the Shaw Festival. They’ve got a bunch of packages that include dinner and a show. The 2016 playbill features Alice in Wonderland! I would also be down to check out Yuk Yuk’s for a few good LULZ; or one of the many shows at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

Food– Narrowing down a few choice places to eat is hard, there are so many options! I’m looking at The Rainbow Room by Massimo Capra, 21 Club Steak & Seafood at Fallsview Casino Resort, and Windows by Jamie Kennedy Fresh Grill and Winebar which serves farm-to-table. Wellington Court in St. Catharines is another spot I really want to check out – and get all dressed up with my guy for a fancy date night!

I love visiting farmers markets when we’re in cottage country so before heading home I want to visit one of the MANY farmers’ markets and maybe pick up a couple pies from The Pie Plate.

Romantic Adventure – I would love to take a helicopter ride over the falls with Sean – a great chance to cozy up up to my honey and take in the beautiful views from up above! I’ve seen some amazing photos and although it might be kinda scary, I’ll do it for the ‘gram. You can also take a Whirlpool Aero Car, aka. antique cable car over the Niagara River.

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Wineries – The Jackson-Triggs Winery has a summer concert series and their amphitheatre looks beautiful. I’ve never experienced the wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) and Twenty Valley so I’m definitely planning to check out a few. If you’re looking for a wine tour, there are numerous companies in Niagara that do this and you can find them here. Some highlights include Crush on Niagara Wine Tours, Grape Escape Wine Tours, Grape & Wine Niagara Tours and Niagara Vintage Wine Tours. Now Twenty Valley is little bit off the beaten path, but I’ve heard it’s well worth it. Not only is it where half of Niagara Canada’s wineries live but it also has the most beautiful escarpment views! For a full list of Twenty Valley wineries click here.

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Relaxation – I would love to have a relaxing day at some of the amazing beaches along the North shore of Lake Erie in Niagara’s South Coast. Earlier this year we visited Cabo and Costa Rica. On the last day of each trip I arranged for us both to have massages, such a nice way to wind down before returning to work. There are SO MANY spas in Niagara. I’ve always wanted to go to 100 Fountain at Pillar & Post and depending where we stay I’ll look into other services.

For more info on our 8th Wonder of the World, right here in Ontario, check out visitniagaracanada.com. On Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram follow @Visit_Niagara. If you’ve got recos for romance or other fun things, please LMK!

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Brought to you by Niagara Canada and The Co.

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LIFE

This Week Has Been Chill AF

This Week Has Been Chill AF

We’ve had great food, heaps of naps, swam in the lake, daily boat rides, relaxed, and caught up on work. It’s amazing what a week away will do for your health, hair, skin, creativity. Still have a few more days then back to the city by Tuesday. Our weekend guests bailed so it’s just the two of us enjoying the cottage to ourselves. 


I’ve got an interview on Zoomer Radio Tuesday morning then my first aerial yoga class. Here’s to a few more days of paradise! ☀️ ILY Canada! ??

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BOOKS

5 Books to Read This Summer & The New RECO App

5 Books to Read This Summer & The New RECO App

When I was a kid my summers were spent playing outside or at the library. Each year mum had us join the Summer Reading Club where we would read a bunch of books, play with the other kids, talk about books, and at the end of the summer, a Teddy Bear Picnic. ??? I have such fond memories of reading but over the last few years I hadn’t read many book, this year I set a goal to read more.

A couple months ago I got an ereader a couple months ago and since then I’ve read 10 books. More than I’ve read in five years! Here’s my top 5 summer reads that will leave you wanting more. Download the new RECO app from Chapters Indigo and read reviews of all the books I’ve recently read. Reco is about inspiring your friends to read great books more often, so on that note, here’s my fav five I’ve read recently.

5 Books to Read This Summer

This list is a mix of light summer reading and suspense drama. I like to switch it up! I love books that take me on an adventure and leave me thinking about the characters when I’m going about my day. Safe to say I loved each one!

  1. She’s Not There by Joy Fielding – This is my most recent read.  Darling daughter Samantha (2) is kidnapped from their hotel room in Mexico while Caroline Shipley and her husband are celebrating their 10 year anniversary. This book is a suspenseful thriller and has a few twists as the story unfolds. I couldn’t wait to finish this one,  was left wondering what would happen next every single time I put it down. 
  2. You by Carolyn Kepnes – I was sent a copy of this from Simon & Shuster and it was SO GOOD. A twisted tale of love and murder with Joe and Beck. I loved the modern language and social media references. I had a few WTF moments, some laughs, and the rest of the time I was biting my lip with suspense while turning the page. Follow this up with Hidden Bodies by same author, amazing book that was a little more creepy. I read them in the wrong order but they were both great. 
  3. The Girls by Emma Cline – I read this because it was on all the summer reading lists and it lives up to the hype. Evie Boyd is only a teenager when she meets Suzanne and starts hanging around the cult like crew of misfits in a rundown compound. It’s the summer of 1969 and a seemingly sweet girl starts her summer all innocent and by the end there’s sex, drugs, and murder mystery she can’t seem to escape. 
  4. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler – If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant you’ll instantly connect with this book. Tess moves to NYC with big dreams and wide eyes for a new more exciting life. After getting a job as a ‘backwaiter’ she begins to experience food, wine, partying, and all kinds of of experiences that shape her life.  There’s a bit of romance, a love triangle, and no shortage of ups and downs. 
  5. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn – This is the story of Libby Day who was only seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice” of Kinnakee, Kansas.” There’s a cult following of the murder and Libby discovers the Kill Club, who hopes to find evidence that will clear her brother Ben from the murder conviction. It’s a dark twisted thriller that’s incredibly well written. This book has been made into a movie w/ Charlize Theron but I’ve not seen it, reviews are meh! Same author as Gone Girl which, if you haven’t read, i’ll reco you do that too. 

Runners up to this list include Sweetbitter by Stepahie Danler, The Nest by Cynthia D’aprix Sweeney, Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave, and Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple.

The RECO App

This app is designed to give you recommendations from people you know an allows you to follow authors and other influencers on book choices. The app is easy to use and nicely designed, simple interface FTW. Reco is the first stand-alone digital experience from Indigo since they founded Kobo in 2009

Things to note:

Connect & Share: Share your fav books easily, write quick recos, make lists peole can follow

Discover: Find great books based on your interest, subscribe to curated lists from experts, personalization reminds me of Apple Music a bit with the topic selections,

Capture: Keep track of books you wanna read or have finished, make purchases from Indigo and Kobo in Canada, and iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo in the US and internationally.

Discuss: Discuss great books w/ your friends, connect w/ people who have common interests

Reco is available in Canada and the USA on any iOS device (iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad) from the Apple Store. Download it here.  Read my recos on the app here.

Read anything great lately? Love to know your recos in the app.

I’m sitting here wondering WHAT DO I READ NEXT?!

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Fashion

The Boxed Water #ReTree Project & Brands That Give Back

wayhome, case stewart, muskoka, boxed water, cottage

It doesn’t seem that long ago I was at WayHome North of Barrie. It was a lot more Coachella-ish this year with the huge ferris wheel. Aside from going to the festival, I spent a bunch of time in the lake at the cottage because it was SO HOT. I kept hydrated with Boxed Water and paired that with my TOMS sunnies & shoes for comfort & style, all while doing a bit of good for the world. ? ?

I love when brands adopt a business model that gives back to an organization or cause. If you read my recent post on Skincare Stuff You’ll Find in My Summer Bag you’ll know that Boxed Water donates 2 trees for each mention of #ReTree on social.

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This summer alone, Boxed Water has planted 250,000 trees with the help of people like us. Their goal is to plant 1 million! 

How is Boxed Water helping the environment?

  • – 74% of packaging is made from trees, a renewable resource
  • – They ship boxes flat to their filler, lowering our carbon footprint
  • – They use a thin foil barrier for freshness and HDPE for the waterproof liner and cap
  • – The entire carton is recyclable and 100% BPA free
  • – Trees used in their boxes come from well-managed forests
  • – As a member of 1% For The Planet, Boxed Water commits at least one percent of their total sales annually to reforestation

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The Biz Model of Giving Back

I’ve gotten a few compliments on these shoes and glasses (above) and would you believe they’re TOMS? They’ve moved on from those canvas shoes we were all wearing a couple years ago to more fashion forward items that adopt their one-for-one model. It started with shoes and now the company provide glasses & sight surgery through eyewear, improved access to water, and more.

TOMS paved the way for the buy-one give one model, inspiring others along the way. Canadian company Mealshare provides one meal for each meal sold and to date has given 832,321 meals across Canada. Another great company I’ve written about a few times is Me To We and their beautiful artisan jewellery and products, see here. 

The Boxed Water motto is to ‘inspire a better tomorrow by rethinking packaged water today‘.  Join in the Re#Tree campaign in Canada, pick up some Boxed Water at Loblaws or Sobeys.

ALSO, if you’re looking for a CUTE DIY with the boxes, try repurposing one as a planter. ? ? ? I’ve got a little tiny tree in one of mine. ? Check out this great post by Kaylee on The Blondielocks.

kaylee, the blondielocks, planters, blogger, DIY, boxed water

Here’s to making the world a bit better 🙂 Stay hydrated out there!

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LIFE

Being Your Own Boss Has Its Perks – Cottage Workation!

Being Your Own Boss Has Its Perks – Cottage Workation!

This week we are working form the cottage.☀️?✌?  I find I’m really productive up here. It’s a nice mix of working hard, writing, and taking breaks, snacks, and naps.

I usually spend the day writing and doing blog biz things then after 2pm, I go down to the dock, float in the lake, or read on my Kobo. I’m about to finish She’s Not There by Joy Fielding today. ?? ? This will be my 10th book since April, summer goals ✔️!!!

Today is Sean’s 40th birthday! I know, he looks so young, what a babe! I baked a layered red velvet cake yesterday for later and we opened presents this morning. We’ve got some friends joining us end of the week to celebrate together.

casiestewart, boyfriend, california, disneyland
Us at Disneyland in California a couple years ago ?

If you’re following my Snapchat you’ll have seen these photos and the MASSIVE WATERMELON I got the other day. It’s seriously the biggest one I’ve EVER SEEN. I might cut into it this afternoon. ???

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In other news, SEAN GOT ME A CLAWFOOT TUB. I’m in love with it. It’s SO BIG. It’s not set up yet but it will be eventually. I’ve dreamed of having one of these and I’m absolutely over the moon. I sat in it, inside the garage for about 20 minutes yesterday, with no water. It’s MASSIVE!

Andrea Claw-Foot Tub With Silver Medici Feet

Sending you sunshine from cottage country, here’s to a great week!

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DIY

Simple Summer Hosting Hacks for Outdoor Dining

Simple Summer Hosting Hacks for Outdoor Dining

Last weekend at the cottage Emily helped me put together lunch for the fam. It was so fun to do this together, she’s 8 now and a great little helper! She was also quite stoked to help with the blog. ?

Scroll down for a few ‘hacks’ we can up with using stuff you just might find around the house, the kitchen, or the garage.  It was all pretty simple and not too expensive, BUT when we put it together, it looked great! I guess that’s why they’re called HACKS.

On the Menu

We made mini sushi-style BLT wraps, a hot dog bar,  and mini bacon grilled cheese using products from Butterball Canada we picked up at Loblaws.

Simple Summer Hosting Hacks for Outdoor Dining

 

  1. Make an outdoor table using an old door. butterball turkey blog casie stewart hosting hacks8
  2. Use wrapping paper to decorate the table. Makes for easy cleanup! butterball turkey blog casie stewart hosting hacks7
  3. Organize your napkins or cutlery with Washi Tape. There are HEAPS of colours/prints!butterball turkey blog casie stewart hosting hacks9
  4. Freeze lemons to use in cocktails. ??? No need to water down those drinks with ice! butterball turkey blog casie stewart hosting hacks2
  5. Use a muffin baking tray for condiments.  butterball turkey blog casie stewart hosting hacks6
  6. Raid the dollar store for plastic plates and stack them. These same items were more $$$ at houseware stores. enlight1-6.jpg
  7. Baking cups inside little mason jars for sauces. Heaps of colours in these making mason jars even cuter. butterball turkey blog casie stewart hosting hacks5
  8. Put skewers in watermelon for easy snacking. I put them in the freezer so they were MAD CHILL. ☃️butterball turkey blog casie stewart hosting hacks1

If you loved this post LMK! Was fun putting it together. It was my first time trying turkey bacon which is 50% less fat than using bacon from pork. Found that it cooked a bit faster and made our meal a *little* healthier. The following day we used some leftovers to make cracked pepper maple bacon  that I’ll share in another post soon!

casie stewart, autograph, famous, blogger, canada, toronto

  * post sponsored by Butterball Canada but Emily and I totally did this all ourselves!
Events

Fam Ting @ Cabana Pool Bar + Au Revoir Automobile! 

Fam Ting @ Cabana Pool Bar + Au Revoir Automobile! 

Hung out w/ some of the coolest cats around yesterday at Cabana. Untitled & Co. hosted the fam and brought their own DJ.  IT WAS HOT. ???


View out there is so nice. ☀️⛵️? If you’ve never been, Cabana used to be The Docks nightclub, it’s now transformed into a daytime club environment. ?? I prefer the weekday crowd, it gets realllllly crowded on the weekend. 


My Chevrole Cruze Platinum was picked up shortly after this. I really liked driving it. Was great on gas, had a sunroof, and the tan leather interior gave it a luxurious feel.  

When I drove home this week for a meeting I cruised the highway singing the top of my lungs to XM radio and iTunes. I love having a car! I’m yet to own my very own vehicle but I really do enjoy the freedom it gives. 

Here’s to a GREAT weekend. 10 days at the cottage STARTING NOW. ☀️✌?️?

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Events

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.

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LIFE

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. ❤️?

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Beauty

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.

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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! ?? ? ??

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Beauty

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. ??

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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.

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Events

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 

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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 2012, Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Cherub Rosé.

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

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LIFE

Putting Your Best Face Forward w/ Dr. Lisa Kellett

Putting Your Best Face Forward w/ Dr. Lisa Kellett

This year I turned 34, I know, hard to believe! I’ve always had a young youthful spirit and boundless energy, think back to the other weekend when I drew all over my bag for the Ford adventure. Mum had a chuckle when I showed her this photo, sometimes I’m still 8 years old.

casie stewart, DIY, backpack, design, travel, camp, camper, camping, tattoos, stay home club, #escapeanddiscover, Ford, NO FUN PRESS

I have been noticing a few flaws in my skin as I’ve aged and while it’s normal, I wanted to take measures to prevent it from getting worse. A few of my friends suggested an austin cosmetic surgeon but a few months ago I was given the opportunity to learn about Emervel, a soft dermal filler for dealing with fine lines and wrinkles. It’s used most for enhancing lips and minimizing the signs of ageing. For a professional procedure, Nurse Bec, at Injectable Effects, can perform dermal filler treatments on clients looking to regain youthful looking skin. It was good timing because I’ve had more chats about ‘enhancing’ beauty at events over the last year than ever. Earlier this year I shared the Emervel Kissability report with info on plumping up your pout.

YouTube Canada gave me some stats about beauty & fashion trends on the rise, three of the top beauty trends are eyelash extensions, eyebrow filler, and lipstick. Canada also ranks 3rd worldwide for ‘lip filler’ which had a big spike last year and continues to grow.

According to dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett, “Emervel Lips helps achieve a balanced and harmonious look, and, combined with other products in the Emervel line, can give the face a more youthful and rejuvenated appearance. Patients are very satisfied with the natural-looking and long-lasting results.”

I made an appt with Dr. Lisa Kellett for a consultation without knowing too much but I was interested in seeing about minimizing smile lines around my mouth (nasolabial folds) and the lines between brows (neuromodulator). I considered the appointment like an interview, I wanted the low down on what people were doing and results.

Dr. Kellett analyzed my face and talked about options. I was relieved to hear she’s a minimalist and likes to go for the ‘refreshed’ look. Basically, nobody would be able to notice exactly what was different but I’d look ‘refreshed’. She said ‘refreshed’ again and as I left that stayed in my mind. After a week I booked an appointment.

Before

no makeup date of appointment, frowning, visible smile lines. I used black & white because I look haggard!

casie stewart, dr. lisa kellett, toronto, filler, emervel
* I’ve been using Miracle10 for about 8 weeks and it’s really helped the redness in my skin go down and clear up my complexion. See before and after of those here.

After

The morning of my appt at DLK in Yorkville I was kinda nervous. Arrived about 30 min early so I could get a coffee and snack. I got to the office at 8:20 for my 8:30 appointment. Dr. Kellet came in and we chatted about looking ‘refreshed’ and I let her do her thing.

The whole appt took about 30 minutes and it didn’t hurt. The needles they use are very small, less of a prick than an immunization. She did a treatment for my smile lines, and cheeks to enhance natural contour.

One week after: lines from nose to mouth minimized, looking fresh

casie stewart, dr. lisa kellett, toronto, filler, emervel

The treatment for the smile lines will last about 6-12 months. I can 100% understand why 9/10 patients want to have this procedure again. I love it. It’s just enough to make a slight difference and I feel refreshed. If I hadn’t written this post I don’t think anyone would even notice!

When I got home from the appointment Sean popped by the house and looked at me for a second, then said ‘you look pretty‘. It made me feel great. ?

If you’re looking into this type of treatment it’s important to go to a reputable dermatologist/clinic. If someone is offering a discount, think twice before putting that stuff in your face. Dr. Kellett is one of the top in her field in Canada and you can find her at DLK on Avenue Road.

It’s been a couple weeks since my first visit and I’m due for a follow up. I’ll give you an update how that goes. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me via email or send me a DM.

Here’s to putting your best self forward and feeling great about it! 1-casie_yellowheart, love

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Fashion

My Love for Great Glasses

If I was to point out a similarity with my photos over the years it’s that you can usually find a pair of glasses on my face. I love them. There’s about 5,970 results in Google of ‘casiestewart + glasses”.  I’ve amassed a huge collection over the years and part of that is thanks to polette eyewear from France. I’ve been on their global blogger team for almost 2 years now!

casiestewart_ogtwitterA long time ago I used to wear these dark black rimmed glasses, this black & white photo was my Twitter profile from 2008 to about 2011. These glasses reminded me of Andy Warhol and they were my favourite.

It was years before I found another pair I liked just as much (this one from polette) and then I lost them. Well, I ordered them again and I’m happy to have them back. Casual and easy to wear, perfect for everyday. Find the polette Combinasion here. * they are currently sold out! 

My second fav pair of glasses is the e-divergent from polette. I always get compliments on them. Best part? They’re specially tinted to protect your eyes from screen damage. The slight tint will decrease chances of getting a ‘screen headache’ and tired eyes. The frame is also entirely hand polished.

Sean makes fun of them almost every single time I wear them, saying they’re my ‘Drake Glasses’. I don’t care, they’re awesome! And so is Drake, heard this yet?

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My latest sunglasses are quite different from each other but both awesome!

The Magnesia have sun lenses that pop off to make them into glasses. These are badass. They remind me of Dwayne Wayne flip up glasses.

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The Elektra are a more high fashion style that totally reminds me of Lady Gaga.The butterfly shaped frame offers optimum UV400. Fashion & function, honey!

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The polette concept is simple, they wanted to offer customers a great product at a good price, so, they cut out the middleman. Polette was founded in France by a young entrepreneur and most of the glasses are $20-$30.

Find them on Twitter and Instagram at @poletteeyewear!

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LIFE

New Me, New Adventures, New Love for Life

New Me, New Adventures, New Love for Life

Yesterday I went out on my bike for the first time in weeks. Since my surgery I’ve been trying to get out for a walk in the morning and then before sunset. I find leaving the house in the morning gets me in a good groove for the day. I have a coffee, soak up some sunshine, catch a  few Pokemon, take some photos, update Snapchat, all before 9am. ?✌?

I caught a JYNX today and then saw a man drawing a Poké Ball in his notebook at the coffee shop.

It’s amazing how much you learn about yourself going though a surgery or big life event. It was pretty hard at first not being able to reach for things or lift things but I managed. Sean has been really helpful in this whole process and tbh I’ve kinda liked not having to load the car for the cottage or carry groceries! (Thanks babe love you! He prob won’t read this ?)  I’m back in the kitchen making great snacks and have perfected a trick of using tongs to grab things high up.

I found this darling little Tuck Shop around the corner from home yesterday. I was there just as it closed but they make all kinds of delicious (sounding) food I can’t wait to try. So, I popped into Wallace Espresso on Dupont instead and picked up some real fruit pops and a cup of the most incredibly delicious chocolate ice cream. The Junction Triangle is seriously evolving, there’s a bunch of great spots in the area now. There’s also a Rancho Relaxo on this same corner to fulfill the need for tacos. HUzzahhhh!

This is a happy person on bike with wind in her hair. Watch the story on Snapchat here. 

Wrote most of this while sitting on a great little bench I discovered today. Shoutout to Canadian Designer Sara Duke for sending this super cute ‘fatiqué’ crop top. It was the perfect thing to wear as I sleep-walked to get coffee. I could never wear this stuff before! Yay!

☀️ Sending you sunshine from across the internet! ????

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LIFE

Cerulean Sea, Blue Skies, Boston Besties

Cerulean Sea, Blue Skies, Boston Besties

This weekend in Boston was really fun. ?? ✈️  The friends I was visiting totally surprised me and flew in a couple we both know from San Francisco, (who used to live in Boston). I totally screamed when they walked in the backyard! ? I love surprises and they totally hid this from me for the last week. THANK YOU BOB AND ELLEN ILU! ?   They pulled together all my Boston BFFs and we had heaps of fun eating great food and lounging by the pool.

On Friday night we had dinner with Kristen (in photo) and from then till Sunday morning when I left I was smiling and laughing. I took a break from Snapchat and Pokemon to spend some real FACE TIME with my friends. It was great! It’s been 2 years since I saw any of the crew and some even longer! They always say I bring the sunshine and I totally did, it was an absolute perfect day on Saturday. ☀️?

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I got home last night after another great flight with Porter Airlines. I absolutely love flying Porter. I’m not 100% on my next vacation destination  *yet* but early August we are up at the cottage for 9 days and I can’t WAIT. It’s Sean’s birthday that week and last year we rented a Seadoo.

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Have a post-op appt with my surgeon today and hopefully everything is a-ok. Still recovering and in some pain. I’m really happy with the results tho, it’s the first time in my life I’ve been able to comfortable wearing a bathing suit top!

☀️ Here’s to a great week! ☀️

 

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LIFE

BRB Moving Pokemon from Games to Lifestyle Folder

BRB Moving Pokemon from Games to Lifestyle Folder

Not gonna lie, I spent a significant amount of time yesterday searching and catching Pokemon. I never thought I’d be saying this! When I got home from the cottage it was so nice out I decided to go for a run (to see if there were any Pokestops or Pokemon Gyms near my house, there were!). I ran around going to all the closest stops collecting Pokeballs, whist stopping do a few exercises in between each one. I managed to get up to level 5 so I could finally join a team and battle someone at a gym. Pokemon is always fun, Pokemon Go is even more fun. Of course, finding a site like www.kigurumi.co, is downright amazing.

I had a friend who used to play Pokemon all the time when I was younger. He loved Pokemon Fire Red and would spend hours trying to catch all the different Pokemon to complete his Pokedex! We recently discovered that you can actually play the classic Pokemon games like Fire Red online using a site called Royal Roms, just click the link to find out more.

This all may seem foreign to you if you haven’t tried the game but let me tell you, it’s a phenomenon taking over with more daily users than Snapchat, Tinder, Instagram, OR Twitter. Pokemon Go is the fastest growing thing we’ve seen in a long time.

Here’s a few great resources I found on how you can use Pokemon for business and how it’s helping peoples mental and physical health, really.

Pokemon Go Is Driving Insane Amounts of Sales at Small Local Businesses

What not drop a lure and get the Pokemons to come to you! This article has some great ideas of how small businesses can jump on the Pokemon craze to help grow business. Near a Pokemon gym? People will be hanging around so why not offer a Pokemon team or player discount? READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.

GREAT idea for animal shelters!

Pokemon & Mental Health

Pokemon Go is really helping people who don’t usually like to interact with strangers or even go out of the house to make friends and get exercise. Great short read here by Brock McLaughlin on Medium. There are a heaps of updates on tumblr I found last night about people saying it’s made a huge impact on their lives.

Stop Hating On People For Playing Pokemon GO Because You Don’t Understand Its Power

? Pokemon & Fitness

I asked early in the day yesterday if there was a Pokemon workout yet and by later in the day, I found this. It’s a great way to get out and walk around, why not throw a few exercises in to up your heart rate and work those muscles. I’ll give this a go today.

?? Canadian Launch?

Hopefully coming soon! The game launched in Europe today but only in Germany. Why does Canada always get things last? We’re a world class country and ‘apparently’ a leader in tech and business. Urghhhhhh!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BE SAFE WHEN HUNTING FOR POKEMON,
USE YOUR HEAD LIKE DON’T GO INTO A VAN OR DARK ALLEY

????

In other news, apparently there is a Pokemon Go movie in the works. I’m working from home this morning then heading to visit my sister (find Pokemon) in the beaches. Friday we go to Boston so I’ll be searching there all weekend! Ha.

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LIFE

Monday Motivation: Sunshine and Lake Life

Monday Motivation: Sunshine and Lake Life

Hello and good morning from Muskoka! We drove up to the cottage yesterday for a couple days of paradise. This week is a short one for us as we’re here till tomorrow, back to the city, then Friday we fly out to Boston for the weekend to see some friends. I am so excited!

Went for a nice little walk this morning but there were heaps of bugs swarming our heads. It’s a warm sunny 22 degrees so far.

After doing work all morning I’m heading out in to the water on my paddle board to get some sun and exercise. I absolutely love being up here. At the start of August we’re up here for an entire WEEK!

The sun is calling me… Enjoy the day!

Update: I don’t think I’m quite ready to get back on the board yet. My arm strength/chest muscles are still tender. Looks like I’ll be reading on the dock instead!


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