Travel | Got Wanderlust? Take That Trip!

As winter starts to creep up on us I find myself looking back through old blog posts of my travels. I’m keen to book a trip for Sean and I for a little R&R under the sun early 2016. I’m thinking Dominican Republic, Cuba, or Costa Rica. I’m dying to feel sand on my skin and salt water in my hair! ?? Over the last few years I’ve been to Thailand, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and LA during the winter. I absolutely LOVE to travel but preparation is key if you want to have a good time for example, a travel shoe bag is a must for me and I don’t travel without them. Also, if you don’t manage your money right, it can be expensive. Up until a few years ago I didn’t even have a credit card because I was still paying off my student debt from school. This doesn’t mean to say that just because you’re at university, you can’t have a credit card; those studying away from their home country can still get a credit card for International Students. Having a card with travel rewards was really important to me now. I want to get something back from all the purchases I make on my trips. I’m also really interested in qantas credit cards which are another travel-based provider, as they offer rewards for frequent flyers which is certainly what I am! I would rather take a great trip in the winter to boost my inspiration and pay it off my credit card, than not go at all and let the winter blues get me down. You never know what’s going to happen, YOLO! I’ve partnered with a Capital One Canada one to tell you about their new and improved line of Capital One Aspire Travel MasterCards.…

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The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

The last few days I’ve been really focussing on slowing things down, spending time at home. After a REALLY busy year, I feel December is a great time to recharge dem batteries.     Took a trip to Ikea yesterday and it’s really quite chill there on Monday afternoon. Walked around talking on the phone, taking my time to dilly dally through the maze of housewares. Got meatballs of course.  Been loving this warmer weather and still haven’t given up wearing my leather jacket. Today calls for a manicure.  Here’s to a great week ☀️   Title is a quote by H. Jackson Brown Jr. 

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Monday, Take the Sunshine Wherever You Go

This weekend was just what I needed. After a busy Friday night celebrating 2 of my best friends I spent most of Saturday & Sunday on the couch with my nose in a book. Simon Schuster sent over an advance  copy of Hidden Bodies by  Caroline Kepness. It’s got murder, suspense, sex, and modern lingo like Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, etc. There’s a book before this one with the same character I need to go back and read now! Highly recommend.  I didn’t realize there was a Second Cup at the Stockyards shops when I was there on Saturday, so I decided to try all the baked squares. The pecan was my fav followed by the lemon and Nanaimo. I love Nanaimo bars.  Really got me thinking about holiday baking and making some shortbread soon.    Sean made me the most lovely dinner of steak and scallops last night w/ sprouts, roast vegetables, and kale. Saturday night we stayed in watching Trainwreck w/ takeout. Something I love about the colder months is staying in the house with someone you love. Today I’ve been in Facebook ads reporting all day and will be heading to the Beaches later to see my sister.   I’m really looking forward to reading more of my book once I wrap up all my duties for the day. Sorry this is a boring update lol. Tomorrow I’m Sirius Xm at the Todd Shapiro Show and later this week I’m judging the finals for the travelcuts Travel Documentary Film Festival. Never a dull moment!    

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You’re A Pizza Work! … I Got A PIZZA Tattoo!

A couple weeks ago I randomly went to get a tattoo. No, not really! The design wasn’t random, we found ourselves with a free hour on a Friday afternoon so we made the most of the moment. We got in touch with a friend at Black Line Studio and scored last minute appointments for two. YOLO! I have heaps of tattoos and they all have a story. This one is kinda funny, but seriously, who doesn’t love PIZZA? ❤️?❓ I wrote about some of my favourite tattoos here. This was what our little pizza slices looked like when we first got them done. We opted in for getting creamy garlic sauce on the side, because pizza. Can’t go wrong there guys! Tattoo Aftercare If your tattoo is important, make sure it heals nicely by taking good care of it. You went through the pain and there’s nothing worse than not having it heal properly. Find some some tips for aftercare on the FY Ink website. Here’s my tattoo now: If you’re looking for a great tattoo place I recommend FY Ink on Queen Street near Portland or Black Line Studio, King West. I’ve had a bunch done at FY Ink the last few years. If you want to get a pizza tattoo too, be my guest! Here’s 30+ shared by Buzzfeed recently.  OK, who’s ready for LUNCH? ??? ?☀️? CASIE

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Muse, The Brain Sensing Headband

I first tried Muse a few months ago when the weare1188 office got one. It was right at the start of film fest and my calmness level was nonexistent. By the end of TIFF, my Muse session showed a very high level of calm. This, I’m sure you can understand. “Muse is the mental equivalent of a treadmill, which helps you exercise your brain with focused attention training.” As an easily distracted person who’s always on the go, focussed attention training is something I could work on. I have been working on it the last month with a new headset fro Future Shop as part of the Tech Crew I’ve joined. Over the next few months I’ll be sharing my experiences with new gadgets and also giving some away for you to try.   First up, Muse, the brain sensing headband.  “It improves your attention by training you to become aware of your distractions quicker and react faster to regain focus on what you’re doing.” You can read more about Muse and brain training at choosemuse.com. Scroll down to see some of my session data and WIN your very own Muse. How Muse Works Once you download the app, you connect headphones, and place the headband on your forehead. The 5 sensors light up in different colours to let you know it’s connected. In order to calibrate the device you need to make sure the sensors are working. This is a screenshot of mine fully connected. After a brain training session you’e given some data about how active/calm your brain was. As you can see in this session, I was pretty calm. Until the end! Please enter below win a Muse headset from Future Shop. Contest is open to anyone in Canada except Quebec (Sorry MTL friends!). You’re able to enter each day.…

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Days Go By and Still I Think of You

Hello darlings! Feeling fresh today with my new hair. Got bangs. Going for that Sia look. House of Cards has me teetering on the cut/grow hair situation and today I’m back to growing it. This is the awkward stage so I’m trying my best to make it through. If I can hold out a couple more months, I’ll be fine! Had an awesome rehearsal for Army of Sass last night. I can’t WAIT till the show. I will have tickets in about a week. I’ve had morning meetings and appts all week and today is my first morning dedicated to blogging. I’m about to make a nice brekky and catch up on the Y&R. Yes, I STILL watch it! Got new glasses by Derek Cardigan from Clearly Contacts and have a contest launching later today. If you’re interested in my sweet Carrera Marble laptop skin you can get one here. I make a small commission from each sale so if you do buy one, THANK YOU. This Wes Anderson book Sean picked up is so awesome. Ok, back to the drawing blogging board! Have an GREAT DAY. Enjoy that sunshine! ☀️ ❤️ CASIE * I’ve always loved this song/video!

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No matter what you’re doing, do it with style.

I can’t express enough how writing a blog is like therapy for the soul. Also cheaper than a therapist! You help yourself by writing it, and being able to look back helps you move forward. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed but overall excited about things I’m working on. February is aways the most difficuly month, it’s so cold and SAD.  It’s not always rainbows and butterflies over here! I’m a real human. 🙂 This is my life… Was at St. Michaels hospital yesterday, I thought the hallway looked nice. Have had some chest pains the last while so trying to figure out what’s going on is one of my latest missions. Had an X-Ray the other day and was referred to a special clinic to book an ultrasound. Hospital gown chic. Remember, no matter what you’re doing, do it with style. 

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Housewarming + Heart Warming

The other week Lauren had a housewarming party and I totally forgot I made a draft post with all the photos. Here’s a Flashback Friday to 3 weekends ago with a whole bunch of my friends, my Instant camera, and selfie stick. Had a blast snapping photos of everyone all night!  I got the $Selfmade shirt from the Song Sisters, international fashion bloggers extraordinaire. How great do my blue Air Optix Color Contacts look. I love them! See blog posts about them here. I have Gemstone Green too. Oh hey look, RAYMI! It was rad to have a RAYunion. Roxy, love you! Brock McLaughlin, the one and only. The next day i stayed at The Royal York Hotel with my sister. This pool was pretty heavenly. Thanks Hotels.com Canada for the hotel hookup! We had a fun girls night. I love this city so much. Here’s to a wicked good Friday and start to the WEEKEND! I’m stoked, have dinner at the Keg to try the new menu with Lauren & our boys tonight (I’m a former Kegger! Cambridge Keg FTW).  Rest tomorrow and the Shop for Jayu photoshoot Sunday. <3 CASIE

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Valentines Day Gift Guide for Your Love (or Yourself!)

I don’t usually do gift guides but I really like Valentines Day and it’s an excuse to treat yourself/someone you love. I know it’s a Hallmark holiday, but I don’t care! I adore all the hearts in store windows, the pink and red all around. I’m all about spreading the love! I love the idea of treating yourself (or your loved one). Even if the gifts are expensive (like the ones found at https://giftunicorn.com/1000-dollars/), it’s nice knowing that someone was happy to spend all that money on you and treat you to something really nice. All the things below make great gifts for you and/or someone you love. Ladies, send this post to your boyfriends. Ted Baker Accessories Ted Baker has a quite the sale on right now and there’s some great things for both men and ladies, especially accessories. If you’re in Toronto there’s locations at Yorkdale and Eaton Centre. I have the ARBA faux fur neck collar below in black. It’s super warm and goes with everything. Marble for Your Gadgets Now sure how I forgot to add this first round, anyhoo, updated the post to include a few more things. These Marble accessories for your gadgets are sure to warm the hearts of anyone attached to their phone/iPad/computer. You can get a soft skin for your iPad, laptop, Android, XBox, Kindle, or a hard case for your iPhone 6 (or 5!). Order online at nuvango.com/casiestewart and if you’re in Toronto use ‘GTAskins’ for a discount. Clarisonic and/or Amopé from Shoppers Drug Mart I have never in my adult life had softer, more clear skin than I do now that I’ve been using a Clarisonic. I was given one in November last year and have used it almost everyday since. It’s great for evening skin tone, brightening complexion,…

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You Should Probably Clean Up Your Computer

It’s 2015, you cleaned up your diet, you cleaned your house, you cleaned up your whole act, but seriously, when was the last time you cleaned your computer? January is Clean Up Your Computer Month and I know the month is ALMOST over but I’m sharing this as a reminder to you and to ME that our computers are neglected. This calendar was sent to me from SingleHop, a technology company focused on cloud computing. This 3-week “Clean Computer Calendar” is designed to help you prioritize, organize and safely store files. During the third week you are encouraged to check out different options to safely store your files, such as private clouds and external hard drives. I’ve really gotta give my little Macbook Air baby a digital bath. Thanks SingleHop for sharing!  If you guys have any cleaning tips or apps, LMK. <3 CASIE

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Target Canada: For good times and bad times, I’ll be on your side forever mooooore!

Before I get to todays regulary scheduled news blog post I would like to take a minute to remember some of the great times I’ve had with Target Canada over the years. I have a few posts posts mentioning the brand and had the opportunity to work with them on a few things since they arrived in Canada. I’ve visited a store nearly once a week since one opened close to my house about a year ago. Did nearly all my holiday shopping there too! A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Sep 9, 2012 at 12:28pm PDT Who remembers that AMAZING Target Lounge at World Mastercard Fashion Week a few years back??? Toronto has NEVER seen such luxury. And we probably won’t again tbh. It was marvellous. Food, open bar, two floors, charging stations, tables to work at, open every night before, after, and during the shows. I’ve never had such a great time at WMCFW. Oh behalf of media & bloggers, everywhere, thank you Target for showing us how to really go ALL OUT. Let’s not forget the recent Toms for Target collab. They sent out Together Sweaters to bloggers and media around North America to promote the collection. So cute. Keeping mine forever. This blanket from the Toms for Target collection makes a great poncho. Can’t wait to open the cottage again. Got my Instax Camera from Target this summer. Decorated our roof patio with Target things this past summer including items from the Oh Joy for Target collab. Target partnered with popular bloggers/Pinners to create a whole collection. Thanks for recognizing us internet people! A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Jul 13, 2014 at 2:22pm PDT And finally, I’m…

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Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

Writing each day is really good for you. It helps you get things done, assists in memory, and for me is really great therapy. If you’ve ever wanted to start a blog and think “what will I write about?”. Let me tell you, there’s so many things that happen in a day, you can find inspiration everywhere. What you eat, drink, wear, or where you travel to, even in your own city. If you open you eyes to the world and shift your perspective, you’ll see it in a new light. A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Jan 1, 2015 at 1:58pm PST Day 1/365, 2015: Here are some great things that happened Made notes about my day in a new notebook. I like spiral bound 5.5 x 8,5 in blank sketch paper. It’s for things I don’t blog like what I eat, vitamins, workout, how many Mason jars of water I drank. Did a new workout. Sweat my ass off. Ate good food. Nothing deep fried or heavily processed/takeout. Not being hungover really helped with that. Reclaimed my for love for granola. Yes, I like granola. Used to eat it heaps when I was a kid and my new found love for lactose free milk, it makes a delicious snack. Got a selfie stick. Sean bought one for me at Pacific Mall AND I LOVE IT.  Opened my new Clarisonic Pearl and used it. Started with Clarisonic in December 2014 and have noticed my skin is more soft and ugly.  It’s important to write this down so I always remember to use it. One minute can seem like a long time when you are in a rush. Put on fuzzy socks with Vaseline. If you read any beauty blogs…

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Where You Land is Where I’m Gonna Be

Was all decked out in pastels this weekend. I really love my hair this colour. Thinking I’ll go back to blonde for spring but it’s gotta get a bit longer. Growing out your hair from a pixie takes real dedication. Slept half the weekend and feel great today.  Had some time with friends and got some Christmas shopping in. Can’t wait till see all my family on Wednesday. Mum is hosting a huge group for dinner including my Dad and his wife.  It’s gonna be great! Have you heard this song in the Walmart commercial? I love it, Paper Planes by East of Avenue. Was created by a TO agency. We kept singing it whenever the commercial came on and Sean learned to play it on guitar this weekend. Title is a line from it. Where You Land is Where I’m Gonna Be How cute is this little Christmas Mini! It’s got pressies and lights (kinda hard to see the lights but we were driving!).  I love all the lights on everything this time of year. Sean told me he’ll have the hugest display of lights when we get a bigger house/yard and I fell in love all over again. Timed to music too. What a dreamboat! Discovered a new app this weekend called Shift that allows you to create filters and it’s kinda net. Spiced up this photo of Queen West (it’s $0.99). Will be at the Gladstone Hotel tonight teaching a class on blogging in their new Get School’d series. I believe it’s sold out but if you are interested in coming, lmk. After today I’m going to really try and take a break from my phone and laptop. I doubt I’d be able to digital detox without being at a beach, I can’t go a day without my phone. I can barely go…

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I Got a Vajacial.

A what? A Vajacial is the same concept as a facial, except it’s for the bikini area… I got to Fuzz Wax Bar for my first time. Had been walking around the house for 20 min before I left, was almost late. I was nervous. Asking myself all kinda questions like, what’s gonna happen? Will it be a girl? Where ‘exactly’ does this happen in that region? Is this gonna hurt? I’ve never had a Brazilian. I was nervous. As any aberdeen escortguide.co.uk employee will tell you, looking after your nether regions requires regular upkeep and maintenance, but that still did not stop me feeling jittery. Vajacial Starter pack: sign up, room alone, disrobe, wait for it. The experience was good. Once I was on the table with a towel covering waist to thighs, I relaxed. I Felt calm. A nice young woman did the treatment and her Irish accent was lovely, we had a couple laughs too. It was over in 20 minutes. I did not at any time have anxiety or feel like she went too close to my private parts. This had me nervous earlier. The Vajacial is a five step process and here’s how it went down: She cleansed the skin around my bikini area with antibacterial towelettes. Towels were soft. Second she put on an exfoliator that’s used to remove dead skin cells in preparation for extractions. The exfoliant was really gentle too. I had a blindfold on so I didn’t see this part but she used Tweezers and a lancet to extract any ingrown hairs trapped under the skin. If you have really coarse hair or are prone to ingrown hairs, I can imagine this being a bit painful. She put a mask to help with the removal of any ingrown hairs. Next she…

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