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Casie March 29, 2016 LIFE

Return on Enjoyment: Finding That Work-Life Balance

I find taking vacation or ‘staycations’ essential to my sanity. If you’re following my Twitter or Snapchat you’ll know that I’m always on the go doing something, events, speaking, dinner, travel. I love it, but tbh it’s pretty exhausting. Putting heaps of energy out (friends, work, or social) can take a lot out of you. In a recent TD survey, they found that us millennials have a hard time finding balance between financial and work commitments, and taking time to relax is a challenge. I can totally relate to this. TD found that 46% of millennials don’t take their allotted vacation days, mostly due to heavy workload (31%) and lack of travel funds (29%). Back when I was working in an agency, I hardly ever took vacation, felt pressure to work late, and when I did take vacation, found myself constantly checking my phone and responding to emails. I know I’m not alone here! The survey found, 90% of Canadian millennials agree that vacation time, even mini-vacations or “staycations”, are essential to keeping them happy. Taking time to recharge doesn’t have to be expensive, I find a good binge weekend with some cooking, takeout, and a nap (or two!) boosts me up. Having a financial plan and a budget will help you get that ROE – Return on Enjoyment. ? This weekend we opened the cottage, going there, even for a 24 hour getaway gives me leaps and bounds of energy. Don’t have a cottage? Make friends with someone who does (heh heh) or check out options like Airbnb or Glamping Hub for affordable getaways. Millennials like us can save for activities by creating a financial plan to account for funding life’s pleasures (or unexpected moments). We could all use a little more vitamin SEA, amiright? ? Other activities with…

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This is My Life | Special Day of The Year ☀️

I’m pretty excited because today is one of my most fav days of the year, the day we open the cottage! ????✌?️?????✋? We’re en route to Muskoka to see how it handled the winter and do some cleanup. It’s a fair bit of work but I take joy every moment. Being up there is so relaxing, the fresh air, lake, trees, country roads. It’s so calming. Make sure you’re following me on the Snapchat ? for a little bit of cottage life.

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Artventure ? Artist Project + Winter Stations ?

This weekend was relaxing and cleansing. Yesterday Sean helped me deal with my room sized closet of disaster hoarding (let’s get real here!) and it was therapeutic. I can’t believe how much crap I was holding onto. Including clothes, we removed about 15 garbage bags from the house. I feel so much lighter. I’d left a ton of things undone and unpacked, they started piling up. I didn’t foresee everything going as calmly as it did but it was truly wonderful to have someone you love say ‘we need to do this’ and help. I’m still fighting a cold but overall my head feels more clear than it has for a while. A messy room makes for a messy head, being clutter free opens the mind. On Saturday I took Em to The Artist project. Art is her best subject and a fav of mine, so we set off an an artventure exploring. Lots of neat stuff to see. I was there on Thursday night for the opening party and we picked up a few pieces for the house. Next we went to the Winter Stations in the Beaches and hung out with my sister. It was really nice to be outside, in the sun getting fresh air. The stations are around till March so there’s plenty of time to visit. Was really quite hoping the warmer temperatures would stick around a bit longer but it looks like we’re getting a cold spell this week. Thursday night is the ‘Muskoka Bound’ cottage life theme dinner at Lisa Marie with U-Feast. I can’t wait, been thinking about those ribs since I had them a week ago. There’s only a few tickets left, get one here. Here’s hoping your Monday is off to a great start. I’m heading to an important meeting with myself, a much…

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I’m Going to a Treehouse!

2016 is almost here and I’m feeling excited, finally. The last couple of months my energy has been low and I’ve been spending more time at home recharging. Well, it worked! I’ve got three trips planned for January and this year will be full of adventure. [symple_divider style=”solid” margin_top=”10″ margin_bottom=”10″] The first on my travels is a short stay at a treehouse North of Toronto via glampinghhub.com. I’ve been working with them to plan a stay at one of their many glamping (glamourous camping) locations in Ontario. I’ve never been one for camping but glamping or a quaint cabin in the woods is right up my alley. This is a new take on the winter cottage, cottage life! We’ve chatted about building a tree house at the cottage in Muskoka and something like would be a DREAM. I can’t wait to take you on my adventures! The Glamping Hub location I’m staying at with April next week is a solar-powered treehouse hidden between trees, located on 6,000 acres of forest and trails. It’s the peaceful escape I’m looking for without being TOO far from the city. I hope that it’s snowy and we spend our days reading by the fire and cooking up hearty, healthy meals. If winter has left by then (you never know these days!), we’ll take advantage of the trails. If you’re keen to book a weekend in a fancy tent, cabin, treehouse, cozy cottage, or some other unique space, check out Canadian Weekend Getaway or other glamping spots around the world at glampinghub.com.

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Travel | A bad day at the cottage is better than a good day at work! ?

I was a bit slack on blogging last week. Was feeling overwhelmed, I’ve had so much going on lately I feel like I’m constantly running. This weekend we closed the cottage. It was so beautiful out, the weather was fabulous, saw lots of stars, sun was shining shining, the leaves had fallen. It was lots of work but nice. Something like ‘A bad day at the cottage is better than a good day at work.‘

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Travel | Sky High in Cottage Country – My KD Golden Noodle Adventure

Last weekend I went on an epic cottage adventure. If you were following Twitter or Snapchat you’d have seen a bunch of tweets from myself and Lauren as 2 planes landed on our lake and took us flying around Muskoka for the afternoon. My guests included Lauren, Steve, Sean, and one other special guest…a golden KD noodle. Ok so you’re thinking what? A Noodle? Yes, a NOODLE! KD is celebrating the love it’s fans have for it in a way that’s truly worthy, WITH GOLD. Until October 5, Canadians have the chance to win a 1-LB 24K Gold Noodle, worth approximately $30,000 CAN. To enter pop by your local grocer and pick up a limited edition box of KD Gold. Next, enter your unique PIN, found inside specially marked 4 and 12 pack bundles of KD Macaroni & Cheese, at kdgold.ca. No the noodle is not in the KD box! It’s pretty heavy! You can also win hundreds of instant prizes, including gold-plated KD cuff links, sunglasses, flip flips, or a gold plated coin. If you’re wondering how I like my KD, I like to switch it up, sometimes ketchup, maybe hot dogs, other times a healthy dash of black pepper. As a side note, I didn’t actually try Kraft Dinner until I went to college. My parents are from New Zealand and they don’t have KD there. Thankfully my college crew introduced me! It’s one of those things everyone has in their pantry and sometimes the perfect fix to feed your hunger. My KD Golden Noodle Adventure in Muskoka Here’s a few snaps from our float plane experience. We flew from Bala to Port Carling, went for lunch, and flew back. It was beautiful to experience an aerial view of Muskoka this time of year, the leaves are all starting to change. Special…

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Beauty | Hair Damage Science w/ L’Oreal Pro-Fiber Professional

This morning I stopped at Wildflower inside the Thompson Hotel soon as we get back from Muskoka. I was there as one of the first in Canada to experience L’Oreal Professionnel’s new technological breakthrough Pro-Fiber Professional Hair Damage Science. I had my hair done last week and it was the first time in years I didn’t bleach my roots. Over the last 10 years I’ve reallllllly put my hair through stress. Although I love being blonde, it’s really hard on your hair. Luckily, L’Oreal Pro-Fiber helps reverse hair damage. L’Oreal Canada took me to Taz Hair in Yorkville, a L’Oreal Professionnel salon, where I got to experience the Pro-Fiber treatment first-hand. My stylist took me through a series of questions to determine my damage level. Since I don’t brush my hair heaps (it’s too short!) and I haven’t fully bleached it in a while, I was level 2. I’m sure it was level 3, the most damage not too long ago. This bearded babe Marcus doing my @LOrealParisCAN #ProFiber treatment helloooo. https://t.co/9AIBwrYcgx pic.twitter.com/Ohz7Sw6mJw — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) September 28, 2015 There are three different levels of “hair damage” and three different lines of Pro Fiber products: to resurface hair with damaged cuticle [REVIVE], to repair hair with a damaged cuticle and cortex [RESTORE] to restructure hair with a very damaged cortex [RECOVER]. For my hair the perfect line was the Restore. My hair felt healthier right after the treatment. I’m not used to it feeling so soft! Cool thing about this product is it’s the first ever that starts in the salon and continues at home (it never washes out). There’s a whole suite of products to use at home to continue the nourishment. Damaged hair, beware! Introducing #ProFiber featuring #EvaGreen. Unleash the star in you. A photo posted by lorealprocanada (@lorealprocanada) on Sep 28, 2015 at 11:52am PDT…

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Events | LCBO’s Harvest Menu w/ Love for Local w/ Chef Lynn Crawford

Thursday was a busy one! I went to 4 media events and was home just after 8pm. It’s fun but exhausting! Today is chill time, hair, nails, lunch, art show w/ bae. Had a great kickoff to fall yesterday w/ LCBO & Wine Country Ontario over lunch hosted by Chef Lynn Crawford (Food Network Canada & The Cooking Channel). The event featured a Thanksgiving menu prepared by Chef Lynn, along with several other talented winemakers, chefs, and food artisans from Ontario. I don’t go to heaps of ‘foodie’ events, although I enjoy them! It’s always a bit funny for me because the foodies are REALLY serious about the food, flavours, textures, pairings. I love listening. My take is usually, much more relaxed, a lifestyle writer approach. Does it taste good? Can I cook this at home? Will my friends like it? Can I impress the BF/parents? Here’s some Tweet highlights from the #LCBOTasteLocal event: Ooh, this is a thing! @LCBO's taste local event w/ harvest menu. #lcbotastelocal pic.twitter.com/SWivcM1VOw — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) September 24, 2015 Oh my this looks good @LCBO! #lcbotastelocal pic.twitter.com/Lfb43EjWaW — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) September 24, 2015 So feellin' this @LCBO local Harvest Menu. Next up turkey, mashed, cheesecake. Not a bad afternoon! #lcbotastelocal pic.twitter.com/XTQuIiAVGd — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) September 24, 2015 We learned how to make a thanksgiving feats like a pro using preservatives, and items from local markets, and our own backyards. The menu is now available at LCBO stores across Ontario and looks like the top photo in this post. The little book features ideas for hosting, cocktail & cocktails, food/wine pairings, and recipes. I’m not 100% on our plans for thanksgiving yet this year but it’s one of my fav meals of the entire year. Would love to Chef Lynn’s cauliflower & celery root mash w/ onion thyme marmalade.…

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This is My Life | There’s Harmony in Autumn, and A Luster in it’s Sky

That’s a wrap on summer! Had a nice relaxing weekend at the cottage. Still a few weeks before we close the place up. The leaves have just started changing. It’s beautiful. Yesterday Sean and I heard this crazy loud noise when we were out for drive. It was Ontario Watercross Racing – snowmobile racing on water. I didn’t know this was a thing! They have to keep going at pretty fast speed to stay on top of the water. Saw few go down and get pulled up from the bottom of the lake. The course includes going around a couple buoys then sliding back to the sand. It’s super fast. We watched a few runs and victory laps on the grass before heading home. They’re REALLLLLLY loud. (Sorry this is showing up so small!) Picked up a few of these little guys . I love this time of year! I know I say that about every season but they each have their charm, they really do. Been thinking a fair bit about halloween and what costumes I want to go with this year. Had a nice sunset cruise in the boat last night. Perfect way to close out summer at the cottage. Have a pretty crazy adventure planned for next weekend at the cottage. A brand is sending two private planes to take some friends and I and flying around Muskoka and to Port Carling. I’m excited. Will share more about that later. There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been! Percy Bysshe Shelley Here’s to a great week! ?✌️ CASIE

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This is My Life | You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.

Helloooo! It’s Friday and the long weekend is almost here. I’m sitting in my fav office, the cottage side deck. Keri is here and we’re working away. The skies are blue, the air is warm, and it’s not tooo hot yet. Will jump in the lake when that time arrives! Saw this quote today. I love Dr. Seuss quotes + poems. Another fav is Shel Silverstein and this week I picked up A Light In the Attic and and was pleasantly reminded of his work. Back when I was a teenager I wrote & published a book of poetry. I’ve written about it a few times over the years. ? “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” — Dr. Seuss Yesterday I checked out a TIFF press screening and went on a massive bike ride. It was so hot but I loved it. My new Schwinn bike is incredibly conformable. It’s still avail at Canadian Tire if you’re in the market for a cruiser. I put a basket and flowers on the back and I smile every single time I look at it. Sending you sunshine from cottage country, CASIE ☀️☀️☀️

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This is My Life | Hello, September

It’s September. Season’s change. Great time of year to make a fresh start. Clean the house. Clean your closet. Finally drop of your dry cleaning. Get rid of clothes and paper. Organize your mind. Clear your thoughts. Last night I did a massive clean around the house and everything in it. It felt great waking up to a less cluttered space, less clothes, more room. Did a massive closet purge and nothing will stop me from dropping it off to a second hand today. I went for a power bike this morning before it gets too hot, y’know crank it up to the hardest gear and ride like a StairMaster. I’m sitting at Cafe Neon neat my house near the window, starting the day with a blog and workout is my fav way to stay motivated. Early August I set out to accomplish a few goals, a new blog layout and generally laying low. I spent most of the month in Muskoka at the cottage and gave my blog a total face lift. It had been years since this baby had a makeover and we all need to reinvent ourselves now and then. Sending you good vibes for a great month. Use it as motivation to check something off your list. I like to play a lil’ rewards-based game with myself so that I get things done and feel accomplished with the smallest tasks. Workout before coffee? Great start! CASIE☀️

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Cottage Casie in Full Effect!

Came in from a nice float out in the water just now. It’s so warm, the lake feels like a pool. This is my first blog post on the new computer. I’m so stoked to be up here and have 10 days to work on creative things. My new blog is on the works, I love the design and I hope you will too. It’s been years since I gave it an update. The current look and feel is very similar to when I first started casiestewart.com in 2005. The first site is still alive at casiestewart.blogspot.com. Working on this new machine feel like a Porsche or Ferrari compared to my little MacBook Air. Today Sean picked up a huge new monitor and comfy desk chair for the cottage, I’m ready to ROLL. I saw some amazing desk chairs on www.bestgamingchair.com/herman-miller-mirra-2-chair-review and I decided it was time for a new COMFY desk chair! The view from where I’m sitting is the photo above. I’m planning to put big 10 person tent on lawn and make a nice glamping hideaway. I attempted to do it on my own today (never having set up a tent) and gave up after a few minutes. I need help, I don’t know where everything is. This is me after a I made a Pina Colada and decided to go floating in the sun instead.

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Beach Volleyball @ Pan Am Games 2015

This morning Hann and I went to a beach volleyball match at Pan Am Park. I’ve never been to a Pan Am (or Olympic) event so it was pretty neat to take the stands and get in on the action. The park is massive and takes up the whole Exibition Place parking lot. I imagine it gets pretty happening later in the day. The activations inside were just getting set up when we walked in. Argentina took on Cuba and the girls were awesome. The last time I played volleyball was probably in grade 6 and I’ve not played since. Was really impressive to see them pound the ball and dive right into the sand. They’re super fit! Thanks Chevrolet Canada and Klout for the tickets. I was given them last week along with tickets to the opening ceremony. Worth checking out the park while the games are on. You can sit on Muskoka chairs and watch the games on a massive screen. I recommend taking TTC or an Uber, parking was $30! 😂 ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ CASIE

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The Perfect Cottage Weekend #SummerCovered

If you’re new here or you’ve been around the blog for a while, you’ll be well aware just how much I love to cottage. I like spending weekends in Muskoka, on the dock, on the boat, tanning, floating, or cooking up a big feast for our guests. I’ve partnered with Shoppers Drug Mart to share a few of my cottage weekend essentials. One of the neat things about this post, my next post about The Perfect Summer Road Trip and working with Shoppers Drug Mart is, I’m truly an expert in their products. I used to work at Shoppers in my hometown! I spent the better part of evenings and weekends behind the cosmetics counter during college. Ok, now onto a few items to make.. THE PERFECT COTTAGE WEEKEND: President’s Choice S’mores Bites: No cottage weekend is complete without S’mores. Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF 45 – This is a great sunscreen. Dove Revive Dry Spray Antiperspirant: Quick spray after SPF/bug spray and you’re ready to roll. Off! Deep Woods Dry Insect Repellant – Cottage ESSENTIAL. Life Brand Allergy Caplets – Being in the woods can be a wonderful thing, unless you get allergies. St. Ives Naturally Soothing Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Lotion: Swim and sun can dry out our skin. A long day in the sun can be really draining, it’s hard work being cottage fabulous! It’s really important to make sure you stay hydrated, drink lots of water, and ALWAYS wear sunscreen. Even if it’s not sunny! I like this Neutrogena product because it’s dry and not greasy. I keep this Dove antiperspirant in the shared bathroom because aside from smelling nice, the spray means any of our guests can have a little spritz should they need it. Wink, wink. I recommend wearing this bug spray with deet in the daytime, not just at night.…

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