CASIE STEWART
THIS IS MY LIFE • BLOG EST. 2005
LIFE Home Sweet Home

The Internet of Things – Protecting Your Smart TV

The Internet of Things – Protecting Your Smart TV

We just got a new Smart TV and I’m super stoked. Sean and I worked from home the day it arrived and we also ordered tacos which turned into a great game of tv or tacos?! It’s my first time having a *brand new* TV. Our previous model was bought 2nd hand years ago, we’re retiring it to the cottage now.  The Sony 4K Android Smart TV is so clear and it was really easy to set up. It comes with Google Play, Netflix, and internet connectivity making it easy to watch your fav shows, download movies, or watch videos on YouTube. Over the last year, I’ve been making our home smarter with the addition of Hue Lights which I’ve heard a friend managed to build some of his own, wow! He told me he built some with parts he found at Octopart but I digress, a Dyson fan, Alexa, and now an Android Smart TV.  As we start to make our home smarter, we’ve got so many entry points putting us at risk for privacy and hacks. 90 percent of Android TVs are reportedly vulnerable to hacking The solution is to make sure we can browse the internet and watch all our fav shows without having personal data compromised. ESET is a leader in security solutions for home computer & mobile.  They’ve created the world’s first ever security solution for Android Smart TVs, using tech to guard against cybercriminals with their eyes on connected TVs. I quite like their i-Robot style dude below.  There’s a free version available for download as well as a paid version that gives you premium features for a year at $14.99. I went for Premium. If you have a Sony Android TV, the app is already downloaded you just have to pop into the HOME section from the remote and click Accept. Android…

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LIFE

Be happy where you are, this is once where you wanted to be.

Be happy where you are, this is once where you wanted to be.

I was sitting here feeling a bit of Monday blerghs and then I looked at my computer and around me and said: “WTF, stop it!”. Actually out loud to myself. I’m working from home and I’m drinking a coffee I made downstairs with the patio door open and my plants are in the sun while I look at my little space and suddenly think I will eventually need a sliding door repair for my patio as the latch is becoming stuck more often than not, but that’s a different days job. I spent most of yesterday updating my speaker’s agency profile information sitting in my room watching Netflix. THIS IS ONCE WHAT I DREAMED OF. Ok, it’s not all roses and rainbows but I wanted to be here. I worked hard for this. I put in hours and days and years of work to get here and I have nothing to be so damn salty about. Sometimes all you need to do is remind yourself this is right where you wanted to be and fully be IN that moment.The sun is out and I am feeling good. It’s easy to get down or distracted and feel like your neverending list of tasks is piling up but there is a lot you can be grateful for. I talked to a friend this morning and a reminded her to make a list of things she’d already done, then she wouldn’t feel bad about the other list she had been meaning to do. There is enough time in the day or week to do the things you need to do. Some of the things I want to get done are not necessarily what I need to get done. Ex. my hair is a shag and the house is a little messy but that’s…

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LIFE Home Sweet Home

Sometimes I Don’t Feel Like It #15

Sometimes I Don’t Feel Like It #15

I didn’t realize how many days it has been since I blogged. There’s a handful of photos ready to publish in posts with no words. I haven’t had them to write. I mean they’re always floating around my head and in notes on my phone. Sometimes I don’t feel like sharing. It all sounds so dramatic when I write it down, I’ve just been working on other stuff.  A whole life happens behind scenes of a blog, with clients, speaking, freelance writing, new work, family time. This weather is 100% not helping my desire to stay cooped up in the house though. Binge-watching show after show, I’ve only gone to the store 1 block away since Sunday. Yesterday I watched a season and a half of Doctor Foster on Netflix. Today I’m going to make date scones and spaghetti bolognese.   It’s ok to stay inside. It’s ok to not want to share on social media. It’s cool to spend heaps of time hibernating and feeding your soul. Soon enough spring will come and we’ll all be outside spinning in the sunshine. I think of those days and feel warm inside. Until then, I’m ok staying cooped up in the house and keep a little quiet, low key. And here we go, it’s SNOWING AGAIN…    

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LIFE

No Winter Lasts Forever

No Winter Lasts Forever

It’s been snowing for days and I’ve hardly left the house. Today I binged all of the new Queer Eye on Netflix and it is amazing. I prepped heaps of food as a distraction from anything else and it was great. I’m really glad it’s going to warm up this week. Somehow I hurt my shoulder so taking a break from yoga. I’m excited about what this week will bring. Tonight we are watching Olympic figure skating.  Both Sean and I love skating! On Friday night we watched a couple movies, The Tower and Dunkirk. Discovered this great list of the best 50 Style Tips of all time from InStyle. So many good things. Big fan of adding scarves to things. I can’t wait for spring. If you haven’t watched queer Eye yet, HIGHLY RECOMMEND. It will make you laugh, cry, and maybe give you inspiration for self-care or updating your life/space.  

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LIFE EASY LIKE SUNDAY MORNING

Do Nothing and Chill ✔️

Do Nothing and Chill ✔️

After days of being cooped up in the house, I needed to break free! Hung out w/2 of my bff last night and it was so nice to share laughs and stories. I’ve still got a cough today but feel a bit refreshed. Decided to skip yoga and hibernate. Yesterday I started watching Flesh and Bone on Amazon Video, a show about professional ballet. I stopped dance when I was 13 but I did ballet for 10 years. I spent a lot of my childhood at the dance studio. My teacher Lisa Meyerhofer was amazing. I learned heaps much from her, I realize more with age. She taught me to walk with confidence, shoulders back, head high. Dance was hard, there were a lot of times I wanted to quit but by not quitting, I gained so much. I learned to persevere and work through it. I remember crying to mum about wanting to quit and her not giving me that option. I can imagine as a parent that was hard but I’m incredibly grateful. I wrote about dance here. This is me ? Today Sean and I started Netflix’s new show Altered Carbon that came out on Friday. Pretty good so far. “Set in a future where consciousness is digitized and stored, a prisoner returns to life in a new body and must solve a mind-bending murder to win his freedom.”  FYI this show contains sex, drugs, and violence. It’s starring Joel Kinnaman the guy who plays Will Conway in House of Cards. Almost full frontal! ? OK, that’s all for today. Blending into the couch.  

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Speaking NATIONAL SPEAKERS BUREAU

Speaking at Blue Mountain – Digital is the Direction

Speaking at Blue Mountain – Digital is the Direction

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

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LIFE TUESDAY MOTIVATION

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

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

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

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BOOKS MUSKOKA

Giving Thanks All Year Round

Giving Thanks All Year Round

This weekend has been so nice. I spent most of Saturday sleeping and watching Netflix. I started This Is Us, no wonder it’s a top-rated show, it’s amazing. The storytelling, the acting, the realness. I only cried a couple times. I highly recommend it. I binged all 18 episodes over 2.5 days. I tweeted my love for the show and one of the lead actors, MiloVentimiglia, who plays Jack, liked my tweet and I fangirled a bit. I also started a new book, The Party,  given to me this week by The Book Cupid, aka Jen Kirsch. So far it’s good. Killed 100 pages of it on the dock in the sun. This time of year always gets me inspired. I make lists of my winter plans and what I want to focus on over the colder hibernation months. I love the energy a change of season brings.  This week I’m working on some stuff with 1188 and speaking at a conference in Collingwood. On Friday my sister and I are going to a haunted house.   I’m thankful for a relaxing couple days at the cottage. Warm air. Cool nights by the fire. Eating snacks in the afternoon. Naps. Quiet time alone to write at my computer. Makin lists. New sketchbook. Netflix. Hot coffee. BUtter tarts with vanilla Kawartha ice cream. Layered outfits. Scarf season. Long drives on country roads. Family & friends. Fresh running water. Morning sunshine. Yoga classes in my schedule. My iPhone. And so many other little things every single day. I’m grateful all year round. 

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LIFE PATIO FUN TIME

Long Live Summer Chill Vibes

Long Live Summer Chill Vibes

Sat out on my patio w/ some wine thinking about the last few months. It’s been nice to spend the last two weekends in the city but most my summer weekends were at the cottage. I’ve mentioned a whole bunch this year how I’ve been working hard to maintain balance. With social media and the life I’ve created surrounding it, it’s hard to keep balance. I’ve actually had to learn and discover what balance means for me. Part of that has been yoga, reading more books, and getting to bed earlier. At the start of August Sean, and I spent a glorious 11 days at the cottage. We had a few nice days and it rained for 5 days in a row. It didn’t even bother me because I watched 2 entire seasons (Ozark + OITNB5) and read three whole books (How to Murder Your Life, The Killing Circle,  The Currency of Love). Each was a different story that took me to another place or made me think about my own life in a new way. I’m looking forward to September, the change of seasons always brings a new energy, change of pace. Autumn is great for layering outfits. I ordered a few great items online that should *hopefully* all arrive in time for TIFF. Next week is going to be really busy with the film festival and Toronto Fashion Week. I’ve got tickets to a couple films and fashion shows along with a few gifting lounges. I will be documenting EVERYTHING. I live for/love this time of year. It’s a chance to see heaps of colleagues, friends, and media related people I don’t see in my day-to-day stuff the rest of the year. SUMMER FOREVER / LONG LIVE SUMMER Shoutout to Jacob’s Creek winery from Australia. They sent over a few of…

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LIFE

Rain Delay 

Rain Delay 

The last few days have been so blerghhhh. I don’t even know where the last couple days went. Oh, actually, I have finished two books and both Ozark and S5 of OITNBon Netflix. It’s been really nice relaxing but I’m looking forward to being back in the city and off the couch. Heading back to yoga classes and eating less snacks. I’m due for a manicure and an appointment at Sassoon! Scrolling the internet today has been crazy. It’s hard to believe what’s going on in Charlottesville and with the US overall. Even though we have pretty good wifi at the cottage I’ve taken a bit of a break from following everything as close as I usually do.  It’s hard to process and I really hope it gets better and not worse.         

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