Fitzroy Boutique Does Rentals Now! ?

Last week I had an event and as usual was scrambling to find something to wear. A few days earlier the girls at Fitzroy Boutique sent a note about their new dress rental service. Decided to popped by there a couple hours before the event to see what they had. I needed a Cinderella moment! The store is always full of beautiful dresses, flowy things, and great accessories. The latest pop-up is at 98 Ossington, half-way between Queen & Dundas, west side. They’ve got two racks of dresses for rent, and for $50 you can borrow a beauty for 3 days AND IT INCLUDES DRY CLEANING. Check out all the dresses here. I wore this super cute Sea Shell dress by Blessed Are The Meek. The back is open making it fit really nice in the front, not too tight on the tatas. It’s super flowy and short making it the perfect dance number for a wee lil’ lady. This is the intro price so if you have a summer full of weddings and garden parties, book now! Thanks A&J for making me feel like a qween! Some fun stories coming up this week, 2 upcoming trips, a HUGE life change, some thoughts on mindfulness, being your best self, an upcoming workshop, AND a Kobo giveaway. I’ve been reading heaps since I got mine and love it, perfect for on the boat, in a hammock, or on a long drive (to the cottage!). Here’s to a great week and sunshine all around!

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Kobo 7-Day Reading Challenge

Growing up I spent heaps of time at the library with mum. Each summer we joined the Summer Reading Club and went back and forth to the Preston Branch carrying books in the wagon, the stroller, or homemade bookbags. Mrs. Macdonald, the librarian, was a familiar part of our lives and helped us learn to love books and reading. Since joining the internet, I’ve read less books, well, I’d say less books overall since college/uni. This year I set a goal to read more books, scroll less websites. So far I’ve not done too bad! Last week I started a 7-day reading challenge with Kobo to discover the joy of e-reading. The new Kobo Glo HD is the latest eReader, it’s 6″ screen is super clear and reads just like paper. There’s 4GB of storage which is a LOT of books. Up to 3K! This is my first time with an e-reader and I really like it. I find it much easier to read on this device than phone or iPad due to the screen (Carta E Ink). You can also customize the light, font, and margins to personalize your experience. Next week I’ve got a GIVEAWAY for a Kobo Glo HD so we can be twins. If you’re keen to get reading before I then, DL the Kobo app on any device (with this link) and get a $5 credit towards your first purchase. [symple_spacing size=”10″] Things I like most about my new Kobo: – It’s SUPER light, nothing like carrying around a few novels ? – Fits in a small purse or the pocket of my trench coat – Battery lasts ages – You can read in the sun, no glare! ☀️ – The Kobo app has so many books and recommendations, all you need is wifi ? This weekend I started YOU by Carolyn Kepnes,…

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Gettin’ Fit in the 6ix w/ The New FitBit Alta

Before vacay I joined a bunch of blogger buds at Sport Chek to test out the new FitBit Alta. Remember, with companies like PromoCodeWatch that offer discounts on Fitbit products, make sure you use this when before you hit the checkout button! I’m sure you would like to save as much money as possible on something as cool as a Fitbit. Since receiving the device, I’ve become obsessed with making my 10K steps each day. It wasn’t hard to surpass my daily goal in Costa Rica, I was so active! I forgot to pack my charger so after about 5 days, it died. I was super impressed it lasted that long tho, if only an iPhone could do that! Here’s a couple snaps by George Pimentel from our workout with celebrity trainer Harley Pasternack. We were set to train outside but it was pouring down with rain, hence the raincoat, but we picked out head to toe New Balance gear and set up our devices for an indoor workout. I am seriously loving the leggings, they’ve got a drawstring and are super soft, comfortable. Ready to hit the road! We took a brisk walk through the PATH underground walkway then arrived at the Toronto Athletic Club to sweat it out.

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Fashion | Celebrating Spring Style w/ Hudson’s Bay & Fashion Magazine

During fashion week I worked with   Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren to celebrate spring style with Hudson’s Bay and Fashion Magazine. The event was in the contemporary department on the 3rd floor and there was no shortage of activations including a Sandro sponsored photo booth, Maje sponsored nail bar (gold nails!), BCBG sponsored gelato bar (chocolate coconut? yes, yum), an amazing fashion illustrator, candy bar, and mojito bar.  Here’s some of my fav ? from the night. Most are from Snapchat & iPhone 6s but the pro ones are by David A Pike. Before the event I stopped by the Denim & Supply section at HBC to check out key trends for Spring/Summer 16 season. Things to note – cropped denim (cute for tall and perfect for short peeps like moi), dresses (top I’m wearing is a dress), wovens, anything white, and shredded denim. I really love white denim for summer, and picked a pair of the cropped whites for myself. I was really torn between this white dress and the military jacket. There are a bunch of great jeans and tops as well. I think I’ll go back for the cropped denim jacket. Gotta have at least one of those in the wardrobe.

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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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Social |Changes to Instagram Newsfeed ⤵️

Word on the street is that the new Instagram timeline is dropping tomorrow. Here’s what you need to know! Apparently 70% of us are missing posts we actually wanna see, this new algorithm will hopefully make it better. For advertisers, this means you really need to pay to play Hopefully, the changed algorithm will result in more likes for us all. Although, I haven’t been in need of many more links since finding the best powerlikes service on the internet. If your favorite musician shares a video from last night’s concert, it will be waiting for you when you wake up, no matter how many accounts you follow or what time zone you live in. And when your best friend posts a photo of her new puppy, you won’t miss it. – Instagram blog If you’ve been on IG the last 24 hours you might have noticed a ton of posts tagged #turnmeon or #turnonnotifications, this is people asking for you to make a slight change so you don’t miss their posts. It’s kinda annoying and tbh, I don’t want to notifications from everyone, there’s a bunch of people I follow that I should probably just unfollow. BUT, if you want to turn on notifications for your fav peeps, it’s v easy. ??thoughts on the meme of the day??: The interwebs is exploding with people urging other people to turn on post notifications… ? take it from me, unless you are dying for up-to-the-nanosecond posts about my nailpolish whims, you don’t need to turn it on tomorrow. #trustmeonthisonepeople. (PS This is @opi_products in Olive in Green, possibly my new favorite color!) A photo posted by Eva Chen (@evachen212) on Mar 28, 2016 at 10:07am PDT How to Turn on Notifications in Instagram 1. Tap the little ?? ?? ?? on…

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Speaking | United Nations IWD 2016 & Planet 50-50

This past weekend I was joined by mum and my sister for an event with the United Nations Association of Canada where I spoke on a panel for IWD 2016. Although International Women’s Day was on March 8th, we celebrated the economic, political, cultural, and social achievements of women in an afternoon at the Fairmont Royal York. Visiting the Royal York was always so iconic growing up and to be speaking there as a grown up felt pretty neat. Having my family there made it even more special. The first question I answered from the stage was about inspiration and I proudly shared things mum taught me and a quote from her. [symple_testimonial by=”” fade_in=”false”]Just because you don’t have money, doesn’t mean you can’t compete, you just have to be more creative. – Judith Stewart, my mum[/symple_testimonial]

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All Smiles – I Finally Went to the Dentist!

I can’t remember how long it’s been since I went to the dentist similar to Tandartspraktijk Antwerpen Euro Dent, even though they provide a great service so I hear (shame, I know). It’s something I’ve been thinking about but I’ve kinda just put of each time it comes up. One of my friends, who moved over to the UK, had a terrible accident a week or so ago. She slipped and banged her face on the edge of the bath, breaking her tooth in half in the process. I felt so bad for her! Luckily for her, she was a regular visitor of this Emergency Dentist Glasgow, so she went straight in for an emergency appointment to get it fixed. That’s what really got me thinking that I should find myself a dentist. Well, a friend messaged me on Facebook a couple days ago about a dental practice run by her brother, thinking we’d get along well. Michael invited me to pop into NOWSmile and write about my experience if I enjoyed it. Well, it was great! Dentist. A person I would never have described as cool, but I have to say my dentist is probably one of the coolest people I know. If I was nervous at the start, before the end, I was so calm and relaxed, which is what everyone wants visiting the dentist. NOWSmile is more like a dental spa than your traditional dental office. I was kinda nervous that he was going to tell me my teeth were rotten, had cavities, and I had gum disease or something. You always think the worst! Turns out, my teeth are a-ok. I should floss more, which I’ve been doing since my appointment. Dentists recommended a check up every six months, so I think I need to take…

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Life | WHAT A TIME TO BE ONLINE

Well, well, well, hello February. Feeling good about this month. I feel like I did enough work and travel in January to fill two months. ???? I stayed in a treehouse, went to Detroit w/ Ford, spent a week in Cabo, did a workshop at The Gladstone, partied w/ VICE at a hologram party, and had a cameo in a music video.

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TD Savvy Saver Quiz – Are Your Finances on Track?

Whether you’re a recent grad or mid-career, each stage of your life calls for some money management. Something I know I can always use help with! It’s Financial Planning Week here in Canada (November 16-20) and  TD has launched an Savvy Saver Quiz, to help you understand your personal finances. By answering a few quick questions, TD will help you determine your financial stage and what considerations you should be making at this point in your life. After going to college (Marketing @ Conestoga) and university in Australia (10 years, where did the time go!) I had a sizeable debt to tackle and I wasn’t really sure how I was going to manage it. I consulted a financial planner and put a plan in place. My hard work paid off and my debt was replayed by the time I was 30. Words can’t explain the joy I felt opening a letter stating it was done. Going to school overseas was a pricy but I wouldn’t change that experience. Living at Bondi Beach was a DREAM! Not sure where to start? Take the TD Savvy Saver quiz to help figure out your current situation and where you need to be. By answering a few multiple choice questions, you can determine what stage you’re at financially, considerations you should be making, and find tips and advice to help you along the way. I’m in the stage where I’m getting all my financials sorted but buying a new house and family are on my radar. ☺️ If you’re keen to learn more about making your financial future positive, check out tdcanadatrust.com or my previous posts with TD on Planning for Life’s Unexpected Moments and Money Tips for Millennials. XO * post sponsored by TD, opinions and story my own obvs. Thanks for supporting me and following along ?

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Tech | Another One Bites the Dust: RIP Rdio

The list of social sharing services I’ve seen disappear over the last five years keeps getting longer. A bit of sadness for Rdio this week as it’s been purchased by Pandora for $75M and filed for Chapter 11. I’ve been using Rdio since early 2012 when it came to Canada after I was introduced to it at SXSW. Around them I took part in a round table to discussion on the future of music streaming and music piracy with a bunch of music execs and media. Canada.com covered the session (here). After my free year of Rdio was up, I continued to pay $9.99 for the service the last few years, with my own money. Rdio was there for countless road trips, dance parties, summers on the dock, sing-alongs in the boat, and Christmas parties. I made heaps of playlists and Rdio has been part of all my fun the last few years. I mentioned it as one of my fav apps in interviews w/ ApexPR & Mad Hatter Tech. It’s crazy how attached you become to a service, how integrated it becomes in your life. I was really sad when 12seconds.tv was purchased by AOL and dissolved, felt heartbreak over Dailybooth, and another wave of sadness when Viddy shut down. Transfer Your Rdio Playlists to Apple Music Today I’ve been transferring my Rdio playlists to Apple Music. TBH I don’t mind Apple Music but I really loved Rdio. I decided to fork over the $4.99 to have movetoapplemusic.com do the work of moving my playlists over from Rdio. Luckily, I think Apple Music will be around for a while. I am really feeling this 90’s hip hop & R&B playlist from the commercial with Mary J. Blige. You’ll love it too, heaps of good jamz!  

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This Is My Life | Photoshoot w/ Motorola = #Motoshoot!

Last night I popped over to the East end for a shoot with Motorola inside the studios at 388 Carlaw. A bunch of bloggers & Toronto influencers were welcomed to try on the new Moto 360 watch and get shot by none other than legendary fashion & celebrity photogrpaher Mike Ruiz.  Who is a totally hot babe btw! Nothing quite like bright lights and a famous photog to spice up an otherwise rainy day. The night was hosted by She Does the City and the set was super fun with vibrant colours and shiny balloons. It got reallllll cute tonight! ???? Was neat to be shot by legendary photographer @mikeruizone. Thanks @motorolacanada & @shedoesthecity for the fun + goodies! #motoshoot #moto360 #fbloggers A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Oct 28, 2015 at 6:14pm PDT Mr. Ruiz was shooting us with the new Moto X Play phone. It has a 21MP rear camera and 5MP front facing camera. It also has a water resistant coating (useful is you’re a bit klutzy!). I can’t wait to see all the snaps he took.   We all came home with the Motorola 360 Watch and the Moto X Play phone. I picked Rose Gold to match my new iPhone 6s. It’s really pretty! The Android Wear app is in the Apple Store now and connects your Apple device to the watch. Thanks Motorola Canada + She Does the city for a fun night w/ Mike Ruiz. I love when things get real cute!

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Contest | TIFF ’15 Win A Celebrity Gift Bag from the #NKPRIT15 Lounge

Last week I visited the NKPR IT Lounge at the TIFF bell Lightbox. This lounge, hosted by NKPR, celebrates it’s 10th year and brings together an array of great products and sponsors, to offer gifts to celebrities in town for the festival. I was very Ellen Degeneres/Justin Bieber when I visited. haha.  “Celebrating 10 and 40 years respectively, NKPR’s highly sought-after IT Lounge and the Toronto International Film Festival will officially partner for the first time – a coming together of the decades – to create an exclusive anniversary Festival experience at TIFF. … In 2006, NKPR’s IT Lounge was the first gifting suite in North America to bring cause to the forefront. This tradition of giving back continues, and in 2015 a donation will be made to Artists for Peace and Justice for every celebrity who sits for a portrait.” Since Last Week An Array of Celebrities Rolled Through   What’s in the NKPR It Lounge Swag Bag?   The winner will receive premium festival treats below, plus extras including an eOne DVD collection of popular films from previous TIFF years. – Racinne Lady I Messaging Rejuvenation System $69.99 – Saje Natural Wellness Pocket Pharmacy $59.95 – OGX Beauty Organix Sea Mineral Moisture Surge Treatment $14.50 – Case of Flow water – BottleGreen Sparkling Elderflower Water – David’s Tea – Pumpkin Chai – Barilla Pasta – CROSS Pen – Square One – $50 Gift Card – Festival Hair Essentials Pack from Goody valued at $50 – Fuzz Wax Bar – 1 free service – Tom Tailor Canvas Bag Enter to Win an The NKPR IT Lounge Celebrity Swag Bag   a Rafflecopter giveaway For an EXTRA entry retweet this tweet and comment on this Facebook post. Each one will get you another entry and increase your chances of winning the mega prize. Open to anyone in Canada. Sorry Americano &…

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This is My Life | Sirius XM, NKPR, Greta Constantine, ALO Restaurant, H&M Studio

This week was a busy one! I was looking through photos and decided it would be a good idea to take a look back. Monday I was back on Sirius XM co-hosting the Todd Shapiro Show. It was super fun. Listen to it here.   I’m working on a big project at 1188 and we had a meeting over foot massages. SMARTEST IDEA. There’s a little spot at Queen/Portland, $25 for 30min. Not prices like Thailand but the massage was just as good! Work work.  Tuesday was the NKPR pre-TIFF media event at Natasha’s house. Tahnee was there! It was great to see all the fashion/media peeps after a long relaxing summer. The crazy is about to begin! Can’t wait for TIFF. Recognize these bachelors? Tim (L) and I shot a TV show earlier this year with NKPR. Todd isn’t a bachelor anymore tho. Brad (R) is on TV in Canada and a former Bachelor for those of you not from here.   The NKPR IT Lounge has been going on for 10 years. It’s a VIP gifting suite and portrait studio. Caitlin Cronenberg is shooting it for W Magazine again this year. I’ll be popping by on Sept. 9th. Wednesday night Greta Constantine hosted La Piscine. A glamorous night held at 77 Admiral Road, a three story brick mansion with beautiful backyard and pool. See more photos of peeps at the party on shedoesthecity.com.   Recognize this babe? Abe Hotaki was there stomping grapes in his underwear. He was at our cottage this summer for the Archibald Men magazine shoot.  Next week I’m attending a top secret party hosted by Rickey, if you don’t know Rickey, you will soon. #ChezRickey is sure to be an amazing night.  The tips I ordered for my new Jeffrey Campbell boots arrived. I…

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