I started this post in the spring and it’s been sitting in drafts for a while. Sometimes I just don’t feel like it. I love writing and blogging but sometimes I really don’t feel like sharing my life online. It’s the social media that stresses me out. 

I daydream and think about people who just go to work and don’t have Facebook, they walk in a crowd listening to music never thinking about sharing it or seeing someone from Instagram. They don’t have to pretend they didn’t see that person they’re friends with on Facebook, passing them on the street.  I don’t remember what that’s like.

I know I created this, but that doesn’t mean it’s not overwhelming sometimes.

The world of social media and the internet have blown the F UP. Everyone and their dog has a blog or Instagram now. It’s almost impossible to avoid.

I try though. I spend heaps of time up at the cottage, in the wilderness, I’ve been taking more breaks, but then I get anxiety because I haven’t posted. If you’re having a bad day or not feeling well, social media can be the worst, endless scrolling of perfect lives and happy faces.  And even though you know it’s not all ‘really’ like that all the time, it can get to you. Last week when I was sick I felt like garbage on the outside and social media was not helping, I started feeling like garbage on the inside, about myself.

This weekend I shaved my head and cut off all the blonde. At first, I felt liberated and free, riding my bike home from the barber after yoga, sun on my face. Then, I kinda panicked like omg what have I done. I also decided I really don’t like my natural mousey hair colour. It’s been 20 years of blonde and other colours. So forgot what it looked like. I haven’t coloured it blonde just yet but I’m planning on it. The cut for me, symbolizes a bit of change, a restart, regrowth.

I go through this “what am I doing with my life?” Every couple months and I think that’s ok.  It’s usually driven by being tired, sick, sad, or waiting on cheques. [If you freelance, you know what I mean!]

Writing about my own struggles helps me deal with it. Trust me, a blog is great therapy! 

I hope reading this helps you realize that you are not alone. The internet is sometimes a web of lies, so don’t compare your self to anyone.

The race is long and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Take a few deep breaths, look ahead, your future is bright. ☀️

What a nice surprise it was to receive this package, cheese! ??? To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Canada, Dairy Farmers of Canada is highlighting three distinct Canadian cheese from local cheesemakers.  This weekend I’ll be hosting a friend from NYC at the cottage and treating her to wine and great Canadian cheese.

TODAY IS A GREAT DAY….
??? #CanadianCheese pic.twitter.com/noMdZbbViU

— CASiE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) June 27, 2017

Canada has a tradition of producing high-quality, great tasting cheese. A couple years ago I was in Montreal and visited Fromagerie Au Gré des Champs, one of the top cheese makers in the province. It was so cool to see how and where cheese is made. Tasting fresh cheese really gave me an appreciation for it. Safe to say my suitcase was loaded up with cheese for my trip home!

Growing up I didn’t eat a lot of cheese but *luckily* I grew out of that lactose allergy in my teens. I had hardly tried anything other than cheddar and mozzarella before Sean and I  started dating 7 years ago. Since then,  he’s shown me a whole new world of great cheese! There’s so many great varieties, and ways to eat it; sharp ones, super soft ones, melted cheese in general, cheese with garlic, on crackers, with potatoes, pizza, fruit, or my personal fav, with vegemite on toast.

A Bit of History

Cheese making in Canada goes back to our French and English heritage, “French settlers brought over methods for making soft, ripened cheeses, while United Empire Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution, introduced the distinctly British characteristics of cheddar“.

In my research, I learned cheese making in Canada can be traced back to the early 1600s but it wasn’t until 1864 when the first cheese factory was set up. Cheese making in Canada is older than the country itself! By 1867, there were over 200 cheese factories in Ontario alone. ?

 “Our great Canadian cheeses start with 100% Canadian quality milk, which are produced by our passionate dairy farmers in a sustainable way’ said Sebastien Bergeron, Director of Marketing for DFC.

Representing the best of the best in Canadian cheese, Dairy Farmers of Canada has hand-picked three highly-awarded varieties to share as part of the Canada 150 celebrations. My favourite from the three DFC sent over is the Avonlea Cheddar. The recipe is from Scotland, and the flavour comes from the salt air, iron-rich soil, and Holstein cows milk.

Join me in celebrating Canada and the dairy farmers who help make cheese possible by sharing great Canadian cheese with your friends and family this weekend. ???