6 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Lifestyle

Over the last few months I’ve been on a journey to take better care of myself. I feel better on the outside and inside, with more energy, and I’m less hard on myself.

Every spring I do a big clean on the house but I never really thought about cleansing myself? I’m getting rid of old habits, old friends, old thoughts, and setting new intentions. This year is different!

NEW YEAR, NEW ME

Here’s a few tips I’ve discovered that have helped me feel happy and healthy. I’m making this year a great one by making small changes in my lifestyle.

    1. Exercise

      You don’t have to go hardcore but it’s really important to be active and exercise. I’ve open to trying just about any workout and last week I did Function 45, that is a hardcore 45minute circuit workout. I’m planning t give it a go for 2 weeks to kick my summer bod into high gear. I’ve been going to yoga 3-4 times a week since the end of January which I find calms my mind and has started to lean out my bod while making me stronger.

    2. Drink Heaps of Water

      An old tip but a really good one. More water will energize you, help your skin, and it helps me snack a little less. After my LA trip in January, I saw a bunch of girls at yoga with the Bkr water bottles and I ordered on on Amazon right away. I take it with me everywhere now and I find I drink heaps more water.

    3. Get a Dentist to Check Your Teeth

      It had been a LONG time since I went to the dentist. When I finally went, my teeth looked good and I felt great.

      I had braces in high school so (my parents) spent a lot of money and I spent a lot of time in a dental chair, I don’t want any of that to go to waste. I’d had a little tiny stain in the front of my teeth for years and in one recent visit, my dentist got rid of it. If you haven’t been to the dentist in a long time, you might want to contact your dentist for a check up, or you could look at this Dentist in Greenbelt for an idea of the sort of dental treatments that are on offer to you. You only have one set of teeth and it’s really important you take care of them. However, I’m not looking forward to being older as dental insurance for seniors is expensive. You can compare providers with the help of Let’s Say Thanks which might help you save a little. I guess it’s just a part of life!

      Regular dental appointments will save you $$$ in the long run. Make a priority to visit your local dentist or if you were like me and didn’t have one, find a new one at youroralhealth.ca/yourteethareworthit.

    4. Get a Fresh Cut

      Since my hair is super short I get a cut A LOT. However, a fresh cut or shave can do wonders for your self-confidence, positive attitude, and personal style. I recently cut my hair super short again and I FEEL FAB-U-LOUS. I’ve been going to Sassoon Toronto in Yorkville and they do a killer blonde.

    5. SLEEP

      Something I’ve been really working on it going to bed at a reasonable hour. For years I would sit up late and work away on the blog or client things and I’d be exhausted. So, instead of lazy eyelids or falling sleep on the couch, I stop and go to bed. You are only one human and there are only so many hours in a day. Go easy on yourself, you need sleep.

    6. Watch What You Eat

      I don’t claim to be a health nut but I’ve been trying to eat healthier. I recommend keeping healthy snacks on hand and in your purse at all times. Cut your portions in half. Save it for later! It’s ok to eat a burger and fries or have a beer but not at every meal or every day. Moderation is key.



Just think how great you’ll feel after doing yoga, going to the dentist, a healthy lunch, a haircut, and heaps of water! You’ll be ready for a great sleep knowing you fed your body and mind really well.

Here’s to a healthy and happy week!


This post has been brought to you in partnership with the Ontario Dental Association.

Thank you for reading AND KEEP SMILING! 

 

You Can Achieve Anything You Want If You Work At It

You Can Achieve Anything You Want If You Work At It

I found this photo in a box of tax receipts and it gave me such a warm feeling. I’m pretty sure mum has this costume still hanging up in a closet at home. When I was about 9 my jazz class did a competition number to the Inspector Gadget song and to this day I still remember some of it.

I spent heaps of time at the dance studio as a kid. I started ballet around 3 and a half, had my first recital at 5, and spent a few years competing. I went all over Ontario, NY, and the National American Dance Championships in South Carolina a couple times.

First ballet Recital, 5 years Old, Fluffy Cloud

I distinctly remember times ballet was hard. Sometimes I hated it. I’d be crying after class, begging mum to let me quit. But she never did. And thank god for that.

Although it was tough, dance taught me so much.

It taught me hold my head high when I walk, how to enter a room, how to be on stage. I learned to not give up.

I’m so thankful for the decade I spent dancing as kid. For my teacher Miss Lisa at Meyerhofer Academy in Cambridge. I’m grateful for mum who taught me to persevere through all the tough times. Also thankful for all the late nights, mum sat at the kitchen table making ballet skirts for the studio to pay for it.

As I get older ,I appreciate more and more the hard work I put in when I was younger. This week Emily and I signed up for Tae Kwon Do. It’s her first go and my first time back in 20 years. [Side note: WHERE DID THE TIME GO, HOW AM I THAT OLD?] 


TDK is another thing I spent a few years doing that taught me so much.  I have my green belt, won an Ontario trophy for 3rd in sparring, and once broke a guys jaw with a roundhouse kick.

Before signing up this week I inquired about it twice over the last year and I’m glad I finally did it. Even after all these years, the five tenants of Tae Kwon Do have never left my memory.

Explanation of Tenets

1. Courtesy (Ye Ui)

2. Integrity (Yom Chi)

3. Perseverance (In Nae)

4. Self-Control (Guk Gi)

5. Indomitable Spirit (Baekjul Boolgool)


I’ve been working hard at yoga the last couple months and I feel so much stronger in  my muscles and my mind. I’m not sure if I’ve lost many lbs but I’ve for sure made some muscle and lost some of that muffin ’round the middle.

This post is a reminder: Don’t give up. When something is hard you have to push through to get to the next level. It’s like playing a really hard video game, and working hard to beat The Boss, and make it to the next level.

When you get there, it’s always worth it. And you can do it again.


Have a great weekend, 

Escape to Free Your Mind

Escape to Free Your Mind

This winter I didn’t  travel as much as last year because things kept coming up. So, my bff and I decided we needed a local getaway that was short and fun. Like us, haha! 

On Friday we drove about an hour to our hotel, shopping and getting food along the way. Our penthouse suite looked like a grandmas apartment from the 80’s but we had all the things we needed to make it fun. I was so into to our own party I didn’t even photograph the place. I hardly used my phone at all and didn’t update anything about where we were to the internet. It was kinda nice.

Sometimes you just need to ESCAPE!

We walked to a Mexican place for dinner, treated ourselves to the best tequila, and had a dance party on the balcony. It was perfect.


I absolutely did not wear the right shoes. They were soaked!

In other news, I was really excited to go to the cottage today but both Sean and I have things we need to get done at the house. Going up there makes me so incredibly happy and it’s the most beautiful place. I’ve got a list of DIY things I want to do and make. It is a lot of work but I look forward to it every year, cleaning, putting in the dock, getting the boat, doing the gardens. I also can’t wait to get back on my paddle board!


Today, I’m off to yoga and then a manicure before I knuckle down on food and work prep for the week.

Feeling great about spring, longer days, and warmer temperatures.

Take the sunshine wherever you go! 



Water bottles Are So 2003!

Water bottles Are So 2003!

Carrying water bottles is so 2003! They’ve been banned at Hong Kong Uni, Adele concerts, and for all of San Francisco. I’ve stopped buying bottled water since getting my new Bkr water bottle, but now, there’s a new way to save our planet…


I’ve always been a fan of Paris Hilton and along with SodaStream she created the Paris Hilton Institute for Plastic Pollution Solutions who developed NanoDrop. Cute, right?

A revolutionary scientific achievement, a highly condensed form of water that is 5,000 times more hydrating than regular water.”

One little drop is equal to 1 glass of water. 

Say whaaaaa?


“This is the beginning of a new era for humans, sea turtles, oceans, and all other living creatures on the planet.”


Ok, so if this seems a *bit* far fetched you’re right, NanoDrop is not a real product. Did you check the calendar today? heh heh ?

However, the water bottle crisis is totally real and Paris Hilton is serious about saving the planet. She’s also a big fan of SodaStream and if you saw my IG story this week, I just got one!

We’ve wanted a SodaStream  for a while and I’m so happy to welcome it into our home. It takes 2 seconds to turn tap water into carbonated water and I can’t wait to start experimenting with flavours.

We’ll be totally cutting out sparkling water purchases at home and in the office.


STAY HYDRATED BB!

casiestewart, blog, blogger, toronto, canada, travel, tech

 

Ok so this post is like, totally in partnership with SodaStream. Duh! One step closer to working with Paris Hilton! ?

Enjoy A Little, Endure a Lot

This week felt like a long one and it’s finally Thursday. As Keri would say, “Best night of the week!”. Tonight I’m heading to my BFFs house out of the city and tomorrow we rented a sweet hotel room in a random Ontario town, not too far, for a well deserved girls getaway.

Sometimes when I look back at my story of the day, on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook, my short term memory forgets things even happen. This was the case a few times this week. I started the week slow, was super tired, and had a sore shoulder from an awkward sleep on Sunday.

New jacket from SheIn

Tuesday I spent most the day dragging my a$$ through the motions, but, by the end of the day I was so inspired I couldn’t sleep! I was a judge at the Women in Wearables Tech Meetup for the Female Founders Cup.  It was  great to be surrounded by incredibly amazing women making waves in the tech community. You can watch the livestream here if you’re looking for some inspiration. 


Women & Wearables: An evening of celebration, discussion & activism


Wednesday seems like a blur. Did yoga at 7:30 then drove home, picked up Emily and took her to school. Shawn Hawaii came over for quick head shot shoot around 9am and by 10:30, Sean and I we were heading to 1188. The rest of the day was non-stop and by 9:30pm I was finally ready to sit down and do things on my computer.

I am SOOOOO looking forward to a 2 night getaway with my BFF and a s-l-o-w pace. I love what I do but life is exhausting and I’ve had to teach myself to take breaks. Also, I can’t wait till we open the cottage and my regular weekend escape from the city is back in action. Cottage life, baby!

Here’s to the balance of hustling hard then taking time chill!

casiestewart, blog, blogger, toronto, canada, travel, tech

 

There is no sponsor today but I found the inspiration for my title from this (Brainy) quote.

Light Up Your Life with Best Buy Smart Home

Last week I went to the National Home Show as a guest of Best Buy Canada to check out smart home accessories. After CES and the Interior Design Show this year I’ve become obsessed with making our home more efficient with smart things. Upgrading appliances in your space can help save energy (thermostats/appliances), make things more comfortable (lighting), and keep you safe (security camera).

For the National Home Show, Best Buy partnered with designer Christine Dovey to design a fully stocked smart home pop-up where you could see all kinds ways to pimp your place with technology. I left dreaming about new appliances for the whole house complete with a super skinny & smart Samsung QLED tv.



I was obsessed with the Samsung ‘Family Hub’ fridge, this thing is totally from THE FUTURE. It’s got a wifi touchscreen and three inside cameras that take a photo every time the fridge closes. Then, you can check your phone to see what’s inside, it also knows what’s inside, it make recipes, it can track expiration dates. Kinda hard to wrap the old brain around! I LOVE THE FUTURE. My friend was telling me about how they recently got a new smart AV system from Crestron System and I think she is as much in love with the future as I am!


When I was at CES in Vegas this year, one of the award winning new products was the Nanoleaf Aurora light panel.All the lights connect to my iPhone and can change a zillion colours and different shades of white (warm vs cool). I was so excited to order this for our house! I would love to say I went for the cool lights knowing Emily (9) would love them but they were totally for me too.

We had guests over this weekend and I set the Nanoleaf up on a table in our living room and it was so awesome. I set the lights to slowly go through colours of the rainbow (this gif is fast so you can see). The 9 little triangles can be moved around to any shape as long as they’re connected. I plan to put them on the wall eventually.

Some other things I ordered from Best Buy) were a set of Philips Hue A19 Smart Wireless bulbs, a cheap IP camera and the little Hue Go Portable Smart LED Light. They both can all be controlled by my phone and adjusted to encourage moods or be programmed to timers.


My mum stayed over the other day and this works as a great little night light. I easily fits on your hand, isn’t to bright, and is super light.

Phillips wireless HUE light in action

By changing a couple lights in the house to smart bulbs we’re saving energy and changing the way it feels. We’ve also compared Cirro Energy plans to our own to find where the most competitive rates are so that we can save money. These were all pretty simple to set up but you can always have someone from the Best Buy Geek Squad help you out.

Learn about the wide variety of Smart Home products available and determine what fits your home and lifestyle by visiting your local Best Buy or BestBuy.ca.

This post in is in partnership with Best Buy Canada and the National Home Show. In exchange, I received perks in the form of products and/or compensation. All opinions on this blog are my very own! Thank you for reading!

Make Yourself Happy. Do What You Love. #stickwithit17

Make Yourself Happy. Do What You Love. #stickwithit17

The last couple weeks I’ve been on a journey of making my self happy, practising what I preach, making the most of each day, and following things that give me joy. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart, it has made a big difference. The last couple months of 2016 I was totally drained, didn’t feel creative, felt a bit lost like ‘what am I doing and why‘.

So, I made a change. I started putting  myself first
and really doing WHAT I WANT.

It’s easy to get side tracked from your goals, over worked, under stimulated. The thing is, you can totally turn that around any singe day, at any time. You’re in control of your happiness. You’re the director of the movie that is your life. You always have a choice.


2009 BLOG POST

Years ago (2008-09) when I wanted people to remember me and my blog I made these little stickers on white Avery labels after work (at an IT company). I didn’t have $$ for real stickers, so I had to be creative.

They had a strip of photos I took of myself (now called selfies) and my Twitter @casiestewart with my URL casiestewart.com.

While most people will take your business card and never follow up, this is not the case with stickers. I found that people would go to my blog the day after a fun party where I stuck my sticker on them, their sweater, conference badge, and leave a comment, or tweet me it was nice to meet.

The first round of ACTUAL real stickers I made were from StickerYou when a friend worked there. They were heart shaped photos of me with a painting in the background and my Twitter handle.

2017 reissue of 2011 stickers (see originals)

This month I was invited to create a Mantra Box of stickers to keep me motivated. WELL, I went and ordered a whole bunch. So many that I ended up spending more than the gift code they sent!

Over the last week I’ve mailed out a bunch of hand written letters to long time blog followers, old and new friends, with pieces from my Mantra Box. I already knew the quality of stickers and I can say I am so impressed with this batch. I really love them.


Use code CASIESTICKWITHIT17 to order some for yourself.


The price point is affordable, here’s a screenshot from part of my order. I’m surprised how many stickers I got. I also ordered clear stickers of my signature (for windows/everything) and signature tattoos. Yay!


I have a bunch so if you want some LMK.

casie stewart, autograph, famous, blogger, canada, toronto

 

 

 

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’

Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’

This weekend we had friends in town from Boston. Instead of facing St. Patty’s Day crowds on Friday we hosted them for dinner (Uber Eats!).

Saturday was pretty relaxing except for the call I got at 10:30am saying Mum was in the hospital. She ended up having appendicitis and getting her appendix out. Just like that! She was back home just after dinner time. Canada is such an amazing country.

Hale Coffee, love this place

At yoga on Sunday, Sandy read a few horoscopes and mine mentioned gifting myself a young cactus. The cool thing about that was I had a ticket for a terrarium workshop that afternoon.

It was my my 3rd terrarium workshop of the year and want to make a really big one now that I understand how. It was at Untitled&Co and a couple friends joined me in the fun.

This week I’ve got an event at Twitter HQ & am seeing another show at Mirvish. Since I’ve made yoga a priority and started focusing on doing things for ME that I really want to do, I’m so much happier.

Today I’m doing 9am yoga with the team at 2Social in the Junction. Hope to get my bike tuned up later today.


Here’s to a great week! Sending sunshine through the internet to you! Longer days are on the way! ☀️??

 

TITLE QUOTE IS BY ROBIN WILLIAMS VIA BRAINYQUOTE.

Live Action Short Drama? Story of My Life! 2017 #CdnScreenAwards Recap

Last weekend I attended the Canadian Screen Awards as a guest of the First Weekend Club. It was my second year attending the ‘Canadian Oscars’ after last year winning the award for Voice Pioneer at CSA’s Social Awards. The awards were hosted by Howie Mandel and held at the Sony Centre on Front Street.

I absolutely love attending these kinds of Canadian events. Since my first job working in TV almost 10 years ago, and being on tv/in a couple documentaries since, I’ve grown to know a lot of people in the industry. I love seeing old friends and colleagues take the stage and supporting creative work by amazing Canadians.

This great dress was rented from Studio Fitzroy, my go-to!

One highlight of the show for me was when Strombo announced an award in the name of Canadian filmmaker and friend Rob Stewart (Sharkwater) who recently passed away. Starting in 2018, the award for Best Science or Nature Documentary Program or Series will be in Rob Stewart’s name.

The pre-show was hosted by Emma Hunter (The Beaverton) who was super funny. My fav line of hers was when she was announcing the nominees for ‘Live Action Short Drama’ and she said ‘story of my life’. I was like ME TOO GIRL, ME TOO. Haha.

I made notes in my phone during the show of Canadian films to add to my watch list including Weirdos, Born to be Blue, and Two Lovers And A Bear.

Thanks you kindly First Weekend Club for inviting me to be your guest. I hope to attend more Canadian Films things with you this year!

casie stewart, toronto, blogger, speaker, influencer, "this is my life"

Spring Forward 

Spring Forward 

I hate to blame daylight savings but this week I have been so tired. I had to fight myself every morning to get out of bed. I managed to do yoga and spin on Wednesday which was a big accomplishment.

Last week I was so high on life and motivated. Writing heaps. Killing it everyday. This week, opposite. Almost everything I’ve had to get done work wise has been an up hill battle.

End of the week, mum came to hang out and I took her around my neighbourhood and to some fab spots in the city. We picked Em up from circus camp, went to YouTube, got pizza, then saw Beauty & the Beast in 3D. It was go good to hang out. Mum has been my biggest supporter my whole life and it was really nice to treat her yesterday.

Tonight we have some friends from Boston coming for dinner. I’ve got heaps on my to-do list but I’m determined to cross them all off today! I’ve got yoga at noon which will give me the energy I need to keep this momentum going. Em has a recital at this afternoon for March break Circus Camp.

This week I mailed a few hand written letters with new stickers I had made in them and that made me feel really happy. This weekend I’m doing another terrarium workshop! (3rd of the year lol, I’m obsessed). My new pillows from Notion Manufacturing arrived this week which was also a small joy and good for a few LOLs. Sean loves it hahahahhahaha.


Remember it’s important to listen to your body and relax if you need to. Being ‘on’ all the time and always on the go is great but it’s hard to do 24/7.

Take some time for yourself this weekend to recharge ‘dem batteries!

SPRING STARTS NEXT WEEK.

With love,