Planning for Life’s Unexpected Moments w/ TD Canada 

When I was growing up I didn’t really think about kids, marriage, wedding etc, but I knew I wanted to be in business. I like setting goals but after spending years what felt like forever paying off my school debt, I didn’t really have a nest egg. I mean, I never prepared for unexpected life events, buying a house, retirement. One of the things I’ve learned from working with TD Canada the last year is that it’s never too early to build a financial plan and set goals for your future. If you work for a business and you already have retirement on the mind, then make sure your employer has Employee Benefits so this process can be made easier for when the time comes and that you get what you deserve. Y’Know What I Mean? For many Canadians (especially us millennials) things don’t always go planned the way they did for our parents ex. finish school, get married, buy a house, have kids, get a boat, retire early, move to the Bahamas for a year. (OK the last part is actually what my mum did, except ‘retire early’) So if you’re soon to be retired, make sure you look around and make sure you’re planning enough to ensure you’re retirement ready. A recent TD Canada Trust survey found: – Nearly 6/10 Canadians have completed or are on track to complete their life’s milestones in a different order than they originally expected – Gen X Canadians are more likely to complete or be on track to complete them in a different order 64% than Millennials 52% – Only 4/10 Canadians say they’ve properly budgeted or are properly budgeting for having their first child (39%) and for retirement (41%) – Only 24% of Millennials and 33% of Gen X Canadians say…

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TD Canada + MusiCounts + Serena Ryder in Ottawa

Last weekend mum and I went on a trip to Ottawa. I was invited by TD Canada & TD Music to bring a guest to see Serena Ryder and attend a special ceremony where TD Cafe & MusicCounts made a music announcement. It has been a loooooong time since mum and I went on a plane together (NZ in the 90’s) so we made the most of every moment and it was so much fun. We flew Porter Airlines which involves taking the worlds shortest commercial ferry to the island. It’s a wonderful flying experience! MusiCounts is Canada’s music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to help keep music alive in schools across Canada. TD Canada has been working with MusicCounts since 2012. They support Community based organizations, schools, and picka  MuciCounts teacher of the year. This year’s winner was Steve Sainas from BC and he received the award at the JUNOS. TD Canada has worked with some great Canadian artists through MusiCounts including Arkells, Kevin Drew, and Tegan & Sarah. They’re excited to add Serena Ryder to the mix.  WThey also work w/ the JUNOS team to partner with artists. TD Canada is committed to music as an organization with a genuine interest in music and communities. They’re not just a cheque signing bank, they actually follow through and make communities better. Serena made a $25K donation to Musicounts.ca! These kids were SO EXCITED to hear the donation news, receive violins, and to find out they were performing on stage WITH Serena Ryder herself. It was a magical moment.  A photo posted by Gracie Carroll (@graciecarroll) on Jul 3, 2015 at 2:39pm PDT The concert was at TD Place in the new Lansdowne Centre and was opened by The Strumbellas. They were amazing. The 6 piece band rocked…

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Celebrating Canada’s 150th w/ the #TDCommonGround Project

This post is sponsored by TD and the TD Common Ground Project. Earlier this year I joined TD at The Harbourfront Centre on one of the nicest days in February to kick off the TD Common Ground Project. In recognition of Canada’s 150th this year, TD has joined forces with local organizations to help create a legacy by revitalizing over 150 green spaces to bring us all together. ????? How It All Started  Last fall, TD invited organizations across Canada to apply for funding from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation as a part of the #TDCommonGround Project. Now, they’ve picked 150+ local community‑driven initiatives to receive funding and help their goals become a reality. Projects range from science projects to trail building and heaps more including a new pedestrian walkway to Waterloo Park (Waterloo), improvements to an outdoor public library and rec space in Halifax, a 4.6-hectare green area in Montreal, and an outdoor celebration area & pollinator habitat right here in GTA (Scarborough). Learn more about individual projects by visiting commongroundproject.td.com.  ?   City of Toronto: The TD Pollinator Engagement Centre @ Morningside Park The Toronto / Scarborough flagship piece focuses on the revitalization of Morningside Park and they’re already planning! The park is an Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) and the new engagement center will feature an outdoor classroom and community celebration area, as well as a pollinator habitat. GTA residents will be able to go to learn about the park, attend the annual festivals, go to weekend seminars on local plants, and take part in stewardship programs. Schools who visit the park will learn about Morningside Park and its connection to the Scarborough community as well as pollination and how pollinators relate to the natural systems of the park. I love this initiative and I’m so happy to be working on another…

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#Takeoutday: My First Writeup on Muskoka411!

#TakeOutDay is a nationwide effort to help our favourite local restaurants by ordering takeout. The national campaign was started by Canada Takeout in an effort to help Canada’s hard-hit food industry and is now being co-signed by celebrities, chefs, and notable Canadians nationwide. I chatted with a few notable Canadians to find out their fav spots to eat in the Muskoka region. See tweet below or read it here. Last week we ordered takeout from Muskoka Beer Spa, they’re offering pizza from pie Muskoka, beer & food from Clear Lake Brewing, and several other local items. We even got meat pies! ? For more information on how you can help, visit CanadaTakeout.com.

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Sharing the Love w/ Ford Canada – Weekend Getaway at JW Muskoka

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. it’s amazing what a weekend away can do for your happiness, health, relationship, and spirit. Over the winter we don’t get away too often so when Ford Canada offered up the new Ford Expedition and hotel stay, I was so down. We stayed at the JW Marriott Muskoka, one of Canada’s top 10 luxury resorts as voted by Conde Nast. I’ve wanted to stay here for ages and tweeting back in forth about Muskoka and cottage life for years. The staff were nice, the food was good, it was quiet. We didn’t do much other than eat and sleep but it was just the relaxing 24 hours we needed. The lobby is quite modern and the whole place has a country house vibe. There was warm apple cider in the lobby, complimentary snowshoeing, snow bikes, and valet. We were upgraded from a standard room to an apartment style suite which was verrrrrry roomy. A family of 4 could have stayed here no problem. It had a full kitchen, fireplace, two tvs, a private bedroom, washroom with 2 sinks, and a separate toilet/bath/glass shower, so you could use each independently. I could have honestly stayed there for a week working on the great Americancan novel, or my blog. Inside the JW Mariott Muskoka The hallways feel a bit like you’re in a movie. We’re definitely going back in the summer to take in the outdoor spaces and activities. The weather wasn’t great and neither were the roads. I was happy we were in a vehicle with 4 wheel-drive. The 2019 Ford Expedition Platinum is huge, especially when you are only 5’2 driving an SUV that seats 8! It’s also rollin’ on 22’s so you’re seated above most cars on the road. Great for…

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Helping Communities Grow w/ the TD Common Ground Project

This post is sponsored by TD and the TD Common Ground Project On a sunny Sunday afternoon, I took a drive to Morningside Park in Scarborough. This year as part of Canada 150, TD is revitalizing over 150  community green spaces across Canada. It’s so nice to adventure and stroll through a new park discovering things along the way. I took some time to sit in the sun, watch the water, and admire the light shining through the trees in the middle of the forest. ???? When I was a kid in Cambridge, Ontario  I spent heaps of time at Riverside Park near our house. Playing there as a kid, volunteering for summer camp in high school, riding bikes, and watching friends play baseball when I was a bit older. To this day I always take a drive through the park when I go home to see how it changes and go for a walk if I have some. Sometimes I just sit in the car and listen to music with a friend like the good old days. So many memories.  A park is such a big part of a neighbourhood and city. TD’s Common Ground project encourages Canadians to come together in green spaces across the country. The scale of projects varies and there are 7 flagship projects, the outdoor gathering space at Morningside Park is one of them.  There are 82 projects in Ontario, with 7 in Toronto, find them all here. Next time I’m in KW I’ll be checking out Waterloo Park to see the new bridge connecting the two universities, provided through the TD Common Ground Project. Step Into the Forest – 360 Photo of Morningside Park, Scarborough I hope you’ll look up your local TD Common Ground revitalization project (here) and see what spaces are changing near you. For more information about the project find my…

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Long Live the Weekend – Love You Canada!

Been having a pretty relaxing weekend. Can’t believe it’s already Monday. Back to the city tonight or tomorrow. I love being up here but I’m looking forward to going home. Feels like I’ve had more time at the cottage than home lately! My friend Steph is here from New York City. Sean and I met her last year at Anamaya Resort in Costa Rica. [Read about it here!] The weather has been a bit meh but it’s finally nice and sunny today. We created a super tasty wine spritzer with Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc mixed with La Croix, strawberries, and a bit of juice.

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Bachelorette Canada Best Tweets via Twitter Moments

Well, well well, did you watch Bachelorette Canada last night?! I watched most of it by myself and then Sean came home. He always says ‘urghhh, not this show‘ but then he watched it with me and his commentary was some of the very best. Last night there was another helicopter date, the guys did ‘manly’ things like carry logs and chop wood, they gave Jasmine massages, and went in the hot tub. It was pretty steamy! Was funny watching them struggle doing outdoorsy jobs, Sean does that stuff at the cottage all the time!  As you know my FAV part about the show is tweeting along with the hashtag and posting comments as the drama unfolds. It’s so funny. I love how fast the internet reaxting to things with memes, GIFs, and jokes. Years ago when I worked at Much/MTV I thought I had the best job watching TV and tweeting all day at my desk. Now through my partnership with Two Oceans Canada, my job is to sit on my own couch, drink wine, and tweet the show. Lesson to be learned: FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS GUYS!  Yesterday I went to the Twitter Canada head office and one of the things I learned is everyone can now create Moments on Twitter. Until recently, this feature was reserved for Twitter and major news outlets. So, I created a Twitter Moment of my fav tweets from show last night. Best Tweets from #bacheloretteCA! ? For next week’s ep I’ll be in Arizona so I wont get to watch live but I’ll tune on online for the recap. Check out the Watch Kit for downloads and recipes to whip up a perfect cocktail to go along wth the show, or whenever really! For info on Two Oceans Wine Canada visit twooceanswines.com. Until next time, keep fit & have fun! ?????   *…

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Your Story Your Future TD Speakers Series with Cheryl Strayed

Last week Gracie and I had the opportunity to attend TD’s Your Story Your Future Speakers Series with Cheryl Strayed at the AGO. Name sound familiar? Cheryl Strayed is the author of WILD, which was made into an Oscar nominated film starring Reese Witherspoon. The story documents Strayed’s solo hike up the Pacific Crest Trail. I’d watched the movie before attending the talk but hearing her stories in real life was really inspiring. Something that stood out was Strayed’s advice from her mum that reminded me of something my mum would say ‘this is character building’ in regards to getting through hard times. TD’s “Your Story Your Future” program combines workshops and inspirational speaker events to help women feel confident about setting and achieving their financial goals. I’ve written about a few of my financial accomplishments over the last few years (read those here). I feel it’s really important for us as women to grab the reigns of our finances and set goals so we can prepare for our future. I remember when my parents got divorced, I was a teenager, and my mum was going back into the workforce after 16+ years. She stressed the importance of having my own money, not getting into a position where I had to rely on someone else when it came to my finances. Only 3 out of 10 women have a financial plan for their future and TD’s Women Investor Program wants to change that. The program was created for the growing number of women who influence a growing share of wealth in Canada and might be looking for a more personalized investment experience from men. According to a representative from TD Bank: “One of the key differences between men and women investors is a desire for a more holistic financial advisory relationship – one that is…

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Simple Summer Hosting Hacks for Outdoor Dining

Last weekend at the cottage Emily helped me put together lunch for the fam. It was so fun to do this together, she’s 8 now and a great little helper! She was also quite stoked to help with the blog. ? Scroll down for a few ‘hacks’ we can up with using stuff you just might find around the house, the kitchen, or the garage.  It was all pretty simple and not too expensive, BUT when we put it together, it looked great! I guess that’s why they’re called HACKS. On the Menu We made mini sushi-style BLT wraps, a hot dog bar,  and mini bacon grilled cheese using products from Butterball Canada we picked up at Loblaws. Simple Summer Hosting Hacks for Outdoor Dining   Make an outdoor table using an old door.  Use wrapping paper to decorate the table. Makes for easy cleanup!  Organize your napkins or cutlery with Washi Tape. There are HEAPS of colours/prints! Freeze lemons to use in cocktails. ??? No need to water down those drinks with ice!  Use a muffin baking tray for condiments.   Raid the dollar store for plastic plates and stack them. These same items were more $$$ at houseware stores.  Baking cups inside little mason jars for sauces. Heaps of colours in these making mason jars even cuter.  Put skewers in watermelon for easy snacking. I put them in the freezer so they were MAD CHILL. ☃️ If you loved this post LMK! Was fun putting it together. It was my first time trying turkey bacon which is 50% less fat than using bacon from pork. Found that it cooked a bit faster and made our meal a *little* healthier. The following day we used some leftovers to make cracked pepper maple bacon  that I’ll share in another post soon!   * post sponsored by Butterball Canada but Emily and I totally did this all ourselves!

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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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This Is My Life | Weekend Cruising in an Audi A7 TDI

I really loved driving this car. I picked it up Friday in Ajax, cruised back to the city then spent a couple days in cottage country. It was beautiful to drive on the highway and also be a passenger in. Two features I really loved were heated seats w/ several massage options and the fast accelerating. I fount it a bit long for city driving/parking but it was v. luxurious. I feel an Audi would be a good car for us, I think the Q5 or Q7 is next on my test drive list. The exact car I had was equipped with $20K in upgrades including a $5k Bang & Olufsen sound system that was pretty amazing. You can bet 100% I was cruising to Drake and them singing along and crying to the new Adele. I really love test driving new cars. I grew up in the garage and around my dad’s hot rod shop, so I’ve always been around lots of different ones. Connecting to the nav system with my phone is something I like to test out right away, no issues with the A7. It was great to take calls through the speakers or use Google Maps via my phone to navigate. A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Oct 23, 2015 at 2:32pm PDT A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Oct 26, 2015 at 2:58pm PDT Thanks Audi Canada for letting me take this beauty for the weekend. We had a great time together!

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Give a Suit. Change a Life. Moores Canadian #SuitDrive

I’ve had a love for fashion my entire life. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a closet quite big enough to fit everything! Borderline clothes hoarder.  Twice a year I rummage through my stuff and pack things up to donate to a clothing drive or second hand shop. Last summer I put a bunch of old hot rod shirts and special items in storage, then handed over a few bags of clothes to find a new home. My closet has a bed in it and a tv. I wish it would clean itself into a room. — CASIE (@casiestewart) August 13, 2010 It’s important to get rid of clothes that don’t make you feel your best. No sense in holding on to things that don’t fit, they clog up room (and make it increasingly hard to find an outfit in a hurry). Messy room, messy head. It’s amazing how well you sleep with a clean room and after doing something nice to help others. From now until July 31st Moores is holding their 5th annual Canadian Suit Drive. For the entire month, they’re collecting donations of  men’s and women’s suits, shirts, jackets, pants, ties, belts and shoes. Items will be given to more than 60 local recipient organizations across Canada who provide job readiness programs for those on the hunt for employment. I love this program because it helps people seeking work dress for success. Looking good and feeling good for an interview gives you a boost of confidence. A good outfit and positive attitude go a long way. This is the PERFECT time to go through your stuff and donate your gently used/never worn items. Drop your stuff at off at a Moores before the end of the month and sale 50% on your next purchase (details). For more info or to find a location near you visit their website. RT…

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Party at Casa Loma w/ @MetroNewsCanada

Went to a fancy shindig at Toronto’s famous castle, Casa Loma on Thursday. Kevin asked me to recreate the purse stealer. Did a good job I reckon! Who wore it best? @casiestewart or Emma Burtch? pic.twitter.com/KicMtD42Kg — Joe Killoran’s BF (@kevinjn) July 4, 2014 This is me wishing the castle was MINE. ALL MINE. Dresses made from Metro News. Thanks for the new LazyPants! Metro special edition. I’ve got a couple pairs and LOVE THEM. See past posts here.  Hope weekend is treating you well! <3 CASIE

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WMCFW: Tips on Shooting Fashion from @SteveCarty & Canon Canada

I recently met up with the Canadian Canon Ambassadors for a professional photo session with Steve Carty (you’ve seen him here on the blog before!). I’m really getting the hang of using my DSLR! It may sound silly but it took me a while to get shutter speed and aperture. After the last session, I finally hold my camera like a professional and not a n00b. No really though! In this session we learned how to shoot moving subjects on the runway, portraits, and about the built in filters on our cameras. To be honest, I discovered  the filters in my Canon Rebel SL1 right away! I’ve been using Canon since I got my first digital camera pre-blog back in 2004 and I’ve  always loved the creative filters. [Way to be ahead of Instagram guys!] A Word About Fashion GIFs I really love GIFs as you know.  I took all these photos the night of our fashion photography session with Carty and made them into GIFS to see the differences with using the Canon filters. Please note, photo quality was drastically reduced when I put these together. I need a photoshop session before I learn to make high quality GIFs! I think they’re fun. I love when designers and bloggers put out GIFs from runway shows so I wanted to test my skills. Scroll down for some tips from Carty and Canon! 1. Try Canon’s Creative Filters Canon’s Creative Filters can be applied both before and after shooting and can take a photo from average to spectacular You can also stack the filters and create your own unique combinations like Miniature Effect + Soft Focus or Toy Camera + Grainy B&W (The order that you apply the filters also makes a difference in the final output!) If you’ve snapped a photo that seems unsalvageable, try out some…

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StyleMint now ships to Canada!

There’s nothing like a surprise gift in the mail to perk up a cold winter day. It’s even better when it’s something you can wear and it comes from a company owned by your favourite famous twins Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen! Nice packaging too.  Seriously though, I love them. Once I dressed up as MK&A for Halloween. We had venti Starbucks cups and huge purses as accessories with heaps more accessories on top. Other members of team JewelMint  & ShoeMint, are Kate Bosworth, Rachel Bilson and celeb stylist Cher Coulter and Nicole Chavez. This ‘Le Beau Necklace‘ is silver plated chains wrapped around 14K gold plated ring on a brass faceted cable chain. Love. At StyleMint you pick a bunch of things you like, then MK&A ‘style you’. Once I connected with FB they picked my style matched with famous short haired blonde’s and even styled me with a boyfiend who was tall with long hair and a beard. If you know anything about me you know that those boys are my fav. ♥! Spot on with the outfit choices. I love buying shoes online and have gone a *bit* overboard lately on Solestruck so it was nice to see heaps of styles I wold totally buy on ShoeMint at a lower price point. Getting shoes is the mail is like SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! JewelMint is like having Kate Bosworth as yout stylish. She picked for this ring for me. I think I have one kinda like it somewhere. I need to organize my jewellery. She has really beautiful different coloured eyes.

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sometimes informally considered as marking the beginning of the summer season in Canada

The weekend has been so nice, I don’t even mind if it rains today. Actually, I like it. I’ve got lots to get done, report, expenses etc. Off to a Jukari class at King West Fitness now. Might cruize somewhere after and car office with my computer and rocketstick. I’d like to take a second to say thanks to the following awesome companies for being part of this weekend & my life (blog).

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canada goose 2010 preview: i wanna get goosed

Last night Keri and I went to the Canada Goose 2010 preview. I’ve never owned any Goose gear. Saw heaps of peeps, checked out lots of merch and it was nice to get to know the brand a little better. How cute is this jacket? And this hat? We look good together, don’t we? Jacket is from the kids line. Loves the brightness and it felt really snug & warm. I’d love to be wearing it when I’m going around to Virgin events and  doing all kinds of cool stuff this winter. hint hint 😉 Winter is coming guys. Let shope it’s not too damn cold this year aiiight. I’m ready for hibernation station when it hits.  Actually, I don’t mind winter that much. It doesn’t get nearly as cold now as it did when we were kids. Remember how much show we used to get? Like CRAZY amounts. Canada Goose has these Goose People who brave the elements and do amazing things. I got a prety neat book about them all. I reckon I can do some pretty amazing things too? Maybe I should climb a massive mountain in my spare time. I really like way the companies/agencies are starting to get creative with event activities and take aways. Last night we each got our photo taken in Goose gear, were given it on a branded USB key, then the image was made into a snow globe. (Dad, you are getting this for Christmas. Love you! ) Spotted a couple babes, look at these dashing young men, Paul & Kevin. Twerk. These young fashion bloggers are takin’ ovah. Represent. L-R Nick Sean, Jay Strut, Julio. The shirt I’m wearing is by Andy Hall and Toronto based Canadian designer. Wore a bunch of Andy Hall stuff at NZFW and really…

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Hipster Hop: @vicecanada & @INQmobile Pheromone Party

Now this was a fun time. INQ Mobile & Vice teamed up to throw this donut party complete with bottled pheromones to turn up the temperature even hotter. Gimme pheromone pumps girl. The party was for a new phone. I didn’t really get to try it out. Open bar, good tunes and more babes with beards than I could handle. Fritz Helder & crew. (Note beards/babes ratio – told ya!) Party was at Air­ship 37, a ware­house just south of the Dis­tillery. Team Stewart happening here. Good Looks obvs run in the family. Hottest photog ever w/ Violca from Masion. I brought my business cards as you can see. Hi cuties. This babe was the art director of the party. He just flew in from France. He was very cute. He had a strong French accent. I got him with my URL too. Danced a bit to DJ’s Ryne­col­o­gist and Your Boy Brian. This is my friend Stephen. Saw a couple of the actual cool kids from MuchMTV too. Fistpump w/ Renee. It was def a lovely time. Happy Monday suckas. Make it a good one 🙂

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LOOK OUT @WAKESTOCKCANADA! IT’S PARTY TIME!

I’ve been having a blast this Summer and y’know what, it be gon’ get much bettahh. I’m heading to Wakestock August 6-8 with three of the hottest most awesome bloggers in Canada – Raymi the Minx, Carly Anne, Lauren O’Nizzle. Playing this year  are Public Enemy, Alexisonfire (AOF), Crash Kings, U.S.S., Maestro Fresh Wes., Hollerado and KO. I loooooove outdoor events and concerts. I’m sure to see a whole heap of cute baes too. Yahooooo PARTY! We’ll be on the ground, back stage and anywhere you can find beers. Haha! This weekend is gonna be off the hizzle!  I’m STOKED. If you wanna come party with us Wakestock has been kind enough to give you a special discount and you can get a weekend social pass for only $55 bones. MAD DEALIO. Get tickets here THE PASSWORD IS: PARTYGIRL. Come join us if ya wanna have fun, and like, duh, who doesn’t wanna haz fun times? Excting day ahead of me, heading to an audition for a Bell commercial then to Lilith Fair with Carly Anne. Yahoooo! I love Summer. Happy Saturday! k.thx.bai xo

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happy birthday canada you sexy thang

In 1996, on the weekend before Canada Day in my hometown of Cambridge, I was a contestant in the annual Miss Teen pageant. Since I was little I had always wanted to ride in the convertible waving like the Queen with a sash and tiara. That year I was in a group of about 18 girls all competing for a chance represent our city for a year at events as the Miss Teen. I had to write a speech about why I was proud to be Canadian. Before our speeches we had preliminaries and I was the first person to ever get 100%. They asked about Canadian history and politics, good thing Mum prepped me before my interview. I got up on stage in the middle of the mall podium to recite my speech for the audience. I was a natural. The judges scored me the highest and that day I won my first (and so far only) beauty pageant. I got to ride in the convertible for the Canada Day parade like it was my job. That was my favorite Canada Day ever. Canada Blog friends wrote about me recently, check it out!  

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Money Hacks for Millennials: Have You Saved for a Rainy Day?

Coincidently I am writing this post on a rainy day, and despite always hearing this expression, I didn’t know exactly what it meant. “Save for a rainy day?” more like “save for a rainy three to six months” in case you lose your job, break a limb, or god forbid some other unexpected life moment goes down. Over the past two years I’ve written a few posts with money tips for millennials. If you missed those, let me give you a little background on my situation, in 2005 I returned from Australia, tiny, tanned, and educated. I brought something else home with me tho, a HUGE debt. I owed over $30k in student loans and credit cards!? It was a tragic look at reality when all the bills started rolling in and I’d barely started my first full-time job in Toronto making under $30k/year. It seemed literally impossible to dig out of the hole I was in. I found myself saying “I need cash now ” more often than I wanted too. Having to find quick ways to get cash is difficult and I did struggle. Payday loans such as Fresh Loan were constantly recommended to me for a short term solution. Soon enough, I’d had enough and decided I needed to gey myself in gear. There is no way I was going to live in this debt forever. For many others it’s the same circumstance, they find themselves in a vicious circle, having to take out loans, ending in debt and hardly seeing a way to get out. Small loan lenders like this Norwegian based company, små-lån, can help people finding themselves in the same situation. Before taking out a small loan, you should read every detail carefully and fully understand your repayment methods. Not long after that I…

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Heading to Our Nations Capital, Ottawa!

Friday morning Mum and I are heading to Ottawa and it’s her first time flying Porter Airlines. I’m so excited to be travelling with her! Last time mum and I went on a trip together I was in middle school. We don’t often get to hang much, especially not in the summer is mum is usually at the boat and we spend heaps of time at the cottage. We’ll be seeing Serena Ryder, with special guests The Strumbellas at TD Place Stadium to celebrate Canada Day weekend. Earlier in the day, TD Bank and MusiCounts will be be announcing the 2015 MusiCounts grant recipients and have a special surprise planned for a local Ottawa recipient.  I’ll be doing a short interview w/ TD Canada about TD MusicCounts and sharing it with you next week. Oh hey @serenaryder! See you on July 3rd! #tdmusic #lansdowne #tdplace A photo posted by TD Place (@tdplace) on Jun 18, 2015 at 1:09pm PDT Feeling excited to take mum on a press trip and hang out at the hotel together. We don’t leave until 4pm the following day so hoping to take a walk on Parliament Hill. I’ve never been to Ottawa around Canada Day. Last time I was in Ottawa was March 2012 for Ottawa Fashion Week and it was very snowy. Looking forward to some fun times w/ mum and lots of laughs! 💛 CASIE

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What’s your fav room in the house??? #housie

In my latest little project with TD Canada I’ve joined them in celebrating the places we live. Whether it’s your first place or a fresh start somewhere new, there’s always one room in the house you like the most. In my last place I loved the living room, remember this view overlooking Lake Ontario and downtown Toronto? I spent hours staring out those windows. TD Canada is encouraging people to share their fav room in the house with a #housie, a 360-degree video selfie of your home. My fav room in our house is the roof top patio. Last summer I had a lovely garden up there and spruced up the place with some new furniture. My TD Canada #housie A video posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Apr 6, 2015 at 9:11am PDT How to create your own – I’m sure you know! Love to see your fav room in the house and how you celebrate your home. I need to celebrate today by doing some cleaning! Once uploaded to Twitter or Instagram your vid will be added to the others on tdhousie.com. <3 CASIE  

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Travel Tuesday: Vacations Aren’t Just for Soaking Up Sun!

Dreaming of an experiential vacation – wine tasting in Italy, yoga in India, surfing in Costa Rica, visiting Lower Shotover New Zealand to go Bungee Jumping? People often think of vacations as a jaunt away to soak up the sun but one way to REALLY enrich your life is a vacation where you learn something or take on a new experience. An RV vacation is a very popular choice for many people who want to go and see new sights and cultures from the comfort of their own vehicle. Those that do embark on such a vacation will want to make sure they have quality equipment, like Lifeline rv batteries, on board before doing so. A couple years ago I went on a solo surf + yoga vacation to Costa Rica, it was so much fun. Visiting this country was on my bucket list and I had always wanted to tick it off. With this being said, if it wasn’t for a friend of mine recommending I checked out a site like https://små-lån.com (as she knew I was struggling financially), I don’t think this trip would have been possible, but I am glad that I was able to make this happen. While I was there, I learnt how to do aerial silks and perfected my wave riding skills in the ocean. This was the little cabin I stayed at in the jungle at Anamaya Resort. In 2013, I ventured to Thailand and took a cooking class in one of my fav cuisines. I came home with new skills and a bright outlook on a different culture. I recently chatted with TD Canada Trust about how to make an experiential vacation a reality. These types of vacations are often seen as more costly and harder to plan. BUT, if you knuckle…

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Global News at Noon: Money tips for Millennials

I was recently included in a press release with TD for a study they did about millennials and money. They found that kids like us are better off if we see a financial advisor. When they called me about the study I said I agree 100%. About 5 years ago I set out a payment plan with a financial advisor to pay back my $30K. My goal was to be debt free by the time I turned 30 and I DID IT. I blogged about it recently here. Philistine Toronto shirt, Tiffany & Co silver pearls, Joe Fresh boyfriend jeans, NastyGal shoes It’s almost hard to believe this actually happened because there was a long stretch there where I wondered how I was ever gonna pay back my school and credit cards (from school). I honestly and sincerely encourage you to talk to a financial advisor because there’s nothing like having control over your debt instead of it controlling you. From millennial home buyers to millennials in the workplace, there are many stereotypes that the previous generation have on people in this age group, which isn’t always true. Although times are hard for this generation, it won’t get an better unless you decide to take charge! Here’s me on Global news at noon today with Faisal Yousuf from TD Bank. Millennials and money the two don’t always mix so well. The generation is often accused of mismanaging funds and wasteful spending. So we’ve brought in TD Canada’s Faisal Yousef, and blogger Casie Stewart to offer some solutions to gen y’s money woes.

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Kickoff to Summer – GrillzJam

This weekend, Shark|Ninja invited us to the incredible home of Toronto based artist Charles Pachter for a kickoff to summer. Panoramic views, great people, and the centrepiece of it all – a Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill. They were also giving away custom grillz onsite from Cappd. I didn’t win a custom grill but I would really like to have this outdoor grill on our patio. Especially Sean lol. Had a great chat with Charles about his career and beautiful home, both a private residence and gallery museum. He purchased the lot 1996 and there was a Jewish funeral home in the back, “I really took a chance with this place when no one else wanted to“. It was nice to see friends and eat snacks on the rooftop, just as the sun was setting. I had so many laughs my face legit hurt. Loved exploring the art, glass elevator, studio, and multiple patios. I first visited this house in 2010 (see below) and to quote myself, “Honestly, the place is stunning. If you ever get to go there, go. Actually, find a reason.” When I saw the theme was ’70’s mod/cool’, I knew my outfit right away. This silky jumpsuit has been sitting in my closet for months and I was waiting for the perfect moment to bring her out. Thank you Cappd, Ninja Kitchen Canada, DM Public for a great time & Charles Pachter for having us in your home. All photos by Nick, bestoftoronto.net. Show some love to this post on Instagram here! FROM THE ARCHIVES: SEPTEMBER 13, 2010 👩🏼‍💻 According to the archives, I first visited this same home in 2010 for a Toronto Film Fest party. Reading old blog posts is such a trip. It’s like an old diary, written by you at some point, yet you don’t remember writing…

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