CASIE STEWART
THIS IS MY LIFE • BLOG EST. 2005
LIFE DISTRACTED

Hocus Focus, Put a Spell On me Please!

Hocus Focus, Put a Spell On me Please!

I really should not be blogging right now. I have a report to finish but I just can’t get my head in it today. Back in the day when I worked at a big agency I was the Director and had a team and would oversee the reporting but didn’t have to make the reports. It takes me so long, I hate doing it. It’s nice outside. I already went for a walk, got a snack, opened some packages. Looked up flights. Scrolled FB. Sent a few tweets. Talked to other people in the office. Looked for music. Got some ie water. Had a call. Omg, time is moving so fast and the deadline is getting closer. WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF. I do this every single time though. Urgh. We are our own worst enemies sometimes! I think I’ll have a cookie and a coffee. It’s really nice outside. I wish I was at the cottage. Help! I just can’t concentrate today. Do you have tips? Music suggestions? Help, I need to get a report finished asap. pic.twitter.com/P9OhA5fdxi — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) October 24, 2017

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LIFE IN THE KITCHEN

Healthy Eating FTW! My Food Prep Favs from Amazon

Healthy Eating FTW! My Food Prep Favs from Amazon

I love making things, cooking, baking. Have been eating a bit healthier after a few changes in the diet/exercise category back in January. I generally feel healthier, happier, and that my life is better since. I don’t really blog about food much because it’s a time I like to put my phone down. I find it relaxing. I usually put on music or a show and take my time creating things to eat. I have, however, been using some badass kitchen appliances I’ve bought over the last year and they’ve helped with the food prep and healthy eating. I always read reviews before buying appliances, from places like All Great Appliances, because they can be pricey so I don’t want to make any rash decisions I might regret later down the line. They’ve helped me find some real treasures that made food prep so much easier.I love making a bunch of things on Sunday afternoon, I’ve even started planning them. We’ve been at the cottage the last few days and the weather is amazing. I’ve got the windows open, music on, and I’m putting things in the oven and prepping food, while typing away on this week’s work. When I look out the window the leaves are falling every few seconds and catching sunshine on the way down. Instant Pot: Last year for Christmas I got Sean (well, us!)an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker and I use it so much. I love that little thing. It’s great for cooking a bunch of chicken breast, rice, stew, chilli. I even made up a risotto recipe. I’m planning to get more adventurous and try some new stuff this winter. Spiralizer: I’m obsessed! I would love to get an electric one but I have read some bad reviews so I haven’t ordered one…

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Fashion CHILL HOUSE

Winter Weather, I’m Ready for Youuuuuu!

Winter Weather, I’m Ready for Youuuuuu!

I went early to the Roots Cabin because I was planning to get home to yoga. However, traffic was (is?! FML) super intense and it took way longer to drive home than I expected so, no yoga. We ordered takeout and am working on blog things. I’d never been to CHILL Ice House so decided to turn my photos into a wee blog post because I love blogging more than doing other things!  (Like reporting ? or cleaning the house! ?) Roots invited media to pop by the #RootsCabin to ‘chill out and warm up’ in their new Packable Jacket. It was cute. Along with the new jacket, they gave us all matching hats, and gloves. I wore the jacket under my new trench, it fits nice and snug, is super thin, good for layering. Mum has a vest similar and wears it all the time. It was decorated like a winter cabin and there’s a warm bar out back with a fireplace. Cute date spot for a couple drinks. It was looking pretty Christmassy to me and now I want to put on Jingle Bell Rock. Winter I’m ready for youuuuuuuuuuu!    

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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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Speaking CENTENNIAL COLLEGE, TORONTO

Speaking at Centennial College – Advanced Social Media

Speaking at Centennial College – Advanced Social Media

Here I am on the TTC again. I really wish I had headphones but they’re still in my travel bag at home. I’m heading over to Centennial College to chat with a class of Advanced Social Media year 3 students about my life and work. I try to say yes as often as I can when a friend or close contact asks me to chat with their class. It’s always an opportunity for me to learn. I love their questions. I love reminding them that the job they’ll have one day might not, and probably doesn’t even exist. It’s ok if they don’t know what they want to do yet. I remind them to find something they love doing and become really, really good at it. I tell them to explore creativity and try new things. To not be afraid of other people who can’t see their vision or grasp their unique idea. There have been so many times in my career where the person/people I was working with or for, didn’t get my idea. Most the time it was because only I could see so far ahead, not as far as me. They weren’t there yet. Having the skills and knowledge to see an idea before anyone else will often keep you ahead of the pack.  When I worked at CTV for Much/MTV Canada I remember telling my boss it would be a good idea to put the show hashtag on the tv screen. He totally thought I was crazy and made me feel bad about my ‘dumb’ idea. We all know how that turned out, eh? Another time at an agency job I suggested we get this cool InstaPrint thing from NYC. It involved hiring a guy to man 4 machines onsite for the event that would print little…

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Tech TELUS HOUSE

#MillionHours + #TelusCelebrates + New iPhone!

#MillionHours + #TelusCelebrates + New iPhone!

Last week I attended an event at Telus HQ in Toronto to celebrate how they’re creating change in communities across Canada. Telus is unleashing the power of the internet and mobilizing people around the world to donate an hour of their time to collectively donate a MILLION HOURS this year for Canada 150. As a company, Telus is working with partners and local business leaders to make the future friendly. They’re collectively dealing with crisis, addressing social issues, and building a brighter future for Canadians. They’ve created Telus community boards for community giving with 13 boards across Canada and 5 globally. In 2016, Telus gave out $6M in charitable grants & 600 projects in Canada. Earlier this year, Telus made a donation in my name a charity of my choice. I picked SKETCH, a Toronto arts-based charity that helps youth and the donation went towards their new Media Arts program. I’m planning to get involved with the program!       One cool project supported by the Telus Media Fund last year was CUT OFF a documentary by VICE. It was shot by Sean’s company OCCUPIED VR! You can see his business partner J Lee with Chris Mooresby beside the camera, behind Justin Trudeau below. Watch the doc on VICE here. IN OTHER NEWS… I was totally caught off guard when a very cool person on the Telus team asked me about my iPhone and then surprised me with A NEW PHONE. I’m now on the new iPhone 8 Plus and will be testing out new features and sharing my thoughts on it soon. If you’d like to get involved with the Telus #MillionHours initiative, check out this link and sign up! Here’s to making the future friendly!

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Fashion ESSENTIALS LOUNGE 2017

TIFF 2017: #EssentialsLounge8 Recap

TIFF 2017: #EssentialsLounge8 Recap

This week I’m *finally* getting to all the goodies I received during TIFF this year. I had such a fun time! One of my fav events every year is the Essentials Lounge hosted by EGPR. In its 8th year, the one-day lounge exists to equip media with TIFF survival items to heal, hydrate, and help them through the festival fun. All photos by the amazing Ryan Emberley. I arrived just before lunch and slipped into something a little more comfortable aka Keds then had a fabulous express facial from the team at SkinCeuticals.  Before the treatment, I put my head into the contraption below and was given an in-depth skin analysis and a selection of skincare essentials to pamper my skin. Tweezerman hooked us up with a set of personalized Slant Tweezers, a Mini Nail Rescue Kit, plus a Mini Brow Rescue Kit filled with their brow essentials. Dior was onsite to touch up my makeup and hook us up with a few of their fav items. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been loving the Dior FIX IT 2-in-1 Prime & Conceal Face – Eyes – Lips and FLASH LUMINIZER Radiance Booster pen. I’ve been known to be a bit silly so when the Michael Kors team said I could get my ‘sexy Ruby’ engraved with 3 letters, I went for something fun. LOL! Some of my other fav things from the lounge were TuckShop Trading Co. ‘City of Neighbourhoods’ Collection Tee, plus 6 Panel Wool Ball Cap. I picked Queen West, obvs.  I’m a fan of  Green & Black’s chocolate and was happy to find a few in my gift bag. Sean and I broke into them last night after dinner! ? Thank you Esther, Jessica, and the wonderful team at EGPR for the invite and hosting a great event. I’ve been attending the lounge since it started (I think?) and have watched the team and…

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LIFE YOGA SHOW / TERRONI

Make friends. Make moments. Make memories.

Make friends. Make moments. Make memories.

Had a great weekend after my super relaxing day on Friday. Saturday morning I went to yoga at 8:45 am, then came home and went to the Yoga & Wellness show w/ Sarah. It was pretty small so we walked around the whole show and went for lunch. I bought a beautiful rose quartz/gold/sandalwood bracelet. We walked to Terroni and got a gorgeous little table by the window upstairs. I ate the Saturday Special lasagna (my fav) and washed it down with a nice glass of wine. It was perfect. The last year or so I’ve been trying to make more time for my friends not to just hang out but to hang out in pairs/small groups, to talk, listen, and make memories. For so long I spent heaps of time going to events and not really listening or opening up. I feel so grateful to have smart & talented people around and I wanna cherish that. I may not see some of my good friends all the time but when we do hang out, it’s magical. Last week I went over to visit my friend Sasha who just had a baby and the other week I sat down with an old friend for a tarot reading. So energizing! If you’re ever having a bad day, or want to make your good day better, write down 3 friends you haven’t seen in a while, call them. If one doesn’t answer, call the next! You’ll feel a smile on their face when you say hello and you’ll both feel an electric charge.     

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LIFE QUEEN WEST

Sometimes you just have to take a day for yourself.

Sometimes you just have to take a day for yourself.

Yesterday I had such a lovely afternoon. Earlier in the week I was looking my schedule and feeling overwhelmed. This entire month has been so busy. I’ve got a sore foot (long story) and decided to cancel attending an event I had planned for Friday. Then wen online and booked a couple treatments at Hammam Spa instead! I love it there because of the steam room. I can lay in that place for hours. According to Hammam it has been over a year since I treated myself to a visit. I arrived about 15 min early to leisurely get changed and have a few minutes to steam my stress out before my massage. It was so nice. After, I went back to the office to meet Sean and we took Emily to an art show. The artist, an old friend of his, Jonathan Craig was showing ‘Abell on Noble‘ photos of 48 Abell before demolition back in 2011, curated by Bridget Light. That building was a legendary space for so many people, a hub of artists, creatives, and other interesting characters. It’s condos now.  We picked up two from the collection. One photo I really wanted was sold but it said ‘NANCY IS A CUNT‘ on a wall in marker. Apparently, Nancy was the landlord and everyone hated her. When Jonathan went through the building with his camera and another landlord (man) they found the ‘message’. That landlord man from 48 Abell was also the one from Noble Street Studios, so when we walked into Jonathan’s show, he said ‘THAT ONE’S MINE’. Last night, when we got home, I watched Will & Grace on my iPad in bed, while scrolling my phone, eating snacks. Then I caught up o Young & The Restless and fell asleep on the couch.   Sometimes…

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Tech HOT TECH TIPS FOR YOU

Best Buy Life and Tech Show 2017

Best Buy Life and Tech Show 2017

Earlier this month I attended the Best Buy #LifeandTech event at YD Square. This is my second year attending and honestly, it feels like Christmas for tech lovers! I got to test out and bring home some of the coolest tech around. You can find everything mentioned in this post at BestBuy.ca. I’ve been working with Best Buy Canada for the last couple years and it makes ME SO HAPPY. I love being invited to test out the latest wearable tech, smart home gadgets, and overall life-enhancing products. Here’s a few of my favourite things from the Best Buy Life and Tech show! SMART HOME SECURITY: One of my ultimate favs is this Ring Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Pro. I haven’t set it up yet but I can’t wait to creep anyone who comes to my door or walks past. Since moving into a house with a front door (from a high-rise condo) I get so freaked out when I’m home alone and someone knocks on the door. Who does that! Unexpected! Gah! I get all packages delivered to the office so it’s extra weird if someone sends something to the house. I feel that this new burglar alarm will give me peace of mind and make me feel much safer. I like that I can see everything in real-time too, so if there was a burglar, I would be able to have an instant description of them! With the new Ring, you are able to monitor hour home with audio and video from anywhere. The rep I chatted with was from Minnesota and he showed me his backyard while we were chatting in YD Square. He’s able to record video, sound an alarm, or say something to an intruder if he see’s someone suspicious around. So cool! Imagine yelling ‘HEY…

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