CASIE STEWART
THIS IS MY LIFE • BLOG EST. 2005
Speaking Toronto, Canada

2 Upcoming Speaking Things: Jan 19th & 25th – Get Tickets!

2 Upcoming Speaking Things: Jan 19th & 25th – Get Tickets!

If you missed my post over the weekend (here), I’m super excited about 2017 and the year is off to a great start!  Last week is LA was just what I needed to motivate and inspire. LET’S DO THIS. I have two speaking gigs this month and both are FREE to attend. You can get a ticket on the links below. January 19th – Breaking Down Investments @ Brainstation January 19th I’m speaking on a panel with Tangerine Bank about investments. I’ve talked about my finances a few times of the years and this panel focusses on RSP and investment stuff for millennials. Tickets are free, there’s a Q&A, and you can enjoy refreshments with us at BrainStation. ? Register for a Free Ticket  Jan 25th: Writers Recap CES + Smith Lowdown Focus + Ingress Nex Band I’ll be joining a panel of journalists talking about wearable tech trends coming out of CES.  I’ve spoked at WWTO a few times and they get a HUGE crowd. There’s already 400+ people registered.Pizza Pizza and beer from Lake Wilcox Brewery will be served.  ?✌? Register for a Free Ticket

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LIFE

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU! 

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU! 

Did you have a nice time over the holidays? I did! I took a break from blogging and IG to recharge my batteries and I feel so alive! It might help that yesterday I went for a b12 shot and IV of vitamins at REVIV. In 2017 I am excited to focus on doing great work, telling stories about tech, and helping others. As I was driving yesterday the sun was going down and it was so bright and beautiful I stopped to catch it lighting up my face. Over the holidays I did a couple volunteer shifts for different charities including cooking & serving lunch at Evangel Hall on New Years Eve w/ the #GivingBackVibes crew. [We did this last month too, see here.] I fulfilled my dream of wrapping presents at the mall before christmas w/ Nneka Elliot at TD centre in support of StepStones For Youth. The day before I volunteered to help sort clothes with the NuScreen Digital team at Brands for Canada. I feel so good that I was able to give some of my time to help others. You’re going to see more of this in 2017. Volunteering w/ @nuscreeninc at @BrandsForCanada! ?✌?? pic.twitter.com/b3C10jtwHK — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) December 21, 2016 I went home between Christmas and New Years to spend some quality time with my parents. Set both mum and dad up with new tech gadgets and had lots of laughs over great food. They’re only an hour away so this year I want to spend more time hanging out. Today was a really fun day. ❤ pic.twitter.com/P10zek09Nv — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) December 30, 2016 On New Years Eve, Sean and I went to Ikea to get some organizing stuff and things for Em’s room.  We watched the Minimalism doc on Netflix a couple…

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Tech

Talking Influencer Marketing on the #UrbanizeTHIS Podcast

Talking Influencer Marketing on the #UrbanizeTHIS Podcast

This week I was a guest on the final episode of the UrbanizeTHIS Podcast with Matthew Slutsky & Ara Mamouran. We had a blast recording and a bunch of laughs before and after. I chatted about the web, influencer marketing, social media, and real estate. Click the play button below to listen!  I got to try on my first pair of Spectacles from Snapchat since Ara has a pair. I AM SO JEALZ OMG. I didn’t connect my Snapchat to test out recording but they felt cool. These glasses allow you to handsfree record videos and post directly to Snapchat. FOLLOW ME ON SNAP: CASIE STEWART   I am hoping to try and track down a par at CES in January! I’ll also be in LA so if the Snapchat Bot is anywhere near, I WILL FIND IT! Subscribe to the UrbanizeTHIS podcast here. I you have a topic suggestion or guests you’d like to hear from Tweet @aramammo or @iSlutsky. (Yes that’s his REAL NAME! ?)  

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DIY

Made a Thing: Little Wooden Laptop Table

Made a Thing: Little Wooden Laptop Table

This weekend I did more than just watch Netflix, I made a thing! On Friday night I saw this cool bed table laptop stand thing found it on Etsy. It was $60 but then $40 in shipping and I was like HELL NO. So I decided to make one! Saturday morning I went to Home Depot and picked up 1/2″ copper pipe, 4fittings, and 4 steel flange. I asked a dude who worked there for help to save time and he cut the pipe for me too. I didn’t think about cutting the pipe so this was a huge help! If you’re reading from the UK, you can buy copper from aluminium warehouse or somewhere similar instead. I used a large cutting board we had around the house as the table top. Next time I’ll use a bigger piece of nice wood from the bunch we’ve got at the cottage. I think rougher edges would look nice. All the pieces cost just under $50 and it didn’t take long to put this stuff together. The glue is to hold the pipe bits together and I let it dry overnight. So happy with how this turned out. I saw it, wanted it, and made it! I’m no expert on DIY, yet but I’ve got a long list of things I want to make for the house and cottage. This does however mean that I am going to have to invest in some more tools! Most important of all, I need to find a good cordless drill. The staff over at Coolest Gadgets made a comparison of the top-rated cordless options, so I will definitely be checking out their article for some inspiration. Making things gives me so much joy, I used to spend heaps of time in the garage with my…

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LIFE

Blog Day Afternoon

Blog Day Afternoon

This week I’ve been doing work around the house and on myself. I actually look forward to this winter wonderland weather each year so I stay inside and complete projects I’ve had on my to-do list. Thanks to Amazon Prime, Ebates, and Uber Eats I can get free 2day shipping, money back on purchases, and my fav food delivered. Why leave the house?  Today my new glasses arrived and some furniture from Amazon. Amazing! Would like to take a min to say THANKS everyone who joined the #InstaxHolidays twitter hang last night. We were trending in Canada for a WHILE and earned millions of impressions! There were 15 winners with $3,500 in prizes. This weekend I’m installing a new bed frame (yay Amazon!) and have a couple DIY projects I really hope I can pull off. It’s like you make the Pinterest board, get the supplies, then give it a go. More often than not my projects don’t nearly look as good as they should! We will see. I’m really focussed on planning for 2017 right now and have a couple projects in the works. Blogging might be a little sporadic over the holidays but it’s been like that for a decade so no real news here. Hope you are warm wherever you are and making the most of this holiday hangout time. Sending sunshine through the internet. ☀

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LIFE

My Fav Tech Gifts from the 2016 Telus Holiday Guide

My Fav Tech Gifts from the 2016 Telus Holiday Guide

Christmas is just over a week away and there’s a good chance you still have few people on your nice list (including yourself!). ?? Telus has a ton of amazing gifts you can buy online or from one of their interactive stores across Canada. You’ve gotta check out the Eaton Centre store in Toronto if you haven’t yet, theres heaps of things for your home, travel, audio, AND toys, aside from phone stuff. Last year I got a Nest thermostat, amazing JBL speaker, great USB cables, and a MIP robot for the child. Here’s a few of MY FAVS from the 2016 Telus Gift Guide. These are all things I’ve gifted or been given in the last year – Fitbit, Instax camera, BB8, and the PureGear Metallic Cable. BB8 Sphero Robot – $189.99 Last weekend I surprised Embot with a tiny little BB8 Droit. She loves Star Wars and robots. BB8 comes with a stand for charging and connects to Force Band through the app on your phone via Bluetooth. Once connected, you use THE FORCE to push, pull, and control BB-8 like Em is doing here. She’s been having so much fun using to guide him around the house. He can easily go over carpet, rug, tile and wood floors too. Instax Mini 8 Camera – $99 This camera is great. A total hit at holiday parties and with the parents. I took photos of everyone at mums one Christmas and this year I’ve packaged up some stuff to send back to New Zealand filled with Instax prints from the last few months. You can order one of these online or pick up at a Telus store. They’ve got the Instax Mini 8 cam available in Rose Gold, Blue, Black, and white. See this post for an #InstaxHolidays giveaway + Twitter party details for tonight!  Fitbit 2 Charge  –…

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Events Toronto

Auchentoshan + Sam Roberts Band at Common Sort

Auchentoshan + Sam Roberts Band at Common Sort

I’ve been a fan of Sam Roberts Band since the debut album with ‘Don’t Walk Away Eileen’ and those long glorious locks he had . Each summer he closes out Labour Day weekend at the Kee to Bala in Muskoka and we usually take a crew from the cottage. They’re a really good live band, amazing acoustic, and even better up close! This weekend, Sean and I were guests of Auchentoshan Whisky for a private meet & greet + acoustic show at Common Sort. It was honestly so fun and I finally got to MEET SAM ROBERTS. YAY! (I posted an excited selfie on Twitter.) The show was at 5pm and we arrived a bit early to sample cocktails from Auchentoshan. Sean’s dad loves this brand. I quite enjoy whisky in the winter, a nice sipper to warm you up on a cool night. Auchentoshan is single malt Scotch whisky, triple distilled near Glasgow, Scotland. The band played a few tunes then took requests from the crowd. As you can see I was RIGHT up close. There were a couple kiddos jamming in front of me and a huge crown behind. Hit play on these tweets to watch!  Uhhh @samrobertsband is so good. Thanks for this @CommonGood @Auchentoshan! ?? #distilleddifferent pic.twitter.com/gvSCKrjLdW — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) December 3, 2016 Don't walk away Eileen! ? @samrobertsband w/ @Auchentoshan ✌?️ #distilleddifferent pic.twitter.com/A8heTxTrLZ — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) December 3, 2016 After the show, Sam (first name basis now heh heh) grabbed his drink and walked right down to the kids for photos. I gave him a cheers and said ‘that was great’. I felt a bit like a dork but whatever!  A day before the show I posted a giveaway on Twitter for 2 VIP tix to join us. My winner was Stephanie, aka @stefiedrew from the internet who writes  ‘The Tallest…

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LIFE

Netflix Binge weekend + Lots of Soup

Netflix Binge weekend + Lots of Soup

I spent most of yesterday in bed or in the couch. Can't deny it anymore, I have a cold. ? pic.twitter.com/hl3v5Dz6fP — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) December 2, 2016 Today I’ve been watching Marcella on Netflix. A drama series about a female detective trying to solve a serial killer mystery based in the U.K.  I’m on ep3 but will probably finish the season today.  This little JBL speaker is usually in my travel bag and is perfect for watching Netflix in bed on my computer. Earlier this week Ricola sent an advent calendar and it is saving me right now. Sean has been such a dear, made me soup & toast while I’ve been in bed nearly the entire day. I finally set up my Saje Wellness humidifier thing and it smells like a spa in here. The other show we’ve been watching is HBO’s Westworld. It’s a futuristic show about an alternate reality game. A tweet I posted last night was RT’d by the show and over 100ppl showed love for it. I like these guys and their latex outfits on @WestworldHBO. Want one of those mini collapsible tablets. pic.twitter.com/6FLuQe4C0O — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) December 3, 2016 I’m really keen to find a new book. If you have any recos please let me know! I like twisted dramas with murder mystery. Or chick lit!

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Fashion

How to Have a Stress Free Holiday Shopping Experience

How to Have a Stress Free Holiday Shopping Experience

On Friday night I went shopping with Emily for some snow pants downtown. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking because like, 1) it was Black Friday, 2) I couldn’t find a park, 3) it was annoying carrying stuff. I should have gone to Yorkdale. I tested out RBC’s Avion Holiday Boutique before it opened the other day and they’ve really put some thought into making your trip to Yorkdale a pleasant one. RBC Avioners get complimentary valet, coat check, parcel check, snacks, drinks, gift wrapping, and a nice spot to be chill at. You can also test out their new VR Experience. Once you’ve left the car with Yorkdale Valet, waltz into the Avion Holiday Boutique, and check your coat. Grab a coffee, water, and sit down in a white leather chair, with a cold cucumber infused water, and delicious cookie. [Same cookies they have on Porter Airlines!] Scroll your list using free wifi and make a plan. Sometimes when I’m out and about all I want is to sit down, collect my thoughts, and have a glass of water. Y’know?! Before leaving the boutique, go on a 2minute beach vacation via VR. It’s really quite amazing how the sights and sounds of the beach will calm you down.  Take your experience next level by downloading the Avion Passport App (text “AVION” to 722722 or search in app store). In the app you get exclusive offers, faster gift wrapping services at the RBC Avion Boutique,  and you can text valet to bring the car around,  ? Thanks RBC for inviting me to be a partner and share this experience. Great job on the RBC Avion Boutique! For info about getting yourself on the RBC Avion VIP train, visit this link. The card is packed with travel rewards and you can use now your RBC Rewards at Best Buy and the Apple Store.…

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Tech

Visiting the Google Shop within a Shop + $250 Best Buy Giveaway

Visiting the Google Shop within a Shop + $250 Best Buy Giveaway

About a week ago I was out the door bright and early one morning for the media preview grand opening of the first Google shop in North America at Best Buy in Mississauga. I love going to this type of event! Ever since I was a little kid, my dad used to take us to stroll around Future Shop, look at all the gadgets, test stereos and TVs. I think I have him to thank for my lifelong love of tech. Google Shop is a ‘shop within a shop’ that’s got all kinds of Google goodies and product demos. I visited one of my favourite beaches in new Zealand via the Portal, tried Fantastic Beasts in w/ Google Daydream VR, and was sent home with Google Chrome. ?? I thought this was a neat thing to do over the holidays! Hangout with Santa in the Google shop. Select your city at g.co/instore to find your closest location. Before touring the store I chatted Best Buy’s Angela Scardillo, VP Marketing & Communications. The main thing I learned from her was how they’re really trying to make tech approachable. Their new round of ‘experience stores’ have a more immersive experience where you can touch, feel, test things. The new store design has raised access flooring that expands and contracts expand so they can actually move the store around and change the shopping experience. The new flagship Google shops are now open at Best Buy locations in Mississauga, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Angela also showed off her Google Pixel phone and I really want to try one. It takes great photos and organizes them in your phone like Google Images. I’m still thinking about it days later… To celebrate the new Googley space at Best Buy, we’ve giving away a $250 gift certificate.  To enter leave a comment, visit FB, follow us on Twitter, or send a…

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