Chilean Girls Night In w/ Montes Wine

Last week my BFFs and I celebrated Jen’s birthday with a wine tasting thanks to Montes Wine.  Montes was founded  in 1987 and is the the pioneer producer of premium quality Chilean wines. Our night started with an informal tasting with a totally awesome sommelier, Lesley Prevost, followed by a delicious selection of Chilean catering. Learning heaps from @purplelips! She’s awesome. TY @MontesWines! pic.twitter.com/NPODF26IkL — CASIE STEWART (@casiestewart) April 26, 2016 We were treated to four of their premium wines you can now find at the LCBO: Montes Twins Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Montes Twins Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Montes Alpha Malbec 2o12 Montes Alpha Cab Sav 2013 We all really enjoyed the Sauv Blanc, it was light and fruity, with nodes of tropical fruits pineapple, grapefruit and orange blossom. I could deff see myself drinking this all summer. I think it would be really nice w/with some fruit/Perrier on ice. I really enjoyed the Malbec/Cab Sav blend, it has 14% alcohol and low acid (good for me with acid reflux ? ). The other two reds pair really well with meat & cheese. Look at those angelic faces, Montes Angels!  Nice discussion over these two. ??#MontesAngel pic.twitter.com/nDfFgBhJki — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) April 27, 2016 If you’re looking to try something new at the LCBO (and love Chilean wine), give Montes Wines a try. They’ve also got a carmenère at the LCBO I’d like to pair with a nice BBQ at the cottage. Spring, get here alreadyyyyy!  Later this month I’ve got a giveaway with Montes Wine that’s open to anyone in Ontario. Will let you know when it’s live! 

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1,776 Steps! Did The CN Tower Climb for WWF Canada

I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do the CN Tower climb and this month the opportunity came to climb with CLIF Bar for WWF Canada. I asked April to join me and we conquered it in 23 minutes! That’s 144 official flights plus the few it takes to get to the first numbered stairs and then a couple extra flights to the glass floor lookout. Thank you to the @ClifBar team for feeding our climbers and getting them warmed up! #CNTowerClimb #FeedYourAdventure pic.twitter.com/f6XnRuu6Hy — WWF-Canada (@WWFCanada) April 16, 2016

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Gettin’ Fit in the 6ix w/ The New FitBit Alta

Before vacay I joined a bunch of blogger buds at Sport Chek to test out the new FitBit Alta. Remember, with companies like PromoCodeWatch that offer discounts on Fitbit products, make sure you use this when before you hit the checkout button! I’m sure you would like to save as much money as possible on something as cool as a Fitbit. Since receiving the device, I’ve become obsessed with making my 10K steps each day. It wasn’t hard to surpass my daily goal in Costa Rica, I was so active! I forgot to pack my charger so after about 5 days, it died. I was super impressed it lasted that long tho, if only an iPhone could do that! Here’s a couple snaps by George Pimentel from our workout with celebrity trainer Harley Pasternack. We were set to train outside but it was pouring down with rain, hence the raincoat, but we picked out head to toe New Balance gear and set up our devices for an indoor workout. I am seriously loving the leggings, they’ve got a drawstring and are super soft, comfortable. Ready to hit the road! We took a brisk walk through the PATH underground walkway then arrived at the Toronto Athletic Club to sweat it out.

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Fashion | #tbt 90s Street Style

A couple years ago Lauren and I were show by Becca Lemire for Pink Mafia with Anna Von. Mica styled us up in this RAD vintage gear, overalls, florals, Versace, bomber jackets, all pared with big glasses and bandanas. It was super fun! I hardly had any tattoos back then, the big one on the inside of my arm is fake. I found one of these photos in a search for pix Loz and I yesterday and wanted to re-live them all. We rolled up this this old school barber shop on Dundas and snapped a few shots in there. The old Pink Mafia office is in a super old building at Bay & Dundas with a cool old elevator and fire escape. The Converse I’m wearing were customized to say ‘Casie’ at a Marcus Troy MMVA event in 2011. I love searching the archives. Can you believe next month is 11 years blogging? DAMNNNN. Time flies when you’re having fun. that’s why you need t document, so you don’t forget.

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Return on Enjoyment: Finding That Work-Life Balance

I find taking vacation or ‘staycations’ essential to my sanity. If you’re following my Twitter or Snapchat you’ll know that I’m always on the go doing something, events, speaking, dinner, travel. I love it, but tbh it’s pretty exhausting. Putting heaps of energy out (friends, work, or social) can take a lot out of you. In a recent TD survey, they found that us millennials have a hard time finding balance between financial and work commitments, and taking time to relax is a challenge. I can totally relate to this. TD found that 46% of millennials don’t take their allotted vacation days, mostly due to heavy workload (31%) and lack of travel funds (29%). Back when I was working in an agency, I hardly ever took vacation, felt pressure to work late, and when I did take vacation, found myself constantly checking my phone and responding to emails. I know I’m not alone here! The survey found, 90% of Canadian millennials agree that vacation time, even mini-vacations or “staycations”, are essential to keeping them happy. Taking time to recharge doesn’t have to be expensive, I find a good binge weekend with some cooking, takeout, and a nap (or two!) boosts me up. Having a financial plan and a budget will help you get that ROE – Return on Enjoyment. ? This weekend we opened the cottage, going there, even for a 24 hour getaway gives me leaps and bounds of energy. Don’t have a cottage? Make friends with someone who does (heh heh) or check out options like Airbnb or Glamping Hub for affordable getaways. Millennials like us can save for activities by creating a financial plan to account for funding life’s pleasures (or unexpected moments). We could all use a little more vitamin SEA, amiright? ? Other activities with…

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