Consistently Inconsistent

Last updated on March 30th, 2021 at 09:56 am

As I hustle to consolidate my ideas in one place, I can’t help but look back on the year so far and how much I’ve accomplished in the process. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to slow things down and take some time to let things simmer, but it hasn’t been that kind of year—I’m finally getting my act together, and I know it won’t happen overnight.

The Quest to Make EXCELLENT Content.

I’m convinced I’m on to something, trying to mine the very best content from the hundreds of ideas I have scattered about, but I need to be patient with it all because amazing content can’t be rushed.

But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Our standards have plummeted in the hunt for quick content, too many creators looking for ways to game the system instead of actually innovate. We try hard to mimic others’ successes rather than look to forge our own paths, confused when it doesn’t work for us as well as it did for the last guy. And that’s a damn shame in a world craving better content than ever.

The Life and Times of Casey Palmer—The State of the #BloggerLife, March 2019—Consistently Inconsistent—Current Shot of Casey

So sure—I’m a bit behind with my posts. But it’s because I want to create something the calibre of which the world rarely sees—I’m consistently inconsistent, but when I put work out, I want it to be amazing.

That in mind, let’s not dawdle any longer. You came here to see where I’m at with my second monthly update, and I’m more than happy to oblige. Without further ado, I present The State of the #BloggerLife, March 2019—”Consistently Inconsistent”.

I hope you enjoy it!


The 2019 200 Monthly Update—February

Zach put it best—with any to-do list, it’s only human to do the easy stuff first for that rush of accomplishment and leave the harder stuff for later. And that’s precisely what happened with The 2019 200, getting so much done in January that I was on track to finish the list by September.

But reality eventually catches up to you, and as you struggle to make everything fit, you soon understand what’s actually possible with the time you have and what’s just wishful thinking.

So for February, amidst Live from the 3.5 and everything I got up to for Black History Month, here’s what I managed to accomplish amidst all the chaos….

Sherkston Shores, Port Colborne

Last updated on April 24th, 2021 at 11:21 pm

Let me tell you a little bit about Sherkston Shores.

As a family influencer, the issue I have with a number of my pitches is that they require time away from my family! It sounds nice in theory to explore different cities and celebrate in festivals across the globe, but taking care of two boys under four as a solo parent ain’t easy, and it’s a fate I wouldn’t wish on any parent—least of all my wife!

So it was great when Port Colborne’s Sherkston Shores invited the entire family for a weekend stay at their Lake Erie resort, letting our boys experience something different from what they’re used to in downtown Toronto!

Sherkston Shores Day 1: A Time to Learn

Make Vacay Matter More with Stays at Sherkston Shores!—The Sherkston Shores Sign

While the commute to Sherkston wasn’t the greatest (rookie mistake leaving Toronto at 4 PM on a Friday), the accommodations were impressive! The three-bedroom Premium Rental Cottage proved plenty for a young family of four! It had a living room flush with furniture and a cable TV with far more channels than we had to offer at home; a spacious deck where the boys could run around once they felt too penned up; and of course, high-speed Wi-Fi for someone like me who never wants to be too far from the interwebs! It didn’t hurt that the team at Sherkston put a nice care package together of fruit, snacks, and local wine to welcome us to our vacation!

After a good night’s sleep in our queen-sized bed (we put both boys in one bedroom so they wouldn’t feel lonely), we set off to explore the grounds, starting with the Family FunPlex!

The 2016 100 Wrap-Up, Part 3: The 28 Things Left Over

Last updated on March 20th, 2021 at 08:39 pm

And we’re finally here—the 28 items that either just didn’t make the cut to come back after 2016, or got tabled for future Casey to handle somewhere down the line!

The more I do these, the more I realise I can’t do everything today, and so I work harder to focus on what’s in front of me so I can give myself the room to manage future challenges!

But hey—if there’s something on this list you think you can make happen sooner, feel free to let me know at palmer.casey@gmail.com and we’ll see what we can do!

Without further ado, here’s The 2016 100 Wrap-Up, Part 3: The 28 Items Left Over!


The 2016 100 Wrap-Up—What I MAY Do, But Not Necessarily in 2017

2) Win a vacation for my dry cleaner

One thing I’ve learned as a blogger is that while it’s all too easy to get high on yourself when you have successes, you also need to keep realistic. Though many great things have happened in my #BloggerLife so far, I don’t have the clout nor the contacts to conjure a vacation from thin air. Not yet, anyway. This is one I’ll pursue awhile, yet.

The 2016 100 Wrap-Up, Part 3 - The 28 Things Left Over — The Toronto Argonauts' First Game at the New BMO Field (Go Argos Go)

4) Take Eric to a sporting event so he can stop complaining about getting left from sporting events

After hitting a Toronto Argos game last year with a few buddies (and by association the Canada vs. Slovakia World Junior Hockey Championship game I was at just before the new year), I may have promised my buddy Eric that I’d take him to a game sometime. This would make the 2017 list, except I have no idea when I’ll find myself invited to a game next, so we’ll get back to this one eventually.

12) Do the CN Tower Edgewalk

By this point in my life, this one’s more of a “nice to do” than anything else. I’ve climbed a mountain. Backpacked through Europe. I’ve shot guns, ridden roller coasters across the continent, and gone face-to-face with black bears in the wild. I wouldn’t do the CN Tower Edgewalk to chase a thrill—I’d just do it because it looks fun to do! One day I’ll be a tourist in my city and give it a try!

24) Find the time to pack more lunches for work

This should be a given—with our access to fresh ingredients in Ontario, there’s little reason why anyone should eat takeout meals on a regular basis. Yet here we are. Eventually, I’d love to consistently bring lunch to work every day, but it seems so hard to squeeze it in between everything else going on in this phase of our lives. But who knows—maybe we’ll find a way!

25) Clean up and optimize my Pinterest account (I still have that copy of Pinterest Savvy lying around somewhere)

Many say Pinterest is still super relevant in an age dominated by Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, but I’ve failed to make great use of the account I’ve had laying around since forever. Sometime in the future, I’d love to take my copy of Melissa Taylor’s Pinterest Savvy and apply it to a killer content strategy to introduce my site to people who might not discover it otherwise!

28) Clear out the bookshelves to prepare for Baby #2

So far, my boys’ books and mine manage to coexist peacefully on my old Bombay bookshelves, but the time will come to thin the collection down to what’s still relevant to make room for the Seusses and Munsches of the world. But we’re really good at purging—new things rarely come in the house without us sending out two to Value Village or a friend who might need them more, so I haven’t had to lock horns with this issue yet.

Varadero, Cuba Dat Varadero, Doe.

Last updated on April 20th, 2021 at 05:04 pm

As much as Torontonians love getting away from the cold and soaking up warmth from a tropical island, there’s only so much time I can spend on resorts before feeling the pans for a return to the life I’ve established back home.

Dat Varadero Doe—Sol Palmeros Varadero Beach

I’m not the type to lay on the beach all day without a care in the world, drink in one hand, book in the other, letting all my worries flow out as I enter a state of unbridled relaxation. I’m not the type to party recklessly through the night, acting unashamedly, willfully ignorant of my actions’ consequences, doing things I wouldn’t dare do in my backyard. The place I feel most comfortable is the home I’ve built myself on the Internet — and you can’t take me away from that spot for too long before I start to feel a certain itch.

It wasn’t Cuba’s fault—the Cubans are super friendly, excited to see a Black Canadian with a cute mixed baby, and likely partly because I’m a good tipper*.

*NOT SO FUN FACT: The average Cuban worker earns about 25 convertible pesos (CUCs) a month — or just over 31 Canadian Dollars. With prices for Cuban all-inclusive resorts so low, please make sure to tip generously!

Las Vegas | Shopping & Spotlights & Sharks, OH MY!

Last updated on April 29th, 2021 at 11:07 pm

Estimated reading time: 20 minutes

So yes, there is more to do in Vegas than party, get drunk and gamble. While these are horribly fun (until they’re not!), Vegas is full of surprises—great shopping, bright lights, and a whole bunch of unexpected animals!

Get Your Shop On: Las Vegas Premium Outlets North & Town Square

Las Vegas | Shopping and Spotlights and Sharks, OH MY!!! | Visa Gift Cards
Bling bling!

I can’t lie—I love shopping abroad. One thing I’ve learned over my years in Toronto is that I love being unique. I want to wear colours that other guys don’t wear; have accessories that make me stand out—I’m all about making an impression. Vegas and its high-end outlet mall north of the Strip had the perfect intersection between affordable and fashionable, and with $1000 in spending money, you know we were going to get our shop on sometime. As what’s mine is hers (or at least that’s what the pastor told me when he married us), I made sure to give Sarah her half and we went. to. town.

%d bloggers like this: