The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

Set in eighteenth century Britain, ‘The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock’ by Imogen Hermes Gowar tells the story of Jonah Hancock, a middle-aged widower and respectable Deptford merchant who discovers that the captain of one of his ships has sold his … Continue reading →

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The Best Workout for Aquarius!

Happy Aquarius season! How many POPster birthdays do we have between January 20th and February 18th? Sam’s B-day is on Feb 2nd and I am trying to plan something cool for him. I like the time between my B-day and his because it’s the 2 weeks a year that we are the same age!

Anyway, ready to hear your sweat horoscopes Aquarius goddesses?

Based on your personality, here’s what you should try if you wanna get fit and have a good time doing it:

You go hard, or not at all! So when it comes to working out, you need to know what the goals are and you will CRUSH IT. So this total body strength training/cardio circuit is your best bet! You will be a happy, sweaty, and goal-driven Aquarius! You tend to thrive in group settings, so to make this even more exciting, invite some friends to do it with you!

Here’s the workout: There are 6 moves. You will do each move for 1 min for as many reps as possible (AMRAP). Take a 30 sec break in between. Then do 4 rounds total. Ok, are you ready!? Here ya go!

#1. Fast Squats x 1 Min AMRAP

Legs hip width apart, chest open, back straight and squat your booty to the floor – pressing through your heels! Go as fast as you can!

Works: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings

#2. Alt Lunges X 1 Min AMRAP

Stand tall and then take a backwards lunge with one leg – bringing your knee as close to the floor as possible! Then come back to standing and switch sides.

Works: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings

#3. Push Ups x 1 Min AMRAP

Begin in a plank on your toes or on your knees. Hands underneath your shoulders. Then press your chest down towards the floor while your eyes are looking slightly in front of you. Bring elbows back to your waist in order to work your triceps.

Works: Triceps, Chest, Core

#4. Plank x 1 Min

Hands underneath your shoulders, arms straight but not locked, and legs long out behind you. If you need a modification, place the knees on the ground. Do not stick your butt up in the air! Eyes slightly forward. Hold still!

Works: Core, Shoudlers

#5. Tricep Dips x 1 Min AMRAP

Begin sitting with heels stretched out in front of you, knees bent, hands behind you with fingertips facing in torwards your butt. Lift your body off the floor then bend your elbows back to make yourself come almost all the way down.

Works: Triceps, Shoulders, Quads

#6. Run 1 Block for Best Time

Choose a short block around your neighborhood to run! After every round, run as fast as you can and see if you can beat your time, every time. If you live in an apartment building and it’s way to hard to step outside everytime, then just do high knees for 1 min!

Works: Cardio, Legs

You can get this plus all my other pins on Pinterest! Hope you enjoyed the workout. Let me know in the comments below what your sign is!

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2rxeXkf

Out with the old, in with the new!

4 signs that it’s time for new underwear

When was the last time you did a big clothing purge? (And before you think we’re all sweaters, jeans and jumpers, we’re not – we’re inspecting the panty pile) Oh yes, the undies drawer is getting a clean out! A good bra and panties can last years, but only if you take really good care of them.

Not sure if it’s time to toss your undergarments? These are some obvious tell-tale signs that they’ve given up the ghost.

They WERE sexy, NOW they’re stretchy!

Undies are not like wine; they don’t get better with age! In fact, after a while you may notice a fray here, fade there. Truth is, over time the elastic in the waistband eventually wears out, causing them to lose their shape — and potentially fall off your body. The same goes for your brassiere. “If your bra is no longer stretchy in the straps or back, it won’t offer the proper support,” says Lexie Sachs, a textiles product analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute.

They’re a little smaller than you remember

Because underwear is washed so often, shrinkage can be expected, especially if they’re made of cotton. You don’t want to cut off your circulation or be sentenced to a day of discomfort – ditch any briefs that may feel a little too tight for your tush!

When it comes to your bra, your breasts probably change way more than you realize, so that bra that was once a perfect fit might be causing you some problems including back pain. And while not as problematic as back-pain, no lady wants her tatas turning downwards either! Spillage, or a band that doesn’t lay horizontal, and tightness (even on the last clasp), are all signs your bra is too small.

You’d rather go commando! 

This should be a given, but if you have a pair of undies that just don’t feel right — it’s time to toss them! Especially if you’re a fan of the lacy version. These delicate pieces can – after multiple washes – get rough and irritating. According to Mona Gohara, M.D and Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, scratchy or irritating underwear can cause cysts and other symptoms.

You stayed in shape, they didn’t!

If the padding or cups of your bra shift and rumple, it’s time to buy a new one, says Sachs. The last thing you want are gaps or bulges — your cups should align with your breast. Otherwise, you’re not getting the support you need, which is why you want to be wearing a bra in the first place.

Even though your undergarments might now show these signs of wear-and-tear right away, you should still plan a cupboard clear-out every six to 12 months. It ain’t all bad news though, even if you have to let go of your favourite polka-dot panties, you won’t have to get rid of your favourite bra so soon, if you simply rotating them regularly!

Related Stories:

• Your 7 Biggest Bra Questions — Answered!
• 6 Mistakes You Make Buying a Bra

The post Out with the old, in with the new! appeared first on Panty by Post.

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Winter by Ali Smith

‘Winter’ is the second volume in the seasons cycle of novels by Ali Smith. It is loosely set at a family gathering in which twenty-something Art (Arthur) visits his mother Sophia Cleves in Cornwall over Christmas. Art has recently been … Continue reading →

from A Little Blog of Books http://ift.tt/2DvtdzG

The Best Workout for Aquarius!

Happy Aquarius season! How many POPster birthdays do we have between January 20th and February 18th? Sam’s B-day is on Feb 2nd and I am trying to plan something cool for him. I like the time between my B-day and his because it’s the 2 weeks a year that we are the same age!

Anyway, ready to hear your sweat horoscopes Aquarius goddesses?

Based on your personality, here’s what you should try if you wanna get fit and have a good time doing it:

You go hard, or not at all! So when it comes to working out, you need to know what the goals are and you will CRUSH IT. So this total body strength training/cardio circuit is your best bet! You will be a happy, sweaty, and goal-driven Aquarius! You tend to thrive in group settings, so to make this even more exciting, invite some friends to do it with you!

Here’s the workout: There are 6 moves. You will do each move for 1 min for as many reps as possible (AMRAP). Take a 30 sec break in between. Then do 4 rounds total. Ok, are you ready!? Here ya go!

#1. Fast Squats x 1 Min AMRAP

Legs hip width apart, chest open, back straight and squat your booty to the floor – pressing through your heels! Go as fast as you can!

Works: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings

#2. Alt Lunges X 1 Min AMRAP

Stand tall and then take a backwards lunge with one leg – bringing your knee as close to the floor as possible! Then come back to standing and switch sides.

Works: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings

#3. Push Ups x 1 Min AMRAP

Begin in a plank on your toes or on your knees. Hands underneath your shoulders. Then press your chest down towards the floor while your eyes are looking slightly in front of you. Bring elbows back to your waist in order to work your triceps.

Works: Triceps, Chest, Core

#4. Plank x 1 Min

Hands underneath your shoulders, arms straight but not locked, and legs long out behind you. If you need a modification, place the knees on the ground. Do not stick your butt up in the air! Eyes slightly forward. Hold still!

Works: Core, Shoudlers

#5. Tricep Dips x 1 Min AMRAP

Begin sitting with heels stretched out in front of you, knees bent, hands behind you with fingertips facing in torwards your butt. Lift your body off the floor then bend your elbows back to make yourself come almost all the way down.

Works: Triceps, Shoulders, Quads

#6. Run 1 Block for Best Time

Choose a short block around your neighborhood to run! After every round, run as fast as you can and see if you can beat your time, every time. If you live in an apartment building and it’s way to hard to step outside everytime, then just do high knees for 1 min!

Works: Cardio, Legs

You can get this plus all my other pins on Pinterest! Hope you enjoyed the workout. Let me know in the comments below what your sign is!

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2BgsXys

Three Non-Fiction Books About Medicine

Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed The World by Laura Spinney probably isn’t what most people consider to be cosy festive reading over Christmas but it is somewhat seasonal. Much of what has been written about the … Continue reading →

from A Little Blog of Books http://ift.tt/2FExQos

Why did I change the Blogilates logo?

Hey guys!

Soooo you probably came to the blog today and was like huh, wait when did this happen???

Well we were building out this entire design for the past several months! But the real question is, DO YOU LOVE IT!!???

I’m honestly SO SO SO SO PROUD of the new look of the blog. (Big thank you to Blogidoggy’s mama Victoria for designing the art!) It kinda feels like I moved into a new house with cool new custom-designed furniture!

Introducing the brand new Blogilates logo!

AHHHH!!! I feel like we’re growing up!

The cursive logo you’ve been used to seeing since 2009 was made while I was doodling in my college Marketing class.

Back in the day, I didn’t really know how to use Photoshop or Illustrator like I do now, so I gave it to my friend’s boyfriend who was a graphic designer to help vectorize it!

I can’t believe I am saying this, but vintage Blogilates logo is 9 years old! WHAT! A lot has changed in that time. There was literally no such thing as Instagram back then, and Facebook was only for college students. Everyone DID NOT have a smartphone. No one even knew what an “app” was.

Times have changed.

Over the past 9 years, I’ve grown a lot. Blogilates has grown a lot. But the Blogilates logo never really changed. So this year, in 2018, I wanted the color and the look of Blogilates to evolve with me. So we matured the hot pink to a soothing and more sophisticated shade of coral. And we cleaned up the cursive to a minimalistic sans serif.

And that <|3 heart thing! I don’t know if you can tell but it comes from how I used to sign off on my early blog posts with “<3 Cassey”. So now that heart is forever with me.

In fact…I’m honestly so obsessed with the new logo and site that I got my nails done to match!

Kinda much? Ha! Who cares. Gotta live life colorful and to the fullest. And to me that means matching my nails to my entire existence. Hahahaha. love you guys so much!

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2DfpbrG

Get the Free Fitness Planner Pack!

You guys!

When it comes to getting motivated, it starts with clear and focused planning. But you know what gets me REALLY pumped up? When my planning gets to THIS LEVEL of cute!

In the Blogilates Fitness Planner Pack, you’ll find the following printable sheets!

• Workout Calendar
• Weekly Meal Planner
• Grocery List
• 30 Day water Challenge
• Habit Tracker

If you’d like to get access to the entire pack for FREE, just sign up to my newsletter below and I’ll send em right away!

Sign up for Free Printables!

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name *

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2COeRpH

Free Fitness Planner Printables!

Hey guys!

When it comes to starting a fitness journey, success comes from planning. Personally, I know that when I am writing things down, I am being 100% conscious of my actions and how they will lead to my goals. It becomes more of a tangible, REAL objective versus a fuzzy, out of focus target floating around in la la land. You know what I mean?!

So I wanted to come up with a way to make planning your fitness planning a lot more focused, organized, and of course…a lot more pretty :) Introducing, your FREE fitness planner printables!

In this pack, you will find the following 8.5 x 11″ PDF sheets:

• Workout Calendar
• Weekly Meal Planner
• Grocery List
• 30 Day Water Challenge
• Habit Tracker

Below is a preview of all the sheets! Click on the individual links below to download the sheets you’d like to use:

Download Workout Calendar PDF

Download Weekly Meal Planner PDF

Download Grocery List PDF

Download 30 Day Water Challenge PDF

Download Habit Tracker PDF

We designed them so that they’d be ink friendly but still fun to look at! I’d suggest you print these guys out, hole punch them, and put it in a binder! Or if you’re more of a display person…tape it to your wall or your fridge! Whatever works for you!

I hope you use these printables over and over again! Living a fit and healthy life should be accessible to everyone, so my goal with these free fitness planner sheets is to help achieve that! If you find these useful, it would be the WORLD to me if you would share them with a friend.

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2DeFULJ

Why did I change the Blogilates logo?

Hey guys!

Soooo you probably came to the blog today and was like huh, wait when did this happen???

Well we were building out this entire design for the past several months! But the real question is, DO YOU LOVE IT!!???

I’m honestly SO SO SO SO PROUD of the new look of the blog. (Big thank you to Blogidoggy’s mama Victoria for designing the art!) It kinda feels like I moved into a new house with cool new custom-designed furniture!

Introducing the brand new Blogilates logo!

AHHHH!!! I feel like we’re growing up!

The cursive logo you’ve been used to seeing since 2009 was made while I was doodling in my college Marketing class.

Back in the day, I didn’t really know how to use Photoshop or Illustrator like I do now, so I gave it to my friend’s boyfriend who was a graphic designer to help vectorize it!

I can’t believe I am saying this, but vintage Blogilates logo is 9 years old! WHAT! A lot has changed in that time. There was literally no such thing as Instagram back then, and Facebook was only for college students. Everyone DID NOT have a smartphone. No one even knew what an “app” was.

Times have changed.

Over the past 9 years, I’ve grown a lot. Blogilates has grown a lot. But the Blogilates logo never really changed. So this year, in 2018, I wanted the color and the look of Blogilates to evolve with me. So we matured the hot pink to a soothing and more sophisticated shade of coral. And we cleaned up the cursive to a minimalistic sans serif.

And that <|3 heart thing! I don’t know if you can tell but it comes from how I used to sign off on my early blog posts with “<3 Cassey”. So now that heart is forever with me.

In fact…I’m honestly so obsessed with the new logo and site that I got my nails done to match!

Kinda much? Ha! Who cares. Gotta live life colorful and to the fullest. And to me that means matching my nails to my entire existence. Hahahaha. love you guys so much!

The post Why did I change the Blogilates logo? appeared first on Blogilates.

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2qPB5Gd

Get the Free Fitness Planner Pack!

You guys!

When it comes to getting motivated, it starts with clear and focused planning. But you know what gets me REALLY pumped up? When my planning gets to THIS LEVEL of cute!

In the Blogilates Fitness Planner Pack, you’ll find the following printable sheets!

• Workout Calendar
• Weekly Meal Planner
• Grocery List
• 30 Day water Challenge
• Habit Tracker

If you’d like to get access to the entire pack for FREE, just sign up to my newsletter below and I’ll send em right away!

Sign up for Free Printables!

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name *

The post Get the Free Fitness Planner Pack! appeared first on Blogilates.

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2mmN7C3

Cute 2018 Printable Monthly Calendars that are FREE!

Hey guys!

Even though we’ve got calendars on our phones and apps for literally anything you can think of, I’m a paper and pen type of gal. When it comes to staying organized, I like planners on my desk and calendars hanging on my wall! I’m super visual – so the more colorful, the more aesthetically pleasing, the more motivated I am to be on top of it all!

So, in the spirit of “pretty planning”, we worked on some cute PDF calendars for you to use throughout every month of 2018! Print them out and enjoy! They are all 8.5 x 11″.

• 2018 FULL YEAR
• January 2018
• February 2018
• March 2018
• April 2018
• May 2018
• June 2018
• July 2018
• August 2018
• September 2018
• October 2018
• November 2018
• December 2018

If you find these free printables helpful, share it with someone else in your life! Also, let me know what other printables you’d like to see us make for you!

Have a fabulous, super driven, and ultra happy 2018!

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2CKtWbt

PIIT28 Starter Calendar

Hey guys!

If you’re ever thought about trying PIIT28, my Pilates Intense Interval Training program, but wasn’t really sure if the intensity level was right for you, then you know what? Take it for a test drive! So many PIITsters have gotten SO MUCH stronger, burned off extra fat, improved their posture and increased their confidence with this 28 day at-home workout program! It’s crazy what kind of success you’ll FEEL (and see) if you just choose to give it your all!

Clockwise from top left: Sarah, Corina, Chrissie, and Morgan.

So here’s how you’re gonna tackle this!

Try out this free PIIT28 Workout Calendar! Just download the PDF and then click on the video for the day. You’ll do four 7-minute rounds for a full 28 minute workout! Each round has a mixture of 7 fat burning cardio moves and Pilates-inspired exercises that I’ve crafted into a muscle sculpting, fat melting routine for you. You won’t need any dumbbells, bands or benches…just you and your yoga mat in your living room! You will work up a SERIOUS SWEAT!

Download linked PDF | Download hi-res JPEG

If you end up loving how efficient and effective this Starter Calendar is and want more, then head over to PIIT28.com to check out the entire program! You’ll begin with 1.0 as your foundation and work up your way to 3.0 as you keep getting stronger, faster, and more flexible!

If you end up joining PIIT, you’ll have access to the entire PIIT Portal complete with a comprehensive e-book, exclusive videos, and an invitation to a private group for support. It’s only a one time fee for lifetime access!

And…if you finish the first 28 days of the #PIITSTAGRAM Challenge in PIIT 1.0, then I’ll send you the official PIIT28 Completion Top as a reward! This shirt can never be bought. Only earned.

Because I believe in this program so much and I really, REALLY want you to experience it full on…here’s a 20% OFF code for the ENTIRE SITE! The discount code is “FITWITHPIIT20” and the coupon is valid until Feb 1, 2018!

I developed this program to help save myself time, and also to help me stay fit while traveling. It’s done so much for my body and for my mental strength. So, I really hope you give yourself the chance to experience a true inner and outer transformation!

Have fun! I’m super excited for your journey!

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2DahrXJ

My Most Anticipated Books of 2018

Happy new year! Without further ado, here is a selection of 20 upcoming titles I will be looking out for in 2018 (publication dates where known apply to the UK): Among non-fiction titles, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval … Continue reading →

from A Little Blog of Books http://ift.tt/2CPTuZ4

Elmet by Fiona Mozley

Last year’s Man Booker Prize longlist was largely dominated by established authors apart from the surprise inclusion of PhD student Fiona Mozley with her debut novel ‘Elmet’ which made the shortlist but lost out to Lincoln in the Bardo by … Continue reading →

from A Little Blog of Books http://ift.tt/2lUNunk

PIIT28 Starter Calendar

Hey guys!

If you’re ever thought about trying PIIT28, my Pilates Intense Interval Training program, but wasn’t really sure if the intensity level was right for you, then you know what? Take it for a test drive! So many PIITsters have gotten SO MUCH stronger, burned off extra fat, improved their posture and increased their confidence with this 28 day at-home workout program! It’s crazy what kind of success you’ll FEEL (and see) if you just choose to give it your all!

Clockwise from top left: Sarah, Corina, Chrissie, and Morgan.

So here’s how you’re gonna tackle this!

Try out this free PIIT28 Workout Calendar! Just download the PDF and then click on the video for the day. You’ll do four 7-minute rounds for a full 28 minute workout! Each round has a mixture of 7 fat burning cardio moves and Pilates-inspired exercises that I’ve crafted into a muscle sculpting, fat melting routine for you. You won’t need any dumbbells, bands or benches…just you and your yoga mat in your living room! You will work up a SERIOUS SWEAT!

Download linked PDF | Download hi-res JPEG

If you end up loving how efficient and effective this Starter Calendar is and want more, then head over to PIIT28.com to check out the entire program! You’ll begin with 1.0 as your foundation and work up your way to 3.0 as you keep getting stronger, faster, and more flexible!

If you end up joining PIIT, you’ll have access to the entire PIIT Portal complete with a comprehensive e-book, exclusive videos, and an invitation to a private group for support. It’s only a one time fee for lifetime access!

And…if you finish the first 28 days of the #PIITSTAGRAM Challenge in PIIT 1.0, then I’ll send you the official PIIT28 Completion Top as a reward! This shirt can never be bought. Only earned.

Because I believe in this program so much and I really, REALLY want you to experience it full on…here’s a 20% OFF code for the ENTIRE SITE! The discount code is “FITWITHPIIT20” and the coupon is valid until Feb 1, 2018!

I developed this program to help save myself time, and also to help me stay fit while traveling. It’s done so much for my body and for my mental strength. So, I really hope you give yourself the chance to experience a true inner and outer transformation!

Have fun! I’m super excited for your journey!

from Blogilates http://ift.tt/2lPIZu7