Cassey Ho's Blog, page 12
May 2, 2024
A fun photoshoot to reflect my ✨fashion designer era✨
Tell me: what is the ONE WORD that comes to mind when you think of POPFLEX? Put it in the comments below! I want to know if my perception of my own brand is delulu or in line with reality. Please be honest!
Also…just did a fun photoshoot this weekend so that I could finally have pics to reflect my Fashion Designer Era (my last headshots are all very fitness).
I’m soooo obsessed with how dynamic these photos are!!!
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Thanks Maggie for capturing the shot, Apollo for making my hurr and makeup look so good, and Sam (and Apollo) for throwing all my sketches in the air so dramatically! Outfit styled by lil ole me.
April 29, 2024
Layering, but make it 2024
Hey guys!
Did you see the video of the Gen Z-er saying she “discovered” tank layering or something to that effect? I was like omg are we already here!? IT IS TOO SOON. TOOOO SOOOOONNNNNN!!!
And I thought the return of low-rise was crazy…
Anyway, the layering I’ll be doing this year is gonna look a lot diff than what we did in the 00s! This time around we’re going for a sleek, elegant, versatile and for funzies…
REVERSIBLE vibe.
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I am wearing the POPFLEX mesh bow back long sleeve in sz small, my normal size. Its avail rn in XXS-3X and comes in a bunch of colors!
Your Blogilates May 2024 Workout Calendar!!
Hey guys!
One of my lifelong dreams came true in April, so I guess you could say it was a pretty magical month! Now I’m feeling energized and ready to think BIG and set new goals. Isn’t it funny how literally one moment can completely recharge you?
I can’t wait to see what May and summer bring!
AND Here's Your May Workout Calendar!!!
How to follow the May 2024 Workout Calendar
Check the Blogilates YouTube playlists to find all of the videos you need for this month’s calendar!!
OR you can get everything you need (and more motivational tools!) on the BODY By Blogilates app! If you don’t have the app yet, it will make following along with this month’s workouts easier! You can access not only the calendar but all of the videos in one place. Find challenges and free programs like the Glow Up Sessions and the 200 Ab Challenge there too!
Now that you know where to find your workouts, here’s what you can expect each day of the May Workout Calendar. You ready?!!!
SUNDAY: Recovery
MONDAY: Total Body
TUESDAY: Abs
WEDNESDAY: Booty
THURSDAY: Total Body
FRIDAY: Arms
SATURDAY: Legs & Thighs
Do each video once (unless otherwise stated) and check off as you go! Most days will be 45 min max of exercise.
If you get the BODY By Blogilates app, your workout calendar and workouts will all be in one place! And it’s so fun and motivating to get that “Workout Complete” checkmark 
Speaking of the app!
The Blogilates community is the BEST. So, I wanted to create a space where we could all feel a little more connected to each other! The social feature (in the most updated version of the app) is a place where you can share photos and/or text thoughts and comment on each other’s post. Think the good ol’ days of Instagram!
ANNNND 
Last year, we launched P
PCYCLE, a place where you can list and shop for gently used POPFLEX and Blogilates items! You can read more about it here!
If you're just getting started...
Or want to ease into working out, my Beginner’s Calendar is a great place to start! It’s a free 4-week program to get you stronger so that you can join in on the monthlies when you are ready.
Want MORE?! Take on a challenge 
Take on the No Abs Left Behind Challenge or squeeze in a lil spring cleaning with the Detoxify Your Life Challenge.
You can find more challenges here!
Time to check in!
Be honest – How is your motivation right now? If you notice a dip, revisit your ‘Why’ to reignite your goals.
April 24, 2024
This package just made me cry
The past few days have been a dream 
I cannot even begin to explain how magical all of this has felt…and I am not talking about the sales or the press mentions, but the genuine FEELING of community and support.
I remember when my Pirouette Skort design first got stolen by SHEIN and I wrote about it, there was so much negative chatter. People saying that I need to shut up, that there was nothing special about my design and that they could draw it in their sleep.
About a year later, I get issued my first patent ever…ON MY BIRTHDAY of all days (Jan 16) and I release a video with Karma (Taylor’s version not Jojo’s lol) as the backdrop of the vid. I end the vid by stabbing a blank space cake with SHEIN written on top. I’ll put it here!
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To have Taylor Swift’s support and your support throughout all of the duping means the world to me. Karma is karma-ing and it feels really good.
The package that made me cryAnyway, today I just received one of the most thoughtful gifts ever from Rosie and Brenda’s Sweet Treats and I cannot tell you the range of emotions I experienced as I unwrapped each cookie. From being mesmerized at how beautiful they were to crying when I read the “lilac short skirt” lyric to then laughing/dying at the one of me in the hair bowl bc of how unattractive that pic was, but like also eew 100% accurate 
.
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I am full of chaotic joy.
The digital lavender Pirouette Skort is sold out, but you can still pre-order one for when it restocks! I’m seeing a lot of ‘dupes’ out there from other brands, stealing our videos, and using my face and POPFLEX models’ faces without permission. So be careful!! The only official place to order is here 
.
April 23, 2024
What the Blogilates Team is Reading This Summer
I promised myself I’d spend more time reading in 2024, mostly because I noticed how much time I waste scrolling aimlessly at night. I set a goal of 30 books for the year (no lofty goals here) on Goodreads and started building my TBR to keep myself on track.
Since we’re getting into warmer weather, vacation reads, and beach days, I want to change up my reading list a bit. I asked the Blogilates team for their go-to summer reads, and what’s on their 2024 summer TBR. Hopefully, you’re as excited as I am to read some of these this summer!
What the Blogilates team is reading this summerCompiling a list from the entire team means we have a lot of variety!
1. Funny Story – Emily Henry
If you spend any time on BookTok, you’ll see Emily Henry on nearly every summer TBR (especially Beach Read and The People We Meet on Vacation). Just released this month, Funny Story is Henry’s latest novel that, rightfully so, was named one of the most anticipated books of 2024. It’s romantic and a fun read, but it will hit you right in the feels.
2. It Happened One Summer – Tessa Bailey
If you love a good rom-com, you can’t go wrong with It Happened One Summer (and Bailey’s second book in the duology, Hook Line and Sinker). A wealthy, Hollywood “It-girl” is cut off from her family and transplanted to a small beach town in Washington to run her father’s bar with her sister. She immediately meets a local who immediately assumes she won’t survive. She is determined to prove him wrong, and that’s where things get interesting.
3. Every Summer After – Carley Fortune
This summer romance novel has everything I want in a summer read. It takes you on a journey from young summer love over two decades, a mistake that caused everything to fall apart, and a weekend to risk heartbreak again. You won’t be able to put this one down.
4. Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus
We love a smart, witty heroine story. The main character, Elizabeth Zott, is a chemist who constantly battles sexism and patriarchy throughout her career. After many unexpected changes in her life, she unintentionally lands a role starring in a cooking show and refuses to conform to being the “ideal” show host.
5. Taste: My Life Through Food – Stanley Tucci
For our foodies! Actor Stanley Tucci reminisces about the important role food played in his upbringing and career, sharing stories from the dinner table with his family and on set. It’s funny and overall a feel-good book… that will probably make you hungry.
6. Shatter Me – Tahereh Mafi
Summer reading is usually known for quick, lighthearted stories, but that doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze in a thrilling fantasy (or a few, if you’re reading this series). Shatter Me is intense, romantic, and fast-paced. You’ll be sucked into this series almost as soon as you pick it up.
7. The Hotel Nantucket – Elin Hilderbrand
Literally known as the queen of beach reads, you really can’t go wrong with any Elin Hilderbrand book. In Hotel Nantucket, the main character is dealing with a fresh breakup and becomes the manager of a once-beloved hotel that needs new life (and a new billionaire owner) to restore its charm. Of course, there’s some drama causing this task to be easier said than done. Hopefully your beach chair is nice and comfy, because you won’t want to get up once you start this one.
8. Nora Goes Off Script – Annabel Monaghan
They say when life gives you lemons… turn your marriage collapse into a movie script, film it in your house, and cast a former Sexiest Man Alive as your ex-husband? Yeah, this one is juicy and will keep you hooked as you wonder if a new love story is blooming or if yet another heartbreak is on the horizon.
9. The Women – Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah won us all over with The Nightingale, and her newest historical fiction novel is another page-turner. It’s a powerful, emotional tribute to the nurses who helped fight in the Vietnam War.
10. Lightlark – Alex Aster
For fantasy lovers or anyone just getting into fantasy (like me). Lightlark is the first of a two-book series about an island that only appears for 100 days to host a deadly game among rulers. Think power, deceit, and betrayal, with a little love mixed in.
11. Seven Days in June – Tia Williams
This one is funny, romantic, and sexy. You can literally feel the chemistry between the characters through the book.
What are you most excited to read this summer?
Add to the list in the comments!
If you want more, check out Cassey’s recent book reviews! If you’re more into podcasts, here’s a list of podcasts to pair with your hot girl walks this summer.
April 20, 2024
My wildest dream just came true and I’m DYING
CAN’T MOVE CAN’T THINK ABSOLUTELY DEAD 
MY IDOL MY INSPIRATION TAYLOR SWIFT YOU MADE MY WILDEST DREAM COME TRUE TONIGHT AND I WILL NEVER EVER EVER FORGET APRIL 19, 2024.
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It has been my ultimate dream for Taylor to wear one of my designs and I CANNOT believe it actually happened. I was literally in the bowl at my salon getting my hair washed when my Slack messages started blowing up and I was like what…is going on?!
And then I saw it. Taylor Swift, wearing the POPFLEX Pirouette Skort in her #ForAFortnightChallenge video.
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Thank you Taylor for supporting an independent designer. I’ve watched you battle those who have taken advantage of you and your work over the years and the way you fight with grace and masterful creativity gives me so much strength to keep designing. Your perseverance and constant evolution are what I love most about you. You’ve showed me that no matter how many people (and corporations) try to take from me, they can’t ever have my brain or my heart.
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The craziest part was how many of you recognized the POPFLEX digital lavender Pirouette Skort SO FAST! My DMs were blowing up and that color sold out literally 15 minutes after the Fortnight video was posted. INSANE!
Don’t worry if you didn’t get one in time though! I’m trying to make more as fast as I can, and you can pre-order now! (Other colors are available though!).
AND THEN THERE’S THISThe plot thickens.
“Lilac short skirt” in the lyrics to “imgonnagetyouback” ?!!!?! I don’t know if she’s referring to THIS lilac skirt but if she is . OMG.
I’m just so grateful, and I can’t believe I get to do what I love so much and now…this. THIS! My favorite artist in the entire world is wearing my most favorite design that I’ve ever created. Magical is the only word I can think of to describe this moment.
Just leaving this pic of the time I went to Taylor’s house (!!!) for a secret 1989 listening session here because WHAT! Still pinching myself for that moment too.
Ok need to go to bed but still dying soooo ummmmmm gonna be up for a while
April 17, 2024
Are skimpy uniforms supposed to make women run faster….?
Runners, is this a design that would actually help you run faster? Or are we tackling a whole ‘nother issue here?
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Love how the top zips for easy on and off, BUT THE GUSSET. It’s so small that it somehow gave a mannequin cameltoe?! Honestly did not know that was even possible.
Is minimal coverage meant to increase speed? Aerodynamics somehow? Were women in the room during the design process?
Concern aside, the comments did not disappointIt’s pretty clear that we’re all on the same page…
Jokes aside, there’s a real conversation we need to have about the design differences between men’s and women’s uniforms. Are they different for functional purposes? Or are women’s uniforms designed to be skimpier because it draws spectatorship?
I have read several articles since that original IG post, and Nike has said they have many more styles of the Olympic track uniforms for the athletes to choose from. However no official statement (so far) on whether the design team working on that women’s kit consisted of any women.
Post credit: @citiusmag | Original image: @pacephoto
I do wonder what I would do…
Anyway, what do you think of the Nike Olympic track uniforms reveal? Let’s discuss in the comments!
April 11, 2024
Probiotics vs. Prebiotics: What do you really need?
A breakdown of probiotics vs. prebiotics – What they are, how they benefit your gut, and how to get more.
Spring is (finally) here, and it’s the perfect time to reflect on the changes you set out to make in 2024. Maybe you vowed to push yourself this year. Maybe, you’re following the trend of intentional, impactful wellness moves like slow fitness.
Whether you’re ready to take your wellness up another notch or pivot to something a little different, one trend out there can benefit us all: Gut health.
If you’ve ever gone down the rabbit hole of gut health, you know how quickly things get confusing. There are so many factors at play and still lot of room (read: need) for research. As with most nutrition-related things, information isn’t black and white. Factor in pushy marketing to “buy this product” or “follow this gut health regime” and well, where do you even start?
Let’s take it back to the basics, starting with probiotics and prebiotics.
Prebiotics vs. ProbioticsYou’ve heard of them, but what’s the difference? Do you need to supplement one or the other? Both?
What are probiotics?You have billions of microbes living in your gut, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and more. Sounds gross, but all of these play a role in gut health, which affects the entire body. Some microbes promote disease, while others fight it. In the end, balance is key.
Probiotics are the “good guys” when it comes to balance in the gut. These bacteria help fight off the “bad guys” and maintain balance.
How to get moreYou can get probiotics from food or from a supplement. Here are some food sources:
YogurtKefirMisoTempehKombuchaKimchiSauerkraut
As more people prioritize gut health, some wellness brands have started fortifying products with probiotics. Example: Sculpt & Debloat Protein Powder!
When shopping for yogurt or anything fortified with probiotics, be sure to look for “live and active cultures” on the label. The two most common strains of probiotic bacteria you’ll see are lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum.
Taking a supplement is the most convenient way to up your probiotic intake. You’ll most commonly see the two strains I mentioned above, plus some other types. For certain conditions, your healthcare provider might recommend targeting certain strains. Again, look for “live and active cultures.” Look for at least 1 billion Colony Forming Units (CFUs) per dose (and ask your provider if you want a more personalized recommendation for how much to take).
But do you NEED more?A dietitian’s favorite phrase: It depends. 
Increasing your probiotic intake (through food or a supplement) may play a beneficial role in immune health, metabolic function (blood sugar, lipid levels, etc.) cancer prevention, brain function, allergies, and more.
Additionally, some conditions, lifestyle factors, and medications decrease beneficial bacteria in the gut. Taking probiotics may help to ease symptoms from some conditions too. Some examples:
GI conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitisAntibiotic useStressLack of diversity in the diet (i.e. not eating many fruits and veggies)Smoking and/or drinking
Generally, healthy people are fine just eating probiotic-rich foods regularly to support gut health. But if you’re on a mission to optimize your gut health, it doesn’t hurt to talk to your provider about trying a supplement.
What are prebiotics?Switching gears to prebiotics! These are compounds that “feed” the good bacteria in the gut so they can flourish and fight off harmful microbes. When broken down, they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which provide energy to the cells that line your colon, protect against digestive disorders, and fight inflammation. Prebiotics don’t stop their work in the gut. The SCFAs they produce also travel through the bloodstream to benefit organs all over the body.
How to get moreTwo of the most common prebiotic compounds found in food include fructo-oligosaccharides and galacto-oligosaccharides. You can find these in:
AlmondsFlaxseedLegumesBananasOatsGarlicBananaAsparagusSeaweedMicroalgae
…and more! However, the concentration in food really isn’t very high. In some cases, it might be helpful to try a prebiotic supplement. When you look at a supplement label, you’ll see ingredients like inulin, butyrate, oligosaccharides, and lactulose.
Do I need more?Are prebiotics really worth your time, or just another trend? Again, it depends. Prebiotics can lower inflammation, support the immune system, and improve your mood. If you eat a pretty varied diet with plenty of fiber, a prebiotic supplement probably isn’t a necessity. If you want to boost your prebiotic intake for gut health, a supplement is safe to try.
A good place to start for gut healthLook. I realize that “gut health” has turned into a trendy buzzphrase in nutrition. But this is one trend I can definitely get behind. If nothing else, knowing the basics about probiotics and prebiotics should motivate you to incorporate more variety and more plant-based foods into your diet. For most of us, that’s really what it boils down to. Don’t let gut health overwhelm you!
If you decide to try a supplement, start slow and let your provider guide you to choose the best strain and dose for your needs.
Any other questions about probiotics vs prebiotics? Let me know in the comments!
April 10, 2024
The “Why” Behind the Reversible Deep V Tee
My first version of the Deep V Tee was released over 66 weeks ago. I designed it for those of us who still wanted to show off our cute sports bras while working out but didn’t feel comfortable enough to show off our midriff too. This may not be a relatable problem for some of you, but for those of you who get it…I get it too, and I feel you.
Let‘s just say that over a decade of intense body shaming online attacking all of your deepest insecurities can really do some serious damage to your confidence and I’m still healing from it.
Not saying we need to hide our bodies, ever. In fact, I want you to show off all you’ve got!! Just saying that if you don’t “get” the idea behind this shirt, it’s ok and it’s not for you. I’m always trying to design different things for different needs.
Anyway…
When I first released this top, you guys told me you loved it but that I needed to make it reversible…so I did. Brilliant idea guys.
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The new POPFLEX
Reversible Deep V Tee A direct result of your genius. I also changed the fabric to be super lightweight and flowy so that you can even wear it going out. Now it’s even more versatile.
Thank you for always providing feedback and thank you for being kind in your delivery. Love when we can be collaborative.
Ps: this is avail now in sizes XXS to 3X! I’m 5’5” wearing S.
April 3, 2024
Groovin’ with the Try-On Crew in the Crisscross Hourglass® Bell Bottom!
Hey guys!
ICYMI the Crisscross Hourglass® Bell Bottom is BACK! I wouldn’t wait to snag yours if you’ve been waiting for this restock because they alwayyys sell out! But I also know it’s hard to figure out the perfect size. And with FIVE different inseams to choose from?!
The Try-On Crew is here to help.
We put our super groovy, flattering bell bottoms on 9 different bodies so you can visualize how they might look on you! I’m so excited for you to experience these – They’re SO GOOD.
Let’s try on the Crisscross Hourglass® Bell Bottom!Our Try-On Crew, a group of women sizes XXS to 3X, is GROOVIN’.
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Get ’em before they sell out (again)!!
The reviews are in!Ahh this is my favorite part – Seeing my design babies on different bodies and hearing what you think!
Lindsey
Measurements:
Size: XS – 29″ inseam
Height: 5′ 1″
Waist: 25″
Hips: 30″
Lindsey’s review! “The bell bottoms are very soft material, flattering, and comfortable.”
Ummm YES they are so flattering. You are SERVING in these, Lindsey! 
Liz
Measurements:
Size: XL – 34″ inseam
Height: 6′ 0″
Waist: 38″
Hips: 47″
From Liz! “I love the pants! They fit so well and LONG ENOUGH.”
THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY!
Anna
Measurements:
Size: M – 34″ inseam
Height: 5′ 10″
Waist: 29″
Hips: 42″
Anna says, “First thing I have to say is how soft the fabrics are, the bell bottom is so so smooth, I simply love it! I could take it from yoga to a very comfortable 10 hour flight to Brazil!”
Omg yes these are so good for travel too! Love these on you! 
Wanna see more try-ons??
Your feedback means so much to me! Let me know what questions you have in the comments!
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