Lucky Kitty Co's Blog of Events and Product News

Lucky Kitty and The Work at Home Woman, The Interviews

2010-03-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

Holly Reisem Hanna founded The Work at Home Woman a website dedicated to helping women and moms fulfill their dreams of working at home and/or becoming self employed, while providing inspiration, motivation and support.

"In 2007 my beautiful daughter Hadley was born, and from the minute she was placed in my arms, I knew that I would not be able to return to my full-time job as a RN Clinical Research Coordinator. With the support of my husband Jeff, I was able to quit my full-time job and become a full-time stay a home mom.

Motivated to become self employed and to help other women and mothers do the same, I decided to create this website and share my research and knowledge with other women who had the desire to work from home. The Work at Home Woman strives to be YOUR number one business resource & blog for legitimate work at home jobs, opportunities, ideas and support." ~Holly Reisam Hanna

The Work at Home Woman has featured Lucky Kitty Co's Co-Founders (and work at home women) Jenna and Christina in the following interviews.

Interview with Jenna Co-Founder of Lucky Kitty Co.

Do you work at home?
Yes!

How many children do you have?
2 boys! A little boy who is 2 years and 3 months, and a 3 month old.

How many hours do you work a week?
Too many! :-) I am working from home while raising my two young ones, so I am ALWAYS working in one capacity or another. For now, while they are so young, I am having to fit in working on Lucky Kitty while the kids are napping, and at night after they go to bed and on weekends.

Read Jenna's complete interview here: The Work at Home Woman

Interview with Christina Co-Founder of Lucky Kitty Co.

Do you work at home?
Yes!

How many children do you have?
Just one 4 legged furry boxer dog named Madison and my husband.

How many hours do you work a week?
Lots!

Tell us a little bit about Lucky Kitty and how you got started.
Lucky Kitty is an intimacy kit for woman. My partner Jenna and I both used to bartend and act and the dream of being an actress brought us both to LA. I was living in Miami. After living in LA for a few years I put the acting career on the back burner as there was something appealing about being able to afford my rent and food. So I started working in sales. I had met Jenna at that time and we were talking about our bartending days over nachos and margaritas one night and LUCKY KITTY was born. The reason I wanted to create LUCKY KITTY was the fact that I was tired of working so hard for companies that constantly cut my commission and pay. I wanted to be involved in my own business that I could be proud of. I also wanted to do something fun and creative. What is more fun than sex as long as it is safe?

Read Christina's complete interview here: The Work at Home Woman

For more information about the Kitty Kit by Lucky Kitty Co visit www.LuckyKittyCo.com

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Lucky Kitty's Co-Founder's Inspiration for the Kitty Kit

2009-12-04T00:08:00.000-08:00

Jenna F. Co-Founder of Lucky Kitty Co.

In 2000, I packed my bags in North Carolina and headed West to LA, “ The Land of the Rich and Famous”. I, unlike anyone else before me (ha ha), had high hopes and dreams of becoming an actress. Like most everyone who wishes to succeed in that crazy world of show business, I had to keep my days free for auditions and classes and thus sought to work at night to pay the bills. So I joined the throngs of wanna-be actors in the service industry and became a bartender. For over six years I bar-tended at some of Hollywood’s hottest clubs, and WOW…I got a great insiders view of the hook-up scene! Through the years I saw hundreds of hook-ups unfold before my eyes, and it gave me some real insight into what people go through to get lucky, or not…

Ahh…the stories I could tell! Over that six year period I saw and heard some crazy and hilarious things. On a nightly basis girls would ask me if I had mints or gum behind the bar because they had met someone and wanted to drown out that garlic pasta dinner they had just had in the adjoining restaurant. LOTS of things happened behind closed doors in the ladies restroom; I once walked in on an inebriated girl who had one leg propped on the sink, a wad of paper towel, and was using soap from the hand dispenser to give herself a little freshening up. Nice right? I was also privy to tons of chatter between the bathroom stalls, such as “Holy crap that guy wants to take me home and I haven’t waxed in weeks!” Things like soft stubble free legs, fresh breath, and a fresh “hoo-ha” are important to us…we want to feel confident and sexy when we have an intimate encounter. I also have seen the inside of mens' wallets and how considerate they can be…NOT! Once a guy was paying for a drink and a condom fell out of his wallet when he was reaching his money. That thing looked older that he was! I am fairly sure condoms expire buddy, I thought to myself, "Way to offer protection!"

I didn’t realize the value of those crazy experiences at the time, but as they began to pile up, and as I started to realize how important it is for women to take control of their sexuality and their safety, the idea for Lucky Kitty came to fruition. My partner and I wanted to create a fun, cute and discreet way to solve many hook up disasters by giving women the solution to every potential tragedy in one little case. It is our job to be prepared…just in case he isn’t!

Jenna F, Lucky Kitty's Co-Founder's Inspiration for the Kitty Kit published by Lucky Kitty Co.

For more information about the Kitty Kit by Lucky Kitty Co visit www.LuckyKittyCo.com

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Interview with Dr. Anne Teitelman, HIV/AIDS Advocate

2009-09-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

Lucky Kitty's Blog crew found this interview in the Spotlight on Women's Health section of womenshealth.gov website and we thought it important to share it with you.*

Many people don't realize the impact of HIV on women and girls in the United States. But for Dr. Anne Teitelman, it's something she thinks about every day. Read about her thoughts on HIV/AIDS today and what she's doing to help stop this disease.

How did you first become interested in girls and HIV?

While I was a PhD student, I worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner at "The Corner", the largest and oldest adolescent health center in Michigan. We provided primary health care to young, low-income, people ages 11-22. I saw a lot of girls who came back with repeated sexually transmitted infections (STIs), a trend that was echoed nationally. Rates for many STIs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, are highest among adolescent girls. As I provided prevention education and counseling, some of the girls would talk about barriers in their relationships. I wanted to explore this further and so I focused my dissertation on exploring girls' perspectives about the different messages they received about sex, sexuality, and relationships. Also, during this time, our country was witnessing an increase in HIV rates for women and adolescent girls, primarily through sex with men. I became very interested in HIV as well as STI prevention for girls, since having an STI can also increase your risk of HIV.

What are the issues surrounding HIV and girls today in the U.S.?

In the US, almost half (46 percent) of high school aged adolescent girls have been sexually active. Among sexually active girls, their male partners used condoms approximately half of the time (55 percent). Although abstinence is the only 100 percent effective way to avoid infection, another effective method of HIV prevention for sexually active adolescent girls is condom use by their male partner. In order for girls to want to use condoms, they need to:

* Know how condoms can help lower their risk.
* Feel that others around them are supportive.
* Learn how to use condoms correctly.
* Become skilled at talking about condom use with their partners.

One common barrier that girls talk about is wanting to use a condom when their male partner does not. In these situations, girls may experience higher levels of abuse, which is associated with inconsistent condom use. This makes them more susceptible to acquiring HIV and other STIs. Also, girls who experience partner abuse are more likely to:

* Be scared of what may happen if they try to insist on condom use.
* Initiate sex at younger ages.
* Have riskier partners.
* Have symptoms of depression and anxiety.
* Struggle with substance abuse.

All of these issues can increase risk of HIV and other STIs. Therefore, promoting healthy relationships and preventing partner abuse needs to be a part of HIV prevention efforts.

Tell us more about the relationship between partner abuse and HIV among teens.

Unfortunately, many girls do not recognize partner abuse. Adolescent partner abuse, also called "dating violence", includes psychological, emotional, sexual or physical violence, as well as threats of violence. It also includes any attempt to dominate or control a partner that results in harm. Relationship violence is estimated to begin around age 15, though sometimes it occurs among younger teens as well. Partner abuse is common. Up to 1 in 4 adolescents report verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual violence each year.

In some communities, it is considered normal for men to have multiple partners, inappropriate for girls and young women to carry or know about condoms, and common for there to be partner abuse. So it is crucial to talk about these things as part of HIV prevention for adolescent girls.

What type of studies are you conducting now?

I am working on modifying an HIV prevention program for girls that is working, to see how changes can improve it, for the National Institute of Mental Health. In my modified version, I plan to adddress building healthy relationships, understanding gender norms and inequalities, recognizing abuse, accessing safety resources, and knowing the ways abuse interferes with safer sex. Right now I am conducting focus groups with girls attending family planning clinics, to see how much they understand about these issues. The next steps are to use the information from the focus groups to modify the program and then test how well the new combined HIV and partner abuse prevention program works.

What will the results of this research mean for girls with HIV or at risk of HIV?

If the modified program is shown to be more effective, then it will help girls:

* Better protect themselves from HIV in healthy and unhealthy relationships.
* Identify abuse.
* Be able to find help should they suffer from partner abuse.

The effective program can be used in family planning clinics across the country and can be adapted for other settings as well. In the future, I hope to develop programs for boys as well as kids who are HIV-positive.

Why do you think HIV/AIDS education is so important to girls?

Girls are a vulnerable group because of their unique risks. How their bodies are structured raises the HIV risk, but there are also many social factors involved in HIV risk. Girls' age and developmental level, their limited income, gender inequalities, and limited access to information and resources all play a role in HIV risk. Certain groups of adolescent girls have especially high risk, including those who are homeless, in detention, have limited English proficiency, or have a mental illness.

HIV/AIDS education is important for all girls — for avoiding getting HIV and avoiding passing HIV to others. Girls need to be informed about HIV/AIDS so they can make healthy choices and live to their fullest potential. Yet their HIV/AIDS education also must cover healthy and unhealthy relationships, safer sex beliefs and attitudes, social norms, and skills building. We also must empower girls to protect themselves and seek help when needed. It is also really important to have progams that work for African American and Hispanic adolescent females, who are disproportionally affected by HIV/STIs. In general, girls need environments that are safe from violence and abuse.

What do you think parents can do to teach girls about healthy relationships?

Girls care about what their parents think and parent-teen interactions can influence girls' safer sex practices. It's important for parents to explain their values. Parents can find teachable moments that do not involve passing judgment on their teens' behavior. For example, parents can present their views about sex and relationships by discussing events in the news or a situation in a movie.

It is also important for parents to establish comfortable open communication patterns before their girls date, so that conversations don't seem rushed or forced. Parents can ask questions and learn what girls' see as common behaviors amongst their teens' peers. For example, is sexual peer pressure common? What do your friends feel forced to do?

Finally, it's best if parents give honest answers. It can be dangerous to give teens wrong information, so it's OK for parents to say they don't know something and look for the answer together. When communicating, remember to talk about the red flags of abuse. For example, partners giving lots of gifts can be a sign of power and control, not generosity; jealousy can be dangerous, not flattering. It is important that teens recognize the warning signs of potential abuse early.

Are you surprised about how little or how much women and girls you talk with know about HIV?

In our focus groups, girls seem to know a lot of the basic facts about HIV and STIs, but they have many questions about how to apply this information in real life situations. This clearly shows that girls need a safe place to talk about these issues with others to figure out how to use the information in their own relationships.

How can women get involved in helping to raise awareness of HIV prevention?

Be honest with youth and provide them with the information that they are looking for. Encourage parents and other adults to do the same. Providing HIV prevention information does not increase youth's sexual activity, but fewer conversations make it less likely that they will use protection when they do become sexually active. Support comprehensive sexuality education in schools. Encourage sexually active youth to get tested for HIV and STIs and support increased access to these services.

There is now greater recognition in our country that adolescent relationships can be serious and can include abuse. These early experiences can strongly influence intimate partner relationships into adulthood. Adolescent girls who experience partner abuse are more likely to be in abusive relationships as young adults. But, dating violence can be prevented. Helping teens learn about healthy relationship skills, such as negotiation, voicing concerns, and listening will help them in the long run.

Youth want to talk about sex and relationships in a meaningful way. Adults can help by providing safe spaces for these conversations, promoting healthy relationships, and providing support if they are in unhealthy relationships.

Inside the Interview:

Dr. Teitelman is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and affiliated with the school’s Center for Health Disparities Research.

Dr. Teitelman received her BA in Science, Technology and Society from Vassar College, her MSN in Community Health Nursing from Yale University, and her PhD in Nursing, along with a Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies, from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Teitelman's research focuses on HIV prevention among adolescents and understanding intimate partner violence as an HIV risk factor.

She has 20 years of experience as a family nurse practitioner providing primary care to underserved patients. She is credentialed at The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she currently practices in The Helen O. Dickens Center for Women's Health. She has been teaching advanced practice nurses in the university setting for over 15 years.

The above interview is from Spotlight on Women's Health on womenshealth.gov

About womenshealth.gov

The Office on Women's Health (OWH) was established in 1991 within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its Vision is to ensure that "All Women and Girls are Healthier and Have a Better Sense of Well Being." Its mission is to "provide leadership to promote health equity for women and girls through sex/gender-specific approaches." The strategy OWH uses to achieve its mission and vision is through the development of innovative programs, by educating health professionals, and motivating behavior change in consumers through the dissemination of health information.

*Womenshealth.org and Dr Teitelman do not endorse and are in no way affiliated with Lucky Kitty Co.

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A Word From the Owners and Founders of Lucky Kitty

2009-09-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

Wow haven’t times changed in 50 years?

About a year ago we got to talking about an email that was making the rounds at the time that some of you may have seen. It is a genuine article from a 1955 edition of Housekeeping Monthly called “The Good Wife’s Guide” You can check out the original article HERE. It is a picture of a 1950’s wife and a list of rules that she must abide by in order to be considered a “good wife”, such as; having a delicious dinner waiting and on time for her husband, always making sure her hair and make-up is perfect, to speak in a low and pleasant voice and arrange his pillow and remove his shoes, to remember that his topics of conversation are more important than yours …GIVE ME A BREAK! We both agreed that we would NOT have been very good wives in the 50’s and are very thankful to live in 2009 and not back then.

Luckily, we live in times of the Modern Woman. These are the times that women take responsibility for their own lives and happiness. We as a gender are far more self reliant…we own our own cars, buy homes, compete with men in the workplace for jobs that we want…we even hold top political positions! Along with all this progress, one thing that should be at the top of that list is making smart choices as it relates to sex, like deciding when, where, and with whom we want to share a sexual encounter with. Because the women of today are the kind of women who take charge of their sexuality and aren’t ashamed of it, why shouldn’t we take something so important like protecting our health and safety into our own hands? With the rise of AIDS in the heterosexual female population raising at an alarming rate, this is a very serious decision. In today’s world, it is no longer just the fear of getting pregnant that we have to face. So what is a girl to do?

Through these conversations is how Lucky Kitty was born. These are modern times, we are modern women, and the bottom line is that our sexuality and preparedness are our responsibility. We wanted to come up with something to keep us safe, and have a little fun with it too! So we put everything we thought a girl-on-the-go might need in an adorable reusable sun-glass case that is the perfect disguise to carry with you anywhere; a little something to freshen up with, something to set the mood, something to keep you safe, and something to bask in the afterglow. With Kitty Kit in hand, “Go Forth and Get Lucky!”

Thanks for your support,
~Jenna & Christina
Owners and Founders
Lucky Kitty Co
www.LuckyKittyCo.com

The Kitty Kit by Lucky Kitty is Now Available in Stores!

2009-09-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Lucky Kitty Crew has been hard at work filling your on-line orders and now we are working hard to make sure you can find Lucky Kitty's Kitty Kits in a store near you!

Here is a list of our latest retailers:

XTC Super Center of Bradenton
1008 Cortez Rd W
Bradenton, FL 34207
(941) 708-6969

XTC Super Center of Clearwater
6555 142nd Ave N
Clearwater, FL 33764
(727) 539-0004

The Zone
337 Eubank Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87123-2711
(505) 293-6039

Christies Toy Box
2904 Purdue Dr
Oklahoma City, OK 73128
(405)-943-4858

Sexy Stuff
1425 Winfield Dunn Pkwy
Sevierville, TN 37876
(865) 908-4006

Secrets A Salon
206 S Mill St
Tehachapi, CA 93561
661-822-5114

Naughty or Nice
4375 S Carson St
Carson City, NV 89701
(775) 885-1800

Midnite Sun
427 State St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2304
(805) 963-5655

Love Works Lingerie and Gifts
700 E Prien Lake Rd
Lake Charles, LA 70601-8614
(337) 478-3566

Fairvilla Megastore
1740 North Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32804
(407)-425-6005

Déjà Vu Love Boutique
31 N. Washington
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
764-487-2110

Déjà Vu Love Boutique
1000 W. Jolly Road
Lansing, MI 48910
517-882-0237

Déjà Vu Love Boutique
1267 N. Keowee
Dayton, OH 45404
937-222-1213

Déjà Vu’s Adult Emporium
4335 W. Tropicana
Las Vegas, NV 89103
702-367-8009

Cupid’s Lingerie and More
6111 John Harden Drive
Cabot, AR 72023
(501) 241-2777

Let us know if you have a favorite store or boutique in your neighborhood that's Kitty friendly.

Dont't forget to follow Lucky Kitty on twitter for product and retailer updates. @LuckyKittyCo

Lucky Kitty Gets A Recommendation on ThisNext

2009-08-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Lucky Kitty Co recently launched with its first product the "Kitty Kit" and already the Fashoinistas and Style Makers are raving about it!

The Kitty Kit made her rounds during a pool side party at the W Hotel in Westwood last week. Based on the reactions Lucky Kitty Co is in for a wild and wonderful ride. Several women in attendance are well known stylists and bloggers and within a few minutes Lucky Kitty's Kit was being Twitpic'd and scooped like a celebrity caught with her panties down!

ThisNext.com's Fashion and Style Expert and Community Manager, Lauren Messiah was the first to publicly recommend the Kitty Kit when she added it to ThisNext.com saying, "The reason I love this kit so much is because a.) its cute and b.) its really honest and c.) its darn useful."

As the W party wound down, Lucky Kitty Co's CMO Jay Huffschmidt spotted a group of young ladies celebrating a birthday. He quietly and discreetly placed a Kitty Kit wrapped in a bright pink gift bag on the celebrants gift table, wished her a happy birthday then turned and walked off. Curiosity got the better of the table and in mere seconds the poolside restaurant was filled with joyous laughter and loud shouts of "OMG", "Let me see it" and "I want it!" It would seem the Kitty Kit was an instant party hit!

For more information about the Kitty Kit by Lucky Kitty Co visit www.LuckyKittyCo.com

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Lucky Kitty Now on WeddingCrush

Say Hello to Lucky Kitty!

2009-08-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Hello and Welcome to LUCKY KITTY...the home of the KITTY KIT!

Feeling Lucky? As modern women, it is our job to be prepared for whatever may happen, just in case he isn't! Our Lucky Kitty Kit has everything you need to touch up, freshen up, and get ready for a hot night of lovin'...Mee-oww!

What's inside? The Lucky Kitty Kit contains every thing you need for that special purrr of the moment encounter. For a quick freshen up the Kitty Kit includes a moisturizing feminine wipe and disposable razor. To set the mood your Kitty Kit includes a romantic candle and matchbook. For your Kitty’s protection a premium latex condom and packet of water based lubricant is included. And for the afterglow your Kitty Kit contains a pair of tasty breath mints and bubble gum cigarettes!

The Lucky Kitty Kit is packaged in a discreet, reusable sun-glass case that fits right in your purse, because you never know when you might get lucky!

Kitty Kits make the perfect gift for your next bachelorette party, girlfriend’s birthday, Secret Santa stash or maybe even as a treat for yourself. Just remember, you are a goddess, so be smart and ALWAYS choose your partner carefully...they must be worthy! Beware of the potential hazards of beer goggles and liquor lenses! So...with Lucky Kitty Kit in hand...go forth and GET LUCKY!

To get your very own Kitty Kit visit us at www.LuckyKittyCo.com

Follow us on Twitter @LuckyKittyCo

Stay tuned for more Lucky Kitty news and product releases!