he8she8… A Couple’s Journey thru food, frolic & forking.

In September 2010, I launched a food blog with my boyfriend called he8she8. It offered a nice break from writing my second novel and really only made since for us.

We are self -proclaimed foodies who enjoy each other’s company with every bite. With our “don’t pick before pics” rule, this blog seemed only natural.

From our very first date, over juicy, medium-rare beef on buttery toasted buns, the PJ Clarkes sliders (minus the onions as who knew where the night would lead) gave birth to our fairy tale. Now, several years after that first date where all rules were broken, we often return to our designated spot at the bar and reminisce over dripping beef.

Our experiences range from $ to $$$$$ spots, big cities to small towns, the U.S. and beyond. Any place where we can create a new experience, try a new chef and avoid cooking at all costs.

he8she8 was inspired by our love thru food, frolic and forking. We don’t always agree, but we always have something to say…

Check out our first he8she8 trailer filmed in NOLA here: he8she8 NOLA Trailer

We look forward to many more in our favorite cities.

Visit our blog at www.he8she8.com. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Thanks to all the fans and followers for all the love!

CK & RF

Does V-Day remind you that you lack someone special, maybe love in your current relationship, or simply that you don’t have the most romantic evening planned? Whether you’re solo or a duo, do you let the flowers, candy, and romantic reservations make or break you?  Think of February 14th as a day to Be Love. When you lack self-love, it doesn’t matter if you’re single or in a relationship, because that empty space will shelter loneliness, insecurities, and fear, leaving you unfulfilled. It starts with YOU! Check out these tips to show yourself what you’ve got.

12 Ways To Show Yourself Some Love:

• Education = Empowerment. How’s your perspective? Find a guru & check out their books, vlogs, & workshops. Pump up those mental muscles!

• Challenge yourself and get uncomfortable. Growth is waiting for you outside your comfort zone!

• Just go & get lost. Take a trip via plane, train, or car. Pick a week, weekend or day destination!

• Detox your mind, skin and soul with a spa day.

• Mentor someone. Whether you volunteer or it’s your younger sibling, inspiring others will ignite your own inspiration!

• Launch your passion. Stop feeding your excuses & start feeding your soul. Get out of your way & get into your life. There are 24-hours in a day so find 1 each day to create your plan of action.

• Rescue an animal.

•You don’t have to forget, but forgive someone. Be bigger. Not bitter.

• Let go of that unhealthy relationship. You are deserving, so stop being scared to put yourself out there.

• Take the day off.  Do absolutely nothing! Tell your To-Do to take a hike.

• Stop the fake perfect BS. You have this one beautiful life to live honestly. Look in the mirror and repeat, “The real me is the perfect me.”

• Tell someone you love them. Say it and see what happens. You might just realize how adored you truly are.

Free eBook Giveaway: In honor of my V-Day birthday, the first 214 people to spread love by sharing these tips (post to Facebook, Tweet it, Email) will receive a free ebook copy of Fake Perfect Me! After you’ve shared it, visit Cari’s Facebook Page and post “Be Love!” with your valid email address so we can shoot a copy over to you!

To purchase the paperback or ebook version of Fake Perfect Me or read the synopsis, visit Cari’s Amazon page.

Happy Holidays!  Every year, I choose a charity to pay it forward by making a holiday donation.  My dreams came true in 2010 when I turned my new found passion for writing into my career. This transformed me into a person that now believes in turning “I WISH” into “I WILL.”

And so this year I will be supporting…

 With this holiday seasoning and shopping frenzy approaching, I will be donating

100% OF THE PROCEEDS

from my books sales during December 2011 to this organization.

Whether you buy a book for yourself to cozy up by the fire or need gifts for your loved ones, your purchase will also be giving these kids with life-threatening medical conditions their wish. Whether it’s to be a zookeeper, see a princess, ride a train to San Diego, have a puppy, attend the Grammy Awards or even meet Michael Jordan, your purchase will help grant these wishes. I’m so inspired by their stories and the lesson in believing in your dreams.

The Make A Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes!

Purchase a copy of Fake Perfect Me on Amazon.com or www.carikamm.com between

12/1/11-12/31/11 and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to this organization.

Thank you all for helping me support The Make A Wish Foundation.

 Paying it forward is the perfect way to kick off 2012!

May your holidays be filled with love & laughter.

Best,

 CK

As I head into 2012, my only resolution will be to CHOOSE happiness. Why can’t life be that simple? With every goal, obstacle, gain, risk, high or low moment that enters my life, I will bravely  and simply choose happiness. By doing so, I will find and accept the positive and the lesson in the future moments to come.

So as you  make your list of resolutions for 1/1/12, remind yourself  that even with a New Year approaching, whether you attack your resolutions list on day 1 or day 21 or even day 361… the point is that any moment you can choose a new beginning. You can choose to be better, to gain perspective, to choose love, to switch paths, to forgive, and to even dream a new dream!   I found these Eleven Hints for Life that I wanted to pass along.

“Eleven Hints for Life” – Unknown

1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return.
But what is more painful is to love someone and never
find the courage to let that person know how you feel.

2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who
means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was
never meant to be and you just have to let go.

3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a
porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away
feeling like it was the best conversation you’ve ever had.

4. It’s true that we don’t know what we’ve got until we lose
it, but it’s also true that we don’t know what we’ve been
missing until it arrives.

5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an
hour to like someone, and a day to love someone-but it
takes a lifetime to forget someone.

6. Don’t go for looks, they can deceive. Don’t go for wealth,
even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you
smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day
seem bright.

7. Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go,
be what you want to be. Because you have only one life and
one chance to do all the things you want to do.

8. Always put yourself in the other’s shoes. If you feel that it
hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck
a life. A timely word may level stress. But a loving word may
heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best
of everything they just make the most of everything that comes
along their way.

11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with
a tear. When you were born, you were crying and everyone
around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die,
you’re the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Wishing you all a happy ending to 2011 and a fabulous kick off to a new year.

CK

Beginning 9/22/11 for a period of time, I will be blogging over at skirt.com. Please join me over there! You can find me at http://skirt.com/carikamm

Thank you for reading and all your support.

xo  - Cari

Skirt! is all about women…their work, play, families, creativity, style, health and wealth, bodies and souls.  Skirt! is an attitude…spirited, independent, outspoken, serious, playful and irreverent, sometimes controversial and always passionate.   www.skirt!.com 

Stay tuned for details and release date.  For more information on my upcoming events, projects, documentary, and new book release, visit www.carikamm.com.  Also, to receive 60% off of Fake Perfect Me, visit www.carikamm.com and enter the promo LOVELASER in honor my favorite NYC laser spa company, Laser Cosmetica. (Paperback, $6.78 & Ebook, $1.20)

Also, I would like to wholeheartedly thank all the amazing guest bloggers who shared their love stories. Follow them on Facebook & Twitter for a daily dose of love, inspiration and laughter!

Author – Heather Hummel, “URDSIRE.”

Super Hero – Sarah Jamieson, “The Way of The Heart.”

Conscious Diva – Kate Muker, “The Source of Love.”

Singer/Songwriter – Skylar Peterson, “Music is Love.”

Moho Creative – Meredith Cooklis, “Labor of Love.”

Expert Matchmaker  - Samantha Daniels, “The 10 Do’s & Don’ts of Dating.”

To The Rescue –  Jami Hegrenes, “Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue.”

Chit Chat Cafe radio host – Lisa Bavuso Kocher, “My Secret Love Affair.”

President of Laser Cosmetica – Ryan Bloch, “I Love People.”

Thanks! CK

by

Lisa Bavuso Kocher

I have been lucky in love… I have a wonderful husband of 24 years…. I have 3 incredible children, loving friends and extended family and a fabulous radio show. I also have a secret love affair with three men outside of my marriage… these men always make me smile…. I dream of them at night…they make me feel beautiful and sexy and I often sneak them up to my bedroom…

Their names are Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin, and they are major players in my love affair with shoes.

As a child, my mom always bought my sister and I beautiful shoes, so my love for footwear started at an early age. Every fall, we would get a new pair of casual school shoes and for dress we would get a shiny new pair of black patent leather Mary Janes.

Through the years I always kept up with the styles…. the 70′s…I had platform shoes in a multitude of colors and shapes…in the 80′s…. along with big hair and shoulder pads…. I wore Bandelino pumps… the 90′s while raising 3 kids…I wore cute flats… now that I am almost an empty nester… I have more time for me and I love spending time in fabulous shoe departments…. like Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Barney’s.

Shoes can make or break an outfit, no matter how cheap your outfit. If you have on beautifully crafted shoes, you will look like a million dollars.

Shoes are better than clothes in that, no matter what your body type shoes always fit when you are trying on a magnificent pair of four inch heels. All of your body flaws are put on the back burner. That cellulite doesn’t exist, that back bacon that sneaks out under your bra is gone and  you can look below your knees and feel like a super model! The only prerequisite to an amazing love affair is that you do need to keep your feet perfectly pedicured.

Red shoes are my favorite. They jazz up an outfit, they elude confidence, and they make you stand out.

Glittery shoes are also one of my latest favorites…they quietly scream out “here I am” “I am cool”….

Shoes these days are very expensive, but I think they are an investment. A work of art and I feel you only live once, so you should scrimp in other places so that you can afford the hefty price tag of premier designer shoes.

The average pair of designer shoes is about 800.00, but the investment is worth the pure pleasure you will feel and the happiness it gives to your soul.

Shoes are sumptuous heaven on everyone’s sole; a great shoe will add color, joy and extra pep in your step…. they will give you confidence…make you forget your body issues and make you feel beautiful… and how can you put a price on that???

I would like to introduce you to my “sole mates”.

http://www.artistfirst.com/chitchat.htm

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001773018774

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chit-Chat-Cafe-Live/173895255985793

Follow us on Twitter    ChitChatCafeRS

*Enter to win a chance to have a character in my next book named after you!  Join my page at http://tinyurl.com/44m6gpw and leave a comment on one of the guest posts on #Love.  xo Cari   #GreatestLoveStory

I want to introduce you to Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue and three passionate women. Ashley (founder), Jami (board member & fundraising coordinator) and Jody (board member & cat rescue coordinator).

Ashley and Jami have been the best of friends since the age of five.  “All of the most vivid memories that I have of our childhood involve her and I talking about something related to dogs! We would run around at recess and in gym class all the way back in kindergarten talking about how we wanted to start a dog washing business, or a dog walking business, or dog babysitting business–really anything that we could involving dogs,” Jami shared.

As kids, growing up they each had their own dogs too and they were the center of their universe. Jami had Sally (who lived a full and beautiful life and passed away when Jami was in high school) and Ashley had Coco. Coco was young when he passed away and it shook Ashley to the core. She was heartbroken and from then on wanted to do something in his name. The loss of Coco inspired the 12 year-old at the time to save other canine friends in his name and it’s in his name that this endeavor lives on.

Now fast forward into high school. Ashley, Jami, and Jody were three peas in a pod.  Jody and Jami always told Ashley that they would be there for her and to help her in anyway they could when she decided to set it into motion.

In late 2009, the dream started to become a reality. It was last year when Jody and Jami each received a call from Ashley asking them to be on the board of Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue with her. She was ready to start up this nonprofit and to start saving dogs (and cats) and so the bond and passion between these three women continued. They rescued their first dog on May 15, 2010–which just so happened to be Coco’s (Ashley’s childhood dog) birthday. Since then Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue has rescued over 250 dogs and cats!

CHDR is run 100% by volunteers–that includes Jody, Ashley, and Jami. They do not yet have a facility and so all of the animals that they rescue are housed in the homes of amazing volunteer foster families. And just at the beginning of this year, they brought on three more highly dedicated volunteers (Daria- foster coordinator and Jess and Bryan- support coordinators) who spend just as much time as the three of them to keep the rescue running. All of the money that comes into the rescue is from events, donations, and adoption fees, and it all goes back out to save more animals.

Since the beginning, CHDR has been a growing effort with many of their lessons learned due to trial and error. One of the big things that Ashley, Jody, and Jami discovered early on was how their individual skill sets fit so nicely together such that they all fill a different role in the rescue. Ashley is the head of everything dog related, while Jody’s main focus is cats (although one of our rescue dogs stole her heart and now she is a happy cat AND dog mom), and Jami loves to focus her energy on planning events that incorporate the community and help to bring funds to continue their mission.

The animals are rescued from all over the place–high kill shelters, puppy mills, cities with pet-bans, etc. They are all brought into the rescue either by them or their wonderful and dedicated group of volunteers where they are given vet care, food, and are placed in a foster home until the animals are adopted.

On a side note, I would like to congratulate Ashley as she is getting married to her longtime love this weekend! Jody and Jami will be standing up with her as two of her bridesmaids!

Talk about a love story!

To learn more and support their mission:

Link to donate: http://cocosheartdogrescue.org/donate/

Link to website: http://www.cocosheartdogrescue.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/cocosheartdogrescue/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/chdogrescue

CK

I’m a self-proclaimed skin care addict. I love to research, understand, find and try it all.   I love love love skin and use my Master’s in Clinical Nutrition to better understand the skin and ingredient technology rather than dietetics.  I love the science behind skin.  Did you know it is both a tissue and an organ?  I love the breakdown behind formulas and ingredients. Before I became an author I worked behind the scenes in the beauty industry for the past eight years. It’s a natural love that began with my first regimen at the age of twelve with the three-step Clinique process – cleanse, tone and moisturize.

In honor of becoming a beauty ambassador recently for a New York City boutique med spa, Laser Cosmetica, and the approaching one year anniversary of my novel, Fake Perfect Me, I’m celebrating by offering 60% off the paperback and Ebook with promo code “LUVLASER” on www.carikamm.com!  I have been a client of Laser Cosmetica since my early twenties and will be a client for life.

Also, here is a little peek into my beauty black book. For the record, if I were forced to choose one thing to take with me on a deserted island or in the middle of Iceland, I would choose the #1 anti aging and protector for healthy skin. Drum rolls please…. SUNSCREEN.  Wearing sunscreen everyday (Yes, that is right, 365 days a year) and being consistent over time will correct and protect your skin and give you the results you expect.  Sunscreen & Hydration are one high-powered couple that makes a great team!

These are my little tips to healthy skin along with product recommendations.

1 – Apply sunscreen everyday, rain or shine.

At least SPF 30 and the active ingredient must be Titanium or Zinc Oxide.  My favorite is Skinceuticals SPF 50. It’s paraben and chemical free and offers a physical defense.  There are two categories of spf – Chemical (absorbs while protecting, but burning and damage can still occur) & Physical (reflects to protect like an NFL defense lineup.)

2 – Never sleep on your face.  Stand in front of the mirror, smash your hand into your cheek and look at the wrinkles around your mouth and eye.  Imagine holding that for 6-8 hours and seeing what forms over time!

3 – Antioxidants, vitamins & minerals are your best friends!  Protect your skin from the environments free radicals that cause damage down to the cellular level.  Everyday I load up on vitamins and minerals by  incorporating organic fruits and veggies,  enjoying my adult gummy vitamins and sucking down a refreshing juice. My favorite blend is a beets, watermelon, raspberries, lemon and ginger combo!  In New York City, I love One Lucky Duck, Blue Print Cleanse & the juice bars at Equinox gyms (19th street is the best)!

4 -  The “D” word… Diet.  Think of your skin as a mirror that reflects what is going on inside you.  The cleaner your diet, the cleaner your skin.  Remember, the skin is both a tissue and organ.  I love juicing.  Incorporating a juice multiple times a week to sometimes daily is life changing.  In 50 sucks through a straw you can get a pounds of beets, a stalk of celery, lot’s of carrots, spinach leaf etc. etc.  This was a real life changer for me.  It allowed me to see just how much my “D” affects my skin.

5- Ingredients!  Just like a recipe calls for specific ingredients, your skin type does as well.  Make sure you know your skin type i.e. Normal to Dry, Normal to Oily etc. before choosing your skin care regimen recipe.

6 – Dead skin = Dull Skin.  I exfoliate 2 – 3 times per week.  One of my favorite exfoliators by Laser Cosmetica is Skin Cosmetica’s Thermal Exfoliating Scrub.  It really heats up and contains bamboo extracts.  Another Skin Cosmetica favorite is the Calming Chamomile Q10 Toner. It is soothing, hydrating and leaves you glowing.

Another must-have is the Crystal Clearing microdermabrasion bar created by Lynn Lucka! This bar of soap is worth every bit of the $24.00 price tag. I kid you not, it is a microdermabrasion system for your body in the shower.

7- Watch the caffeine.  It is a dehydrator.  I will admit I’m a diet coke and Americano kind of girl (okay addict).  The first step is admitting, right?  Water is key and try to cut the coffee with decaf teas… Green and Black will offer you less risk of dehydration and a world of protective ingredients for your body. To begin your cutback, start replacing half of your caffeinated cup of coffee with decaf.

8 – Wash the day away before tucking yourself in.  Bedtime is your skins perfect time to eat.  All the ingredients you apply are absorbed even more while you sleep.  When your body is at rest, your organs are at rest.  The skin is not competing for attention and is able to feed off all the corrective and protective nutrients in your products.

9 – Zap. Zap. Zap.  I love photo facials.  Everyone I work with knows how much I love them as well (I tend to repeat myself a lot!).  This no downtime treatment rejuvenates the skin by shocking the collagen and correcting any kind of pigmentation issue with the skin.  Photo facials = GLOW.  Laser Cosmetica has been zapping me for years. They are the only med spa I allow to touch me. Learn more about their services at www.Lasercosmetica.com.

10 – Smile.  When you are happy, your skin is happy!

CK

*Remember to use code “LUVLASER” to receive 60% off Fake Perfect Me paperback ($6.78) and Ebook ($3.20) on www.carikamm.com.