Emma Watson Warns That Social Media Is Shortening Childhood

The actress who earned fame as a tween stars in a new film in which social media looms large. While at Cannes promoting her new film, The Bling Ring by Sofia Coppola, Ms. Watson said, " I think it’s amazing how self-aware people are becoming as a result of constantly posting images on Facebook and Instagram. They’re blissfully unaware their childhoods are being shortened. That period of time when you’re not self-conscious is sped up."

During an interview,  she added, "I think technology is playing a really big part in a sense that everything has started moving so much quicker. We are becoming saturated with images. They can embody whatever they [fans] project onto that image. It’s very different; it has very little to do with reality."

Ms. Coppola added, "The idea of no privacy has become the norm."

Managing social media for tweens has been a challenge of modern parenting. Our tips for managing the digital footprint of your tween and creating a family technology policy can be found here - please add your tips! 

Original article at the U.K. Daily Mail here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2325875/Emma-Watson-blames-social-media-shortening-childhood.html

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. You can also get up-to-the-minute updates on tween lifestyle by following us on Twitter and on Facebook.

J.K. Rowling On Body Image

Our eldest came across this via Instagram - we love this:

“Fat’ is usually the first insult a girl throws at another girl when she wants to hurt her.

I mean, is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me; but then, you might retort, what do I know about the pressure to be skinny? I’m not in the business of being judged on my looks, what with being a writer and earning my living by using my brain…

I went to the British Book Awards that evening. After the award ceremony I bumped into a woman I hadn’t seen for nearly three years. The first thing she said to me? ‘You’ve lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw you!’

‘Well,’ I said, slightly nonplussed, ‘the last time you saw me I’d just had a baby.’

What I felt like saying was, ‘I’ve produced my third child and my sixth novel since I last saw you. Aren’t either of those things more important, more interesting, than my size?’ But no – my waist looked smaller! Forget the kid and the book: finally, something to celebrate!

I’ve got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don’t want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I’d rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny – a thousand things, before ‘thin’. And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons.”

- J.K. Rowling

A Celebration of the Harry Potter Films at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Happy Birthday to Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling! If you're Potter-heads like our tweens, you'll be interested to learn that tickets to a Celebration of Harry Potter Films at the Universal Orlando Wizarding World of Harry Potter go on sale at noon EST today. This event includes a Private Gala, screening with the cast members, and a Q-and-A with the filmmakers. It's pricey ($699/adult for the 3-day event), but it's an unprecedented event. Tickets are limited and available online only. The package includes four days at a Universal Orlando resort, three-day admission to the Universal theme parks, the set of all eight films, and admission to the cast member Q-and-A and Gala. This Celebration of Harry Potter Films takes place November 11-13, 2011 - start saving that allowance now!

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. You can also get up-to-the-minute updates on tween lifestyle by following us on Twitter and on Facebook. Bookmark this on Delicious Pin It

Tween Costumes at the Harry Potter Final Movie Premiere & Giveaway

Last night we were part of the crowd at DC's historic Uptown theater for the premiere of the last Harry Potter movie, "The Deathly Hallows Part 2". As usual, the wait for the film was filled with camaraderie, pick-up Quidditch games, and fantastic costumes. Here's a sample of some of the best costumes tween kids wore to the event:

Professor McGonagall poses with a young fan (she sewed every part of her costume, including the hat, and her husband carved her wand):

A few tweens were part of Team Pygmy Puff and had a wand duel:

Luna Lovegood was represented:

The most original costume was the Golden Snitch:

Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall field questions from tweens waiting for their Hogwarts admission letters:

We loved this tween's t-shirt from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes (she was a big fan of our Skiving Snackboxes):

Several wizards battled Bellatrix Lestrange:

We ran out of battery, but other cool costumes included Fleur dela Coeur, Dobby, and Rita Skeeter.

Our tweens also dressed in their Hogwarts best, and they LOVED the film. Unbeknownst to us the show we saw was in 3-D, so we have an extra set of special, opening-day Harry Potter 3-D spectacles to give away to a lucky reader. Just "Like" us on Facebook and post a comment here or on Facebook telling us about a cool Harry Potter character costume you've worn or seen. We'll select one winners at random from those who post comments, and you can post as many comments as you'd like. (NOTE: Tweens: if you would like to enter this giveaway, you must have your parent enter. As Facebook's policy is that you must be 13 years or older to have a profile, we hope that this helps to ensure that parents only enter. This is because we want to respect the privacy of tweens and will not collect personally identifiable information on kids. As always, please be smart online - see our tips on online safety for tweens as a reminder.) We'll post the winner on July 31st (Harry's and J.K. Rowling's birthdays).

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. You can also get up-to-the-minute updates on tween lifestyle by following us on Twitter and on Facebook. Bookmark this on Delicious Pin It

Getting Ready For the Final Harry Potter Movie

It's no surprise that we are HUGE Harry Potter fans (even traveling to Boston to take in the Harry Potter Exhibition), and we've had our movie tickets for tonight's midnight show for months. To help us pass the time in line (and yes, our tweens will be in costume), we made our own Skiving Snackboxes. In the books, Skiving Snackboxes were an invention of the older Weasley twins to help students get out of class for medical reasons. Our version is designed to do the opposite - to treat our tweens as they wait for the film. Here's how we tackled this project:

We found these wonderful "cardboard satchels" at Paper-Source for $6.00 - they even have straps!  Then we lined the interiors with glittery purple paper (brilliant purple seems wizard-like, right?):

 

We're using colorful cupcake liner papers to hold little bags on goodies inside including Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (jelly beans), Puking Pastilles (chocolate nonpareils), licorice wands, crystallized pineapple (Professor Slughorn's favorite), lemon drops, Droobles Blowing Gum (gumballs), Peppermint Humbugs (York Peppermint Patties), Ton-Tongue Toffees (toffees), Fizzing Whizbees (Pop Rocks), and Chocolate Frogs.

The tweens made custom decals for the boxes like this one:

Then we envisioned what a Skiving Snackbox would look like in the Muggle World and went to town with some paint pens and glitter:

And here it is filled:

 Now we're off to join the throngs of other Harry Potter fans in the movie queue. Even though we'll be in line for hours, there's a carnival-like atmosphere amongst the crowd. It's always fun to see other kids' costumes and to play (Wizard) Chess and broomstick Quidditch while we wait. 

We'd love to learn what you're doing too - what are your tweens doing for the last Harry Potter movie?

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. You can also get up-to-the-minute updates on tween lifestyle by following us on Twitter and on Facebook. Bookmark this on Delicious Pin It

New Pottermore Site Brings Wizarding World to Life, Sorts You Into Hogwarts Houses

Details about J.K. Rowling's new Harry Potter website, Pottermore, were released at a press conference today, and millions of Harry Potter fans are rejoicing. About the site the author says, “You visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into a house, cast spells and mix potions to help your house compete for the House Cup.” E-book versions of the Harry Potter series will also be available.

The site won't be live in the U.S. until October, but a few lucky tweens in London got a personal tour of Pottermore by Ms. Rowling herself.

Photo credit: New York Times

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. You can also get up-to-the-minute updates on tween lifestyle by following us on Twitter and on Facebook. Bookmark this on Delicious

New Harry Potter Website From J.K. Rowling: Pottermore

“The owls are gathering…Find out why soon.”

Tomorrow at noon London-time, J.K. Rowling will turn the "On" switch on her latest Harry Potter creation: Pottermore. (Click on the owls on the website, and it will lead you to a YouTube video post from Ms. Rowling.) Pottermore is a gaming site for Harry Potter fans, but rumor has it that several real wands are hidden throughout the United States and the U.K. as real-life prizes in the virtual game. Says Ms. Rowling, "The site is 'not a new book' and 'not directly related' to the upcoming movie."

There has been a fair amount of drama leading up to the launch of Pottermore: on June 15th the author sent coordinates to ten Harry Potter fan sites leading fans on a scavenger hunt. The coordinates had to be entered at another website, secretstreetview.com (using Google Maps), and those could be zoomed in on to reveal the letters of Pottermore.com

Our tweens already have their tickets to the midnight showing of the last movie, and this new game has them cheering even more.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. You can also get up-to-the-minute updates on tween lifestyle by following us on Twitter and on Facebook. Bookmark this on Delicious

Harry Potter Exhibition Last Stop: New York City

A very special exhibit has been making stops at museums across the country since 2009: the Harry Potter Exhibition. It features pieces used to make the films and is the single largest collection of Harry Potter "artifacts". This tour is making its last stop in the U.S. in New York City - it opens today for a sneak peek weekend and has its Grand Opening at Discovery Times Square on April 5th.

We visited the collection when it was at the Museum of Science in Boston last winter, and our tween's review of it is below:

"'Harry Potter, the Exhibition' was one of the most exciting exhibitions I have ever been to. My mom, my sister and I went to the Museum of Science in Boston to see 'The Harry Potter Exhibition'.  I thought it would be a room with a bunch of props in it - boy was I wrong. We paid for the audio tour so we got these things that looked like walkie talkie, and the person who was handing them out told me I could listen to the introduction while I waited. After listening to the introduction, I knew that what I had first thought about the exhibition was completely wrong. First, the tour guide led us to a room with the Sorting Hat in it, and my sister and I got sorted (I am in Gryffindor!). Then we were led into the Exhibition…….If I had to use one word to describe it, it would be WOW! They had everything from the movies that I had wanted to see. There was a section for each character, in the section they had their clothes, their wands, their most important props, and, in other words, they had everything!!! When they were done with the characters they had the most important rooms and everything in them, it was AWESOME!!! At the end, they had a gift shop which had so many things I had a hard time choosing what I wanted. It was so cool!!! I was about to write FIVE STARS FROM ME but that is not enough so SIX STARS FROM ME!!!"

As you can tell, our tweens LOVED this collection, and as a mom who is a bit of a Potter-head, I was also quite impressed by the staff working the exhibition. They are in character as Hogwarts students and were very into their roles. Little bits like that, how they "sorted" museum attendees, how they treated us in the gift shop - they all added up to make truly wonderful experience. I understand that the exhibition in New York contains new items from the last film, so we'll plan a road trip to see it again. We definitely got our money's worth out of the tickets - we stayed for five hours in the galleries in Boston and took in every detail (My favorites? The shop window exhibit from Honeydukes and the Great Hall set from the Yule Ball.).

The exhibit will run until September 5th, 2011 at the Discovery museum (located at 226 West 44th Street (between Broadway & 8th Ave)). Tickets are $19.50 for tweens, $25.00 for adults.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. You can also stay up-to-the-minute on updates on tween lifestyle by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

New Online Obsession for Tweens: Harry Potter, The Quest

In preparation for the final Harry Potter movie release this summer, Warner Brothers has launched a new interactive website called Harry Potter: The Quest. Fans of the series can play games, post questions and earn points that enable them to see clips from the movie before its release. This is sure to be the newest online obsession in our house (for both the tweens and their parents!).

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. You can also stay up-to-the-minute on updates on tween lifestyle by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

What's Cool for Tweens in March: MsTwixt's Calendar

Ms Twixt's Calendar

• Mar 1 Justin Bieber's 17th birthday!
• Mar 1 Sprinkles Cupcakes pre-opening party in D.C.!
• Mar 1 Daniella Monet's (from Victorious) birthday!
• Mar 1 National Pancake Day
• Mar 1 National Peanut Butter Day
• Mar 1 "Race to Nowhere" screening at Washington Hebrew
• Mar 1 Ron Weasley's birthday!
• Mar 2 Dr. Seuss' birthday!
• Mar 3 M&M's birthday!
• Mar 4 "Beastly" starring Vanessa Hudgens & Alex Pettyfer opens
• Mar 6 Allstar Weekend plays in Baltimore
• Mar 8 "Race to Nowhere" screening at Avalon Theatre
• Mar 8 International Women's Day
• Mar 9 Barbie's birthday
• Mar 10 Emily Osment's birthday!
• Mar 11 "Mars Needs Moms" opens
• Mar 12 Girl Scout Day
• Mar 17 Mia Hamm's birthday!
• Mar 19 National Chocolate Caramel Day
• Mar 24 National Raisinette Day
• Mar 25 "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" movie opens
• Mar 26-Apr 10 National Cherry Blossom Festival
• Mar 27 Brenda Song's birthday
• Mar 27 National Cherry Blossom Kite Festival
• Mar 27 830pm is Earth Hour
• Mar 28 Lady Gaga's birthday
• Mar 31 "Scorpia Rising" (the last Alex Rider book) released

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. You can also stay up-to-the-minute on updates on tween lifestyle by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

Best Tween Movie Heroines of 2010

We loved this article by former Ms. staffer Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post about the best tween and teen movie heroines of 2010. She writes about the breakout acting performances of several actresses and their roles as positive tween girl influences. We agree with many of her picks including Emma Watson as Hermione in "Harry Potter 7: The Deathly Hallows",  Chloe Grace Moretz in "Kick Ass", and Mia Wasikowska in "Alice in Wonderland".

One might also add to this list: Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth in "The Percy Jackson movie" for playing a tough as nails demi-goddess who can hold her own against some might Greeks, and America Ferrera as the voice of Astrid in "How to Train Your Dragon" for a strong female lead who doesn't back down from her own strengths.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. Please also follow our updates or Re-Tweet our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

HP7 New York Premiere Night

The tweens and even the parents in our house are breathlessly awaiting the Thursday night midnight showing of the 7th Harry Potter movie, "The Deathly Hallows, Part 1". (Checkout the movie's official Facebook page for some great video.) The cast attended the U.S. premiere of HP7 last night in New York City at Alice Tully Hall. In attendance were the three stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson (sporting a gamine new haircut), Rupert Grint, and Tom Fenton.

Emma Watson discusses Hermione's style and her Free People clothing collaboration in a nice interview here.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. Please also follow our updates or Re-Tweet our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

Full Coverage of the Harry Potter Theme Park Opening

You can view the entire video on Universal's website here and follow our coverage and photos of it via Twitter with the #wwohp hashtag. Brilliant!


If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. Please also follow our updates or Re-Tweet our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

Harry Potter Film Stars Tour Wizarding World in Orlando

The live webcast of celebrity sneak preview party of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is tonight at 930pm EDT (see our earlier post for details). The stars of the Harry Potter movies, Emma Watson (Hermione), George and Fred Weasley (James and Oliver Phelps), and Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) toured the new theme park earlier - check out the video below:



If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. Please also follow our updates or Re-Tweet our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

View the Celebrity Opening Party for Harry Potter Wizarding World

Well, we cannot be there in person, but MsTwixt and tweens are SO EXCITED to view the opening festivities of the Harry Pottery Wizarding World at Universal Orlando this week via live web cast. Opening Day is Friday, June 18th, and there's a preview party for celebrities on Wednesday, June 16th. You can view both webcasts live at www.universalorlando.com/harrypotternews - click on "Live Feed" on the top of the page.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. Please also follow our updates or Re-Tweet our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

First Tween Sasha Obama Turns 9 Today - Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to First Tween Sasha Obama! She turns 9 years old today. It's also the last day of school for her (she attends Sidwell Friends School) - two reasons to celebrate!

No word as yet on her birthday plans, but last year's birthday was celebrated on the Harry Potter movie set in London. It's hard to top that, but there are certainly a ton of places in DC to celebrate a tween birthday (the Spy Museum, Bach2Rock, and the new Serendipity opening in Georgetown come immediately to mind).

Where do you suggest that Sasha Obama celebrate her 9th birthday?

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. Please also follow our updates or Re-Tweet our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

J.K. Rowling Reading at White House Easter Egg Roll

Beloved author (and our tweens' favorite) J.K. Rowling read from the first Harry Potter book, "The Sorcerer's Stone" at today's Easter Egg Roll at the White House. She took many questions from kids in the crowd, including "How did you come up with the idea for Harry Potter?" (Answer: She can't say exactly - from lots of different places), and "Is it true you named Harry after your neighbor?" (Answer: No).

Mrs. Rowling really loves Snape's character and said, "I love writing him, but I wouldn't want to meet him." She is working on books other than Harry Potter and is enjoying her time now away from publishing deadlines.

The day has been filled with amazing performances (including Amber Riley from Glee singing the National Anthem) and readings. President Obama read to the crown from Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" before leaving the event to throw the first pitch out at the National's season opener.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. Please also follow our updates or Re-Tweet our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

J.K.Rowling and Justin Bieber Added to White House Easter Egg Roll Event

The hottest ticket in town keeps getting hotter: J.K. Rowling and Justin Bieber will join the cast of Glee as guests of First Tweens Malia and Sasha Obama at the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll.

They will join other tween celebrities Dylan and Cole Sprouse (from Disney Channel's The Suite Life), the cast of Glee, Sara Bareilles, and more. This is an annual Easter event at the White House and this year features the First Lady's Let's Move campaign.

The entire list of stars is below.

Wow - such an amazing event! Are you one of the lucky 30,000 ticket holders?

"The White House is pleased to welcome the following performers and leaders in their field to participate in this year's Easter Egg Roll:
· Sara Bareilles, Justin Bieber, the cast of the television show Glee, Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, and Little Beat, The #1 Chinchilla and DJ Willy Wow! will perform on the Rock ‘n' Egg Roll Stage
· J.K. Rowling, Reese Witherspoon, Apolo Ohno, Mariska Hargitay, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Elmo and Maria of Sesame Street and Betty DeGeneres will read on the Storytime Stage
· Billy Jonas and Miss Amy will perform on the Ellipse
· Chef Art Smith, Chef José Andrés, Chef Cliff Wharton, Chef Nora Poullion, Chef Robert Wiedmaier, Chef Susan Limb, Chef Victor Albisu, and the White House Chefs will prepare healthy eating demonstrations in the Play with your Food station.
· Billie Jean King, Gigi Fernandez, Ilana Kloss, Delaney Rudd, Liezel Huber, Katrina Adams, Anna Rawson, Jane Geddes, Kris Tschetter, Martin Gramatica, Michele Smith, Al Bumbry and Earl Boykins will help organize games in the Sports Zones
· NFL players will lead children in healthy activities as a part of the NFL Play 60 Movement. Those participating include Washington Redskins players Kevin Barnes, Alvin Bowen, Derrick Dockery, Reed Doughty, Chris Horton, Marko Mitchell, Will Robinson, Casey Rabach, Justin Tryon, Edwin Williams, Anthony Montgomery, Lorenzo Alexander, H.B. (Horatio Benedict) Blades, Doug Dutch as well as, Baltimore Ravens players Matt Lawrence and Sam Koch
· The DC Youth Orchestra and the United States Marine Corps Band."

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. Please also follow our updates or Re-Tweet our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

Amazing Opportunity For Tween Girls on Take Your Daughter to Work Day

We are NOT in the habit of promoting contests, but this one deserves an exception: Barbie (of all things!) is sponsoring an AMAZING opportunity for tween girls this Take Your Daughter to Work Day (April 22, 2010). The "I Can Be a Mentor" project is looking for girls ages 6 to 14 years old to shadow some REALLY inspiring women and report back about their work day and their advice for girls.


From their site: "In support of Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day, many of these 10 Women to Watch in 2010 have generously committed to mentor a girl for one day so she can share her stories with girls everywhere. Can you imagine? A day in the life of any of these women would be a-mazing! If you think your daughter or a special girl in your life is perfect for this job, register now and tell me why. You can also upload a favorite photo or record a video and send it to me (don't worry, it won't be posted without your permission!)
After spending a day in the life with these fabulous women leaders, the girls will be asked to report back with photos, videos and a short written essay to share their experiences so girls everywhere can be inspired. They'll also be asked to attend a one-day celebration on April 22 to report their stories in support of Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work® Day."

Tween girls will have the chance to shadow one of these incredible women:

For tweens interested in books/writing:

• J.K.Rowling (no description needed)
• Susan Taylor (former Editor-in-Chief of Essence magazine)

For tweens interested in fashion:

• Rachel Roy (fashion designer and mom)
• Tavi Gevinson (tween fashion blogger; although we love her, we're not sure exactly how she fits into "Take Our Daughter to Work Day given that she's a full-time student herself)
• Cindy Leive (Editor-in-Chief of Glamour magazine; NOTE: if your daughter shadows her, PLEASE report back on what they're doing about healthy body image in the media)

For the sporty tween:

• Danica Patrick (NASCAR's celebrated female racer)
• Gretchen Bleiler (Olympic snowboarder)
• Brittany Lincicome (professional LPGA golfer)

For tweens interested in politics:

• Marie Wilson (founder of the White House Project)

For tweens interested in science:

• Yoky Matsuoka (Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Wisconsin)

The contest is free to enter, and Mattel promises not to post any information on your tween without your permission.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here. Please also follow our updates or Re-Tweet our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MsTwixt and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MsTwixt

Wizarding World of Harry Potter Update: New Site Launched

The website for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been updated to include new info including some cool interactive maps, more info on the places to eat (the Three Broomsticks), rides (Forbidden Journey, Dragon Challenge, and Flight of the Hippogriff), and places to shop (including Zonkos, HoneyDukes, and Ollivanders). Check it out here!

The new theme park section of the Universal Orlando Park is slated for a late spring 2010 opening.

If you liked this post, you can subscribe to this blog by clicking here.