Part One of the First Tweens' Summer: Malia and Sasha Obama Visit Universal Studios, iCarly Set

The First Tweens are officially on summer vacation, and they've kicked it off by accompanying mom, First Lady Michelle Obama, on a trip to California.

Malia and Sasha Obama were in Los Angeles on Monday. They took a VIP tour of Universal Studios Hollywood and rode on several popular rides including  "King Kong 360 3-D", Jurassic Park, Shrek 4D,  the Simpsons ,and Revenge of the Mummy. Sasha Obama, whose tenth birthday was June 10th, reportedly wanted to ride the Mummy ride twice - and did.

Also on Monday the First Lady visited the set of iCarly to film a segment for the show about the hardships military families face. On the show, Carly is upset that her dad (an Air Force colonel who has been deployed) isn't home for a birthday, so her friends break the rules to set up a web chat with him. "We are big fans of iCarly," Mrs. Obama said. "Well, let’s say I’m the coolest mom on the face of the planet."

The First Lady plays herself in the episode and said this about her role: "The story line is very sweet. iCarly..they have a webcast, and Carly is a military kid, and that's always been a part of the script. That's been a part of their situation. Her father has been deployed, and it's just a way for us to recognize her challenges as well as how her friends are stepping up to support her. So I'm pretty excited about it." Mrs. Obama's appearance is to promote Joining Forces, an initiative aimed at increasing awareness and support for military families.

After the taping, iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove tweeted: "Worked with Michelle Obama today. She's one awesome funny lady. We were so nervous and she just made everybody feel so comfortable #honored."

Later that night there was a fundraiser held at the home of the interior designer who decorated the White House for the Obama family (including the First Tweens' rooms), Michael S. Smith. After the fundraiser the Obama women had a late night pizza dinner at Pizzeria Mozza (the same spot they visited the last time they were in L.A.).

Tuesday (today), the First Tweens traveled with their mom to Berkeley, California (MsTwixt is an alumna of U.C. Berkeley - go Bears!). The First Lady spoke at a fundraiser featuring breakfast prepared by Edible Schoolyard founder Chef Alice Waters at the historic Claremont Hotel in the Berkeley Hills. No word on what Malia and Sasha Obama did in Berkeley, but we hope that they toured the beautiful U.C. campus and visited historic Tilden Park (the Tilden Merry-Go-Round is our tweens' favorite).  UPDATE: Malia and Sasha Obama also visited the Alcatraz Island prison complex on Thursday - they went via a private hovercraft and got to take turns driving the boat.

Next week the First Tweens will visit Africa as part of Mrs. Obama's official visits to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa and Gaberone, Botswana. That trip focuses on youth leadership, education, health and wellness.

To read about how the First Tweens spent last summer, click here.

Photo credits: Getty Images, AceShowBiz

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iCarly Star Miranda Cosgrove Profiled in New York Times

Miranda Cosgrove, star of the tween favorite series "iCarly" was profiled in the New York Times last week. The article was authored by feminist Peggy Orenstein and reflected on how normal and level-headed Ms. Cosgrove is despite her celebrity. The title, "The Good Girl, Miranda Cosgrove" says it all - you and your tween will enjoy reading it, get a peek into Ms. Cosgrove's glamorous life, and likely walk away with a new-found respect for the actress (we did).

We're currently reading Ms. Orenstein's latest book, "Cinderella Ate My Daughter" - stay tuned for our review.

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New Gummy Bear Game!

Just for fun: In honor of Carly's new room on iCarly - complete with gummy bear chandelier - check out the Gummy Bear Burst game on iCarly.com:



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The Ultimate Tween Bedroom: the Bedroom Makeover on the Set of iCarly

Nick's popular tween t.v. show, "iCarly", stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, as the star of her own Internet t.v. show (I know, it's a show about a show . . kind of like "Sonny With a Chance" on Disney Channel. Are you sensing a theme too?). The main set is Carly's living room which is pretty cool on its own - it features those super cute Gummi Bear Night Lights that we wrote about years ago.

Well, now fans will get a first-ever look at Carly's ultimate tween bedroom - the show's latest storyline will be about her current room getting burned down in a brotherly accident and how she gets to set up a new candy-themed tween hangout space.  Our friends at Jellio (who created the Gummi Bear Night Lights) got to work on this set too - check out the Gummi Bear Chandelier! (Note: the chandelier shown on the set is a limited edition large size (31" in diameter), but a smaller version (18" in diameter) is available for sale on the Jellio website. Warning: it comes with a piece of art price tag: $1800, reflecting the months of work it takes the artist to make each one.)

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Kids' Choice Awards Pre-Party

Not all of us can jet to L.A. to walk the orange carpet at the Kids' Choice Awards, but a virtual pre-party is being hosted by Nickelodeon Parents' Connect for all to attend (full disclosure: Twixt was voted Best Kids' Clothing Store in DC in the Nickelodeon's Parents' Connect Parents' Pick Awards in both 2008 and 2009).

This year, a new category was created,Cutest Couple, and the President and First Lady have been nominated in it - they are up against Edward and Bella and Jacob and Bella from The Twilight Saga: New Moon among others.

Also up for Kids' Choice Awards are the Twilight cast, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Zack and Cody (played by twin brothers Dylan and Cole Sprouse), iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato. Should be quite the night! The awards show airs on Saturday, March 27th at 8pm.

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The Power of Youth, Covered by Variety

Variety magazine, arbiter of all things Hollywood, held it's 3rd Annual Power of Youth event this weekend in L.A. The event honors up-and-coming kid stars who harness their celebrity power to put a spotlight on charity causes. It's nice to see stars doing good - even nicer to see them starting young to do it.
2009 honorees were:
- Corbin Bleu for his support of the Starlight Foundation
- Miranda Cosgrove for her support of St. Jude's Research Hospital
- Jesse McCartney for his support of City of Hope
- Annalynde McCord for her support of the Blind Project
- Keke Palmer for her support of the Boys and Girls Clubs

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Happy 35th Birthday to Hello Kitty!

She hasn't aged a day since her debut 35 years ago and still looks as cute as ever. Did you know that Hello Kitty lives in London with her parents and twin sister Mimi? The woman who created her is Ikuko Shimizu.

A special exhibition called "Three Apples" of Hello Kitty-inspiried art is at the L.A. theatre space, Royal-T until November 15th. There's even an entire apartment outfitted with Hello Kitty things, and tokidoki artist, Simone Legno, created a special poster just for the event (available for $20). The exhibit is open to the public and free. (BTW, "three apples" is how much Hello Kitty weighs.)



At the opening party on October 22nd, tween celebrity Miranda Cosgrove of Nickelodeon's iCarly was in attendance, as was Tarina Tarantino and Kimora Lee Simmons. The birthday party today included breakfast of Hello Kitty waffles and pancakes, artist workshop, temporary tattoo booth, and, of course, birthday cake.

Happy Birthday Hello Kitty!

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Kids Choice Award Winners Announced!

Winners from the 22nd annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards:

• Favorite Movie: "High School Musical 3: Senior Year."
• Favorite Movie Actor: Will Smith, "Hancock."
• Favorite Movie Actress: Vanessa Hudgens, "High School Musical 3: Senior Year."
• Favorite Animated Movie: "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa."
• Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie: Jack Black, "Kung Fu Panda."
• Favorite Song: Beyonce, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)."
• Favorite Male Singer: Jesse McCartney.
• Favorite Female Singer: Miley Cyrus.
• Favorite Music Group: Jonas Brothers.
• Favorite TV Show: "iCarly."
• Favorite Reality Show: "American Idol."
• Favorite TV Actress: Selena Gomez, "Wizards of Waverly."
• Favorite TV Actor: Cole Sprouse, "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."
• Favorite Cartoon: "SpongeBob SquarePants."
• Favorite Male Athlete: Peyton Manning.
• Favorite Female Athlete: Candace Parker.
• Favorite Video Game: "Guitar Hero World Tour."
• Favorite Book: "Twilight" series