A Tween's Review of "Coke or Pepsi?"

When I had my store, Twixt, we ran dozens of workshops with tween girls on topics ranging from Inauguration Ball gown sketching to how to cope with peer pressure to her dream room interior design to mother-daughter relationships. We began nearly every workshop with an ice breaker and the most fun ones came from the book series "Coke or Pepsi?"

"Coke or Pepsi?" is a book with questions for girls to ask other girls about their interests, their likes and dislikes, etc. Our own tweens love to bring these books on sleepovers, to parties, on road trips, etc. The publishers just released out a new edition of the book, and our eldest tween's review of it is here:

"I thought the "Coke or Pepsi?" Girl Diary was awesome! It is chock full of great diary entry spurring ideas! Some of these ideas include a virtual tree to carve your own personalized message into, space to write the letter you’ll never send, and a page to turn your own drama into a movie poster. I also really enjoy this because even if your not a writer there is still ways to get your feelings on paper. Only suggestions - maybe a more discreet cover for privacy you know? Thanks "Coke or Pepsi?" for a GREAT space for a girl to unwind at the end of a day!! <3 "

The publishers gave us two copies of this series to give away, and we're thrilled to share this with our readers as our April giveaway (congrats to our March giveaway winner, Hailey, who won the Justin Bieber Special Edition 3-D Glasses). To win these books, you all you have to do is become a fan of MsTwixt on Facebook and post a comment on our Wall about this book (if you're already of fan of ours on Facebook (thank you!) - just post a comment about this book on our Wall). We'll select two 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 contest, 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 draw one winner on April 8th and another on April 15th.

Note: as a reminder, MsTwixt is strictly editorial and there is no pay-to-play. We receive lots of requests to review products and turn down nearly all of them. This is one of those few times when what we love and have recommended in the past matched up with a chance to share the item with our readers. Unlike most blogs, we never do paid product reviews - you're getting the dish straight-up.)

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Cool Winter Craft for Tweens: A Pom-Pom Scarf

We love this craft for tweens from Disney's Family Fun magazine for a pom-pom scarf. It's perfect for a snow day or sleepover party activity.

All you need is a bag of large pom-poms, a needle, and embroidery floss. Simply thread the needle through 40 pom-poms and knot. Each tween can customize her scarf with pattern and color.

Instructions here.

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Tween New Year's Eve Countdown: Making Fuzzy Flower Rings

As our tweens plan their New Year's Eve sleepover party, we are stocking up on crafts for the girls to do while waiting for midnight. Crafting fuzzy flower rings out of pipe cleaners fits the bill perfectly: these are inexpensive, independent, and fun!

'Turns out there's a Pipe Cleaner Lady who was on the Martha Stewart show showing folks how to make them. We put a copy of her how-to video on our YouTube channel - click here to see it.

Our tweens are heading to the craft store to pick out all manner of sparkly pipe cleaners for this project. Let us know if you try it and send us photos - we'll post them (removing, of course, all tweens' personally identifiable information)!

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Tween New Year's Eve Countdown: Holiday and New Year's Eve Pillowcases

Our tweens started a new holiday tradition this year: making custom pillowcases.
We bought plain white pillowcases from Target and fabric paint from the craft store, and the girls painted holiday themes onto them. They had a great time working on this project, and it was a nice alternative after opening presents and in between all the eating.

Even our eldest tween thought this was a cool project, and all the girls have asked to do this for New Year's Eve too. Let us know if you try it.

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Cool Christmas Morning PJs for Tweens

Tweens have almost outgrown the tradition of Christmas morning PJs - but not yet. Treat her to a comfy, fun and hip pair of PJs by beePosh. We love the Becky print - talk about visions of sugarplums!

Now if we could just find the perfect pair of bunny slippers . . .

PJs are $35 at beePosh.com

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New Study Finds Strong Link Between R-Rated Movies, Underage Drinking and Tweens

I guess this is a bit self-serving, but here's further reinforcement for me for my "strict mom schtick": a new study from Dartmouth finds that middle schoolers whose parents forbid them from watching R-rated movies are far less likely to start drinking early - and the study took in account other parenting decisions. According to the study, "the movie effect is the over-and-above-effect" over parenting style when it comes to middle-schoolers who tried drinking versus the "barely 3% who tried a drink". Notably, it appears to be the repeated exposure to R-rated movies that causes these outcomes, not the once-time viewing.

Phew! It's nice to have some positive backing for our unpopular (at times, but not always - secretly, we think our tweens like having us as an "out") parenting stance (or, as my tweens put it, "zero-tolerance on R"). And it's tough - a lot of the movies that our tween daughters' friends regularly discuss during lunch or afterschool are R-rated (Kick-Ass stars tween superheros, The Runaways features Twilight star Kristen Stewart and child actress Dakota Fanning, and the new Twilight movie Eclipse could very well be R-rated too - and this is just a sampling based on what's out this week).

What amazes me is that even in the same all-girls school that our tweens attend, parenting views on what is permissable for tweens to watch vary SO WIDELY. Certainly, every family has its own values, but when I see an R-rating, that means that the movie theatre requires the parent to accompany the minor into the theatre - so it means that parents are walking their middle school age daughter into see The Runaways because she's a Kristen Stewart fan. Are tweens really ready to digest/process the very mature themes of addiction and sexual exploration even if this film provides an accurate and riveting portrayal of the glam rock movement in the 70's? In other words, aside from how valuable/worthy a story the film tells, some content is still inappropriate even for middle-schoolers.

Lest I come across as a prudish tyrant, despite our stated "zero tolerance" policy, I'd like to think that should a certain film REALLY be worth viewing before later their teen years (and I'm going to pull a Justice Stewart: "I'll-know-it-when-I-see-it here), we'd at least consider it allowing it (full disclosure: in our case, we permit the girls to see Bend It Like Beckham when we wield the Mute button and in some VERY heavily edited instances, Glee).

With sleepovers and group outings to the mall rampant during the middle school years, I'm not so naive as to believe that I have total control over what my girls view/hear/witness. Far from it. But, as their independence grows, I'd like to think that I'm recording that little voice in their heads letting them know that somethings may not yet be appropriate for them - and that that little voice gives them pause to consider their choices with a bit more analysis than pure peer pressure.

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The Ultimate Tween New Year's Eve Party

Ms Twixt's plan for the Ultimate Tween New Year's Eve Party:

It must be a sleepover, of course. Invite her BFFs to ring in the New Year with style and sweets.

New Year's Eve Decorations:
A huge disco-ball-esque pinata sets the stage (we love the ones by Confetti Systems):

Similar available from Urban Outfitters, $28-$48 depending on the size

The girls can make confetti-filled balloons:

Here are the directions from Family Fun's website:

Materials:
Large balloons
Brightly colored construction paper
Hole punchers
A funnel or empty plastic bottle
Pins or pushpins

When it comes to making a big bang, popping balloons is unparalleled--and even more thrilling if streams of confetti come pouring out. Prepare your New Year's balloons by setting the kids to work punching circles out of brightly colored construction paper with a hole puncher. (or use store-bought confetti) Stuff as many circles or confetti pieces as you can into each deflated balloon using a funnel, or improvise one by cutting a plastic soda bottle in half. You may also want to write fortunes on small pieces of paper and slip them into the mix. Blow up the balloons and hang them high, but still within reach. A few moments before the appointed hour, hand out the pins. When the time is right, let that confetti fly.

New Year's Eve Festive Attire:
Fabulous glitter top hats set the mood:

From Oriental Trading.com; $14.99 per dozen

And glow bracelets are a MUST!


For a fun bit of sparkle, how cool are these glitter-y Converse kicks?

From Target, $24.99

Fun sleep masks will help the girls get some shut-eye - eventually:

From BeePosh, $10

New Year's Eve Treats:
Mocktails, for sure. Here is a fun recipe, or you can make sparkling Jell-O parfait using sparkling Jell-O and seltzer:

Starry Night Mocktail:
4 oz. purple grape juice
2 oz. pineapple juice
4 oz. ginger ale
Lemon and lime peels
1 or 2 slices of star fruit
Ice

In a tall glass, mix the juices and the ginger ale. Make spirals from small strips of the lemon and lime peels. Slide the slices of star fruit onto the glass rim.

And there must be cake - perhaps a confetti cake?


Or special NYE cupcakes?


Or maybe "almost midnight cookies"?

Receipe from The Decorated Cookie blog

Some folks serve breakfast at midnight, and this could be a great way to help wind things down.

New Year's Eve Party Activities:
If your city has a First Night celebration, count yourself lucky (Ms Twixt and tweens will be enjoying a chilly but festive First Night in Boston this year). But if not, Disney Channel is running an amazing line-up of shows and stars starting at 6pm EST featuring Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and more tween stars.

Make a wishing tree: set out strips of paper and colorful pens and invite guests to write down their wishes for the future. Hang them from a wire form or branch to make a New Year's Wishing Tree and take turns reading them at midnight.

Or have fun with fortune fish:


However you choose to celebrate, MsTwixt wishes you a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year!

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Sleepover For a Cause with Jordin Sparks

Jordin Sparks has just signed on to host "America's Biggest Sleepover" to raise funds for Protecting Futures. This program raises funds to help girls in Africa stay in school by building classrooms, providing clean water, and building toilets and dormitories.

Girls can get involved in the Sleepover by hosting or attending a sleepover with their friends on Saturday, November 7th, and registering their participation online. For each registered participant, BeingGirl.com will donate $1 to Protecting Futures. (Corporate sponsorship alert: www.BeingGirl.com a community site for girls sponsored by Tampax and Always. The site bills itself as being "for girls, by girls" and offers well written, thoughtful, non-judgmental content on getting your period for the time, shaving or not shaving one's legs, inner beauty, PMS, and more. Ms. Twixt was pleasantly surprised by the balanced and positive information presented.) Ms. Sparks will host a live webcast on www.beinggirl.com that night with an exclusive performance and an age-appropriate Q&A and a Truth-or-Dare game with Ms. Sparks and registered BeingGirl.com members. The site also offers sleepover party planning tips, online games and other features.

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The New Eloise Package at the Plaza Hotel

Uber-designer Betsey Johnson has been tapped by the new owners of the Plaza Hotel to create an Eloise-themed suite. The suite does not come cheap: to book the Live Like Eloise Slumber Party costs $3,995 - to reserve the room costs $895.

Photo from the NYT by Patrick Andrade.

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