American Girl "McKenna" Movie Screening at American Girl Place Washington, DC

We brought our youngest tween out to American Girl Place at Tysons Corner for the new "McKenna" American Girl movie tonight. We decided to make an evening of it with dinner first at the American Girl Bistro and then the movie.

Dinner at the DC American Girl Bistro was very much consistent with our prior expeditions to American Girl in New York and Boston. The setting was fanciful and very PINK with doll-size settings everywhere. Our tween was particularly taken with the giant pink flower chandelier hanging over our table.

The fixed price menu offered a lot of choices, even for vegetarians, and we both loved our sides and entrees. Pink lemonade was the beverage of choice for the tween, while mom had a choice of wines. The starters were pleasantly starter-size (we opted for chicken noodle soup and the pretzel bites)and left room for the main course (penne pasta with a garlic sauce and roast salmon). Dessert was, of course, chocolate mousse in adorable green glass flower pots. We went through the entire box of "table talk" questions over dinner - which was perfect for a bit of mother-daughter bonding.

We had time for a quick photo-op with the McKenna movie cut-out and then picked up our hot pink wristbands.

The movie screening was held at the Tyson's Corner Marriott. We're local residents, but for families visiting the DC area, the Tyson's Marriott offers a special American Girl package.
The hotel converted a ballroom into a movie screening room complete with a colorful and well-stocked candy buffet, bags of popcorn, and an expanse of space that dozens of tween girls immediately sprawled out on. "McKenna" was projected onto a huge screen, and the atmosphere was very much like a giant slumber party.

Even though the movie was shown on television last week, the ballroom was full of girls attentively watching the screen. Some came in American Girl outfits, a few had brought blankets to sit on, and they all applauded when the lights came on.

One Direction in Concert: Our Review

UPDATE: 5/25/12: First Tween Malia Obama is also a One Direction fan and attend the show last night in Virginia.
As tweens put it, "Every generation has a boy band. 1D is ours." Another group of five lads from across the Pond lit up the stage at the Patriot Center last night and were met with record-setting decibels (122, which exceeds Verizon Center records as well) by their sold-out crowd of tween fans. The noise was so deafening that one couldn't hear the band until a few minutes into their first song.

One Direction has proved to be a break-out hit, and they put on a show that delighted their Washington-area fans last night. They performed hits from their "Up All Night" album (although many tweens reading this column will state that every song is hit on that record) and did several cover songs as well. Their cover of Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" was a particular standout amongst the crowd and was notable both for their adept tweaks on the arrangement and their fidelity to the soul of the lyrics.

"Our boys", as they are referred to, kept the stage-set simple with a focus on their trademark, clean-cut ensembles and a band of four other people. They limited their footwork to traditional a-capella style moves, and their fans ate it up. The five-some (Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson) evenly shared center stage and acknowledged and thanked all corners of the venue. Fans threw all manner of gifts on the stage, including a baby doll, ping pong balls, a red Nationals baseball cap (which Niall promptly donned), and an Indian flag (which Niall draped over his shoulders - perhaps confusing it initially with the Irish flag, which has the some colors?).

During the concert, One Direction answered questions sent via Twitter from the crowd. Perhaps most entertaining amongst their responses was Mr. Payne's impersonation of Louis Armstrong using lyrics from "What a Wonderful World".

A new female recording star, Camryn, opened for One Direction, and she had arguably a tough spot to fill, what with a stadium full of tween girls screaming for One Direction. She did an admirable job of pumping up the crowd with songs from her own repertoire including "Set the Night on Fire" and a rousing cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger". As an aside, the music that played before One Direction took stage that got the most spirited response from the crowd were songs from "Grease". The entire Patriots Center it seemed sang "Summer Lovin'" and "Greased Lightening" en masse.

Tweens documented the entire show with in their usual way with smartphone videos, photos, Tweets, Tumblr posts, and Facebook updates posted throughout the evening - almost certainly a Facebook query this morning will turn up several boot-leg videos from the concert. Many in the audience came wearing fan tee-shirts they had customized at home with puffy paint, fringe, and glitter, and day-glo colors were de rigeur.

More information on One Directon's Up All Night Tour can be found here.

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Tweens at the USA Science and Engineering Festival

 
This weekend was the second annual USA Science and Engineering Festival. Last year's event was on the National Mall, and this year's festival graduated to the Washington Convention Center. The Expo was packed with vendors ranging from NASA to NOAA to Girl Scouts to the University of Maryland and more. Families with kids of all ages made their way to the Festival throughout the weekend and were treated to workshops from Bill Nye the Science Guy, Potato Chip Science, and Dr. Molecule.

For a tween girl interested in science, #SciFest was the place to be. There were giant DNA models, a chance to chat with astronauts, goop to muck through, giant bubble hula hoops, and instant snow demonstrations. Demonstration winners earned free t-shirts, NASAtote bags, and other science swag. STEM educators and organizations were well represented across every age group.

The Festival is funded primarily by enterpreneur Larry Bock and enjoys support from a Congressional Host Committee.

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First Tweens Cheer Justin Bieber at "Christmas in Washington" Show

Meeting Justin Bieber is quickly becoming de rigueur for the First Tweens. Malia and Sasha Obama again welcomed Justin Bieber to the annual "Christmas in Washington" show this weekend at the National Building Museum. The Biebs was the big tween draw last night, but other tween favorite performers included Victoria Justice, Jennifer Hudson, Cee Lo Green, Conan O'Brien, and The Band Perry.

The First Tweens were dressed in colorful holiday attire for the show: Malia Obama wore a bright yellow silk dress by the fashion house "Elizabeth and James" (which parents may recall as being the clothing line developed by former tween stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) with black tights and flats accessorized by a long chain necklace, and Sasha Obama wore a ballet-inspired lilac tulle dress with plum-colored tights and metallic flats.

This was the 30th Annual "Christmas in Washington" event, and it benefits the Children's Medical Center. Mr. Bieber has also performed at the White House Easter Egg Roll and at the 2010 Christmas in Washington event. You can tune into the TNT channel broadcast of "Christmas in Washington" this Friday, December 16th at 8pm EST - or click here for your local broadcast time.



Credits: AP, WireImage for Turner; video from whitehouse.gov

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Tween Travel to Washington, DC - Top Picks & 3 Perfect Days

Recently a colleague asked about our recommendations for how to best see DC with tweens. So we put some thought to it and created three perfect days in Washington, D.C.  Did we capture your favorite sites? What else would you recommend?

Washington is a great trip to make with kids. Here's a list of places your tweens will love along with where to eat (I don't know about you, but we try to avoid chains and like to have a sense for where the locals eat):

A Perfect Day With Tweens on Capitol Hill:

• Start with breakfast at historic Eastern Market (Penn and 7th St, SE). If you go on a weekend, line up for the famous Market Lunch blueberry pancakes. If it's a weekday, our favorite spot for breakfast on the Hill is the tiny but delicious Le Bon Cafe. Truly French, their food is amazing without the steep price tag - try their pumpkin bread (you'll thank me later) and sip cafe au lait as they do in Paris from charming bowls. (Did you know?: DC was designed by a Frenchman - Pierre L'Enfant)
• Tours of the Capitol begin at the Visitor Center. If you contact your Representative or Senator's office in advance (allow several weeks), they can arrange for you to get passes for the Floor to watch the action in person. The movie "Eagle Eye" took place on the Floor, so that may be fun to watch before you go so that your tweens can recognize where they're going. The Capitol Visitor Center itself is also quite cool to see.
• At the base of the Capitol is the U.S. Botanic Garden - you can't miss the enormous glass structure. It's filled with beautiful plants from around the world and is a great oasis in the heart of the city.
• After the Capitol tour and Botanic Garden, head to lunch at Top Chef's Spike Mendelsohn's burger joint for lunch: Good Stuff Eatery (4th St and Pennsylvania Ave, SE). The Toasted Marshmallow Shake is TDF. Or, if they prefer pizza, Spike's pizza and sub shop, We The Pizza is next door - definitely sample their homemade soda mixers.
• Across the street is the Library of Congress where the second "National Treasure" movie was filmed. There are a ton of historic documents on view (including Presidential papers) and the architecture is stunning - there's a free historic walking tour offered daily. Tweens can flex their knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System and see how the LOC has gone digital.
• A few steps beyond LOC is the Supreme Court, a must-go place for a budding activist or argumentative tween (another famous movie, "The Pelican Brief", has scenes set here).
• If you tweens like Shakespeare or studied his works in school, you might want to check out the Folger Shakespeare Library. They have a vibrant theatre with shows from amazing traveling troupes throughout the year (we saw "Comedy of Errors" there last spring), a unique gallery of objects, and a little gift shop. No food on-site.
• Union Station is a great area to end up at for dinner. Avoid the food court and instead opt for America, a restaurant on the main level. Or, circle back to Pennsylvania Ave SE to the other Spike Mendelsohn spot that you didn't try at lunch time.
• Definitely end the day by driving around the Capitol and other monuments at night - they look amazing when lit. This way the tweens can see the Capitol which they just toured and get a preview of the Mall for your next day's journey.

A Perfect Day With Tweens on the National Mall:

• Have breakfast at Paul, an organic bakery from France that opened its first U.S. outpost by the Archives. 'Not the place for a diet, so splurge on the pastries and coffee. Should you feel so inclined, this is also the best place to pick up sandwiches for a lunchtime picnic. The courtyard outside has a map in stone of the world with pretty fountains at the U.S. Navy Memorial. The Archives houses the Constitution and is a must-see (it was also in the first "National Treasure" movie).
• Buy tickets online in advance for the chance to ride the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument. Plan the rest of your day around this time. Same day tickets to this are also available, but folks start queuing up at 7am (the window is at the back of the Visitor Center at the base of the Monument; this Visitor Center has the one of the best selections/gift shops on the Mall).
• The Newseum is next door and one of the few museums in D.C. that isn't free. But through Labor Day, up to 10 kids are free with one paying adult. Kids can make their own news or sports broadcast, see Tim Russert's set (for the political tween), and see daily newspapers from around the world. Their top floor balcony has some of the best views of the DC. Before you leave, grab a cool drink from the basement cafeteria.
• The question is not which Smithsonian to see, but what you have time for. Highlights include: the modern pieces and Calder sculptures in the National Gallery of Art East Wing, the underground walkway between the National Gallery East Wing and West Wing, the outdoor sculpture garden of the Hirshhorn, pretty much all of Air And Space (there's a McDonalds inside and the teens might want to sample astronaut ice cream there), Dorothy's Ruby Slippers at the American History Museum, the ginormous petrified squid and mastadon at Natural History (while there, the Butterfly Exhibit is worth the $2 admission price), and the beautiful Buddhist and Asian pieces in the Sackler and Freer Gallery. In the basement of the American History Museum are 3-D Ride Simulators where, for $7 each, tweens can go under the sea, into outer space, or on a racetrack - very high coolness factor and the best kept secret in town. If you didn't pack a lunch, have lunch in the street level cafe of the American History Museum - avoid the basement food court. Check out our tween's review of the American History Museum's American Girl Doll Addy exhibit. Oh - and the American Indian Museum has truly wonderful family programs. You canNOT go wrong - the Smithsonian has just amazing programs for families.
• Walk along the Mall to take in the scene - you'll see government officials jogging during their lunch breaks, and scenes from the "Transformers 3" movie. Or take a pedi-cab ride to view the entire Mall (tip well on hot days!). You'll see a lot of hotdog vendors, but these are not as good as the NYC ones - but you'll definitely want to grab ice cream or popsicles from the ice cream trucks stationed around the Mall to cool off.
• The Holocaust Museum is just off the Mall, and this is very worthwhile but intense - you have to know your kids.
• You won't be able to do the entire Mall in one day, so I suggest doing the museums above (the eastern part of the Mall) on one day, and the outside monuments another day.
• For dinner, there's pricey but elegant The Source by Wolfgang Puck next to the Newseum, or a ton of fun restaurants in the Penn Quarter/Gallery Place neighborhood. Our tweens like Ella's for pizza, Ping Pong for dim sum, Carmines for insane portions of Old-fashioned Italian, or Jaleo for tapas. You'll have a ton of choices here.

A Perfect Day With Tweens Outdoors In D.C.:

• The entire White House staff seems to eat at Breadline on Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th - best bread in the city, Illy coffee, and great people watching, Washington-style. Everything is good here. Food options this end of the Mall are more limited, so we recommend buying sandwiches or salads from Breadline for lunch now.
• Fuel up, because you and your teens will need energy for the walk down 17th, by the Old Executive Office Building, the White House (these tours are only available by booking in advance; if you go, try to schedule the Rose Garden or Edible Garden tour as well), the Daughters of the American Revolution Hall, and the Organization of American States, and through the Mall. Walk into the World War Two Memorial - it is beautiful and tells the story in a very compelling way. 
• Continue to walk across the Mall to the Tidal Basin and rent a Paddle Boat. Paddle your way around and take in the Jefferson Memorial - it's the best way to see it. Pack sun block and water - it gets hotter on the water - see our review for more tips.
• You can have lunch anywhere on the Mall, but if your legs can still stand it, walk over to Lincoln Memorial and have lunch on the steps. Views of the city are amazing, and it's a great spot to walk around and reflect. The Visitor Center between the Lincoln Memorial and Korean War Memorial is also pretty good and has drinks and frozen treats. If your teen collects patches or pins, each Visitor Center on the Mall offers patches and pins for the Monuments nearby.
• After you rest and re-fuel, walk along the Potomac River and head to the Kennedy Center. It's a nice walk, and the Kennedy Center is a beautiful building. There are free shows at the Millennium Stage everyday (check their website for times and themes), a great bronze bust of JFK, and beautiful river views from the back terrace. Should you feel so inclined, the Cafe on the rooftop isn't too fancy and offers cafeteria-style tea, treats, and snacks - great views from there too - very civilized.
• Continue to walk along the river and enter Thompson Boat House to cross over into Georgetown. You'll be on the Georgetown Waterfront which is a people-watching scene on the weekends and at night. On weekends, folks dock their boats and hold boat parties, and for land-lubbers, the restaurants along it grill and open their patios. Walk along the Waterfront Park all the way down to the end under the overpass to Jack's Boathouse - you can rent canoes or kayaks and take in the Potomac from an unparalleled vantage. Jack's is charming and helpful - a neighbor even had his wedding reception there.
• After this day, you've earned your sugar, so walk up Wisconsin Ave to M Street. This is the heart of Georgetown's shops and dining. Serendipity (yes, the same one from NYC) is here on the corner, and their sundaes and frozen hot chocolate is amazing - check out our review.
• Window shopping and people watching are part of the fun around here. Then walk west down M Street to Georgetown Cupcake at 33rd Street (be warned: there's usually a huge line; you can avoid it if you call-in your order in advance, but I think the minimum is one dozen - which you'll have no trouble eating, believe me).
• Continue along M street until you see a building called "The Car Barn". Just past this are the steep steps from the movie "The Excorist" (personally, I'm not a fan, but every teen I know asks me about these steps). You can walk up these steps, and you'll end up just a few blocks from Georgetown University. A stroll around this picturesque campus is great to get them excited for college.
• For dinner in Georgetown, our faves are Serendipity (usually fine to walk in on a weeknight or you can make reservations for seating before 530pm), Pizzeria Paradiso, J.Pauls, Paolos or  Martin's Tavern (see the booth where JFK proposed to Jackie there).

Other sites your tweens will love include the Gargoyle Tour (see website for days and times) at the National Cathedral, The Spy Museum (not free but worth it), Olde Towne Alexandria, the pandas and baby lions at the National Zoo, and, for true Transformer movie buffs, the Udvar-Hazy Air And Space Museum (you'll need to rent a car to get there though).

Enjoy your trip to our nation's capital, and post your tips here!

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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).

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Tween Foodies Can Meet Cupcake Wars Chef

Our tweens are huge Food Network fans and know their celebrity chefs. Sprinkles was one of the first cupcake-only places, and chef/owner Candace Nelson will be in Washington today to host the First Annual Congressional Cupcake Wars. This unique cupcake battle will feature seven bakery teams competing to create stars-and-stripes-themed cupcakes and will benefit military families at Fisher House. More details on this fun event are here.

Our tweens met Candace at the opening of the Sprinkles DC store this spring, and she graciously gave our girls a hands-on tutorial of how to frost cupcakes the Sprinkles way - details here.

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Just Announced: the Members of "Healthy MEdia: the Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls"

Co-chaired by actress Geena Davis and former FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, an organization to "lead the national dialogue on how women and girls are portrayed in the media and outline a blueprint for promoting positive and healthy media images" has been created. Members of "Healthy MEdia: the Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls" draw from the public, private and non-profit worlds and include:

• Co-chair Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning actor and founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
• Co-chair Deborah Taylor Tate, former FCC Commissioner
• Maria Brennan, President and CEO, Women in Cable Telecommunications
• Alice Cahn, Vice President, Social Responsibility, Cartoon Network
• Danielle Carrig, Senior Vice President, Advocacy & Public Affairs, A&E Networks
• Salaam Coleman Smith, President, The Style Network
• Sean Cunningham, President and CEO, Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau
• Madeline Di Nonno, Executive Director, The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
• Carmen DiRienzo, President and CEO, V-me Media, Inc.
• Emme, Social Reformer, TV Host and Founder, EmmeNation.com
• Ivelisse Estrada, Senior Vice President, Corporate and Community Relations, Univision Communications
• Janice Ferebee, founder and CEO, National Council of Negro Women
• Erin Fuller, President, Alliance for Women in Media
• Marie Gallo Dyak, Executive Vice President, Program Services and Government Relations, Entertainment Industries Council
• David Honig, President and Executive Director, Minority Media Telecommunications Council
• Sherri Hope Culver, President, National Association for Media Literacy Education
• Myung Kang-Huneke, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Sesame Workshop
• Jean Kilbourne, Creator of the "Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women" Film Series
• Linda Kinney, Vice President for Regulatory Affairs, Motion Picture Association of America
• Jeanine Liburd, Executive Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs, Black Entertainment Television
• Vicki Lins, Chief Marketing Officer, Canoe Ventures
• April McClain-Delaney, Washington Director, Common Sense Media
• Cindy McConkey, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Scripps Network
• Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Children's Media, Public Broadcasting Service
• Katherine Schwarzenegger, author, "Rock What You've Got"
• Ann Shoket, Editor-in-Chief, Seventeen Magazine
• Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Director, Miss Representation
• Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Chief Medical Editor, NBC Nightly News
• Belinda Van Sickle, President and CEO, Women in Games International
• Alexa Verveer, Senior Vice President, Discovery Communications
• Jess Weiner, Author, Self-Esteem Expert and Dove's Global Self-Esteem Ambassador

Eight teen Girl Scouts were also selected to serve on the Commission: Allie Lundell and Jasmine Dent of Maryland; Caitlin Claire O'Brien of Texas; Kulsoom Ahmed of Illinois; Katie McGrath, Maggie Burgos and Caroline Tydings of Virginia; and Toni Guiterriez of California.

The first meeting of the Healthy MEdia Commission will take place next week in Washington, D.C., and we hope that we can bring you live reporting from the event - stay tuned! 

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Sasha Obama Celebrates 10th Birthday at Georgetown Cupcake

First Tween Sasha Obama is ten years old today and celebrated her birthday at Georgetown Cupcake. The younger Miss Obama and her sister, Malia Obama, and several friends had a birthday party at the original Georgetown Cupcake location on Prospect Street in Georgetown (which is now used as their television studio for their show, "DC Cupcakes"). The owners of the cupcakery were on hand for the party, and we imagine that decorating cupcakes was on the agenda. Last year, Sasha had her birthday party at California Pizza Kitchen (Hmm, do we sense a theme? Our tweens think she made really fun choices in her party locations.)

Local Georgetown journalist Carol Joynt broke this story, and she has more photos on her blog here.

Happy 10th birthday to Sasha!

Photos by Carol Joynt. (Malia Obama is the tallest girl walking into the bakery, and Sasha is holding the bouquet of flowers. We love the huge bunch of pink balloons decorating the party spot.)

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What's Cool For Tweens in June: MsTwixt's Calendar

Ms Twixt's Calendar

• June is National Candy Month!
• June 3 NKOTB/Backstreet Boys concert at Verizon Center
• June 3 "X-Men First Class" movie opens
• June 3 "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure - What's What Edition" on Disney Channel
• June 4-5 DC Jazz Festival Family Days (Free at the Phillips Collection)
• June 5 Battle of the Bands, Elementary School division at the 930 Club
• June 5 The Annual Washington Post Hunt (founded by Dave Barry!)
• June 5 MTV Movie Awards at 9pm
• June 5 "So Random" series premiere on Disney Channel
• June 8 World Oceans Day (Wear Blue, Tell 2!)
• June 9 Glee concert at Verizon Center
• June 10 Go-Go's concert at Wolftrap (tickets only $25)
• June 10 Sasha Obama's 10th birthday!
• June 10 Judy Moody movie opens
• June 10 "My Babysitter's a Vampire" series premiere on Disney Channel
• June 11 Battle of the Bands, Middle School division at the 930 Club
• June 11 "iParty with Victorious" 90-minute show on Nickelodeon at 8pm
• June 15 Anniversary of the Pop Rocks patent (who knew?!)
• June 16 National Fudge Day
• June 17 American Girl Store Grand Opening Benefit for Children's Hospital
• June 17 "The Art of Getting By" movie opens (starring Emma Roberts!)
• June 17 "Mr. Popper's Penguins" movie opens
• June 17 "Green Lantern" movie opens
• June 17 "A.N.T. Farm" series premiere on Disney Channel at 830pm
• June 18 American Girl Store opens in Tyson's Corner, VA
• June 20 MsTwixt's birthday!
• June 29 "Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon" movie opens (filmed in D.C.!)

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Serendipity Comes to Washington

Manhattan institution Serendipity opened in Washington today, and our tweens were excited to attend the opening. We've been to the New York location several times during the holidays, but I have to admit that the crowds - and the lines - were a bit much.

The Georgetown Serendipity, however, blissfully has no lines and very manageable (read: light) crowds. The charm and kitsch of the New York location is still evident but with some Washingtonian touches: in addition to a giant Exxon Pegasus sign there is a larger than life statue of Abraham Lincoln sipping a signature Frozzen Hot Chocolate.

The new location is still working out a few service kinks (despite reservations there was a wait for our table and a Humble Pie Sundae was missing a few of the ingredients listed on the menu), but the owner, Rodrigo Garcia, was very gracious and apologetic for any troubles. Our tweens loved their Frozzen Hot Chocolates and were excited to have one of their favorite frozen treats closer to home.

The Washington Serendipity seems more like an old fashioned neighborhood ice cream parlor than a tourist destination, and we're hoping it stays that way. Serendipity is in the Georgetown neighborhood of the District in the former Nathan's location at the corner of M and 30th Streets NW. Unlike the NYC outpost, this location accepts reservations via Open Table, and a private party room will be opening soon upstairs.

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What's Cool For Tweens in May: MsTwixt's Calendar

Ms Twixt's Calendar

• May 1 Girl Scouts' Eco Expo at Fort Washington Park
• May 1 National Lemonade Stand Day
• May 1 Princess Mia Thermopolis' birthday (from "The Princess Diaries"!)
• May 2 Anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts
• May 2-6 National Teacher Appreciation Week
• May 5 Pinkberry opens in D.C.!
• May 9 Little Miss Bossy's birthday!
• May 13 Robert Pattinson's birthday!
• May 14 Miranda Cosgrove's birthday!
• May 15 National Chocolate Chip Day
• May 16 "Beacon Street Girls" author Annie Bryant's birthday!
• May 21 Buddha's birthday!
• May 22 A.N.T. Preview on Disney Channel
• May 22 Anniversary of Pac-Man
• May 23 National Taffy Day
• May 29 Backstreet Boys and NKOTB with Jordin Sparks concert

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Tween Celebrities at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Several tween celebrities and favorite stars were in Washington, DC this weekend for the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The Dinner is an annual event that attracts the biggest names in media, business, and Hollywood to the Capital to fete and be feted by the President.

ABC's "Modern Family" star Ariel Winter (with braces!):

Glee's Chris Colfer:

Funny girl Amy Poehler:

Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford:

Olympic medalist snowboarder Shaun White:

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

Ms Twixt's Calendar

• Apr 1 "Hop" the movie opens
• Apr 2 National Cherry Blossom Festival Fireworks at 830pm
• Apr 2 Kids Choice Awards on Nick at 8pm
• Apr 2 Hans Christian Andersen's birthday
• Apr 4 "Race to Nowhere" screening at National Cathedral in D.C.
• Apr 5 Harry Potter Exhibition opens at Discovery Theatre in NYC
• Apr 8 "Soul Surfer" movie opens (starring Anna Sophia Robb)
• Apr 8 "Born To Be Wild" nature documentary opens
• Apr 8 1st April Giveaway: "Coke or Pepsi?"
• Apr 9 National Cherry Blossom Parade in D.C.
• Apr 10 GW/Cherry Blossom Rowing Invitational on the Potomac
• Apr 12 Beverly Cleary's birthday
• Apr 12 National Licorice Day
• Apr 15 Anthony Horowitz book signing for "Scorpia Rising" at Politics & Prose
• Apr 15 "Lemonade Mouth" premieres on Disney Channel at 8pm
• Apr 15 2nd April Giveaway: "Coke or Pepsi?"
• Apr 16-17 PEEPS Weekend at Gaylord National Harbor
• Apr 17 Washington Post PEEPS Diorama Contest winners announced
• Apr 15 "Rio" the movie opens (featuring Anne Hathaway)
• Apr 15 Emma Watson's birthday
• Apr 20-22 Big Band JAM Jazz Festival - by kids, for kids
• Apr 22 Earth Day
• Apr 22 Tavi Gevinson's birthday
• Apr 22 National Jelly Bean Day
• Apr 23-24 PEEPS Weekend at Gaylord National Harbor
• Apr 25 White House Easter Egg Roll
• Apr 28 Greyson Chance & Cody Simpson in concert at Sixth & I Synagogue in D.C.
• Apr 29 "Prom" the movie opens
• Apr 30 Drew Seeley's birthday

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The National Cherry Blossom Festival With Tweens

One of our tweens' favorite annual events in Washington is the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This year it runs from March 26 to April 10, and it will be especially poignant given the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan (the Festival highlights our historic friendship with the Japanese people). There will be a Stand With Japan Walk planned for 630pm on March 24, and all donations will benefit the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund.

Here are our tweens' picks for the best activities to do during this event:

• View the cherry blossoms from a unique vantage point: by paddle boat in the Tidal Basin. During this busy season, you can reserve a paddle boat in advance online, and some of the best photos are those taken from the water. Tip: bring sunscreen, sunglasses and water - it can get really hot out on the water on a sunny day.
• Visit the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery for a unique day of art on March 27th. The gallery will host a special ImaginAsia workshop geared for tweens (ages 8-14) that explores how spring flowers are used in Japanese design. Tweens will complete a project painting paper parasols based upon their study of the galleries. (Our tweens took part in two ImaginAsia camp programs last summer and are clamoring to return - they love the staff and galleries.)

For younger tweens, the National Park Service will offer a special "Blooming Junior Ranger" program, and if your tweens collect Silly Bandz, this year you can purchase special cherry blossom festival-themed Silly Bandz from the gift shop at the base of the Washington Monument.

If you can't make it to Washington for the festivities, your crafty tween will enjoy this project at home: cherry blossom treat cards. This idea is from Family Fun magazine and while they recommend it for Valentine's Day, we thought it would be perfect for use for a spring holiday too. Here are the instructions:

1. Gather your materials: scissors, solid and printed cardstock/scrapbook paper, and some lollipops
2. Cut 2 petal shapes from the solid cardstock or scrapbook paper (to see what real cherry blossoms look like, check out the National Park Services live "blossom cam", or the petal shapes in the Flower Shapes kit from the Paper-Source would work too (and be faster). These form the outer petals of your blossom.
3. Cut out a smaller petal shape from the printed cardstock/scrapbook paper. This forms the inner petal.
4. Cut out two leaves that are long enough to be seen when beneath the outer petal shapes. You'll write messages on these later.
5. Stack the paper in this order: 2 leaves, 2 outer petals, 1 inner petal.
6. Using the lollipop stick, pierce through the center of the stack starting at the center of the inner petal.
7. Fan out the petals and leaves and write a message to the card's recipient on one or both of the leaves.

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Greyson Chance and Cody Simpson Coming to D.C.!

Rising tween music stars Greyson Chance and Cody Simpson are coming to Washington, DC for a joint concert on April 28th!

Tickets are only $25 and the show is at a convenient downtown location (the Synagogue at Sixth and I). It's a great chance to see these two before they are everywhere (well, everywhere beyond YouTube), and I guarantee you that your tween will go nuts for a chance to go.

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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

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What Happens When Mean Girls Grow Up?

Thanks to Rosalind Wiseman for pointing us to this very interesting article in today's Washington Post on "What Happens When Mean Girls Grow Up?"

We're still processing and would love to hear your thoughts!

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First Tweens Ski Vail This President's Day Weekend

First Tweens Malia and Sasha Obama are skiing in Vail, Colorado, over the Presidents' Day weekend. They are with their mother, First Lady Michelle Obama, and family friends. This is a "private family vacation" according to the First Lady's spokeswoman. They are reportedly staying at the Sebastian hotel in Vail.

President Obama did not join his family for this outing (he is not a skier) but instead filled in to coach Sasha Obama's basketball team when their regular coach had a conflict. The younger Ms. Obama usually plays at a local community center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. This is not the first time the Obama women have vacationed without the President: Mrs. Obama took the girls to Los Angeles this fall, and in the summer, the First Lady and Sasha visited Spain on their own.

The First Tweens have only recently tried skiing - they took their first ski trip last Presidents' weekend to a local resort about a hour from Washington at Ski Liberty in Carroll Valley, Pennsylvania. According to Liberty Mountain's Marketing Director, the First Lady says about skiing: “We discovered skiing. My girls had never been skiing. With a couple hours, you’re skiing.”

Do your tweens ski? Was it easy for them to learn?

Photo credit: AP from just after the Ski Liberty trip in 2010

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