Moving or Renovating? Here's a List of the Latest Housing Amenities Geared Toward Tweens

'Looks like the Big Apple is getting more hospitable for families with tweens. NYC never lacks for luxury nor trend, and the latest in Manhattan real estate is all about tweens. Luxe amenities in the newest condos in New York offer tweens spaces to socialize, exercise, game, and even create music. Standouts include:

• A sound-attenuating music practice room in the Brooklyn Trust Company Building (Brookly) where tweens can set up their drum kits and guitars and rock-out without disturbing the neighbors
• The indoor basketball court at 221 West 77 (UWS)
• The vintage gaming room at 111 Murray (TriBeCa) that features foosball, ping pong, and vintage arcade games (retro fun for the parents too)
• Robert Stern's townhouses at 20 East End also have a gaming room called a "Junior Lounge" for their residents ages 7-18 (UES)
• A first-of-its-kind building ringing the north edge of Central Park in Harlem/Morningside Heights will be Circa Central Park, and their plans include a video gaming room and free rentals of remote-control model sailboats, skateboards and bikes for taking advantage of the Park

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.

Fabulous Models for Tween Girls: U.S. Women Win More Gold Medals at Olympics

Our family has been glued to the t.v. as we watched the Olympics this summer.. Our tweens have been enraptured by the spectacle of diverse sports and by seeing so many women's sporting events televised. HUGE thanks go to especially to Missy, Katie (a hometown heroine for us DC denizens!), Gabby, Ali, Jordan, Rebecca, Serena, Venus, and Allison - to name but a few - for inspiring our tween daughters like never before. We were further heartened to learn today that the U.S. Women earned 29 gold medals, besting by an even dozen the number won by the U.S. Men (at 17 - not too shabby either). We have Title IX to thank in part to this accomplishment, and boy, does it show. Congrats ladies!

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.

Finally: Athletic Gear Designed JUST for Tween Girls

Loyal readers know that we're constantly monitoring the market for gear that's designed with tweens in mind, and many of you will remember that we noted the launch of a new line of athletic gear by Ivivva from the founders of Lululemon back in 2009. The line is finally available State-side, and we were thrilled to have our tweens review their latest collection. We have three serious tween athletes in our house: a ballet dancer, a fencer, and an ice skater. Each girl reviewed the line - the tween fencer's review of three pieces from the collection is the first in this series.


Indi's Review of Ivivva:

I fence three days a week and attend a ton of tournaments all over the country. The sport requires you to wear fencing whites, but you have to wear workout gear underneath. You sweat A LOT, and the under layer has to be light and enable you to really MOVE. I field-tested three items from the Ivivva Athletica line - here's what I thought:

The hoodie was super cool! I particularly loved the thumb-holes on the sleeves because it was interesting, and I like that style of “skater girl”. Also, I liked that it was reversible because then I could pull it off and on, and it wouldn’t matter which way it was facing (so I didn’t have to turn it right side out). I also liked the styles of the jacket because one was plain, and one was patterned - which is great because then it could go well with the outfit you choose. I found the pony-tail hole in the back of the hood funny, but kind of odd. I still enjoyed seeing my friends reactions when I turned away from them and they could see my hair coming out of my hood.

The pants proved to be a great staple to my closet. They were plain black with a blue stripe on the top, giving it some pattern. It went well with most things I wore and was great to when I needed a pair of bottoms to pair with my top, I also enjoyed that flexibility they allowed me, a great thing when I need them to work out in. Overall, I liked them!

I really loved this tank! It was fitted (a good thing when you need it to wear under a lot of protective gear) and made me look professional and put together when I went to fencing practice. I also liked the color because it was different shades of blue that had a subtle, though interesting pattern. I also appreciated how it seemed to help me not be drenched in sweat at the end of a practice, but relatively dry - it's well named as the "Keep Ur Cool Tank". I thought it was awesome!!!

Hoodie, $64, Pants, $56, Tank, $22 - all from Ivivva Athletica

Mom's note: As a parent, I'll note that Ivivva is worth the premium price. The items have held up very well in the wash (cool water, tumble dry), the material really "breathes", and the fit flatters our tweens of all body types. We've bought budget athletic gear from Target as well as pricey items from Under Armour in the past, but this is the first line that's really worked for our girls - probably because it was designed with tween girls in mind from the get-go.

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.