Just Twittering Around

Just in the last hour, these are some things I've learned/discovered/pondered/planned for:

• Ways I can volunteer at a local Ronald McDonald House (@rmhc)


• A relatively easy and tasty recipe for ginger and lime chicken (@kitchenmonki)


• The Antelope Valley Hospital here in SoCal desperately needs Type O blood donors (@LANow)


• Why my nose runs when it's cold (@whyzz)


• There's a vegan bake sale next weekend benefitting Doctors Without Borders serving Haiti earthquake victims (@flavorpill_la)


• Lake Tahoe has 70-90 inches of new snow (@squawcreek)


• The rains pummeling SoCal aren't bothering the black and white star of SeaWorld (@shamu)

Where, you might ask, would you have access to such a broad range of topics and tidbits, all in one place?

Twitter, of course.

Before you roll your eyes and start sputtering words like, "who has time for that?" hear me out. Sure, I dove in to this social networking, microblogging tool because L.A. Parent needed a presence out there, and I figured I could find some good material to share with others. But my Twitter feed – that glorious list of Tweets from people I am following – is my connection to an amazing array of topics and products and media and organizations that I'm interested in. That list above is merely the tip of my Twitter iceberg, which, if you don't carefully monitor yourself, could also become your Titanic.

So the busy mom might ask, "Why should I be Twittering? I hear it's a waste of time – and with Facebook and other online social networks, I can't keep up with it all."

Believe me, I understand the concept of "not having time for this." I'm not saying it's for everyone. And PLEASE don't start contributing to the Twitter useless blather streaming nonsense of informing the universe of what you had for breakfast and how you're tired of the rain. That's what Facebook is for. Twitter – at least in my internet universe – is somewhat akin to a universal "forward" button you might find in your email program but without the in-box pollution that comes with that. So if you're thinking about seeing what this Twittering is all about – or maybe have but not sure how to use it – I offer a few words of wisdom:

• DON'T fall prey to this horrible trend of adding "Tw" to every word relating to Twitter. Right now cross off words like "Twitterverse." It will be tough to resist, but be strong.


• DO Tweet interesting and cool things you find out there. That can include cool blog posts, live events you think people might want to know about, a tip you've discovered for getting your toddler out of bed, or neat things to check out.


• DON'T abuse hash tags (#). Those pound signs you see next to a word in a Tweet allows you to search all Tweets in the Twitterverse (oops) for that key word. For instance, #Haiti, #FollowFriday and #MothersDay are legimately trending topics you might want to search. Others like #letsbehonest or #becausechocolateisawesome might fall into that "time waster" category.


• DO reTweet (RT) if you see a Tweet you like and want to share. Twitterers appreciate that!


• DO set aside time for your Tweeting. If I didn't do that, my children would never see me.


• DON'T Tweet while you're having a baby. Or doing anything else that requires your full attention. Or that might make people wonder, "Why is she Tweeting right now?"


• DO follow your interests. I follow the local weather stations, my child's school (yes, they just joined Twitter!), craft sites, travel stuff, food writers, health organizations and parenting bloggers, among many others. If someone follows me, I generally follow them back unless it's X-rated, just trying to sell me something or just too far out.


• DON'T believe and/or reTweet as gospel everything you read on Twitter.


• DO use lists. Organize your Twitter feed so that you can see relevant posts easier.


• DON'T feel pressure to Tweet. You can be an observer if you want to. It's OK.


• DO follow cool people, like these two: @carolyngraham and @health_e.

Trip Tip: Go For the Gold

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to wear a tight waterproof suit, tuck in your arms, and fly down an icy tube at 80 mph? Or daydreamed about catching some air with two boards strapped to your feet? Or wear something sparkly while you twirl on ice? Well, lots of us will once we start watching the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver Feb. 12-28.

Even before the Olympic torch lights up the official flame atop its Canadian perch, you and the kids can experience some Olympic-style thrills by heading to Park City, Utah, the site of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games (and 36 miles from the Salt Lake International Airport). With gold medals and highly skilled athletes still freshly imprinted in the powder of this scenic mountain escape, visitors can try out some of those Olympic sports at their own speed.

At the Park City ski resorts and surrounding attractions, find packages, lessons, programs and experiences in everything from the standard snowboarding and skiing to bobsledding and curling. For instance:

• The Canyons Resort features the Burton Learn to Ride program for ages 15 and up ($99 full day, with equipment).


• Slide down feet-first in the 2002 Olympic luge track at the Utah Olympic Park. Kids ages 9-13 can try the Single Session Beginner Youth Luge program and learn body position, how to control the sled and other tips ($50 per session, available through January). Also at the park riders ages 16 and older can climb aboard The Comet bobsled with an experienced "pilot" to woosh down a frozen track. The ride reaches speeds of up to 80 mph with some curves pulling 5Gs of force.


• Also at the Olympic Park, kids can catch some air at the VISA Learn to Ski Jump Camps (ages 6-11), a two-hour, one-day session that introduces young skiers to Nordic Jumping ($45 per session, offered once per month).


• Mom, are you ready to learn to Freestyle? Then check out the single-day freestyle snowboard lessons or the three-day Learn to Freestyle Camp ($495, 21 and older) at Park City Mountain Resort.

If you'd rather watch than ride, there are several pre-Games events leading up to the Winter Sports School's "Vancouver 2010 Night Before the Opening Ceremonies" party on Feb. 11 at Jupiter Bowl.

Then get ready to test your "medal."

Kick It Up

One of the toughest things for a mom to remember sometimes is that a daughter is not a clone. Sure, most of us played a major part in the creation of these beautiful creatures that often look and sound just like us. But you don't have to go digging too deep to find out that there's an individual with her own thoughts, preferences and personality lurking right under that mom look-alike suit.

Which of course describes my 9-year-old Kate. She is fairly even-tempered, outgoing, loves to be in charge, and adores an audience and a spotlight. And let's just say, I'm not like that. She also loves lap dogs. But the real divider is her love of the theater and live performances that far surpasses anything I would have expected from a child carrying my DNA.

Despite our obvious differences in this arena, I treated her to the opening-night performance of Riverdance at the Pantages this week. To say she was rapt by all the clacking and kicking and beautiful music and costumes would be a disservice to her dedication to taking in every tune and tap. She first developed her love affair with Irish step dancing when she began taking lessons at an after-school program last year – and soon came the nearly constant skipping and dancing atop every available flat surface: the mall, the grocery store, the dentist's office hallway.

The evening made for an enjoyable and bonding mother-daughter night out, and I figured this was the best time to catch the show, since the Pantages appearances mark the "farewell performances" of the iconic Irish troupe choreographed by Michael Flatley. And even as a jaded viewer such as myself, I was nearly blown out of my seat by the simultaneous stomps and the beautiful tributes to the music and dance of the Emerald Isle. And the show even tips its Irish hat to other cultures, infusing a Flamenco soloist, Russian dancers and African-American tap dancers (their "Trading Taps" number with the Irish steppers was a show stopper).

Tickets range from $25-$95. The show runs through Jan. 24.

Tech Talk: Trends!

As we enter this brand-new decade, it makes sense that the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas in January would kick off some major tech trends and reveal crazy-cool products. The world's largest technology trade show included more than 2,500 companies and celebs like Tommy Lee, Taylor Swift and  Richard Dreyfuss – as well as bloggers, geek gods and goddesses, buyers and industry leaders. The displays seemed endless, but I targeted such "TechZones" as Kids@Play and Mommy Tech. The following are a few trends for parents and kids to watch in the coming decade:

1. Meet George Jetson: The family of the very near future will be very well connected. I'm pretty sure George and Jane didn't have to worry about "sexting," but parents will be seeing an influx of new technology in various realms and need to be in the know. “When you see all the gadgets and gizmos, it reinforces the fact that we need to be literate,” says James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that helps parents navigate the rapidly evolving gaming, entertainment and communications world. "Parents have to do their homework."


2. Got Glasses?: Major electronics companies are heavily invested in 3D televisions, so learn to love those pesky, unflattering glasses. Beginning in the middle of this year, some satellite cable providers will begin broadcasting a few channels in 3D. The good news is that if you're properly equipped, you can watch sports and other live events as though you are there but with a great seat.


3. Get In the Game: Play against yourself – or the world. Draw something and watch it come to life. Chat with players. Stand up and interact. Play in 3D. These things and more are coming to a gaming console near you.


4. Channel Surfing: When you're ready to sit down to watch something in the near future, it might go something like this: First, you select a movie or TV show from one of several providers (NetFlix, Amazon, to name a couple). You put on your 3D glasses (see #1) to watch, then remember that you are taking the kids skiing tomorrow, so you click over to check the weather and conditions at Big Bear. You decide to share those conditions with your Twitter followers. Then you remember you need to call your mom and ask her to feed the cat, so you get her on Skype only to discover that she's watching the video you uploaded of your daughter's talent show on YouTube. And you never even left the sofa.


5. Commute and Compute: See #4, only you'll be able to do all that in the car, too (plus broadcast your GPS coordinates and make dinner reservations in Big Bear).

Tech Talk: Digital Parenting 101

If I left Jack to his own "devices" (his Nintendo DS or Leapster, among others), I'm pretty sure he would test the limits of how long the human child can go without water and sleep. Like most male brains that age, Jack's is obsessed with two things: video games and poop humor, which thankfully have not become too interwined.

That's just one of the reasons I decided it was important to check out the exhibitors and panelists at last weekend's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This gaming, gadget, entertainment and communications granddaddy of tradeshows provides a roadmap to our future, giving us a glimpse into how we will consume entertainment, get work done at the office, chat with our friends, access the media, stay organized, get from one place to the next and relax.

The key message for parents? Stay in the game. Don't fall victim to the I-can't-set-the-clock-on-my-VCR syndrome. Educate yourself on everything your kids are interested in and participate in social media.

"When you see all the gadgets and gizmos, it reinforces the fact that we need to be literate," says James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that helps parents navigate the rapidly-evolving gaming, entertainment and communications world. The San Francisco-based, nonpartisan organization takes a "sanity over censorship" approach to evaluating all the media and entertainment out there, stressing the fact that we can't throw a blanket over everything and hope our kids won't see it.

Steyer, a father of four, attended CES and is excited about all the new technology coming our way. "But it's critical that they [parents] be digitally literate," he says. "We have to educate ourselves, our kids, our teachers."

It's our parental responsibility, he adds, to know about the technology that's out there. Join Facebook. Learn the ins and outs of Twitter. Play your kids' games. "You can't bury your head in the sand; parents have to do their homework," Steyer adds.

My daughter Kate created this self-portrait using the iPhone app Old Booth.

With all this new technology, of course comes parental anxiety – and even more technology that will not only create solutions but also fear. What about "sexting"? Cyberbullying? Sharing stuff on Facebook that you'd rather they didn't? Those are real issues, but parents shouldn't think that monitoring devices, software or built-in GPS tracking systems are the only answer.

"Education and responsibility are the right approach," he says. Set clear limits for phone and screen time and talk to your kids (early and often) about the ethics and responsibilities – as well as dangers – of these devices and communication tools.

The good news, Steyer adds, is that all this new technology opens up new possibilities. And schools and governments need to integrate new technology, too. Teachers should encourage children to blog. Parents should download podcasts. Kids should be app savvy. We should play games with our families, text our children and Skype the grandparents.

For a good start, check out Common Sense's New Year's resolutions for the tech-ready family. And then get ready for the brave new world, coming to you in 2010.