I thought Facebook and Twitter were bad enough. Now new social networking service Foursquare is telling me I’m pretty much a loser.
For the past year, Foursquare, the social service with a geo-locator twist, has allowed tech-savvy hipsters to connect with their friends wherever they are. When you head out to a restaurant, club or coffee shop, you can use your cell phone to “check in” through Foursquare, which will post your location on its map.
Through Foursquare, you can earn points and unlock “badges” by discovering new places or by hopping from club to club. Check in at one location more than anyone else and you become the “mayor,” earning freebies from your favorite restaurants and stores.
Because my manager and I work eight-hour days and both have toddlers and infants at home, we joked we would have the saddest Foursquares ever. Don’t believe me? Here’s a random sample of what my Foursquare would look like.
Nicole P. @ Daycare - 12 hrs ago
4got today was show & tell. Think 3-yr-olds would be impressed with a tire jack?
Nicole P. @ McDonald's - 8 hrs ago
$1 double cheeseburgers. Score!!
Nicole P. @ Chili's - 3 hrs ago
In da club @ Chili’s. Applebee’s had a 20-min wait.
Nicole P. @ Walmart - 2 hrs ago
Picking up toilet paper, shampoo and diapers.
Nicole P. in Metro East: wrote a tip @ Walmart: Rollback prices on toothpaste!
Nicole P. @ Walmart - 1 hr ago
4got baby formula.
Nicole P. in Metro East became the mayor of Walmart.
Nicole P. @ Home – 1 minute ago
Zzzzzzzzz
I do enjoy social networking and know I’ll get on Foursquare soon. I just need to plan some exciting nights out so my Foursquare friends don’t LOL at me.
By Nicole Plegge, Lifestyle Blogger for SmartParenting
Metro East mom Nicole Plegge has written for STL Parent for more than 12 years. Besides working as a freelance writer & public relations specialist, and raising two daughters and a husband, Nicole's greatest achievements are finding her misplaced car keys each day and managing to leave the house in a stain-free shirt. Her biggest regret is never being accepted to the Eastland School for Girls. Follow Nicole on Twitter @STLWriterinIL
At this free art program for ages 3-6 the focus is on the process of making art rather than the finished product. Dress to get messy!
Bring your babies and toddlers to this free story time at the Missouri History Museum.
Storytelling in the Museum is an in-person storytelling event happening at 10:30 a.m. at the Missouri History Museum. This event, perfect for the preschool set, features engaging stories with themes like Mardi Gras, geology, Black History Month, Groundhog Day and more. Storytelling in the Museum is free.
Join in on First Art, a free art program for toddlers where the focus is on the process of making art rather than the finished product. Dress to get messy!