Spotlight on: Thanksgiving

Rexanne's Web Review
Web Sites & Insights

Issue #113 - December 1, 2007

Brought to You By: Rexanne.com

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Welcome all newcomers and faithful readers!

Are you all still stuffed from Thanksgiving feasting? We're still rolling like little butterballs. ;-)

Oh boy - the "holidays" are upon us and what I call the "Christmas crazies" have begun. Be very ready. :-) I'm getting last minute online shopping done between writing this newsletter and updating my Christmas site to bring you the best of the Internet. Hop on over to the Christmas pages: Rexanne's Christmas

Happy shopping! :-)

This month's topic is children's self-esteem. I believe that parents can be instrumental in building their children's self-esteem and positive outlook on life which will serve them well and help them have better lives. We will be discussing this topic in our community forum. Look for it in the Topic of the Month section and please add any input or feedback you have.

Naturally, you can also email feedback or input, too. I try to answer all reader email within 24 hours. If you have sent email and did not (or do not) receive a reply from me, something went wrong so please re-send it. Sending email from my web site will include a subject line I recognize and I'll be sure to read it, as unidentifiable email is deleted before it's read.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and an amazing start to 2008! Plan on making it the best year of your lives, so far. :-)

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--- Reader's Comments:
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Brie wrote:

"I think what you have to say needs to be heard by the public out there. It will help to get our families back under control regarding respect, education, manners, etc., which will, as you know, bring about better towns, communities and countries."

I'm flattered by your kind words, Brie. Thank you!
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And Christina wrote:

"Your cake pans are so perfect and just what I was looking for!"

Thank you Christina. They are not really *my* cake pans, but a collection of cake and cupcake pans and accessories that I though were awesome, inspiring me to create a page dedicated to fun cake & cupcake pans. Glad you found what you needed!
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OK, here's the scoop:

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Quote of the Month: When you put faith, hope and love together, you can raise positive kids in a negative world. - Zig Ziglar

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Supporting the sponsors and advertisers in Rexanne's Web Review keeps this newsletter alive. A portion of revenue is donated to various charities and each advertiser has Rexanne's Seal of Approval. Please visit them today.

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This Month's Web Review Sponsored By: Letters From Santa

These are the cutest and best-presented personalized Santa letters I have found in my online search. Choose from a selection of adorable stationery, supply your child's name, names of friends and/or family, home town and a few more details and have a letter from Santa sent to your child this Christmas. Little kids are awed by letters from Santa and even older kids and adults get a kick out of receiving a personalized letter from Santa written just for them.

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Parenting & Family Topic of the Month: Children's Self-Esteem
By Rexanne Mancini

My older daughter and my niece are currently working at a clothing store chain notorious for hiring only “beautiful” people. While this is all fine and good for them, it raises questions in my mind about children and teenagers who are not traditionally “beautiful.”

We all feel for the less-than-perfect kids who are bombarded daily with images of beautiful, svelte models everywhere. I believe that, with confidence and support, they can be gorgeous, too. So much depends on attitude. My daughter is now considered beautiful, however, she had a rough middle school experience which took a lot of “support” to help her overcome a bad self-image. As soon as she hit high school, braces off and clear skin, all bets were off and she was hugely popular with the boys. That gave her the confidence she needed to build an attitude I’d been trying to instill in her all along. Confidence really is key.

Shedding excess weight, dressing correctly for one’s body, the right hairstyle and makeup (for girls) can work wonders in bringing out the best in our kid’s looks. Even a plain looking child can learn to enhance her/his best features or qualities. Talent is a quality that can make a person beautiful, too. Embracing a talent has much to do with confidence and support. Parents need to instill confidence any way they can in their kids to help them overcome so much they will go through, especially if the child is less than pretty or svelte. Support their talents, their passions and play up their good points. Cherish and respect them to instill loving natures and the roots of self-respect, which I think makes a person beautiful, too. Everyone has something going for him/her. Teach your children to be strong, self-reliant, confident and to play up their best features or qualities. My Ladies One and All pages have ideas and information that can be helpful and much of the information could apply to boys, too.

Self-esteem is not just built on physical appearance or talent. It is instilled in children when parents and caretakers treat them with the respect they deserve as living beings. Acknowledging their uniqueness, embracing their personalities no matter how different from ours and accepting our children for who they are is tantamount to building a strong foundation of self-esteem. If children inherently know they are lovable, beautiful, good and capable, they will take these qualities with them through their lives and other people will respond to their positive self-image.

This does not mean that parents should tell their unathletic child that he/she is the next Kobe Bryant or that their desire to sing means they have a beautiful and workable singing voice. False praise is just as detrimental as no praise for their talent or positive qualities. Being “brutally honest” isn’t the answer either if your child has an obvious problem. Likewise, supporting our children in a dangerous or negative habit or friendship isn’t going to help them. Know when to be a parent and when to become a friend, always keeping in mind that we have a responsibility to actually parent our children, teach them right from wrong and that there are definite consequences in the choices they make.

There will most likely be rough patches along the way, times when your child is not having a great day, month or even year. This is when we can help them understand how precious they are to us, how much they matter. We can also take time to interact with our children when they seem especially out of sorts or low. Giving kids the gift of our undivided attention can be a super charge to their feelings of worth. Teaching them something we know can give them a new hobby or passion where they might find meaning if this seems to be lacking in their lives. Attending their game or events they are involved with will let them know their achievements and interests are important and valued. Moreover, just listening to them sometimes can be a huge esteem boost. Hear what they are telling you and try to understand their point of view to better know what motivates your child, what fears they might have or where their talents lie.

Supporting our children in whatever it is they choose to become involved with and in their sincere choices is another vital component of building their confidence and trust in a sometimes turbulent world. If your child needs help, don’t wait for him/her to ask you for it. By then, they might be so beaten down, they’ll never ask which just propagates more insecurity. Be their best ally, their biggest fan and a solid rock to swim to in a storm. If you are having difficulty in your own life, own up, be the adult and find help for yourself before your children crumble under your negativity. Children become insecure when they see their parents falling apart. Spare them your drama and find a way to overcome it, for your child’s sake.

Love, sincerely compliment and hug them. They can always use the good energy your loving embrace imparts and you will be rewarded with a loving, secure child who is happy and in control of his/her outlook, which directly affects their life.

Copyright – 2007 - Rexanne Mancini

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Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne’s Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: Rexanne's Web Review
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Know of a good parenting or family site your fellow readers might enjoy or do you have a topic you'd like to see covered in this section? Please send your ideas in for possible publication in an upcoming issue: Parenting Site

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Food & Cooking Site of the Month: Cooks.com

Cooks.com is an all-encompassing food and recipe site with almost any recipe you can think of and plenty you've never tried but will probably want to. From a basic how to on making fried chicken to a recipe forVersailles meatloaf, this is a gold mine of recipes, cooking tips and menu ideas.

Bon Appetit!

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Advertisement: Rexanne's Christmas Mall

Now is the time to order your holiday gifts online. You have about 2 weeks before shipping deadlines. Find everything you're looking for on my Christmas gift pages with comprehensive, categorized lists of perfect presents for everyone, with links to the best and most trusted online stores and products you will love giving. Have fun and shop secure! Easy Christmas gift shopping is a click away. :-)

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Kid's Site of the Month: Christmas for Kids

Everything the kids need to make their holiday bright - coloring pages, Christmas crafts, activities, games and lots of links to super online holiday fun.

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Freebie of the Month: Christmas Wish List

Print one Christmas wish list for each member of your home and one for yourself while you're at it. Kids can give their list  to Mom and Dad or they can hand it to Santa if they visit him this year.

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Advertisement: Print and Play Christmas Games

These printable Christmas games are great for holiday parties, family dinners, classroom activities and to keep children busy and their brains active during the holiday break from school. Adults can enjoy these Christmas games, too. Pass them out at a family reunion or a gathering of friends for impromptu fun. Print as many as you'll need for one low price.

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Tip or Trick of the Month: Recycling Plastic

It's no secret that we've got way too much disposable plastic polluting our world. Recycling plastic is environmentally smart and saves you money, too. Here are a few ideas for recycling plastic grocery bags:

* Re-use as dog poop picker uppers,
* diaper disposal,
* Small trash can liners
*Keep a few in the car as a trash or barf bag (especially useful when your child
is feeling pukey)
*As adult lunch bags (kids would hate this - don't traumatize them LOL).

Other plastic recycling tips:

*Re-fill plastic water bottles with purified water after washing them thoroughly.
* Save the plastic bags from delivered newspapers for dog or diaper messes.

Do you have more good plastic recycling tips? Please share them: Plastic Recycling Tip
Have a tip or trick your fellow readers would enjoy or could use? Please send it in for possible publication in one of the next issues: Tips

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Time Waster of the Month: Noah's Ark Game
(Because life is supposed to be fun!)

Match up pairs of animals as fast as you can to beat the timer on this fun and frenzied online Noah's Ark game. It's addictive ... fair warning! :-)

Feed the kids first ...

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Featured Site of the Month: Expert Village

Thanks to RexannA who sent this very cool link!

Expert Village has how to videos on just about anything you want to learn how to do, from house training your new puppy to swaddling a baby. Categorized by topics, you'll easily find just about any how to video you're looking for. Gotta love the Internet. :-)

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Advertisement: Playful Plush Toys

Playful Plush is my favorite online toy store, with easy to browse categories, all the characters and toys kids love and outstanding customer service. Playful Plush Toys specializes in only the best quality plush animals and licensed cartoon character toys and collectibles. A 30 day money back guarantee as well as same day shipping insures complete customer satisfaction and fast arrivals.

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