Rexanne's
Web Review
Web Sites & Insights
Issue #120 - September 1,2008
Brought to You By: Rexanne.com
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Welcome all newcomers and faithful readers!
Happy Labor Day weekend to my American readers! Hope you're enjoying the
celebration and having fun!
Life has been anything but calm. So much has happened in the past two months and
it's been a whirlwind of travel, life issues and lessons.
I've had to learn what an "empty nest" is earlier than I anticipated and OMG it
hurts! My younger daughter started high school in Denver last month. She loves
her new school and life in the mountains. Sure, I miss her like crazy. Most
importantly, she is happy, which ultimately makes me happy. Tough times. *sigh*
How was your summer? Please send your stories! Your input and feedback is
important so please share. :-)
Our forum has been a mess for weeks. Technological snafus make my head spin and
I have been relying on others to handle the details. Sadly, no one has been able
to fix the issues and I will have to figure out the technology myself. Yikes!
Could be a while. I will let you all know when the forum is up and running
again. There is so much I wanted to share with you - I'm eager to have the
message boards back and I know that once you all feel more comfortable posting,
we will have a thriving community of wonderful people (YOU!) who will find
comfort, humor and answers to the tricky business of parenting. You have
certainly been a quiet group - It is my sincere wish that you will begin to
participate and reap the rewards of an online community that will enrich your
lives.
On a more positive note, Rexanne.com has a new logo. You'll see it at the top of
most pages on my site. I'm loving it and will be offering this design on
merchandise soon. Contests where you can win something with the logo will be
happening, too.
Our parenting article this month is about the "Oh Oh" generation - meaning the
"00" kids, those coming of age in 2001 through 2009 - OUR kids. I loved this
article and think it profiles our children's generation beautifully in a
positive, hopeful light.
And Halloween is creeping up
on us! Get a good start:
Rexanne's Halloween
There is an all-new Halloween
costume section, categorized by age that will make your Halloween costume
shopping a breeze! The
infant and baby costume section is really fun to browse even if you don't
have a baby in the house. :-)
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Reader's Comments:
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Natalie wrote:
"I was going through Rexanne withdrawals and went back to re-read your last
newsletter where I saw you wouldn't be publishing for 2 whole months! Please
hurry back. I miss your voice of reason!"
LOL Natalie - sorry to throw you into withdrawals. ;-) Our newsletter will be
back September 1, 2008. I take July and August off to re-group and take a
much-needed break but I miss communicating with you all, too.
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Denise wrote:
"I found your site while searching for baby shower decorations. Wow - there
is so much to explore on this site and five hours later, I finally had to give
up trying to read every single page tonight! Thank you for all the good
information!"
You're very welcome Denise. Thank you for the kind words! :-)
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OK, here's the scoop:
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Quote of the Month: The greatest revolution of our
generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes
of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. - William James
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Supporting the sponsors and advertisers in Rexanne's Web Review keeps this
newsletter alive and a portion of revenue is donated to various charities. Each
advertiser has Rexanne's Seal of Approval. Please visit them today.
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This Month's Web Review Sponsored By:
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Parenting & Family Topic of the Month: Oh Oh
By Pamela Bahrami
“Oh, oh!”
No, don’t worry. Nothing’s wrong.
“Oh, oh” is a term some sociologists use to identify the decade we are
presently in (you know, those double zeroes in “2008”). This is a decade that,
in terms of generational transitions, is crucial because the oldest of our
latest generation – known either as the “Millennials” or “Generation Y” – are
reaching adulthood and they are posed to take the helm and define the course our
country will take in the next 20 to 30 years. This generation spans the birth
years from 1982 to 2002 (or so) so that means that the OBGYN or Endocrinologist
at Kaiser you see (how old ARE they, anyway?!) as well as our little darlings in
Kinder Village are part of this next –and some say- great generation.
Mainstream media loves drama and if they can find a corner of dark, misguided
youth to tell us about they will. Listening to them, this generation is
universally tattooed, pierced, can’t read and don’t give a hoot about politics.
But research suggests – or even insists – that this just isn’t so. According to
sociologists Neil Hume and William Strauss in their book, Millennials Rising,
this generation is unlike any in living memory. They are more numerous, more
affluent, better educated and more diverse. They also show a talent for teamwork
and optimism. Their book was published in 2000 – before the fateful 9/11 – but
despite some tweaking that may be inevitable from such a catastrophic event – my
personal experience of this generation suggests that their findings haven’t
changed drastically. After all, recently this youth are credited with inspiring
the dramatic results in the Iowa caucuses last week.
No generation has ever been as nurtured, supported, loved and indulged as this
one and, while it may seem that that would translate into a group of selfish and
self-absorbed young people, quite the opposite may be true. All that cuddling
and nourishing may have accomplished exactly what we “Oh, oh” parents wanted:
children who feel self confident, optimistic, eager to please and achieve – and
who will make a difference in the society they live in.
One writer said “the scariest thing about the kids today is what adults think
about them”. Baby Boomer and Gen X parents tend to look at their children as if
their offspring will just continue a linear trajectory towards more defiance,
more unrest and more cynicism. But sociologists say that generational changes
are never linear; they shift and squirm. Our kids today are actually filling the
role in the cycle of generations that the “Silent Generation” did when they came
to adulthood. They did what was necessary, they were very successful and they
valued family and basic values above anything else.
Three basic principles apply to any rising generation in any non-traditional
(American) society that allows young people some freedom. Any rising generation:
(1. solves a problem facing the prior youth generation whose style has become
dysfunctional in the new era Gen X); (2. corrects the behavioral excess it
perceives in the current midlife generation (Boomers) and (3 fills the social
role being vacated by the departing elder generation (Silent).
Based on this paradigm, our children will be amenable to rules, they are likely
to respect authority, be hopeful about the future, be willing to work together
to solve problems (hello! bi-partisanship) and be well educated and willing to
work with people of all colors, ethnic backgrounds, and religious affiliations.
If any generation can make a change in this complex and troubled world, it is
this one:
I’m proud to say that will be “our kids.”
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Pamela Bahrami is a Los Angeles Middle School administrator and mom to two "Oh
Oh" generation children.
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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:
Fabulous Foods
The all-new Fabulous Foods offers recipes, food articles, plenty of cooking
information and tips, brown bag lunch suggestions and much more.
Nice job on the site re-design Cheri!
Bon Appetit!
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Advertisement: Backpacks & Lunchboxes for Kids
Back to school for our kids means a new backpack and a new lunchbox. With lots
of choices and all so very cute, you'll find the perfect backpack, lunchbox or
soft lunch bag on these pages:
Backpacks for Kids
Lunchboxes and Lunch Bags for
Kids
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Kid's Site of the Month:
Art Savers
Kids can make their own holders for their works of art! This will come in handy
when they start bringing their art home from school and keeps all those precious
works safe and smash-proof. This is an especially perfect craft for kids in
grades K through 3.
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Freebie of the Month:
Famous Coupons
Sign up with Famous Coupons (it's fast and easy) to gain access to all their
freebies, coupons and special deals just for members. You'll find name brands
and all your favorite stores, samples and great offers easily.
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Advertisement: 4Checks
With more than 800 check designs, you're sure to find the perfect check and
check cover on 4Checks.com. I especially love their personalized checks where
you can have checks made using your own photographs ... from a picture of your
kids, pets or any other personal picture you love. Make a statement every time
you write a check with the great selection at 4Checks!
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Tip or Trick of the Month:
Best of Tips & Tricks
All of our newsletter tips & tricks have been compiled into their own section to
make it easy to browse for a particular tip or find an older one you need. This
is a continued work in progress and all new tips and tricks are added after each
newsletter publishes. Enjoy!
PS: If I already posted this in a previous issue, ooops! Feel free to let me
know I goofed! LOL
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:
Falling Sand
(Because life is supposed to be fun!)
Play with falling sand in different colors - make patterns and watch as the sand
falls - amusing and addictive!
Feed the kids first ...
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Featured Site of the Month:
PackratPro
OMG this site is amazing! Lady Anne has created a site filled with her passions,
including gardening, genealogy, graphics and so much more. Thankfully, she has
organized her site well so you can find what you're most interested in and click
away. This is a web surfer's paradise. Enjoy!
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Advertisement: Beaches and Towns Travel
Network
Booking all travel arrangements online has become one of my biggest time and
mind savers. One of the best online travel guides I've found is OC-USA.com:
From sand castles on the beach to nightlife in town, plan your trip with the
Beaches and Towns Network, LLC. this popular Travel Network (online since '99)
brings you the best hotels across the U.S.A., beach and city hotel guides, golf
vacations & course info, travel items, availability, and secure reservations.
Bookmark this one for all your travel needs!
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