Spotlight on: Thanksgiving

Rexanne's Web Review 
Web Sites & Insights

Issue #72 - October 1, 2003 

Brought to You By: Rexanne.com

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Welcome All Newcomers! 

Are you all ready for Halloween? The big night is less than a month away. This is one of our kid's favorite holidays so don't be caught unprepared. Help make it special for them with memories of a great Halloween celebration that lasts a lifetime. Here's a link to my Halloween site, filled with everything you'll need to make this year a perfect one: Rexanne's Halloween

And if you need party supplies, home decorations, light up and glow stuff, masks, accessories, etc., visit my Halloween super store. You'll find everything you need, at great "Rexanne" friendly prices and fast shipping to rest your mind: Rexanne's Halloween Superstore

Here we go ...

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Reader's Comments:

Martha wrote about our article, Childhood Friendships, from last month's newsletter:

"Mommy dearest was a real b**** about friends she didn't like. If I happened to be upset with anyone, temporarily of course, I learned real fast not to tell her. 'I thought you were mad at so and so,' and she'd never give it up. We were never 'normally' close but that attitude certainly added more bricks to my wall of secrecy and taught me not to trust her with any more information than absolutely necessary about anything."

Good lesson here, readers. Listen when your children gripe about squabbles with friends but resist making judgments. Chances are, the incident will be forgotten by lunchtime the next day and your child will just resent your interfering. *sigh* ;-)

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And Lila wrote:

"I ALWAYS find things in there (Rexanne's Web Review) that are extremely interesting, or helpful to me. Can't even remember how I got on the list but PLEASE don't ever take me off! I love it and I share it with other senior citizens (like me). Thanks." 

You are so welcome, Lila. Thank YOU for your kind words and encouragement.

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OK, here's the scoop:

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Quote of the Month:  Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss

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Supporting the sponsors and advertisers in Rexanne's Web Review keeps this newsletter alive. Each advertiser has Rexanne's Seal of Approval. Please visit them today.

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This Month's Web Review Sponsored By: BuyCostumes.com

BuyCostumes.com is your one-stop Halloween costume, home decoration and prop shop offering more than 14,000 Halloween costumes, from classic to trendy at great discount prices. Adult, children, teen, infant and pet costumes; large selection of Disney and TV character costumes. Get the costume you or your child wants NOW before they're sold out.

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Parenting & Family Topic of the Month:  An Examined Life

An online friend recently wrote and published this amazing article in his ezine, AAN. While this might not appear to be an article about family or parenting, it is a great life lesson. I sent this article to both my daughters. My 15 year-old didn't have a comment ... no surprise. ;-) My nine year-old, however, had this to say about it: 

"... to me it means we grow older and get stronger and more responsible every minute of the day."

I smiled and cried when I read her response. You might consider passing this article on to your children or reading it to them. By teaching our children valuable life lessons through stories and articles, we are offering them precious helpful tools for a lifetime. 

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An Examined Life
By Dennis Gaskill

Pythagoras of Samos, a great scientist and teacher of his time (569-475 BC), demanded his pupils examine themselves at the end of each day. He didn't mean physically, but that they should examine their attitudes, actions, and their mental and spiritual state. He knew they would accumulate a wealth of knowledge and wisdom if they learned to live an examined life.

Imagine how our lives might be now, if we had always taken a few minutes every night to examine our daily living. Don't you think we might be wiser faster than if we just let time wise us up? Perhaps our lives would even have more depth and meaning.

By asking ourselves reflective questions we deepen our self-awareness and gain insight into ourselves not possible in other ways. Questions such as:

- Did I listen to my children or did I just boss them around?
- Did I treat my significant others with love?
- Did I give my employer value equal to or above my recompense?
- Have I been too critical - of others or myself?
- Did I treat everyone fairly and kindly?
- Did I lose self-control at any time?
- Was I in the wrong today but too stubborn or proud to admit it?
- What could have I done better today?
- Have I been thankful for my blessings or taken them for granted?
- How can I improve myself?

These kind of questions help us become more self-aware and responsible, leading to a happier and more fulfilling life.

When we are born, we have not yet fully become who we will be when we die, even though we are ourselves. Can we agree on that?

When we die, we have fully become who we are going to be in this lifetime. Can we agree on that too?

It logically follows then, that in between birth and death we are in the process of becoming ourselves. In this process, everything we think, do, and say, is another step toward our full self-evolution of this lifetime. Shouldn't we purposefully try to enhance our own evolution then?

If we could push a button to become the best person we can be, or we could push another button to become something less; most of us would push the button to become the best we can be. Who wouldn't want to live life at their highest, most satisfying level if the choice were that easy?

Luckily, it's not that easy! Luckily? Yes indeed. The deepest satisfactions in life are born of the challenges we face and the growth we embrace, not in what comes easily.

Parents, wouldn't you agree that raising children into a successful and happy maturity is full of challenges? If you had a choice, would you rather rise to the challenge, or would you prefer to push a button and have an instant adult, skipping all the trials and tribulations - and rewards - between infancy and maturity? Most wouldn't trade the process for an instant finished product, knowing what all they'd have missed in the meantime.

And didn't the act and art of raising children help you grow as an individual as well? It is in the journey that we learn, grow, and find our earthly rewards and deepest satisfactions.

Shouldn't we then, choose to live an examined life as Pythagoras encouraged his pupils to do, so that we too may gain a wealth of wisdom and knowledge? Are we so busy and careless that we are willing to trade becoming ourselves for the endless doing of tasks? We are human beings, not human doings...anyone can find a few minutes at the end of the day for something as important as their own evolution.

Of course, sometimes we will not like what we see in living an examined life. It means facing our faults and weaknesses. But faults and weaknesses can't be overcome without the discovery of them, and without the discovery of them, they continue to remain a part of our character.

Of course, we're all built a little differently, but I don't think too many of us want to be known for our character flaws. Most would rather be regarded with esteem and respect for their character, and an examined life is a fundamental building block to that end.

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Visit Dennis Gaskill, also known as Boogie Jack, here: Boogie Jack's Web Depot

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Know of a good parenting or family site your fellow readers might enjoy? Please send it for possible publication in an upcoming issue. Click here: Parenting Site

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Food & Cooking Site of the Month:  Club Mom's Recipe Finder

Need an idea for dinner, fast? Looking for a new and different recipe using chicken, beef or cheese to add to your repertoire? Club Mom recipe finder makes it as simple as a few clicks on your mouse. Simply click the appropriate box, select your time frame (less than 15 minutes?), your desired course, the main ingredient and there you have it ... a plenitude of recipes that fit your needs, ingredients on hand and desired amount of prep and cooking time. Go forth and please the hungry family.

Bon Appetit!

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Advertisement: Candy Depot

Here's the place to get all the very best goodies and candy online for Halloween. Candy Depot offers low, low prices, bulk candy, boxed specialties and eerie concoctions like gummy teeth and Halloween chocolate crisp balls. For really cool giveaways, visit the "Hershey's" section for candy bars and chocolate by the box where the savings are great. The kids on your block will love you for it!

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Kid's Site of the Month:  Halloween For Kids

Let the kids find all that's spooky, fun and Halloween related on the WWW at my Halloween For Kids page. Halloween sites, crafts, coloring, activities, books, movies and plenty more to get their little heart's pumped for the coming big night of tricks, treats and fun. 

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Freebie of the Month:  Free Catalogs

The holidays are drawing ever closer and who doesn't love browsing all the great catalogs available at this time of year? At Catalog Link, you can peruse hundreds of free catalogs online. Select from the following categories: Apparel & Accessories, Beauty, Health & Fitness, Collectibles, Computers, Electronics & Office, Crafts & Hobbies, Flowers & Gifts, Food & Gourmet, Home & Family, Movies, Music & Literature and so many more. Register with Catalog Link and you can request up to 100 free catalogs. If you already have a catalog you wish to buy from, Catalog Link will most likely have the merchant in their database, enabling you to make your purchase directly online.

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Advertisement: The Creative Girls Club

The Creative Girls Club is a brand-new craft kit series designed for girls from 7-12 years old with a wonderful variety of craft techniques including needlecrafts, jewelry crafts, painting crafts, sculpting crafts and much more. Sign up that special young lady today and we'll send the first two kits at only $4.99 each (plus shipping and processing), which is half the nonmember price.

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Tip or Trick of the Month:  Beanie Storage & Milk Carton Pourer

Beanie Storage

Is your child's room littered with Beanie Babies? Try hanging an over-the-door shoe holder behind their bedroom door. You can easily stuff two beanies in each slot. 

Can't remember where I read about this tip, but I've just used it and it works great! 

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Jeannie sent this good tip:

Milk Carton Pourer

"Save a washed, empty milk carton to use as a pancake mix or muffin mix pourer. This makes it really easy to pour batter onto the griddle or into muffin tins."

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Have a tip or trick your fellow readers would enjoy or could use? Please send it here for possible publication in one of the next issues:  Tips

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Time Waster of the Month:  Balloon Pop
Because life is supposed to be fun!

Here's a little brain challenge, in the form of Hangman, only with popping balloons and a sarcastic little guy to give you a hard time if and when you blunder. Not so easy, so go forth and work the gray matter.

Feed the kids first ...

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Featured Site of the Month:  Find A Grave

Yeah, pretty weird site of the month, huh? However, in honor of Halloween and spooky, morbid stuff, I thought it appropriate. ;-) 

Actually, Find a Grave is pretty fascinating. Search through a database of thousands of graves, famous and not so famous. You can discover where your favorite old-time actor or ancestor is buried, read notes and memories left to the deceased by readers and generally take a walk on the "other" side. There is also a section to add burial records.

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Advertisement: Be a WOW Parent

Be the wonderful, fun, smart parent you always knew you were. This is one book all parents should read and own forever, not just if you have little ones. Inspired ways to interact with yours or anyone else's children. Facts, fables, fun, fantastic! 136 fun things to do anytime, anywhere. Order you copy today!

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