Spotlight on: Thanksgiving

Rexanne's Web Review 
Web Sites & Insights

Issue #86 - February 1, 2004 

Brought to You By: Rexanne.com

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Welcome all newcomers and faithful readers! 

My little girl, Liberty, turns 11 today. Happy Birthday baby! We had an almost disaster happen for her planned celebration yesterday but there was no way I would let a planning snag ruin her birthday. I made a not-so-quick trip to the market and picked up food, drinks and decorations and she had a great party. Relying on my celebration experience, it wasn't too difficult to pull off an impromptu party. It can be done, if an outside venue party suddenly isn't available, birthday party savvy certainly helps. If you need birthday party advice of any kind, go here: Birthdays by Rexanne

Hope everyone is having a good winter so far and that no one is having horrible weather conditions. In Los Angeles, it's been a rainy 
mess. Mud slides and floods are rampant. Has anyone else noticed that water destruction has been especially brutal worldwide for many months? I'm sure we'll all be looking forward to spring and warmer weather. For now, let's try to spread as much love around as we can. It's Valentine's Day month and there's lots to do to make sure the ones we love know it. Here's my Valentine's Day site link again to get you through the holiday with enough inspiration to help you do it right: Rexanne's Valentine

I love you all. Hope Valentine's Day is especially sweet for you this year and that you are showered with all the love and affection you deserve. 

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Reader's Comments:

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Martha sent this message and link: 

This is a new group for Gold Stars mothers. This group is started by a Navy mother, Sheila, who lost her only son Matt in the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon. Sheila has and is walking in your shoes and has also felt that loss. From this, you can learn from each other and share the life of your loved ones. This place is for you to just let it all out if need be. Do not fear of being too emotional, too angry, or too sad, we are here for one other. Gold Star Mom's Support
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And Glen had this to say about last month's newsletter:

"Thank you for honoring fathers. I have always felt patronized by the once a year Father's Day celebration when I give everything I have for my family and children all year. Your effort did not go unnoticed! "

You are more than welcome, Glen. Dads rock! :-) 

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And Emily wrote:

"Your newsletter is a comfort to me. I have five boys and most of the time, I feel so lost and confused trying to keep them all safe, healthy and happy. Your humorous views and easy style give me hope and a few minutes of sanity every month. Thank you!

You are so welcome, Emily. Parenting can be one of life's biggest challenges. Having good support is crucial to our own sense of 
well-being which is vital to being able to take care of our families. Thank you for your kind words. I, too, rely on support from all of you. 
:-) 
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OK, here's the scoop:

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Quote of the Month:  Each day comes bearing gifts, untie the ribbons. - Ann Ruth Schuabacker

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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 children's charities. . Each advertiser has Rexanne's Seal of Approval. Please visit them today.

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This Month's Web Review Sponsored By: Speaking Flowers

Say it with flowers. These gorgeous and very romantic flowers are delivered to anyone you love with a message of your choice embossed on 
each petal. You won't be at a loss for words, the flowers you send will speak for you. :-) These flowers make an especially lovely Valentine's 
Day surprise for anyone and everyone you love. 
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Parenting & Family Topic of the Month: Attaining Romance
by Julie Steeper of AuthenticMessages.com

Man against Woman – The Six Secrets of Attaining Romance 

Men and women are positioned against one another in the battle for more fulfilling relationships; today they are being urged to consider that 
romantically they are setting themselves up for failure. By holding unrealistic expectations and believing fabrications told to them by pop 
culture, men and women are paralyzed in their pursuit for romance. At Authentic Messages, a message in a bottle company, we are continually 
searching for new ways to mobilize people towards a more romantic life. 

Women are deceived by the unattainable dream of the romantic man (soon she comes to believe that every man is romantic except the man in her life…despite the fact that all her female friends are experiencing the same dilemma); men are overwhelmed because they bear sole 
responsibility for the romantic shape of their relationship and they are immobilized by this burden. Unfortunately both end up unsatisfied. 
Let me tell you a secret – most people aren’t romantic. There is no such thing as the ‘naturally romantic’ person – like most things, romance is learned, practiced and perfected. 

From the time they are children, men and women are exposed to innumerable fairy tales where prince charming sweeps the princess off 
her feet with his romantic tendencies – the last time I checked there weren’t too many prince charming types out there. Okay so there are a 
handful of ‘prince charmings’ that give all other men a bad reputation – but the only difference between the romantic man and the unromantic 
man is the amount of time devoted to something they deem to be important. Romantic men have already figured out the 2nd secret (which we believe in at Authentic Messages) – romance really is important. 

Women aren’t left blameless in this quest for romance (even though they typically try to absolve themselves of responsibility) – how many women are willing to take responsibility for the lack of romance in their relationships? It’s the 21st century ladies - be accountable! We want 
to be equal but our ‘rants’ about equality haven’t yet crossed over into the romantic realm. You’ve heard it said time and time again: “Men 
just aren’t interested in being romanced”. The elusive “being romanced” is really about being appreciated and loved. Who doesn’t like to be 
appreciated…which leads me to secret number 3 (I like to call #3 the ‘no-brainer’): regardless of gender, people want to feel they are special to another person; they want to be valued for who they are. 

When we think about romance, we tend to have tunnel vision. We don’t realize that romance isn’t definable – it can be anything to anyone. 
What is romantic to Person A may not be the least bit romantic to Person B – why can’t romance be defined? The answer to that is simple – 
romance is, as secret 3 revealed, about making someone feel loved and appreciated. Ultimately romance is incredible personal. Different 
things are going to make different people feel loved, so don’t get caught up in the idea that it’s a waste of time to be romantic because your partner doesn’t like, and may even dislike, the mushy romance of movies. Of course this brings us to secret 4 – you need to find the 
romance that is right for your relationship. Having no definition is what makes romance so accessible to everyone – it has a constantly changing nature that can be manipulated. 

Let’s face it – men and women need a little help and not the kind of help that pop psychologist ‘gurus’ talk about in their infamous (and 
equally ineffective) relationship books. Men and women need practical help – real life solutions for a real life problem. Men and women need 
to be inspired. I count myself an unofficial expert in the field of romance because I see it everyday in my line of work at the romantically themed store Authentic Messages – people are coming to the website looking for ways to be more romantic. These people have learned secret #5 – being romantic doesn’t necessarily mean ‘going it alone’. You can acquire help from outside sources to add a little romance in your life. 

Unexpectedly military personnel have learned this secret better than any other group of people. Military men and women who are stationed 
overseas are seeking out realistic solutions to keep the romance alive from thousands of miles away and the internet is helping them in ways 
not imaginable a decade ago. With the click of a button (and five minutes of their time) those stationed abroad are able to set in motion 
a process that enables them to communicate and remain connected in meaningful and romantic ways with the partners they have left behind. 
I’ve never thought much of the old adage that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’, however in the case of military men and women ‘absence 
seems to make the heart grow more romantic’. Leading me to secret #6 – it doesn’t take a lot of time, effort or money to be romantic. Even 
those in the most remote locations are able to achieve the magic that makes a relationship more special (with the help of outside sources…taking us back to secret #5). 

In order for relationships to be the most fulfilling they can be, both men and women need to take an active interest in the pursuit of romance. Arguably communication, trust and commitment are the foundations of any successful relationship; however a building isn’t much with only its foundation. Romance, you might say, is the architectural detailing that makes a building more distinct and similarly a relationship more fulfilling. The basis of romance is encapsulated in the six secrets revealed above and summarized below. 

1: There is no such thing as natural romance. 
2: Romance is important. 
3: Everyone likes to be ‘romanced’. 
4: You need to find the romance that is right for your relationship. 
5: Being romantic doesn’t mean ‘going it alone’. 
6: It doesn’t take a lot of time, effort and money to be romantic. 

If this has inspired you to add a little magic to your relationship, check out Authentic Messages.com  - We are a web based 
romantically inspired retail store specializing in the sales of ‘message in a bottle’ gift packages – we have 35 different bottles and 
over 200 sample messages for our buyers to choose from. Our messages are predominantly romantic in nature; however we also have messages of encouragement, appreciation and celebration. Your personalized message will come rolled tightly inside of the bottle and the entire bottle will come lying on a bed of wood shavings in one of our stunning wooden or leather display cases. Now your bottle can even come engraved with a special message to your recipient. We will ship either to the buyer or to the receiver which makes this a sensible gift for anyone. 
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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. 
Click here:  Parenting Site

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Food & Cooking Site of the Month: Recipes for Fun

This site offers wonderful, easy recipes that you can make with your children or use the opportunity to teach older kids how to cook various 
awesome recipes they'll love and be able to prepare alone. From simple smoothies to a whole meal, kids will love making these recipes and so 
will you.

Bon Appetit!

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It's the perfect job! Work from home and set your own hours. You're in control. Surveys Online
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Kid's Site of the Month: Valentine's Day for Kids

All the love bugs gather round ... crafts, coloring pages, fun Valentine's Day activities and so much more to amuse the munchkins and 
get them in the mood for love. :-) 

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Freebie of the Month: Printable VDay Calendars & VDAY Screensavers

Here are very cute love calendars you can print out and hang anywhere 
to keep the mood alive all month:  Printable VDay Calendars

And for sure, decorate your computer with a gorgeous, fun or just plain romantic screen saver: VDAY Screensavers
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Advertisement: Hearts of Affection Cookies

This beautiful gift tin of cookies is sure to warm the heart and tummy of those you love. Say, "I Love You" with delectable cookies for your 
sweetheart to enjoy. Presented in a lovely platinum tin and tied with a red organdy bow embellished with white hearts, it's very romantic and  great-tasting, too! Gourmet cookies are baked and shipped the same day to ensure freshness. Also, includes a personal greeting card from you.
Hearts of Affection Cookies
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Tip or Trick of the Month: How to Preserve Flowers

If you want to keep the romantic memories alive, learn how to preserve those gorgeous flowers.

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: 
<a href=" mailto:rexanne@rexanne.com?subject=TIPS " > Tips </a> 

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Time Waster of the Month: iVillage
(Because life is supposed to be fun!)

Ladies, If you haven't yet discovered iVillage, you'll love this site ... The internet for women! Parenting, health, beauty, relationships and many more topics, with current relevant issues and plenty to absorb your time and attention. I love their quizzes and games. Go have a fun or enlightening moment: iVillage

Feed the kids first ...

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Featured Site of the Month: Ponderations

Boogie Jack's Ponderations is a unique software program that offers you a "point to ponder" at the click of a button. Each program has more 
than 150 hand-selected nuggets of wisdom. Each quotation is superimposed over a beautiful photograph that sets a serene tone for  contemplation. Imagine...wisdom at the click of a button. Gotta love Boogie Jack. I do! :-) 

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Advertisement: Personalized Chocolate Bars

Tired of having your kids fill out the dreaded Valentine's Day cards? Want to do something especially cool and fun for you kid's classmates 
and friends this year? Have your child pass out personalized Valentine's Day candy bars. These are too adorable, a great and different idea and will add a whole new spin on passing out Valentine's. Hurry and order today to make sure they arrive for VDAY. 

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