Rexanne's Web Review
Web Sites & Insights

Issue #98 - April 1, 2006

Brought to You By: Rexanne.com

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Find subscribe, removal and advertising information at the bottom of this newsletter.

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Welcome all newcomers and faithful readers!

Easter is April 16. Hope you're all ready for the fun and celebrations of the season. For everything Easter, here's my Easter site to help with all your Easter needs:
Rexanne's Easter

And graduations are uppermost on many family's minds these days. Find all the online graduation resources, information and supplies you need on my graduation site: All about Graduations

And ... the BIG news is that we finally have a forum! I am so jazzed about this and I think you will all love it! This forum was created for YOU so please visit Rexanne's Community today. You will find lots to read and amuse. Please post your opinion and vote in the Topic of the Week, introduce yourself and say hello, share, find or request a recipe, upload pictures of your family and much more! I SO look forward to being able to interact with you in a more personal environment. Oh and you can be sure it'll be a fun place! ;-) Join the party: Rexanne's Community Forum  See you all there!

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Reader's Comments:
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Kitty had this to say about my new site, Ladies One & All:

"Looks nice and can't do any harm to remind people to act like human beings instead of total slobs ...."

LOL Kitty - OoooooKaaaaay!
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Joy wrote:

"I don't know how you manage to keep inspiring me but you do every month with your newsletter and your web site is probably the best resource online for everything parenting. Thank you so much for all the effort you put into your work!"

You are so welcome, Joy! While Rexanne.com, this newsletter and everything I do online is indeed "work," it is also a great labor of love. I feel honored to be able to positively touch the lives of my visitors and readers.
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OK, here's the scoop:

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--- Quote of the Month: Conversation means being able to disagree and still continue the discussion. - Dwight Macdonald

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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: Say What Chocolate Bars

Why not give the guests of your upcoming event the sweetest favors in town. Personalized candy Bars from Say What! Chocolates will be the hit of your party. From Birthdays and weddings to graduations, we have something for every occasion. If you don't see something that fits, let us know. We will design one for you, in most cases free of charge. Add pictures and text to create a candy bar that's all you!

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--- Parenting & Family Topic of the Month:  Re-establishing Communication with Your Teen
By Graciela Sholander
(originally published at Byparents-forparents.com)

When’s the last time you and your teen really talked? If you can’t remember, then it’s time to re-establish communication and rebuild a strong relationship with your son or daughter. It’s not too late to start now.

It may be that you and your teen don’t get the chance to talk much because of busy schedules. Perhaps when you do talk, it turns into an argument. Or maybe you’re talking, but your teen isn’t. Whatever your situation, the following pointers can help you open channels of communication with your teenager.

* Respect each other, even your differences. When your child was young, she believed every word you said. But as a teenager, she’s developing her own belief system. It’s normal for both of you to disagree sometimes. Instead of arguing over differences in opinion, create an environment where it’s safe for both of you to express your ideas. Give each other a chance to speak. Listen without making fun of what the other says. Even in the midst of your differences, look for common ground.

* Pay attention. When your teen comes by to talk, make eye contact. Put aside what you’re doing to let him know you’re listening. Show you’re interested by focusing on what he’s saying. Ask relevant questions. When you want to initiate a conversation, watch for cues that your teen’s receptive. If you see that he needs peace and quiet, give him space. Look for the right moment to talk.

* Add a touch of humor. Laughter IS good medicine for the body, mind, and soul. Keep things light to ease tension. Add humor to your conversations, as long as you’re laughing together and not at each other’s expense.

* Talk with your teen daily. Meals offer great opportunities for conversation. Every day, try to have at least one meal together with your teen. Take him out to lunch once in a while. Share something interesting you read or heard on the radio. When you say goodnight, spend a few minutes talking about how the day went for each of you.

* Write notes. If your teen won’t listen, break the ice with a note. Hand it to her or slip it under her door. Keep it short, simple, and from the heart. You could write something like, “I’m sorry,” “You’re AWESOME!” or, “Want to go out for ice cream?” If your teen has difficulty sharing her thoughts with you in person, suggest that she write them down. Give her a “Let’s Talk” journal and ask her to write whatever is on her mind, then invite her to share the journal with you when she’s ready.

* Validate and encourage. They may not show it, but teenagers love to be praised. Remember to regularly – and sincerely – point out your teen’s strengths. Praise something she did well. Encourage your teen in his endeavors. You’ll raise his self-esteem while opening the door to better communication.

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Graciela Sholander is the co-author of Dream It Do It: Inspiring Stories of Dreams Come True

Visit Graciella's site: Dream It Do It
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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: Easter Foods from Around the world

Whether you're looking for a traditional recipe Grandma used to make or inspiration to create a new traditional dish for Easter dinner, you'll find more than a few awesome recipes to inspire you on this site, from special breakfast dishes and Easter breads to desserts from various countries.

Bon Appetit!

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--- Advertisement: Great Arrival Easter Baskets

Make this Easter the easiest one you've ever experienced. Great Arrival Easter Baskets are very affordable, adorable and ready to ship. These are simply some of the best-priced, fun and beautiful baskets I've seen online. Everyone you love deserves a special Easter basket! Great Arrivals has a perfect basket for kids,  teenagers, adults and they're happy to do all the work for you.  

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--- Kid's Site of the Month: Easter for Kids

An array of Easter goodies for kids ... crafts, coloring pages, online games, stories, activities and a special selection of Easter books ... all for kids and parents. Fill your child's spring break time with online fun and Easter amusements.

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--- Freebie of the Month: Site Advisor

I highly recommend everyone install this wonderful application that works in Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers to alert you to  nasty practices that could occur on any site you visit. This will help keep your computer safe from harmful downloads, spyware, adware and potential mayhem. Kudos to the guys who created Site Advisor. I will attest to the safety of downloading this program. I'm using it, loving it and checking every link on my site to make sure I don't inadvertently lead anyone to an Internet mine field. As soon as you're finished reading this newsletter, install this. You'll be happy you did!

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--- Advertisement: Good Bulbs

Spring is upon us and the ground is coming out of deep freeze in many parts of the world. It's time to plant flower bulbs so your garden will be abloom with radiance and color. Good Bulbs features only hand-inspected, high quality bulbs that are guaranteed to grow. Gorgeous tulips (my favorites), lilies, daffodils and a number of other gorgeous flowering bulbs you can plant with total confidence are all at Goodbulbs.com, the Internet's trusted gardening source.

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--- Tip or Trick of the Month: Egg Hunt Ideas

Following and establishing new Easter traditions for our kids is such a big part of the holiday. While cruising Easter pages, I found the coolest site, highlighting Easter egg hunt traditions from visitors. These are endearing and some are absolutely brilliant. Your kids are sure to love one or any of these traditions if you choose to adopt one as your own: Easter Egg Hunt Ideas

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: Penny Savvy
(Because life is supposed to be fun!)

You know what a U.S. penny looks like, right? Uhmmmm ... prove it! LOL - See if you can guess which is the actual coin and waste some time. By the way ... I got it wrong! ;-)

Feed the kids first ...

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--- Featured Site of the Month: Rexanne's Community Forum

OK, a shameless exploitation of this space ... I know. ;-) I simply want to make sure you all have a chance to visit and register as members in "our" community forum, where you can meet all the other wonderful readers sharing this newsletter with you monthly. The forum is a fun, friendly atmosphere to mingle, post topics for discussion, add you input to the various topics, post pictures of your kids, your pets and generally join us in a close-knit community of parents and friends. I will be there regularly and look SO forward to being able to interact with you in a more intimate setting. Please join us today: Register to become a member of  Rexanne's Community Forum

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--- Advertisement:  Stupid.com

Not only can you shop for really silly presents at Stupid.com, but you can waste some time just browsing and giggling at the really dumb and fun merchandise they carry. I love this store! It always makes me laugh and giggle. Stupid.com is currently running a promotion through April 17 for a free Silly Turtle Hat (it's really silly and you'll love it!): Purchase at least $20 worth of stupid stuff and enter the Promo Code TURTLE during checkout. You don't need to put the Turtle Hat in your shopping cart while you are shopping. Just enter the promo code when you are checking out. Get a silly turtle hat for yourself or someone who will love it today!

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