Book Review: If You Were Me and Lived In ... Australia (An Introduction to Learning About Other Cultures)

Oh my gosh. This book is super cute! We are obsessed with Australia around here anyway so when I got the chance to read this to my kids for bedtime and homeschooling purposes I was so excited! Here's some info about this book my kids really loved:

Former social studies teacher Carole P. Roman has penned a new addition in her exiting explorations of foreign cultures and customs with “If You Were Me and Lived in … Australia". In her years as a teacher, parent and grandparent, Roman noticed that there were few, if any, books about other cultures for young children. Roman has remedied the deficit and now introduces the new Australia installment in a series that educates kids, parents and teachers, alike. 

Roman recognizes that children love to discover the differences and similarities of other people and places in far-off lands. In this series, she describes details that kids can relate to. Tailored to children from 3-to-8-years old, her writing is simple but does not talk down to youngsters. 

Among the topics that are introduced in this journey to Australia are the unusual indigenous animals, the extraordinary Great Barrier Reef, the currency, the beloved game of cricket and the national holiday, Australia Day, as well as the special nicknames people have for one another and the curious taste sensation, Vegemite. 

“This series is just enough facts to begin a discussion without overwhelming the child and can be expanded or contracted to fit the age group,” Roman explains. 

"Carole P. Roman has created a marvelous premise for her series of educational children's books: young readers are given the opportunity to realistically envision a foreign country without leaving their homes, libraries, or classrooms....Roman's formula allows for so much lovely variety in each book of this series that it hardly seems like a formula at all...If You Were Me and Lived in ...Kenya is a short, vibrant picture book, brightly illustrated in cartoon style. The text is scant, appropriate, and does not deviate from the central theme." ForeWord Reviews Clarion Review

Here is the purchase link.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Jamberry Nail Wraps Fundraiser #Stir4ACure

I'm doing an Alex's Lemonade Stand fundraiser where if you purchase anything from my Jamberry site using the Alex's Lemonade Stand fundraiser link (should be highlighted for you to click on here in this post), I will donate 15% of your sale out of my own commission to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to help find a cure for childhood cancer.

If sales go over $500, I will donate 20% of my commission.

If you don't personally need any nail wraps, please consider contacting me to purchase a set of Jamberry Juniors so I can donate them at Children's Mercy Hospital here in Overland Park, Kansas.

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I have 5 healthy children. I don't know why that is; it just is. And so my heart goes out to those families who are dealing with the horrific situation of having a child with cancer. Let's raise some money for the cure. Let's buy some jams for the kids. My girlfriend and I are going to see about taking our kids to Children's Mercy to put jams on kids there. If we aren't allowed to take our own kids there, we will go, just the two of us, to maybe even provide a couple of hours of fun and pretty for the girls (and their moms and sisters, etc.) there. And if we happen to find some parents who will let their son wear some cool jams, then even better!

 THANK YOU!

#Stir4ACure

Even Glow Serum - Antioxidant Skin Treatment - 20% Vitamin C by Valentia Skin Care Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. l.

I love this product!

I love my job as blogger sometimes sooo much. I love when I get to put lovely things like Valentia Even Glow Serum with 20% Vitamin C on my 42-year-old face.

When I get out of the shower each morning I put this on my entire face and neck. And call me crazy, but I think I look great after using it. My skin does not look tired or dull. I look happy and young and super awesome, if I do say so myself. After it dries, which takes seconds, then I put on a little bit of heavier moisturizer. I've had problems before with things reacting badly with my skin and causing issues, and sometimes it's products with a lot of chemicals and sometimes it's actually things that are natural.

I have had no problems with this product at all. It smells good, it's easy to use, it feels good going on and my skin loves it. I haven't broken out while using it and my skin is not all oily and shiny ... even though it's summertime and hot.

Highly recommend and here is the link to buy.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers..

The McLoughlins Go on the Road Day Three! #VacationInBranson

No wonder I lose weight on vacation: it's always go go go and when we are chilling out I just stick my face in a book, which I NEVER get to do at home. We don't have cable at home so when we take a bit to chill in a hotel room it's all about the Cartoon Network or Disney Channel or Joel does love his special shows like River Monsters (we love to do the accent). So here is Wednesday, day 3 of 5 of our vacation!

Hanging out in the morning. We did more hanging than usual because Mr. Kerrie's back was not up to par and he needed to be flat sometimes.

Since we were up "early" every day (for us) to make breakfast at The Tower Grill, we decided to go ahead and go to Moonshine Beach for a bit before riding the ducks. It's a pebbly, rock beach and only like $5/day ... playground, bathrooms, covered picnic tables, PERFECT!

Gratuitous Jamberry Nails shot. I'm sorry, people, but I freaking love these things because they stay on in water and sand and everywhere else.

Soon after hopping on Ride the Ducks Eva was sacked out on Daddy. See that quacker? Yeah, that's going to be some serious noise in my house in months to come. They should come with earplugs. Anyway, last time we rode the ducks Eva was just a baby in 2008.

View from the top of the tour route

A military vehicle graveyard, for lack of a better term.

Callie drives the duck ON WATER!

Joel is captain now!

We made Michael do it too!

And of course Sam wanted to drive it.

Daddy and ducklings.

Mommy and ducklings.

Why stop there for the day? Let's go to the waterpark! Right, Sam?

Um, this is one of my older boys coming down this scary as crap DARK, twisty slide. I could only do it once but Mr. Kerrie and the boys would not stop.

More lazy river action with kidlets for Daddy's back.

The view from our 2nd floor room ... a beautiful sunset and time to chill for sure.

The McLoughlins Go on the Road Day Two! #VacationInBranson #RonaldReagan

Tuesday in Branson found us with a hodge podge of things to do. Everyone asked us before we went if we were going to a show or White Water or Silver Dollar City and we were like NOPE. I would love to do all those things (Dixie Stampede!), but they cost a lot of money, so not right now. If we are going to drop a wad of cash, we are going to do it at Promised Land Zoo or on Ride the Ducks. And we did. But those are other days so stay tuned! Here's Tuesday in pictures.

Making our lunch before heading out saved a ton of cash

Joel and I dropped everyone off at Stockstill Park and went to WalMart for swim suits. Nothing fit busty me, but Joel found something right away and we did some more damage there before coming back to the park to have our lunch

Michael and Callie playing with "toadrums" ...capture the tiny frogs then let them hop out of the bowl they found at the creek. When I was their age I loved tadpoles caught from Yogi Bear's huge basket at the old Jellystone Park in Branson

Crick fun

At Castle Rock Waterpark day one and I got the kids Dippn Dots, which I never do

Later we did Bumper Boats. Eva impressed us by getting in a boat alone b/c of stupid mean rules and she didn't want to do it but she did it anyway and had a blast. Sam and I rode together and all got WET! Wild Woody's has a mean female manager, though ... just sayin'. She was super rude to my family.

At Dessert Station across from Andy's ... please support them! They are family owned and have been there 20 years! Look for the huge Ronald Reagan and tell them Kerrie sent you!

Ice cream rocks!

Gotta get another Ronald Reagan shot. Good dude.

Here's Day One in case you missed it
And what we think of Castle Rock Waterpark