Finger Painting with Gallery 9 Premium Acrylic Paint

I recently got the opportunity to play with Gallery 9 Premium Acrylic paint set. A complimentary sample of the product was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

Because I'm not much of an artist (I make digital art, but not real-life art) and I couldn't draw a straight line if my life depended on it, we decided to just have some family time with this set and do some finger painting. The seller has assured me that the paint is completely non toxic and safe for my child to finger paint with, so we grabbed a couple of large, thick paper sheets from the art store and got the party started. 

First thing that you notice when playing with the Galley 9 paint is the absence of any kind of odor. It's great for body painting and finger painting with your children, but it's also perfect for all sorts of crafts. This is a water-based paint, made in the USA, designed to be safe and long-lasting, but also very easy to clean up. After we were done finger painting, it took me 20 seconds of washing in lukewarm water to clean my daughter's hands. The paint just kind of flaked off nicely, leaving no trace of color or smell. 

The colors are incredibly pigmented and vibrant. They just pop! They're also very blendable and velvety in texture. You only need a tiny drop of the paint to be able to smooth it out nicely. The thickness of the paint is just right - concentrated enough for extra vivid color and definitely not watery. 

The kid and I had lots of fun with these paints, and there is still plenty left for my little artist to practice her skills. We played with the paint for about an hour and covered one large sheet with colorful splashes, but the bottles seem just as full as before, so I'm pretty sure this set will last us a long time. I'm very pleased with the quality of these paints.

You can buy the paint here: Amazon ($19.99)

Giveaway:

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On horrible neighbors and sausage parties...

I hate having to deal with asshole neighbors. 

And that's the only kind of neighbors we seem to be getting lately. Are all neighbors assholes to each other? Seriously, are there no decent, reasonably kind, understanding and, well, normal people out there? Why do we always get horrible people as our upstairs or downstairs neighbors? 

You know, that movie with Seth Rogen and Zac Efron is only funny (though not really), if you're not  actually living it.

Moving is so not fun.

A month ago (well, a bit more than that, actually), we had to pack up and haul our asses to another unit, two buildings down, in the same apartment complex. 

Two-bedroom apartment worth of stuff (including three bookshelves double-stacked and few huge-ass boxes of advanced reader's copies) moved in one day, by my husband alone, on a day when the temperature was like -15F with windchill (we are freaking poor, we can't afford paying a moving company $200 per hour for a minimum of 5 hours). I had to take care of the baby, so I couldn't help much, other than packing and unpacking. It was f***ing ridiculous. Pure chaos and un-diluted exhaustion. And I so didn't want to do that. I did not need that disruption in my already busy and chaotic life... 

Sausage parties don't belong in family units.

So why did we feel like we had no other choice but to move? Cause we had a "sausage party" college-kids as upstairs neighbors, right above our heads, yelling, playing Wii (or some other life-sucking box of games), and partying till 3-4 am. And you know what that spells when you have a one year old baby? Yup, a fucking nightmare. A no-sleep-at-night and cry-your-head-off disaster. Well, we tried talking to them and asking politely, which only resulted in even more laughing and screaming at night (a very vindictive sausage party, indeed). So we then talked to the management, who pretty much gave us the equivalent of a middle finger and did absolutely nothing to help us. And so, with no other options left and growing increasingly agitated by the long, crying-filled nights, we moved... 

(But wait, there's more)

only to end up with downstairs neighbors equally annoying; if not more so. We are now in the upstairs unit, and apparently we are the ones bothering the asshats downstairs. Now, I don't call people asshats lightly, so hear me out. On the very first freaking day after we moved, someone comes knocking on the door. Husband opens. It's a middle aged Indian guy. He seems completely surprised at the fact that he is, in fact, upstairs knocking on our door, and so he starts by apologizing. Then he says "It is very loud upstairs, yes?". To which my husband replies "we just got up, the baby was walking around as we were sitting on the couch, I'm not sure what you mean..?" The guy seems even more confused, but he says. "It's ok, I understand" and skulks away. 

Later that day, the cable guy comes around to hook up our internet service. The Indian guy is back saying the very same thing. Baby was sleeping, the only thing making any noise was the cable guy walking around. Same story. We are, apparently, incredibly loud to the point it warrants a second visit on the same day.

The ridiculousness continues.

Day two: 7:30 am. Victoria wakes up, so I put her on my bed to change her diaper. I take maybe 3 steps across the room and then hear a series of very loud banging on the ceiling. It startles the kid and she starts crying. 

And then another neighborly visit in the afternoon, and the guy stating - again - what we already know: we are criminally loud. 

But the real fun begins when they - the guy and his wife - start banging kitchen cabinets on purpose and then slamming washroom door. They don't do it during day time, they wait till the kid goes to sleep and it gets real quiet in our apartment, THEN they unleash their childish fury. Like seriously, what are you, five? I would laugh in your face if it wasn't so freaking frustrating, because with every slam and every bang the kid wakes up. Is that really your goal here? Get back at the one year old kid for walking around. And what do you expect me to do, really? Chain her to her bed or teach her how to fly? It's just a little kid, for fuck's sake, she isn't purposefully stomping around or throwing things to disturb your inner zen or kamasutra, or whatever the fuck it is you're doing during day time instead of being at work. 

Be fucking civilized.

After the second day of banging on the ceiling my husband went downstairs and asked them - politely - to be civilized. He explained that the baby is just walking around, and she goes to sleep at 7pm and sleeps till at least 7am, and other than her walking around for a couple of hours per day, and maybe occasionally tripping on a toy and falling, there is no other noise. The guy got defensive, said he's sorry and that he understands. 

But the banging, the slamming, the knocking on the ceiling and the knocking on the door continues, so I'm pretty sure he doesn't understand and he isn't sorry after all. I feel like I can't breathe. 

So yeah, I king of hate people. No, not you, you're lovely, obviously, you're visiting my blog and reading my post, we are good! (Unless you're my downstairs neighbor, in which case, fuck you. Asshat.)

So here's an idea.

Why don't we all try to be a bit more understanding and accommodating to people around us. Maybe think outside of our little boxes and see past whatever there is on the surface of things. Being considerate isn't a terminal disease, it's actually - gasp! - a pretty good, nice and decent thing to do. 

I don't want to be negative or whiny, and I certainly don't want to be an asshole to others, but it's pretty fucking tiring on the long run. All I want is to take care of my own business. Make sure the kid is well-fed, has clean clothes to wear every day, sleeps well, grows healthy and is happy - that's my business. Whatever else I get to do - taking care of the dog, cleaning, cooking, maybe - if I'm extremely lucky - reading and reviewing something - that's a secondary thing, because my kid will always come first. And you, sir, are adding to the every-day stress of my life and preventing my child from getting sleep and, therefore, being happy. And trust me, you don't want to do that. Because I don't want to be an asshole, but I certainly will if I have to. 

God, I can't wait to be a house owner...

Teething in Style: Mulberry Teether

Got a teething baby? Welcome to the club! Oh the joys of sleepless nights (and just when you thought you could finally get some sleep, too, silly you!) and constant whining.. whining... whining... I won't lie, I was slowly approaching the point when I was willing to let my child chew on my phone, cause this seemed to be the only thing that a) held her attention long enough and b) was easy for her to grab and hold (my future tech whiz!). 

We tried many different chew toys - from the ones filled with liquid that you can toss into the freezer for the awesome (or awesomely short-lived?) cooling effect to the fancy shaped ones, like Sophie the Giraffe. The last one really is a nice chew toy, by the way, just not for a 5 month old baby that is still a bit uncoordinated and, therefore, fully capable of poking her eye out with it (true story). 

And then I discovered the wonderful Belly Dance Maternity and their Mulberry Teether bracelet/chewing ring. And while my life didn't get a whole lot easier - I still don't get much sleep and I'm still mostly covered in Victoria's various liquids from which her saliva is the most pleasant one - it definitely got bearable again. Hallelujah! 

We got the teether in turquoise and orange, because I know how much Victoria loves bright colors. It immediately caught her attention - shake that thing in front of her eyes and she's sure to reach out for it. The look is one thing, but the texture is just as amazing. I just love how soft the beads are. They're made from silicone and don't have any unpleasant smell. V loves chewing on them! They provide enough friction for her to be able to hold them without any problems. She seems very content just sitting there, chewing on her bracelet, for as long as 30-45 minutes at a time. Not even mommy's shiny new phone can hold her attention for THAT long. 

With all the other chew toys we've tried, Victoria would quickly get very frustrated. She's got Korean blood in her, mind you, so it doesn't really take long for her to get annoyed and throwing things around. This is by far the only teether she didn't get frustrated with. It's so easy for her to hold, put in her tiny mouth and chew, she really doesn't seem to have anything to be frustrated with at all. Moreover, looking at her sitting in her stroller or excersaucer, chewing on the Mulberry Teether, I can tell she's relieved and satisfied. She will chew on it until she gets tired enough to take a nap. Everyone is happy! 

I won't lie to you, I have my own agenda in owning this particular teether. It's stylish and makes for a fantastic accessory! I have tried wearing it a few times while carrying Victoria in the carrier, and she was happy to have something to chew on while we walked the dog together, or did grocery. It's really quite a convenient baby product. You don't have to worry about it falling to the floor and getting dirty, you don't even have to think about it, really, you just wear it, and baby will do the rest. 

Last, but not least, the Mulberry Teether doesn't contain any harmful substances, such as BPA, phthalates, cadmium, lead or metals. It's perfectly safe for your child to chew on, and that's always the first thing I check before I make any purchases. 

To sum it all up: The Mulberry Teether from Belly Dance Maternity is a product I feel 100% comfortable recommending to all moms. It's hard for me to even imagine a better teether for my baby. Give it a try and I promise you, you won't regret! 

Other colors:

Black&White | Green&Pink | Gray&Yellow

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of the product for testing. This did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Baby Victoria's 5th Month Update | Milestones!

So this post is a bit overdue, since Victoria's 5th month mark was on July 17th, but I am sure you all understand how busy life can get with a baby! And a dog! And a husband who is currently in the *study-or-die* mode, as he is getting ready for his dental boards exam that is in under a week from now (I mean, he's at home, but we don't even see him at all - he studies from 9am to 3 am!).

But I digress.

Victoria is growing so fast! It feels like just a week ago she was this tiny little bean who didn't know (nor care) what was going on around her. And now? She is all over everything. Suddenly, everything is a great chew toy - from her own adorable toes, to mommy's cellphone. Food is looking more and more interesting, especially if you can reach that colorful plate and knock it to the floor! She's drooling at a rate that makes me worried she'll get dehydrated. She's screaming at the dog, screaming at the toys, laughing at FRIENDS on TV.. It's just been an awfully eventful month and watching her reach milestone after milestone was more than rewarding and breathtaking experience. It was also delightfully entertaining, moving and unforgettable! 

Eating:

• She's eating anywhere from 4-5oz of formula (sadly, my milk has dried up completely in this past month, so we're doing exclusively formula now. She got 4,5 months of breast milk, and even though I was really hoping to keep it up till she was at least 6 months old, it just didn't work out. She's doing great on the formula, though, and did not have any problems switching or getting used to it.) 
• We have started her on rice cereal. She is eating 2 spoons with almost every bottle throughout the day, and 4 spoons of it with her last evening feeding, which really helps her sleep through most of the night. 
• We have started her on some solid foods, too. So far, she has tried carrot, apple and sweet potato. Sweet potato seems to be her favorite. She did not particularly like the Gerber Baby's First Food Apple, though she does love the REAL thing, so I sometimes puree some for her. 
• She eats every 4-5 hours now (just a month ago it was 3-4 h). 
• Only one night-time feeding, and only 4 oz of milk. Usually around 3:00-4:00 am.

Sleeping:

• She used to go to sleep around 8:00-9:00 pm, now she insists on doing that earlier with every day. I honestly don't know what's the deal here, but yesterday she went to bed at 6:30 pm. This seems to be her new routine.
• She sleeps from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am, with one night-time feeding which she usually half-sleeps through. 
• Ever since her acid reflux problem went away, she sleeps much better.
• She can't seem to make up her mind about being swaddled these days - she will do everything (and I mean EVERYTHING, the bed is shaking when she's kicking around in it) to break out of the swaddle, but she literally can't / won't fall asleep without it. So every time when she breaks out, I need to get up, swaddle her again, give her the pacifier and then go back to bed. This can happen anywhere from 5-10 times in a raw. Night-time workout anyone?
• Naps. What naps? She barely sleeps during day time anymore. It's like there's just SO MUCH TO DO and SEE! She naps for about 30 minutes in the morning 45 minutes around 1 pm, and 30 minutes in the afternoon (and that's if I'm lucky!).

Overall health:

• At her last check-up she was 16 pounds 5 oz and 21.3 inch long.
• Acid reflux is completely gone! Yay!
• No diaper rash, skin problems or any other health issues. 

Milestones:

• Tried solid foods & rice cereal.
• Laughed continuously for 3 minutes.
• Started grabbing at toys and, well, anything else within her reach. She is finally interacting with the excer-saucer toys. She is able to hold her chew toys and bring them up to her mouth all on her own, and she doesn't poke her eye with the teething giraffe anymore. 
• Managed to put her foot in her mouth (hey, it's quite an achievement!).
• Started noticing the dog. Before she would ignore him completely, now she's squeeling when she sees him and when he comes around to check on her (and he does that all the time). 
• Was able to roll over from back to side and from belly to side. But only a couple of times, for the most part she is still like beetle on her back. 
• She discovered her tongue and all the weird stuff you can do with it. 
• She is now able to sit in her washPOD all by herself without any support.

What else is new?

• She doesn't fall asleep in the stroller when we're taking a walk anymore. Instead, she looks around. Trees are her new thing, she is amazed by the them. 
• She had a picnic with her grandparents at Niagara Falls, and loved the trees there, too.
• She enjoys me reading to her playing cartoons on Amazon Vine. I try not to let her watch cartoons too much (maybe 15 minutes a day?), but it's definitely a fun time for her.