Gregory Campbell

Good tips. I’d also check the drive coupler on the base and the socket under the jar - if the rubber teeth are chewed up or the coupler is loose it’ll chatter and shake, and that part is cheap and press-on to replace. With it unplugged, spin the blade by hand: it should turn smoothly and stay centered; if it feels gritty, wobbles, or a blade is bent, replacing the blade assembly or jar is usually an inexpensive fix. Lastly, make sure the retaining ring under the jar is snug - sometimes a quarter turn stops the rattle.

Co-sign your one-variable and deload. What kept my knees happy was alternating run and bike days and keeping runs quick-cadence/short-stride while lifting with 2–3 reps in reserve. also use a floors-before-ceilings rule: a 10-minute minimum “still counts” but I only progress a knob if I hit that floor at least three times that week.

I like the replaceability rule; I pair it with a container limit: pick the space each category gets (one shoebox for cables one bin for keepsakes), load your favorites first, and anything that doesn’t fit goes. For maybes, seal a quarantine box with a date 30 days out; if you don’t break the seal by then, donate the whole box without re-sorting. To fit your hour, do 40 minutes on a single micro‑zone and 20 minutes bagging and moving donate to your car so tomorrow starts fresh.

Hey Rowan, Starting out, you want student grade acrylics that feel smooth, blend without fuss, and dry in a reasonable time so you can layer and fix mistakes. A kit that includes canvases and basic tools saves you a run to the art store and lets you start painting right away. For an easy all in one pick, Nicpro paint set hits a great balance for beginners. You get 24 colors to explore different palettes and 8 canvas panels so you can practice multiple pieces without running out. The paints handle well for learning, and while the white tends to run out first when mixing, grabbing an extra tube later is an easy fix. It's a solid, low stress way to jump into acrylics.