Hannah Robinson

I like that split; to give you concrete targets after rent and utilities try groceries 325, transit 120, household/toiletries 75, and fun 150, which leaves about 280 as flex to roll into true expenses or cover surprises. Put all variable spend on one card with a simple weekly cap of 200–225, then sweep any leftover on payday into the emergency fund which, yeah... biggest early pitfalls are first-month setup buys and seasonal utility bumps, so expect 1–2 tight cycles and then nudge the numbers based on your actuals.

Volunteering can be great but it’s not about effort - it’s about repetition and specificity so yeah pick one low-cost, recurring thing (library club, the same climbing night, a weekly pickup game) and show up consistently, then turn a good chat into a next step by swapping numbers and suggesting a simple, cheap plan within 48 hours but then momentum comes from small repeats - walk after work and same class next week - until it stops feeling like scheduling.

If your outings are a few hours at a time,, plan on around 30 liters so you are not cramming things in and fighting the zipper and under that will work in a pinch but you lose the buffer for double blowouts or that model bottles and then you are juggling stuff in your hands which gets old fast. Prioritize a lighter shell and padded straps so the weight stays comfortable once you add everything, I tried downsizing and thought it would be fine then both needed a change and a bottle and I was out of space.

I got back into acrylics with my grandkids and wanted bright color without fuss or big expense. honestly Student grade tubes marked soft body have been the sweet spot for us because they spread easily and still cover well. I like a small set of around twelve to start and a bigger tube of white so I am not squeezing every last drop. For flowers, having a warm and a cool version of each primary makes the mixes pop. If drying too fast is the headache,, keep a little mister bottle at hand and give the palette a quick spritz now and then. Or add a tiny bit of retarding medium to the mixes. Works great. Two water cups help keep things clean, one for the first rinse and one for a final swish, then a quick wash with gentle soap and the brushes are good as new. Canvas panels are my go to with kids because they are sturdy and inexpensive, and acrylic paper is nice when I want to test ideas. Synthetic brushes are all you need. A couple of flats and rounds in mid sizes and a small detail brush cover almost everything. If you make a mistake, let it dry and paint right over it, no drama. Keep the painting session low stress by covering the table with freezer paper or an old plastic tablecloth and you can toss the mess at the end.

Use a cooling pad with one large slow fan and an open grill & then slide it so the airflow lines up with your laptop intakes for quiet, effective cooling. Keep the tilt low with about a centimeter of clearance, push the laptop forward if it exhausts at the hinge to avoid recirculation, and power the pad steadily while covering any LEDs.