Janice Watson 🥉

Unplug it and let it cool, damn then give it a thorough descale. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water, fill the reservoir, start a brew, pause halfway for 20 minutes & then finish the cycle. Run two or three full tanks of plain water to rinse until the vinegar smell is gone. Easy fix most times. If it is still struggling, check the drip stop under the brew basket. The little lever that the carafe presses can get sticky with dried that model, so move it back and forth and rinse it well. Look at the sprayhead where water comes out over the grounds and clear any tiny holes with a toothpick. Make sure your filter is seated flat and the lid clicks fully shut so water routes correctly. Another culprit is grind that is too fine. If the bed turns to sludge, water backs up and the machine seems weak. Try a medium grind and a normal dose. If the water never heats and you don't hear any gentle gurgling, the heater or thermostat may be failing, and at that point a repair shop estimate will tell you if it is worth saving.

Bending usually comes from tight tension and thin flexible needles. Loosen your stitches and grip and knit in short bursts to keep them cool, support the end against your body, and store them flat away from heat.

Hi Amanda, the cleanest approach is proportional contributions based on take‑home pay. Add up the shared monthly costs, then each person pays a percentage equal to their share of the combined after‑tax income. Example: if you take home 6,000 and your partner takes home 3,000, together that is 9,000, so you cover 67 percent and they cover 33 percent. If shared costs are 2,400, you would contribute 1,600 and they would contribute 800. Open a joint checking just for shared bills and set all shared bills to auto‑pay from it. Each of you sets an automatic transfer on payday for your share so you never have to tally week to week. Decide what counts as shared versus personal up front. Most couples put rent and utilities, internet, household supplies, and basic groceries in the shared bucket, and keep personal subscriptions, hobbies, clothing, and eating out on individual cards. If one person wants pricier groceries or an upgrade, use a simple rule that the base item is joint and any upgrade difference is paid by whoever wants it. Use one shared credit card for groceries and household items so you do not need to keep receipts, and let the joint account pay that card in full monthly with a small buffer. Recalculate the percentages when salaries or fixed costs change, or do a quick check once a year. This stays fair without nickel and diming because each person contributes in proportion to what they earn while you both keep the rest of your money separate.

Compare liquidity mechanics, not just yield. Bank CDs allow early withdrawal with a defined penalty, brokered CDs do not and must be sold, which can mean a loss. Verify minimums, compounding method, grace period length, and whether auto-renew is on by default. Avoid callable CDs and any product that says promotional rate with a short teaser window. Time how fast you can pull money: ACH cutoffs, weekend delays, outbound caps, and whether internal transfers are instant. Model worst case by assuming you need funds in month four and see which option costs less after penalties and delays.

Bring the board and pump inside or into the shade so temperature is stable. Hook up a reliable gauge such as on a bike shock pump with the right adapter and inflate to your chosen number between 12 and 15. While holding that pressure look at your hand pump and note exactly where its needle sits then draw a tiny mark on the lens or ring so you can hit that spot every time. Next sessions you just pump to the mark. If you launch into cold water expect to lose a bit and if the board was in a hot car expect a bit more.