Poppy Ward

Three months is a good rule of thumb but if your bristles splay in 6–8 weeks it often means you’re pressing too hard - ease up and let the brush do the work or use a pressure-sensor model if you have one. Rinse the head well and let it air-dry upright without a cap; trapped moisture can shorten bristle life and harbor germs. Also, softer or third‑party heads tend to wear faster, so your real-world interval might be closer to 6–10 weeks.

Solid plan - I’d build the emergency fund to 5–6 months first given the job uncertainty. Extra payments on a 5% student loan won’t reduce the required payment lenders count in your DTI so cash on hand does more for approval than a slightly smaller balance right now. Keep the EF and house fund in separate accounts with auto-transfers and and if you use T-bills, ladder short maturities so everything is liquid well before closing.

Clear grit with a blower first and then brush and and clean smudges by putting a little solution on a cloth and wiping gently from center outward; if needed, a light breath and dry buff works only when the glass isn't very dirty. Keep the lens in a clean compartment and wash your hands to avoid dust and fingerprints.

Love the 3x10. To make it week-by-week keep the sprints but rotate focus: week 1 G-C-D one-minute changes and straight down-up at 60–80 bpm; week 2 add Em/Am and accent 2 and 4; week 3 learn a two-chord song, and tack on a 5-minute theory snack after practice like the key-of-G chord family or counting subdivisions. Track progress with a simple tempo ladder - when you get 60 clean seconds at a tempo, sticker it and bump 4 bpm - and a 15-second phone clip on day 1 and day 7.