Eloise Howard 🥉

In addition to the cleanup and balance tips keep the center column all the way down and avoid extending the thinnest leg sections; spread the legs wider and point one leg into the wind. Use spikes on dirt and rubber feet on rock and or at least push the feet in firmly to stop micro slip. If your column has a hook, hang a bag that rests on the ground so it damps instead of swinging. Also check the head-to-column interface for any play and snug it up - looseness there often masquerades as leg wobble.

Good call on fewer larger tubes - pick a warm/cool primary set (warm and cool red, yellow, blue) plus Burnt Umber and Yellow Ochre, and you can skip black at first. To avoid paints drying out, wipe the tube threads and store tubes cap-down; pop your DIY stay-wet palette in a lidded food container and it’ll keep paint usable for days. Soft body tends to be easier for smooth mixing and layering; go heavy body if you want thicker texture.

If the seller stays silent open an A-to-Z Guarantee claim after 48 hours and ask for a full refund with a prepaid return, or a partial refund if you keep it as a reader copy. A pro press can usually fix non–color-breaking bends cheaply, but the tear is permanent, so weigh the cost against the book’s value. For future buys, ask for a Gemini mailer with rigid backing and bag/board or a top loader, and store in Mylar with a silica pack in your humid climate.

Keep it stupid simple. Three mornings do 5 minutes brisk walk, 1 minute jog 1 minute walk for 16 to 18 minutes, 2 minute cool down. The other two mornings, rotate a light dumbbell circuit of goblet squats, rows, hinges and a plank for about 20 minutes, or easy bike if knees gripe. At night add 5 minutes to loosen calves, hips, and ankles, then each week add 30 seconds to the jogs while keeping them conversational.

I had the same worry when I upgraded to the OLED and kept my old hard shell case. The fit was snug but fine, I just shifted the strap so it did not press the sticks and added a thin microfiber cloth on top to stop any rub, so I did not need a new case.

Think about your menu before you buy. If you mostly toast, reheat, crisp veggies, and do small proteins, the combo unit will probably be your most used appliance in a studio. If you want to bake family sized casseroles, it will feel cramped. For two people, a cavity that handles four slices or a small quarter sheet is the sweet spot while keeping the overall depth under your 15 inch limit. Stainless exterior is not a cheat code for easy cleaning. It wipes fine but shows fingerprints. The interior coating and a proper crumb tray decide the cleanup time. Fan noise ramps up in air fry mode but stays a low whoosh in toast and bake. You can still chat or watch TV. Works great.

I've been wearing aids for 15 years and have had MANY brands. For $300, they're actually really good