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I have to call this an #ad or else X will get mad at me but i'm just an amazon associate finding actually useful things for good deals""
Medicare's open enrollment period runs October 15 to December 7. In that window anyone with Medicare can change their health plan or drug coverage for next year. Your plan's Annual Notice of Change shows what is changing. Still fits? No action needed. Source: CMS.
Vienna, solo, in November: the Rathausplatz Christkindlmarkt opens Fri Nov 13 (daily 10-22, to Dec 26) and its Eistraum ice rink starts the same day. Before that: Schönbrunn's market is already open (daily 10-21) and Stephansdom's south tower is 343 steps.
Hair oil is not a heat protectant (Amber & Oil's journal)
Heat protectant before the iron, oil after
Blow-drying: 1-3 drops (thicker hair 3-5), mid-lengths and ends
Flat iron or curling iron: skip the oil first
After your hair cools: 1-2 drops, press over the ends
ambernoil.com
The grace period is the gap between your statement date and the due date: pay the full statement balance by then and you typically owe no interest on purchases. Carry a balance and many cards drop it. Cash advances never had one. Autopay the full balance. benefitguardian.org
Frizzy hair? Pick the heaviest oil your hair can carry without going flat (Amber & Oil's journal)
Fine or straight: light oil, 1-2 drops
Wavy: medium-light, 2-4 drops
Thick or curly: 4-6 drops
Ends first, glide flat palms down
ambernoil.com
A credit card skimmer is a small hidden device on a real ATM or gas pump that copies your card as you insert it; the terminal still works, so you notice only when strange charges appear. Look and wiggle the reader first, cover the keypad, or tap to pay. More: benefitguardian.org
Braids or locs? Keep the scalp oil light (Amber & Oil's journal)
You can't wash as often, so what goes on stays. Heavy oils collect lint and build up
Light: jojoba, grapeseed, hemp seed, pumpkin seed
2 or 3 drops along each part, 2 or 3 times a week
ambernoil.com
Amsterdam, solo, mostly free: walk the Canal Ring (UNESCO since 2010), find the Begijnhof's hidden 14th-century courtyard, then take the free ferry to NDSM Wharf for street art. Vondelpark is free too.
hungrybelly.pages.dev/amster…
SNAP changed on Nov 1 in 4 states: Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia no longer let SNAP pay for some soda, candy or energy drinks (list differs by state).
Who may qualify, how much: unchanged. Worth checking your state's list first.
benefitguardian.org
New York, solo: the Bryant Park Winter Village rink runs to Feb 28, free entry with a ticket (skate rental extra), and from Nov 19 to Jan 3 it stays open till midnight. Also free: the Staten Island Ferry, 24/7.
hungrybelly.pages.dev/newyor…
How to oil your hair, the whole method (Amber & Oil's journal)
1. Dry or lightly damp hair, never dripping
2. Warm it in your palms. Ends first
3. Wait 30 min to overnight
4. Shampoo onto the dry, oiled hair, then add water
ambernoil.com/blogs/journal/…
Paris, solo, for $0: Notre-Dame is free to enter (book a free time slot), Sacré-Cœur is free and open daily till 10:30pm, and the 4.5 km Coulée Verte garden on an old rail line costs nothing.
hungrybelly.pages.dev/paris/
Will SNAP be paid in November? Yes, for now (as of Nov 1).
1. Federal funding law covers SNAP through Dec 11, 2026
2. November: your state's usual day
3. December: deposits after Dec 11 are the open question
4. "SNAP stops in Nov"? Worth checking the date
benefitguardian.org
London, solo: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland opens Nov 19 and runs to Jan 3. Off-peak slots are free, but you still book an entry ticket. Free all year: the Natural History Museum's whale hall and Tate Modern's galleries.
hungrybelly.pages.dev/london…
Squalane vs squalene: one letter, a real difference (Amber & Oil's journal)
Squalane = hydrogenated squalene, so it keeps well in a bottle
Clear, no scent, very light
Short or fine hair: 1 to 3 drops on mid-lengths + ends
ambernoil.com/blogs/journal/…
Vienna, solo, in November: the Christmas market at Schönbrunn Palace opens Nov 6 (daily 10-21), and the Rathausplatz Christkindlmarkt with its ice rink starts Nov 13. Before that: Naschmarkt's 120+ stands (Mon-Sat) and 343 steps up Stephansdom's south tower.
Wrong charge on your card? You can dispute it.
1. Never made it: call your issuer now
2. Charged twice or never arrived: merchant first, then issuer
3. FTC: in writing within 60 days of the first bill with it
4. You can hold back the disputed amount
benefitguardian.org
Boston, solo, for $0: walk the 2.5-mile red-brick Freedom Trail, then explore Bates Hall at the Boston Public Library for free. The Public Garden is free (the first public botanical garden in the US), and Arnold Arboretum is free and open daily.
Castor oil vs Jamaican black castor oil: same seed, two ways to make it.
Regular: cold pressed, pale gold, very little scent.
JBCO: roasted, crushed, boiled. Dark brown and smoky.
On hair they feel much the same.
ambernoil.com/blogs/journal/…
San Francisco, solo, for $0: walk the Golden Gate Bridge on the east sidewalk, then hike the Lands End clifftop trails above the ocean. Presidio Tunnel Tops is free with bridge views, and the Cable Car Museum is free entry.
hungrybelly.pages.dev/sanfra…
