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The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

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The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

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Tween and Teen Allowance and Income: Our System for Giving, Saving, and Fun Money

  • Money, Budget, Parenting
  • Aug 6, 2026
  • 19 Comments

A few weeks ago, in a Happy Things Friday post, I mentioned wanting to come up with a more robust savings plan for Belle. She’s been babysitting fairly frequently, and while I love that she’s earning her own spending money, it suddenly felt like time for a better system. She can earn a fairly significant…

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Recent Frugal Wins (Including Free Cheesecake and Discount Sneakers)

A quick(ish) post for your Wednesday with some recent frugal wins.

Free Anniversary Cheesecake

The restaurant where we go to celebrate our wedding anniversary each year always asks (when we’re making a reservation) if we’re celebrating…

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  • Frugality
  • Aug, 05, 2026
  • 22 Comments

On My Shelf: Books Read July 2026

For years—ever since starting university—my reading stats have absolutely tanked over the summer months.

Because I was doing so much intensive reading during the academic year, I wasn’t thrilled at the thought of reading…

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  • Reading
  • Aug, 04, 2026
  • 20 Comments

Never Have I Ever… Part 19.

I’m almost at the 20th edition of this little blog series, which means I’m within arm’s reach of listing 200 things I’ve never done!

Maybe when I get to Part 20, I’ll post all 200…

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  • Never Have I Ever
  • Aug, 03, 2026
  • 38 Comments

Happy Things Friday: 31 July

And just like that, we’ve reached the end of July. While the kids still have over a month before they head back to school, it feels like we’re beginning to amble down the runway…

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  • Happy Things Friday
  • Jul, 31, 2026
  • 24 Comments

How We Planned for 110 Days in Europe: Our Itinerary + Travel Planning Tips

At the end of our 110 days in Europe, I put out a call for reader questions. Because there were so many—and a fair amount of repetition—I’m going to answer them thematically spread across…

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  • Travel, Ask Me (Almost) Anything, Euro Adventure, Planning
  • Jul, 30, 2026
  • 16 Comments

Best Things to Do in Vienna: Hidden Gems, Family-Friendly Attractions + Easy Day Trips

We spent a full month living in Vienna as a family, and that gave us time to visit a lot of famous landmarks, check out different museums, use the public transit system (repeatedly!!), eat…

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  • Life
  • Jul, 29, 2026
  • 4 Comments
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    Recent posts
    • Tween and Teen Allowance and Income: Our System for Giving, Saving, and Fun Money

      August 6, 2026

    • Recent Frugal Wins (Including Free Cheesecake and Discount Sneakers)

      August 5, 2026

    • On My Shelf: Books Read July 2026

      August 4, 2026

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