The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist -

Happy Things Friday: 15 May

Happy Things Friday, Euro Adventure, MayBloPoMo, Travel
May 15, 2026
0 Comments

We’re in our final stretch of time here in Helsinki—we leave Wednesday evening for Sweden which feels impossible. Maybe time keeps flying because life feels so busy. I managed to get sick again (for anyone keeping track, this is my second bad cold in Helsinki) and my sleep continues to be hit and miss (one…

Visiting Linnanmäki: Helsinki’s Amusement Park

I guess we’re becoming amusement park people? There are a few amusement parks in Finland, but the most famous is Helsinki’s Linnanmäki.

Going even feels a bit virtuous because it’s actually a non-profit organization that…

Travel, Euro Adventure, Helsinki, MayBloPoMo
May, 14, 2026
5 Comments

I’M ON A PODCAST + Europe on a Budget Dispatch #3 — What’s Saving Us Money

Apologies for the caps lock in your feed reader this morning, but I was a guest on the fantastic podcast The Finance Girlies and I finally get to tell you about it because IT…

Travel, Euro Adventure, Frugality, Guest Post, MayBloPoMo, Podcast
May, 13, 2026
32 Comments

My Review of Big Time by Laura Vanderkam + A Giveaway

For Mother’s Day, I knew exactly what I wanted: a relaxing day spent alone (the key ingredient in my plans for relaxation) on the couch in our apartment.

There were two loads of laundry thrown…

Reading, Blogging, Friendship, Giveaway!, MayBloPoMo
May, 12, 2026
30 Comments

Never Have I Ever…Part 17

Tried fresh sugar cane. (Jenny mentioned this recently and I immediately knew it would go on my next Never Have I Ever list.)

Gone skinny dipping.

Followed a vegetarian or vegan diet for an extended period…

A Special Guest Post by Belle: Experiencing Europe as a Teen (+ My Favourite Travel Destinations)

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone celebrating—or being celebrated—as a special woman. Here’s to mothers who birthed us and, equally, to the women who have stood in place of biological mothers to love and nurture…

Guest Post, Euro Adventure, MayBloPoMo, Travel
May, 10, 2026
14 Comments

Helsinki’s Open-Air Museum: Seurasaari

Finns love to be surrounded by nature. Most families own a remote cabin on a lake (there are close to 200,000 lakes in the country, so there’s plenty of room for everyone). So it…