The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

Schooling Without School: Help Me Pull Together a European Learning Plan!!

Today is all about crowd-sourcing. I need your help!

Two weeks from now, WE WILL BE IN EUROPE, which means the kids won’t be in traditional school for literal months! (Though with all the snow…

Parenting, Travel
Feb, 23, 2026
79 Comments

Happy Things Friday: 20 February

The crunch is on, friends. Two weeks from now is our final full day in Canada. Eeks! This is really happening.

I feel like I’m overloading everyone with with Happy Things/FIGs, so I’ll try…

More Frugal Things…(These Post Titles Aren’t Very Creative)

Life has been hectic this week, and I was coming up empty in terms of post ideas. Writing about frugal things is always a good fall-back plan.

At first, only two things came to…

Frugality
Feb, 19, 2026
37 Comments

Fresh FIGs: Gratitude Collective Week #2

For anyone joining for the first time—welcome! Here’s a peek at last week’s basket of fresh “FIGs”.

Before I dive into the literal dozens of FIGs we’ve collectively gathered over the past seven days, I…

If It Broke Tomorrow: 10+ Things I’d Replace Immediately

In no particular order, here are ten things I would (want to) replace the very next day if they broke. (I’ve included some links, but none of these items are sponsored or affiliate links.)

(I’m…

Favourite Things, Personality Insights, Random
Feb, 17, 2026
63 Comments

Who’s the Dentist in Your Family?

A few weeks ago, Lisa texted a group chat about one of her sons losing a tooth, and how she helped with the final extraction process.

Kae immediately replied that tooth removal grosses her out….

Happy Things Friday: 13 February

Hi friends.

This week was a wild ride. John left in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday to head to South Korea (his first time!), I woke up to say goodbye and…

Schooling Without School: Help Me Pull Together a European Learning Plan!!

Happy Things Friday: 20 February

More Frugal Things…(These Post Titles Aren’t Very Creative)

Fresh FIGs: Gratitude Collective Week #2

If It Broke Tomorrow: 10+ Things I’d Replace Immediately

Who’s the Dentist in Your Family?

Happy Things Friday: 13 February

Hi! I'm Elisabeth...

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Happy Things Friday: 1 May

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