The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

Happy Things Friday: 24 October

What a week! Life has had the usual range of ups and downs (John’s in Europe again; Indy has either sprained or broken his thumb playing tag on the school playground; I ran into…

Brain Dump, Part 2: Updates + Other Random Thoughts

First, a huge thank you for the solidarity and incredible treasure trove of advice on my recent brain dump post. I felt seen, supported, and energized to tackle some of the things on my…

Brain Dump, Random
Oct, 23, 2025
37 Comments

More Things I’ve Done…

On the heels of the 13th post in my Never Have I Ever series, it’s time to talk about more life experiences I have under my proverbial belt.

Used chopsticks to eat an entire meal….

Never Have I Ever, Personality Insights, Random
Oct, 22, 2025
31 Comments

Gratitude Guests: Meagan Francis on Parenting, Gratitude, and Leisure Pursuits

Happy Tuesday, friends. I’m so excited to welcome Meagan Francis to the blog today as part of my Gratitude Guest series!

If you’ve been around the world of motherhood media over the past decade, there’s…

Blogging, Gratitude, Guest Post, Parenting
Oct, 21, 2025
34 Comments

Cool Bloggers Walking Club: Week 2 Recap

For anyone just joining in, I’m cheerleading a group of people (bloggers and otherwise) from around the world who are aiming for 10 minutes of intentional movement each day in October.

(Here is the CBWC…