The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

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
12 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
34 Comments

My Review of Big Time by Laura Vanderkam + A Giveaway

*This giveaway is now closed… but if you didn’t happen to win, you should definitely find a way to get your hands on this book!*

For Mother’s Day, I knew exactly what I wanted: a…

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

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
19 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…