The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist - Page 2 of 108 -

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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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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

Our First 24 Hours at the Lake

Indy and I are settling in for a few days visiting my parents at their lakeside home. It’s a fairly short trip. We left after church on Sunday and arrived in time for a…

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When to DNF a Book + 4 More Questions for Readers

Every time I write about reading habits, I think I’ve exhausted the topic.

Obviously that’s utterly ridiculous! We readers are a fascinating breed, and there are always more questions to ask about how (and why)…

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Reading
Jul, 27, 2026
53 Comments

Happy Things Friday: 24 July

That was a busy week.

Saturday was FULL of errands and prepping for camp until I eventually collapsed in bed for a nap.

Sunday was church, the World Cup Final, Belle had a friend over…

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Life
Jul, 24, 2026
42 Comments

Join Me: August Gratitude Practice + Free Printables

I’m hosting a little gratitude practice for August over at Lighthouse Keepers, my Patreon community, and I’d love to have you participate.

I’ve created two free printable trackers: one with 31 (short!) daily prompts and…

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Gratitude, Joy
Jul, 23, 2026
16 Comments

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