The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

Happy Things Friday: 21 November

Hi! I’m fine!! Everything is fine!!!

Life was just getting to be… a lot. It ended up feeling wonderful (and necessary) to take a few days “off” from blogging.

I continue to battle sleep issues which,…

Lather, Rinse, Repeat: Shower Habits

A random question for the interwebs.

When do you shower?

John recently came across a BBC article about the best time of day to shower. (According to experts, the “healthier” time appears to be the morning.)…

Happy Things Friday: 14 November

Happy Friday, friends. Another week is in the rearview mirror and I am counting all my lucky stars that we didn’t get the amount of snow many parts of Canada and the US have…

Top Five/Bottom Five: Frugal Choices

I love to save money for all sorts of reasons.

It’s satisfying. It feels like wise stewardship of our resources. And mostly because it frees up more money for things that matter to our family…

Hello, New Friends (and Old Ones Too)

So… yesterday wasn’t supposed to be a blog doubleheader. I was as surprised as you might have been to wake up to two posts on my blog. Clearly, I wasn’t paying enough attention to…

Ask Me (Almost) Anything, Blogging, Life, Personality Insights
Nov, 12, 2025
31 Comments

Sprouted Planners x (Optimistic Musings + Best Laid Plans) = Planner Giveaway

I’ve teamed up with my friend — and planner extraordinaire — Sarah Hart-Unger of Best Laid Plans (the podcast) and Best Laid Plans Live (the in-person planning conference) and Best Laid Plans: A Simple…

Giveaway!, Planning
Nov, 11, 2025

Ten Frugal Things Lately

ONE | I continue to buy reduced produce. I find arugula rarely goes slimy (unlike spinach). If spinach is on the cusp of turning slimy, I toss it into the freezer and use it…