The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

Good Enough (Or, Why I Mop at Night)

Our floors always need mopping. They’re an aesthetically-pleasing blonde colour of laminate that is an absolute nightmare to keep clean. The finish shows every water spot, sweaty sock print, and speck of dirt (light…

Habits, Home, Life
Apr, 17, 2024
30 Comments

A Day in My Life: Wednesday, 10 April 2024

A number of cool kids (Hi Nicole, Lindsay, Birchie…and more!) have been posting Day in the Life – or Week in the Life – recaps. I realized I haven’t done a single DITL post…

Habits, Home, Life, Personality Insights, Random, Time Management
Apr, 16, 2024
39 Comments

My Year of Shmita: March Update

I’ll be the first to admit these posts are tedious to write (and, perhaps, to read). That said, I’m glad to have this record. Also, it forces me to spend a bit of a…

Happy Things Friday: 12 April

How is it already the end of the second full week of April?

Last week was a busy one and I pushed too hard. I tried to prioritize self-care (writing here, walking daily, keeping…

Cool Bloggers Walking Club, Happy Things Friday
Apr, 12, 2024
32 Comments

Favourite Things: March 2024

Are you ready for it? (And yes, I totally have Taylor Swift belting that lyric out in my head…)

First up, a few travel favourites.

CLEAR TRAVEL TOILETRY BAGS

I think I got this idea (and maybe…

Barcelona: Planning, Getting There, What It Cost…and an Unexpected Footnote

I’ve recycled a bit of the text from my Rome travel summary because, not surprisingly, we plan trips in similar ways year over year.

PLANNING

At this point, we’ve settled on a fairly clear division of…

Barcelona, Organization, Planning, Travel
Apr, 10, 2024
30 Comments

My (Easter) Lesson In Being Easily Delighted

I am a pessimist. Really. It’s in the title of my blog and it’s so true. My natural inclination is to look on the negative side of life and situations. But as I get…