The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist

9 Recent Frugal Wins: Simple Ways to Save Money This Summer

I have completely dropped the ball on recapping frugal wins from our time in Europe. I wanted to post at least a few times a month. Oops.

I did manage to share Europe on a…

Frugality
Jul, 16, 2026
21 Comments

50+ Foods to Try in Europe: What We Loved (and Didn’t)

I thought it would be fun to do a culinary wrap-up from our European adventure. I also thought: this is going to be such an easy, fast post to write.

It. took. so. long!!!!

We aren’t…

Food
Jul, 15, 2026
24 Comments

In the Spirit of Full Disclosure…

Off and on, readers comment or e-mail me asking for links to things I mention on the blog. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly a walking billboard for clothing and makeup.

(Belle was…

Blogging
Jul, 14, 2026
33 Comments

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: What to Know Before You Go

One of the reasons we didn’t have much extra time to explore London was because we planned on taking a day trip outside the heart of the city to the Warner Bros. Studio!

Getting to…

Happy Things Friday: 10 July

Oh my days, it’s already the 10th of July. How did this happen???

It was a full week but also, overall, a good one. I like weeks that are full, but not overfilled. As…

On My Shelf: Books Read June 2026

As reading goes, this was a fairly quiet month. Days were busy, and I didn’t have much extra time for reading. My only concentrated time spent reading was en route back to Canada from…