Author: Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout's mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
Hello 2018 photo of Ularu Australia taken by Terumi

New Year Goals (Hello 2018!)

January 2, 2018

So here we are on the first day of 2018 and I love how shiny new a new year feels.  There is sun and sparkly light in Seattle today and already that is something to be thankful for.  And how many of us are still trying to savor the blur that was 2017?  (Both my […]

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Looking for last minute gifts in Seattle and beyond

Are you a last minute shopper who still needs gift ideas?

December 21, 2017

I totally get you!  I’m a last minute shopper too and there are still a few places you can shop and get what you need in time for the big day. Now is the time I start shopping at places that use shoprunner two-day shippingor who have the ability to order online with in store […]

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Where to eat at Seatac Airport-this is Lady Yum

Five delicious places to eat at Seatac Airport

December 15, 2017

Are you headed through SeaTac airport any time soon? I totally wish I was! We are finally getting our air travel plans for the new year together but until then I need to travel vicariously through anyone who gets to go on a trip in the next little while.  I recently visited the airport not […]

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A place to play with STEM building toys in Seattle with kids

A place to see all the computers in Seattle (The Living Computers Museum and Labs)

December 8, 2017

I had a year’s membership to the Living Computer museum and I didn’t even know this museum existed. Because we had a MoPop membership we kept seeing information that it included a year to the Living Computers Museum and Labs. For some reason I thought it would be just a place that grownups could go […]

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Holiday decor at the lobby of the Pan Pacific for the Whistler Day Spa

A solo mom afternoon on a family trip to Whistler

December 4, 2017

I have created this post in partnership with PrAna and the ideas and opinions are my own. Sometimes you find a brand that just clicks right with your soul.  PrAna’s mantra of being ‘clothing for people who live fully, play long, and travel well’ speaks to me and I love that the clothing I’ve tried […]

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Napkins from Minted make great gifts

More than cards at Minted for your holiday shopping

November 28, 2017

I’ve partnered with Minted to check out their holiday shopping ideas in exchange for credit on their site and as always the ideas and thoughts in this post are my own. Have you checked out Minted lately?  I was in Target recently and noticed a new wall display with gorgeous cards by Minted artists.  I’ve […]

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Walkway to hidden Noguchi Garden from South Coast Plaza

Shopping Outside at Noguchi Garden and South Coast Plaza (Orange County, California)

As I frantically scan the internet and virtually shop for cyber Monday deals, I’m wondering how many people truly opted outside for Black Friday? Do we really hate shopping all that much or is there is a difference between shopping to see innovative and beautiful things and shopping aimlessly hoping to get a deal on […]

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Tacoma Museum Pass for families in Tacoma to see museums

An experience gift idea for families in Tacoma with the Tacoma Museum Pass

November 18, 2017

Who else is trying to find more ways to give the gift of an experience rather than something tangible this year?  As someone who gets a lot of joy from adventuring, I’m always on a quest for a way to share this with the people I love too.  I was really excited when I heard […]

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Hotel Andra Lobby in Seattle

A tech filled lunch that helped me with my holiday shopping and might help you too!

November 14, 2017

I was a guest at a Techlicious and Consumer Technology Association event In Seattle to lunch and learn about tech gift ideas for the holidays and as always the ideas and opinions in this blog are my own. I’m not always the earliest adopter of tech.  Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed and feel like […]

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Fancy Cars at Seattle Auto Show

Checking out Electric and Hybrid Cars at the Seattle Auto Show 2017

November 10, 2017

I attended a media event to preview the Seattle Auto Show so I could check out the electric and hybrid cars and as always the opinions and views on this blog are my own. The 2017 Auto Show is in Seattle this weekend and I was so excited to check out the new electric and […]

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Instagram Stories help make decisions

A few things I’ve got my eye on in Seattle and beyond thanks to Instagram Stories

November 8, 2017

Doesn’t it feel like we have the whole world at our fingertips lately?  I so love Instagram and the community it creates.  Last week I was at Costco and I saw an awesome-looking snack from Nature Valley and I wasn’t sure if I should buy it.  I asked about it in my Instagram Stories and […]

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Cabin life in the mountain with kids

Heading to the mountains with our new portable speaker

November 3, 2017

This post is sponsored by Verizon however the thoughts and opinions in this post are mine.  I’m watching snow flakes float out my window on the EARLIEST snowfall I’ve ever seen in Seattle in years-are you as excited as I am to start the weekend already?  And even though we’re only getting a dusting here, […]

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Tuft and Needle mattress showroom in Seattle

Why I need a whole new bedroom now thanks to my mattress

November 1, 2017

I am going to have to overhaul my bedroom.  This all started with an invite I received in my email from Tuft and Needle for the opening of its brand new Seattle store.  This online mattress company from Phoenix was coming to Seattle and wanted influencers to check out their new brick and mortar store in […]

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Make way for duckling in Boston with kids

How many nights do we need in Boston with kids in tow?

October 25, 2017

Forgive me if I never realized that Boston Massachusetts was a family travel destination. On a flight in August this summer I almost thought we had mistakenly boarded a flight to Disneyland instead of Logan international as the flight was packed with families headed to the East Coast.  Why were so many people traveling to […]

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Obasan by Joy Kogawa

Advent Calendar shopping on a Monday

October 23, 2017

It is such a blasé Monday because I just came back from my 20th reunion in my hometown with family and friends and Monday is hitting me so hard.  When this happens I try to add a little excitement to my life to make me feel better, so today it’s all about advent calendars for […]

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Hot Cocoa and snowy northwest weekends

Hot cocoa and snowy northwest weekends for the win!

October 16, 2017

I used to dread the period between October and February a little in the Pacific Northwest.  The days get shorter and we go for weeks on end with chilly, wet, dreary weather.  During stretches like this it’s easy to wonder if we’ll ever see sun-filled days again.  But then a few years ago we went […]

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Zulily celebrates national women's small business month

Women’s Small Business Month at Zulily

October 13, 2017

There are so many world-renowned businesses that have their roots in Seattle and when I see their names in other places when we travel it’s hard to believe that these companies ever started small. When I drive past the zulily headquarters on the way to Pike Place Market, this business is no different. I remember […]

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Tiny Home Otto at Thousand Trails Leavenworth

A tiny home community where you can stay overnight in Leavenworth

October 11, 2017

One of my favorite parts of travel is that you get to stay somewhere that is NOT your home and through our travels we have stayed in many different types of accomodations. Before we had kids, we used to camp a lot.  If I had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, […]

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Hotel 116 with kids

A great hotel choice for my Vancouver friends when they visit Seattle

October 3, 2017

Yes, Vancouver friends, I know you said you’re visiting Seattle but I know that you really might want to stay in Bellevue.  If visiting “the mall” is on your itinerary and you are headed south to shop and hang out, Bellevue is becoming more and more of a shopping hotspot and I have a great […]

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Purple Cow Backpack World Rummy Game

Family travel tools to help you on World Tourism day

September 27, 2017

Yes, there are millions of theme days nowadays, but today is one that is dear to my heart.  There is nothing like travel to make the big wide world feel smaller and more like a interconnected community and I would rather have a handful of travel days in my heart than any materials things.  That […]

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