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)
real simple weekend La Jolla

A mom and me Real Simple Weekend trip to La Jolla and now I’ll love that magazine forever

February 12, 2024

“Why am I crying again?” I hear someone behind me whisper as all of us are in a room listening to yet another inspiring and tear-jerking panel of speakers at the Real Simple Weekend conference in La Jolla. I don’t know if I should really call it a conference or maybe it was more of […]

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shop kidpik clothing for 2T-16

Have you ever shopped Kidpik? They have a big sale this week

February 11, 2024

I received products to try from Kidpik and as always the opinions in this blog post are my own. I don’t think Kidpik was around when my kids were little but I’ve seen it pop up in my instagram feed lately so I know the name and maybe you do too. I thought they were […]

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Broadway in Seattle at the Paramount

All the Musicals coming for the 2024/2025 season with Broadway in Seattle

February 8, 2024

The other morning at pottery class I heard a song that I heard in Ain’t too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations which was our favorite musical last season. And then I got a message in my inbox that the 2024/2025 Broadway in Seattle season was just announced and there are so many […]

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How Seattle locals shop in Pike Place Market

Where do Seattle locals shop in Pike Place Market?

February 7, 2024

I recently posted stories on my instagram during a morning adventure at Pike Place Market with a friend and had a lot of messages about where we went so I thought I’d write them up here. I know a lot of tourists wonder if we Seattleites really go to Pike Place Market. Many of us […]

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London from Seattle for Thanksgiving to see the holiday lights

Yes, three nights can be a long enough in London from Seattle for Thanksgiving

February 3, 2024

We have entered the stage in our life where time or lack of it totally dictates our lives. With two busy teenagers at two different schools we only have a few holidays that actually match up and maybe this is you too. Recently we had the Thanksgiving weekend to work with and literally only that […]

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Domes Zeen Chania by Marriott on Crete family bungalow with teenagers

Marriott Domes Zeen Chania is a fantastic family hotel on Crete in Greece

February 1, 2024

As long as you can find the entrance, the Domes Zeen Chania on Crete in Greece is a fabulous place to stay. I think everyone we saw there was with a family, we even spotted a family wearing a Seattle shirt (and to my family’s horror, I asked, and they were not from Seattle, a […]

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Westin Whistler during winter holidays

Westin Whistler vs the Fairmont Whistler for a skiing vacation with kids

January 22, 2024

First of all, I need to clarify that I currently travel with teenagers. We are a family of four and our twin boys are 15. We also often travel with our Yorkie Poo (and our pup was welcome at both hotels but we did not bring him when we went to the Westin Whistler). We […]

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Seattle mariners stadium in the stadium district one of our cool Seattle neighborhoods

Seattle neighborhoods you need to know about if you come here for a visit

January 18, 2024

Before I moved to Seattle over 20 years ago now, I used to live in Vancouver Canada and we would often come to visit Seattle on shopping trips. Most of these adventures took us to downtown Seattle or Northgate or to eat at the Fisherman’s restaurant on the Waterfront. But I didn’t really get to […]

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family fun in pioneer square seattle

Family Fun especially on a Thursday in Pioneer Square Seattle

January 12, 2024

We’re always passing through Pioneer Square in Seattle, for school, for soccer games, for events at the stadiums so I really appreciated that the Pioneer Square Association invited my family to learn more about the area with a stop at Zeitgeist Coffee: a long-running coffee shop in the area, a Beneath the Streets tour and […]

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Klondike Gold Rush National Park in Seattle

Klondike Gold Rush National Park-a National Park in the heart of Seattle

January 5, 2024

There were maybe two other people in the Klondike Gold Rush National Park when we visited so we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. Unlike most National parks, this one in the center of our city is not a traditional outdoor park. This place is more like a visitor center and museum. And […]

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museum of flight

Connections and why you should enroll your kid in a Museum of Flight Summer Camp if you live in Washington state

December 19, 2023

You don’t always think that a summer camp might change your life, but in our family we absolutely know it can. My husband and I met years ago when we were camp counselors in college in Canada and it’s one of the reasons why we ended up where we are in Seattle today. But we […]

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Astra Lumina in Seattle

Astra Lumina in Seattle on a clear night after Christmas might be a very “worth it” thing to do

December 15, 2023

Is it worth it? I always get asked when I go to experiences in Seattle. Seattlelites are very wary about how they use their money and time. And I was a little curious too when I got the invite to Astra Lumina. It’s an immersive outdoor experience in Seattle’s Chinese Garden, a place I had […]

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shopping the holiday handmade craft market at Pike Place Market

Shopping the Handmade Craft Market at Pike Place Market

December 13, 2023

We haven’t yet been to the Christmas Market at Seattle Center and I’m not sure if we’ll get there this year-I’m mostly intrigued because of the Ukrainian Borsch at the European Foods stall. There are also pop-up markets all over the city and they’re exciting but also we only have so much time to see […]

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Eagle by Alexander Calder in the Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park

Calder: In Motion at the Seattle Art Museum

November 13, 2023

I always love the story behind the art in our city and if you go to Calder: In Motion at the Seattle Art Museum this exhibition has a really beautiful connection. This exhibition is part of an ongoing gift from the Shirley family to the Seattle Art Museum and it has a goal of helping […]

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Ballard Blocks Community Donation Drive for Ballard Food Bank

November Ballard Blocks Donation Drive

November 3, 2023

I’m so glad that Ballard Blocks is hosting its community donation drive for the Ballard Food Bank again and I’m helping to promote this on my instagram this month so I thought I’d share here too in case you want to learn more. My son goes to school in Ballard and this is where we […]

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ceiling at Louix Louis at the St Regis in Toronto

The time we stayed at the St Regis in Toronto in summer on an Eastern Canada trip

October 27, 2023

I think I was feeling all the “my babies are in high school-they’re going to be gone forever” desperation feelings in summer when we booked our Toronto trip on what was supposed to be a weekend of visiting friends in Montreal. Somehow I let my 15 year old son take over the trip planning and […]

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day trip to Bainbridge Island from Seattle for a soccer game

A day trip to Bainbridge Island because of soccer

October 15, 2023

Maybe your kids will have a sports game at Ballard High School from Seattle one day too or maybe you just need an excuse to visit Bainbridge Island. It’s so incredibly close to Seattle-only a 30 minute ferry ride and it even has a bridge that attaches it to the mainland so you’re less likely […]

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Harry Potter Magic at Play in Bellevue Washington at the Bravern

Know before you go: Harry Potter Magic at Play at the Bravern

October 11, 2023

Here’s to another fantastic immersive experience by the Fever group. We’ve now been to their indoor Friends Experience as well as their outdoor Astra Lumina Experience and both have been innovative and fun. I thought Harry Potter Magic at Play in Bellevue (about half an hour east of Seattle) would be more for the 10 […]

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farms near Seattle like Suyematsu Farm on Baindbridge Island to visit in the Fall

All the farms near Seattle we want to visit in October

October 4, 2023

No to a fall bucket list this year-who needs that kind of stress? I just wanted a place to keep notes about some special farms near Seattle we might want to visit this fall. October is such a great season at farms in the Pacific Northwest as they are filled with pumpkins, corn and apples […]

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window of ground floor room at Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel at PDX

Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel might be good value if you have a soccer tournament at Delta Park

October 2, 2023

Even if you don’t have a soccer tournament, you might check out the Sheraton Portland Airport for a comfortable, safe-feeling place to stay in the Portland area. I have Marriott Platinum Bonvoy status with my Bonvoy Brilliant card and if you do to, this hotel has a lounge so that is currently included with Platinum […]

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