Valentineโs Day is just around the corner.I canโt believe January flew by so quickly โ how is it already mid-February? ์ด์ ๊ณง ๋ฐ๋ ํ์ธ๋ฐ์ด๋ค์.์ธ์์, 1์์ด ์ด๋๋ก ๊ฐ๋ ํ๋๋ฐ ๋ฒ์จ 2์ ์ค์์ด๋ผ๋ ๋ฏฟ๊ธฐ์ง๊ฐ ์์์. Last Friday, I attended a Galentineโs Day cake decorating event at Fleur Studio.For those who donโt know, Galentineโs Day (Girl + Valentineโs Day)โฆ
I didnโt post on Instagram for a year.It wasnโt a dramatic decision. I didnโt announce a break or plan it carefully.At some point, I simply stopped. Life felt full enough without documenting it.I wanted to spend my energy living, not showing. Looking back, that year wasnโt an absence.It was a return โ back to myself.โฆ
Back to Blogging, After a While. Itโs been a while since I last wrote here.More than a month, actually. I want to share our trip to Hawaii in December! Escaping the cold, gray days of Seattle, we flewโalmost impulsivelyโto sunny Hawaii.This end-of-year family trip came with no strict plans, no packed itinerary.Just one simple intention:โฆ
Most of my days look exactly the same. Drop my kid off at school at 8:30 AM โ head to work. Get off at 4 PM โ pick up my kid โ play at the park โ dinner โ bath โ bedtime. By the time I put my little one to sleep, I often end up falling asleep first.
With life revolving entirely around my child, itโs so easy to forget about the things I love or the places I enjoy. But recently, I had an evening where both my favorite things and places came together perfectly. It was none other than dressing up and dining at a chic restaurant with friends.
We decided, โIf weโre finally meeting, letโs go somewhere pretty!โ and found El Encanto, a newly opened Mexican restaurant right by the lake in Kirkland. (Fun fact: Kirkland is the birthplace of Costcoโs โKirkland Signatureโ brand. With its stunning lakeside views, itโs also known for its high-end real estate.)
The moment we arrived, the setting was magicalโwarm summer evening, golden sunset over the lake, and a beautiful modern Spanish-style interior. Minimal, airy, and tastefully done in white and wood tonesโjust my style.
While trendy restaurants in the U.S. often offer a variety of mocktails, tonight called for a classic Margarita. ๐น And the food? Absolutely delicious.
Our favorite was ceviche with plantation chips, and grilled octopus dish.
Of course, a rare night out means photos are a must. My friendโs polka-dot dress and my black-and-white outfit made for a perfect color comboโphotos turned out beautifully.
Since moving from LA to Seattle, my biggest struggle has been finding restaurants that fit my taste. In LA, I was spoiled with endless hip, beautifully designed spots. Seattle has fewer options that check all my boxesโuntil now.
El Encanto had it all: food, view, and interior. Catching up with friends, sipping margaritas, and watching the sunset over the lake left me feeling completely recharged.
Somehow 2025 is already coming to a close.Time moved so fast this year that I honestly donโt know where it all went.But as I look back, I wanted to take a moment to deeply thank myself for everything Iโve carried, survived, and created. 2025๋ ๋ ์ด๋๋ง ๋์๋ฝ์ด์์.์ ๋งโฆ ์๊ฐ์ด ์ด๋ ๊ฒ ๋นจ๋ฆฌ ์ง๋๊ฐ๋ ๋๋ ์ถ์ ๋งํผ ํ ์ง๋๊ฐ๋ฒ๋ฆฐโฆ
Itโs finally my favorite season of the year โ Christmas!This year, Iโve been attending so many Christmas parties that I havenโt been able to blog as much as I wanted. Today, Iโm excited to share a little story from our pink-themed Christmas party, which we hosted for Leoโs daycare friends a couple of weekends ago.โฆ
Last weekend, we went and visited Seattle Aquarium. We were all excited for the new renovated aquarium. It was a such a fun family outing. ์ง๋ ์ฃผ๋ง, ๊ฐ์กฑ ๋ชจ๋๊ฐ ๊ธฐ๋ํ๋ ์์ ํ ์์ฟ ์๋ฆฌ์(Seattle Aquarium)์ ๋ค๋ ์์ด์.๋ฆฌ๋ ธ๋ฒ ์ด์ ๋ ์๋ก์ด ์์ฟ ์๋ฆฌ์์ด ์คํํ๋ค๊ณ ํด์ ์ ๋ง ์ค๋ ๋ ๋ง์์ผ๋ก ์ถ๋ฐํ์ต๋๋ค.์ค๋๋ง์ ๊ฐ์กฑ๋ผ๋ฆฌ ์ฆ๊ฑฐ์ด ์ฃผ๋ง ๋๋ค์ด์์ด์. Seattle Aquarium https://share.google/xvkx6Fvjzj10CyEJ7 Tickets:Adult ticket is $50, and kidsโฆ
If you’re staying in Waikiki, this beach is right at your doorstep. I loved the beach in front of Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa โ itโs protected by seawalls, so the waves are gentle and the water stays shallow. Great for kids!
๐ก Parking Tip: Skip the overpriced hotel parking and park at the Honolulu Zoo lot โ just $1.50/hour (max 4 hours), and theyโll text you when your timeโs almost up so you can extend from your phone. Amazing.
On the windward side of Oahu โ this beach is breathtaking. Soft white sand, turquoise waters, and the iconic Mokes in the background. Just note that itโs a residential area with limited parking, so go early.
Iconic hike with panoramic views. Hike is not too intense, but the road is not paved all the way, and have stiff staircases at the end of the course. Not a stroller friendly, and wear your sneakers and bring water.
๐ก Reservation: you have to make a reservation for parking & Entrances! see below link to make a reservation and plan your trip. https://gostateparks.hawaii.gov/diamondhead
Waimea Botanical garden & water falls
Easy hike with waterfall. Beautiful easy hike through the botanical garden. Fun part of this hiking is you can jump into the water at waterfall. Bring your swimsuit and get ready! Entrance fee is Adult, $25. Senior ; Adult, $10.
Emotional, educational experience. If you are into WW2 history, this would be a great experience. It takes a half of the day to visit all the museums inside. There’s 4 sights you can visit – USS Arizona Memorial, Battleship Missouri, Aviation museum and submarine museum. To visit USS Arizona memorial, you should make a reservation ahead for the boat tour. Entrance fees for each museums are different, check the website.
Once home to the last monarchs of the Hawaiian Kingdom, this historic palace offers a fascinating glimpse into Hawaiiโs royal past. Advance reservations are required for the interior tour, so be sure to book online before you go. A must-visit for history lovers!
Book one! Itโs magical and fun experience. Crab & steak dinner with cocktails, and enjoy hula dance shows with beautiful sunset.
Whale watch snorkeling
North Shore Day Trip Plan๐๐
If you’re thinking about visiting the North Shore, it’s about a 45-minute to 1-hour drive from Waikiki โ so I highly recommend renting a car for the day. Itโs totally doable as a one-day trip, and if you plan ahead, you can hit all the must-see spots and make the most out of your North Shore adventure.
๐ฟ Waimea Valley Start your day early to beat the heat and enjoy a peaceful walk through the beautiful botanical gardens. The waterfall at the end is such a refreshing treat โ bring your swimsuit if you want to take a dip!
๐ค Giovanniโs Shrimp Truck A total must! Grab their famous garlic shrimp plate for lunch (so good), and while you’re there, check out the other food trucks nearby โ lots of yummy options!
๐บ Haleiwa Town This cute little town is perfect for walking around. Stop by Matsumoto Shave Ice for a classic treat, and donโt miss the Snoopy store for fun souvenirs.
๐ฆ Dole Pineapple Plantation Before heading back, swing by the Dole Plantation to browse the shop and treat yourself to their legendary pineapple soft serve. It’s a classic Hawaii moment.
What do you think about my recommendations? It feels great after I wrote down all the places I went. Made me wanna go back to Hawaii again soon. Do you have any other recommendations? Please share with me on the comments!
A few days ago, I shared a little story on Threads about living with my in-laws.I honestly didnโt expect such a warm responseโฆ but so many of you left the kindest comments, and it truly meant a lot to me. ๐ฅน ๋ฉฐ์น ์ ์ ์ค๋ ๋์ ์๋ถ๋ชจ๋๊ณผ ๊ฐ์ด ์ฌ๋ ์ด์ผ๊ธฐ๋ฅผ ์ฌ๋ ธ๋๋ฐ์๊ฐ๋ณด๋ค ๋๋ฌด ๋ง์ ๋ถ๋ค์ด ๋ฐ๋ปํ ๋๊ธ์ ๋จ๊ฒจ์ฃผ์ ์โฆ
As parents, the space we think about the mostโand the space our kids spend the most time inโis definitely the playzone. Today Iโm sharing the IKEA kidsโ items weโve been loving,plus a few extra pieces that make our play area feel warm, cozy, and functional.(All product details are listed below ๐) ์์ด๊ฐ ์ง์์ ๊ฐ์ฅ ์ค๋โฆ
We escaped to Hawaii with Leo, my parents and my brother and soaked in every warm, slow moment. It was chaotic, beautiful, and everything in between. Traveling with toddler is not easy, but definitely worth it. I loved watching Leo having so much fun at the beaches and get so excited with all the activities we did together. Hereโs what we loved the most โ in case you ever need a happy escape to Oahu.
๐ฝ๏ธ Where to eat (Mostly in Waikiki)
Dukeโs Waikiki
Iconic beachfront spot at the Outrigger resort. Coconut shrimp, galbi tacos, and cheeseburgers were all amazing โ but donโt miss the Hula Pie for dessert. Tip: Go for lunch to avoid the dinner crowds and enjoy the ocean view!
Honestly, we were surprised by how good the food was! There’s live music, pretty decor, and an open-air space overlooking Waikikiโs streets. Order the pork ribs and coconut shrimp โ and trust me, end your meal with the Piรฑa Colada Cake. So good.
Youโll see this chain all over, but the one inside the Royal Hawaiian Center was our favorite. Perfect spot for a macadamia nut latte, poke bowls, or an acai bowl. Bonus: Their shave ice (especially near the beach locations) is also really good.
๐ Coffee: 2301 Kalฤkaua Ave #C215, Honolulu, HI 96815
My favorite coffee spot in Waikiki. Their Kona coffee is smooth and rich, and the Kouign Amann is a must. Located in the International Market Place (bottom floor).
๐ Kuhio Mall Entrance, 2330 Kalฤkaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
A casual spot by Chef Roy Yamaguchi serving Hawaiian-Japanese fusion. Very family-friendly with live music and even complimentary kidsโ meals (yes, with guava juice!). We loved the miso-glazed dishes and pork belly bao. And the ramen was amazing.
Spam musubi heaven. So many varieties and perfect for a quick bite on the go. They have multiple locations โ just look for the one closest to you!
๐ 2330 Kalฤkaua Ave (Kuhio Mall Entrance)
Chez Kenzo Bar & Grill (Local Gem)
Chez Kenzo (Japanese Izakaya-style Pub) This place had such a fun local vibe. Go during happy hour (5โ7pm) โ all menu items are $9 and the portions are great for sharing. If youโre craving Japanese pub food at an awesome price, this is your spot.
One of our all-time favorites in Hawaii. Walking in feels like youโve been transported straight to Japan โ so cozy and authentic. They offer BYOB, so bring your favorite drink if you want to sip something with your meal. Donโt leave without trying their desserts โ especially the fried mochi with red bean. So good.
Perfect for big groups and big appetites! Theyโre known for their generous portions and Hawaiian-style comfort food. The kalbi, fried chicken, and fried rice are must-tries. Tip: Make a reservation โ it gets packed, especially with large parties.
There’s 2 locations, I usually goes to Kapahulu location.
Giovanniโs Shrimp Truck โ The garlic butter shrimp is signature dish you need to try in Hawaii, and Giovanni Shrimp truck is one of the most popular garlic shrimp truck. We tried Shrimp scampi, Hot& spicy shrimp and Lemon butter shrimp. They are all good, but Scampi was my favorite. Hot & Spicy is pretty spicy but addicting. You have to try, this place is the MUST!
These were my favorite places to eat in Oahu island. I will share places to visit in next post. Are you going to Hawaii? If you have any other recommendations in Oahu, please share with me!
Weekends are always for the park.When we decided to move to the Seattle area, it was mainly for one reason โto raise our child surrounded by nature. ์ฃผ๋ง์ด๋ฉด ๋ ์์ด ๋ฐ๋ฆฌ๊ณ ๋๋ค ๊ณต์์ ๊ฐ๋๋ค. ์์ ํ๋ก ์ด์ฌ ์ค๊ธฐ๋ก ํ ๊ฐ์ฅ ํฐ ์ด์ ๋์์ด์๊ฒ ์ข์ ์์ฐ ํ๊ฒฝ์ ์ฃผ๊ณ ์ถ์ด์ ์์ด์. Now, whenever we visit little playgrounds tucked insideโฆ
How about a matching scarf moment this winter?Iโm really into this kind of effortless, minimal styling โit looks cozy, warm, and still feels so chic. ๐ค ์ด๋ฒ ๊ฒจ์ธ์ ์ญ์ ์ด๋ฐ ์ ๊ฒฝ ์ ์ด ๋ฏ ์์ฐ์ค๋ฌ์ด ์ค์นดํ ์คํ์ผ๋ง์ด ๋์ธ์ธ ๋ฏ!์ฝ์งํ๊ณ ๋ฐ๋ปํด ๋ณด์ด๋ฉด์๋, ์ธ๋ จ๋ ๋ฌด๋๊ฐ ๋ฑ ๋ด ์คํ์ผ ๐ค Try pairing your scarf with your jacket inโฆ
Summer Playdates & Sweet Moments at Bellevue Downtown Park
This morning started bright and early โ I was up before Leo, packing a little snack bag for his playdate with his friend, Sena. I kept it simple and fun: homemade inarizushi, fresh fruits, Go-Gurt, overnight oats with berries (a.k.a. our “mush”), and a handful of animal crackers.
After daycare, we headed straight to Bellevue Downtown Park โ one of our favorite local spots. In the summer, they open up a water play area thatโs such a hit with kids. Itโs complete with a little waterfall and lots of space to splash around. Leoโs been a few times, but this was Senaโs first visit, and it was so fun watching them take it all in together.
The park itself is a little gem in the middle of the city. Thereโs a big loop where you can stroll around the lake and waterfall, and if youโre lucky, spot a few duck families gliding by. Right next to it is a huge playground with all kinds of fun rides and climbing structures. Itโs always buzzing with happy energy.
What makes it even better? Itโs walkable from Bellevue Square Mall, and nearby youโll find treats like Molly Moonโs Ice Cream and Nanaโs Green Tea โ perfect for post-playdate pick-me-ups. Matcha for the moms, ice cream for the kiddos. Win-win!
Leo and Sena had the sweetest afternoon together โ running around, giggling, and just being their joyful little selves. Leo especially loved Senaโs family dog, Aldo, a 10-year-old cockapoo who joined us on our walk. Leo was so proud to hold the leash and gently pet him while we strolled around the park. (somehow I didn’t get a good photo of them together laughing.. next time, I will try to capture the moment.)
One of my favorite parts? Watching Leo and Sena interact so kindly โ taking turns, chasing each other around, and laughing like they didnโt have a care in the world. When it was time to say goodbye, they hugged ten times. TEN! My heart melted.
Days like this are what summer is all about โ sunshine, simple joys, and watching our little ones make sweet memories together. Weโll definitely be planning another playdate soon.
Welcome! Iโm Ran, your favorite K-Mom friend. ์์ฆ ์์ ๋น ์ง ํ ๋ค์ผ ํคํธ ๐ ๐ป I found the perfect mom-friendly nail kit โ and honestly, everyone thinks itโs my real nails. ๐Every time I wear them, someone says, โYour nails look so pretty!โ ์ด๊ฑฐ ๋ถ์ด๋ฉด ์ง์ง ๋ค๋ค โ๋ค์ผ ์ด๋์ ํ์ด?โ ๋ผ๊ณ ๋ฌผ์ด๋ด!๊ฐ์ง ๋ค์ผ์ธ๋ฐ ๋๋ฌด ์์ฐ์ค๋ฝ๊ณ ์๋ป์โฆ
Everyoneโs been showing off their Trader Joeโs mini tote bags today โ so of course, I went out after dinner to see if I could grab one too. ๐ But apparently my neighborhood moms are on another levelโฆ totally sold out! Not even one left. So instead, I picked up a few other little treasures toโฆ
One thing Iโve learned after becoming a mom is this: always expect the unexpected.
This morning, I dropped Leo off at daycare like usual. But not even three minutes later, his teacher came rushing out to tell me that his left eye looked slightly pink, and they were concerned he might have pink eye. Oh no. That one scares me โ it’s so contagious.
So I had to turn around, bring him back with me, make a last-minute doctorโs appointment, and call my boss to update her that I might not be able to come into work today. Leo, having no clue what was happening, was just his happy self โ excited to come back home.
Honestly, I was frustrated. My Monday was completely thrown off. I wanted to start the week fresh โ I had so much to do at work, and I had even dressed up cute in a floral dress. But instead, I was carrying a toddler into a doctorโs office in my “Monday best.”
The doctor checked his eye and said it looked very mild. She couldnโt prescribe any medication and didnโt think it was pink eye โ but I still had to keep an eye on him for the next 24 hours in case symptoms worsened. So no daycare for Leo today. I was relieved it wasnโt serious, but also overwhelmed knowing Iโd be watching him all day while juggling work from home.
This kind of thing happens all the time. It always seems to hit when I least expect it. I was 100% sure this would be a โnormalโ Monday. Iโd go to work, Leo would go to daycare โ simple. But life had other plans.
Iโm trying to learn to let go of control and flow with these moments. Itโs hard for me. I like planning. I like routine. But motherhood teaches you quickly that control is an illusion โ especially with little ones.
That said, I realized today is actually a beautiful day. The sun is out, and I can take Leo swimming this afternoon. Heโs still little. He still wants to spend every minute with me. And one day, he wonโt.
So instead of fighting this unexpected Monday, Iโm going to embrace it. Enjoy it. Because these moments โ even the messy ones โ are part of the magic of being a mom.
Take it slow, grasp this moment.
Beautiful view from our pool today. It was a perfect day for swimming.Leo got ready with his floaty when I told him we are going to the pool.Blackberries were everywhere around the pool house!Leo enjoyed the fresh blackberries at the pool
As you know, Iโm a fashion designer โ and I love to dress up. But what I love even more is dressing up my kid. ๐ฅฐI try my best not to go overboard with shopping since kids grow so fast and most clothes only last a few months. But stillโฆ I canโt resist picking upโฆ
Last week, Leo and I flew to Hawaii, just the two of us, to spend about a week on vacation with my family. I was a bit worried since my husband couldnโt come with us, but in the end, I feel like I made some truly precious memories with my family after a long time apart.
One thing Iโve realized while raising a child is that the most meaningful memories arenโt always the big events or grand milestones like people might think โ theyโre often the small, happy moments. I think other parents might feel the same.
In Hawaii, the moments that stand out most are things like all of us splashing around in the ocean together, Leo excitedly eating shaved ice, or my parents smiling happily while enjoying delicious food.
But, if I had to pick just one unforgettable moment โ it was definitely the hike up Diamond Head. Oh my… that was a real adventure. ๐
Even though Iโd been to Hawaii four times before, I had never made it to the top of Diamond Head because I always forgot to make a reservation in advance. Not many people may know this, but you must reserve both your entry and parking ahead of time in order to hike the trail.
This time, since I was with family, I finally made the reservation. But hereโs where I messed up โ I only trusted people saying the hike was “easy” and didnโt look into the details… So we began the hike with Leo sitting comfortably in the stroller โ totally unprepared.
Not long after we started, the paved road ended and the real hiking trail began. As we started climbing over rocky paths, I immediately thought, โUh-oh… this isnโt going to work.โ
In the end, my dad carried Leo on his back while my brother and I awkwardly lifted the stroller from the front and back โ which turned out to be way harder. We gave up after less than 10 minutes and just abandoned the stroller right there on the trail (!).
We had booked the 2โ4pm slot, and oh boy โ it was so hot. The sun was beating down, and the dry, sandy ground was slippery. To make matters worse, we had just come from the beach and were all wearing Crocs โ big mistake. ๐
Whoever said the trail was easy clearly wasnโt hiking with a toddler. The incline was steeper than expected, the ground was dry and slippery, and poor Leo was struggling in the heat. We tried to give him water, but he wouldnโt cooperate. As we got closer to the top, there were lookout points with great views, but the railings werenโt the safest, and Leo kept insisting he wanted to climb down by himself. It was nerve-wracking.
And then, near the summit… a massive flight of steep stairs. We each held one of Leoโs hands and climbed step by step, slowly and carefully.
the abandoned stroller at the trail ์ค๊ฐ์ ๋ด๋๋์ด ์น ์ ๋ชจ์ฐจStiff stairs before the tunnel. this wasn’t the last one. ์๊พธ ๋์ค๋ ๊ฐํ๋ฅธ ๊ณ๋จ. ์ด๊ฒ ๋ง์ง๋ง์ด ์๋๋ผ๋.
But wow โ when we finally reached the top, it was breathtaking. That view alone made it all worth it. Now I understand why everyone raves about Diamond Head. The ocean stretched out in a stunning 180-degree panorama, blending into the sky with the most beautiful shade of blue. And the view of Waikiki Beach from up there? Absolutely gorgeous.
We were drenched in sweat, but the climb was worth it. Even my sister, who had been complaining the whole way up, was happily taking photos and chatting away on the way down. I felt a little bad for putting everyone through it, but in the end, I think the challenge made the experience even more memorable.
Once we made it back to the parking lot, we shared fresh fruit smoothies and a fruit bowl before heading off for dinner โ tired, happy, and full of stories.
Reservations are required if you want to hike Diamond Head. You can make them at the link below. Youโll get a two-hour parking window in either the morning or afternoon. The hike itself takes about 30 minutes up and 30 minutes down โ around 1 hour total.
Welcome! Iโm Ran, your favorite K-Mom friend.Blending my Korean roots with everyday mom life, I love sharing practical tips, K-mom recipes, self-care routines, and family moments that inspire joy and balance. ๐ Itโs getting cold and rainy here in Seattle, and Iโve been loving the crisp air and the beautiful autumn leaves.With this weather, Iโฆ
Itโs officially pumpkin season in Seattle! ๐The mornings and evenings are getting chilly, but the daytime still feels warm and cozy. You can see autumn all around โ the colorful leaves, crisp air, and that golden sunlight that makes everything feel magical. I love pumpkin season, so we decided to visit Carpinito Brothers Farm inโฆ
Hi World. Iโm Ran โ a mom, a wife, and a fashion designer living in Seattle. This is my personal journal โ a place to record life, motherhood, and the little things.
Ever since I was little, Iโve loved writing in a journal. But one day, I just stopped. There wasnโt any special reason โ I was simply too busy with everyday life. Work, travel, parties, boysโฆ distractions were everywhere.
Then I met the one, and life got even busier. We got married, went on our honeymoon, had a baby. We moved to a new city and started a brand new chapter as parents.
Life has never been this full โ and honestly, Iโve often felt overwhelmed by all the changes.
One day, I was watching Leo (my almost 2-year-old boy) sleeping, and I started tearing up. I suddenly felt like time was slipping through my fingers. He has grown so fast this past year and a half โ and I feel like I havenโt even had a moment to sit down and truly take it all in.
So here I am. Iโve decided to start writing again โ to capture all the little joys Iโm experiencing each day. Iโm not aiming for long, polished entries. I just want to preserve the moments.
Five minutes a day. Thatโs my goal. Thatโs what The Slower Days is about.
The Slower Days 