Solight Design's MEGAPUFF™ Solar Lantern & Phone Charger - Power Bank Sale & Discount Code

Many lessons were learned from Hurricane Lala, and one of the many was that solar and alternative power sources are critical in emergencies.

Solight Design, co-founded by Alice Min Soo Chun, creates solar lights and other products, offering consumers sustainable solutions when it comes to power. 

Solight Design's MEGAPUFF™ Solar Lantern & Phone Charger - Power Bank is one such product.  

It is currently on sale for $47.60 (retail is $68) through Sunday, August 23, 2026, and you can use discount code LIGHTAFTERLALA2026 for an additional 20% off (discounted price is $38.08). The discount code expires September 21, 2026.

You can also get free US shipping with orders of $100+, so order multiple for family & relatives, or join in with friends to make the free shipping minimum.

Details about the MEGAPUFF from the website:

• Origami Design: Pull the handles and twist to expand it open into a beautiful cube. Twist and push together the top and bottom to fold flat.
• Up to 150 Hours of light on low setting: Continuous lightning with 8-10 hours of charging in bright sunlight.
• Power Bank/Phone Charger: 4000mAh rechargeable battery gives up to 150 hours of light on low setting; 48 hours on high setting. Charges your phone from 2% to 80% in 1.5 hours.
• Water Resistant: Water Resistant cube when open, protection IP67. Can be left outdoors. If unit gets wet, dry out in the sun.
• Up to 300 Lumens: Continuous lightning with 8-10 hours of charging with sunlight OR Rapid charge in 2 hours with the USB-C cable included.
• Environmentally Friendly: Non-toxic and recyclable, no PVC.

Mahalo to Solight Design for the discount code!

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Visit Anchorage: Summit Spice & Tea Co.

On our last day in Alaska, we went to Summit Spice & Tea Company to get some omiyage.

Not only do they have an amazing selections of spices and teas, but their selection of Alaskan-made goods is quite impressive. 

Not only did I buy teas, but I also bought cookies, chocolates, smoked salmon, tin fish, baking mixes, and more - all made in Alaska.

They also have a curated selection of non-Alaskan made goods.

Summit Spice & Tea Co. was the best spot to shop for omiyage!

Summit Spice & Tea Co.

3030 Denali St #2

Anchorage, AK 99503

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Sage Creamery

After a disappointing dinner at a restaurant, we decided to not order dessert, and instead get ice cream at Sage Creamery. 

Cookies + Cream

Ube Crinkle Cookie

Campfire S'mores

It was the best idea.  I love the rich and creamy premium ice cream flavors that incorporate local ingredients.  

My fave is the Cookies + Cream - they do not skimp on the cookie pieces!


Sage Creamery
91-3575 Kauluakoko St #3005

Ewa Beach, HI 96706

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Products that Helped During a Power Outage

Hurricane Lala resulted in a lot of devastation throughout the islands, especially on the Big Island.  We were fortunate to have very minimal impacts to our home.  Our power went out for 17 hours, but we were able to stay connected and keep our fridge powered thanks to some key products (I only bought one of the below items via Amazon, but all links below are Amazon associate links).

Anker Solix S2000

We bought the Anker Solix S2000 at Battery Bills.  It powered our fridge and I also plugged in a countertop 2-burner to cook dinner.  The countertop burner ate up a lot of power, but after 10 hours of charging the fridge we still had enough power for at least 10 more hours.   We also bought the solar panels to charge the unit if the power was still off after the battery was depleted. 

Portable power stations typically don't ship to Hawaii, so your best bet is a local retailer, like Battery Bills.  

LuminAID Solar Lanterns

The LuminAID Solar Lanterns provided light and could also charge our phones.   I bought the model that can charge two phones via luminaid.com (as of this post, there is a sale on their website - thank you to @malikadudley for sharing!). 

SIMO Solis Hero

The SIMO Solis Hero is a mobile hotspot that I intially bought for international travel years ago.  It came in handy during the power outage, allowing us to stay connected (send / receive messages, check social media for updates, and report outages).  You do need to buy a data pass, and I had bought a bundle of 20 a few years back, which turned out to be about $6 per day pass.  The data passes do not expire and are for unlimited data.  At times it lagged searching for service, but overall it was a great help in keeping us connected, because I primarily looked to social media to find out what was happening with the storm.

Here is a link to a story at Lokahi FCU about portable power stations from our friend Kyle Harada:

https://www.lokahifcu.com/learn/news/better-together-blog/blog/2026/06/13/how-long-can-a-portable-power-station-keep-my-fridge-running

He also made an updated comparison guide to include the Anker Solix S2000.  Thank you, Kyle, for allowing us to share here!

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One2buy

After dinner in Pearl Kai, we went over to One2buy to check out what they had. 

I didn't expect to buy as much as I did, but I got all sorts of snacks - different flavors of Cheetos, coriander Doritos (I love cilantro), bamboo Lay's, and more. 

I also bought some of the Strawberry Milkshake Pepsi for the kids to try. 

I do wish they had ice cream! 

The prices are very reasonable, so it won't break the bank to try all kinds of interesting flavors of snacks.


One2buy
98-159 Kamehameha Hwy 

Aiea HI 96701

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Hawaii's First Pepper Lunch

 

I recently met up with a couple of friends for dinner at Pepper Lunch, a Japanese chain that recently opened on Oahu. It was all of our first time, so we were excited to see what it was all about.

Ordering is done at a kiosk, and once your food is ready, the employees bring it right to your table. Each table comes equipped with two sauces—a garlic soy sauce and a sweet honey sauce—so you can flavor  your meal to your liking.

We decided to try a few different dishes: the Cream Shrimp Pasta, Beef Pepper Rice, and Angus Rib Eye. Each dish arrived sizzling hot in a stone pot, and the aroma alone was irresistible! You can hear the sizzle and smell everything cooking as soon as it hits the table.

Cream Shrimp Pasta

Ribeye Steak

I ordered the Beef Pepper Rice and added garlic chips because, well, why not? It was VERY garlicky, but in the best way possible. The garlic chips added a nice crunch and even more flavor to an already delicious dish.

We also ordered a side of onion rings just for fun. They were crispy and a nice addition to the meal.

As someone who loves teppanyaki, I really enjoyed the Pepper Lunch experience. I like that you get the fun of a sizzling teppanyaki-style meal without the formal sit-down experience. Everything was flavorful, interactive, and satisfying.

This was my first visit, but definitely not my last. I'm already thinking about bringing the family next time!

Open daily: 10:30 AM - 9:00 PM.

PEPPER LUNCH

930 VALKENBURGH STREET (MOANALUA SHOPPING CENER)

808-458-5237

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Visit Alaska: Extreme Fun Center

We were near Wasilla, so we decided to stop at Extreme Fun Center.

It's a huge center, with an arcade, bumper cars, mini bowling, rock climbing, and so much more. 

We were there solely for the arcade. 

The arcade is huge, with all sorts of games that kept the kids busy for nearly two hours. 

What I really loved at Extreme Fun Center that I never saw in any other arcade - someone cleaning the game controls, buttons, etc. throughout the day.

I really appreciated how they take cleanliness seriously.
 
Extreme Fun Center

3501 E Old Matanuska Rd

Wasilla, AK 99654
 

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