Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf 2015 Giving Journal: A Review

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) introduced its 2015 Giving Journal with a media launch at its branch in 26th St. Bistro, NET Lima Building, Bonifacio Global City in mid-October 2014. No, I wasn't there for the speeches nor for the wire art activity though I surmise it must've been fun. Anyway, let's go directly to the depths of what it takes to get a Giving Journal, and what you can find within.

The CBTL Brew Your Best Year 2015 Giving Journal Mechanics

The Promo awards customers with the CBTL 2015 Giving Journal when they buy 12 designated CBTL drinks:

• 1 Original Ice Blended (any flavor, regular or large)
• 1 Tea Latte (any flavor, regular or large)
• 1 Espresso/Coffee-based Beverage (any flavor, double, regular or large)
• 1 Holiday Featured Beverage (Winter Dream Tea Latte or Red Velvet, regular or large)
• 8 "Your Choice of Drink" drinks - Original Ice Blended, Espresso/Coffee-based or Tea-based Beverage, or Frozen Swirl (any flavor, double, regular or large)
• Alternatively, purchase of 1 box of CBTL (TM) capsules will entitle customers to 2 "Your Choice of Drink" stamps

Customers can also instantly get a planner if they purchase the CBTL (TM) Single Serve Beverage System (Kaldi, Contata and/or Desto). Combination of promo cards is not allowed (one card per journal). Drinks have to be consumed between October 25, 2014 and January 11, 2015 (79 days) and be claimed between October 25, 2014 and 6o day from end of promo (which I'm assuming is March 13, 2015).

PLUSses

• Only 12 drinks instead of the 18 drinks required by competitors
• Flexibility on drinks to consume (4 required drink types with numerous drink choices, 8 of any other drink you love)

MINUSes

• Single promo card system (okay, I understand how we want to save the trees): I don't really know how to resolve this especially given that CBTL does not really promote the use of their card.

The CBTL 2015 Giving Journal

The CBTL 2015 Giving Journal comes in four colors/designs, namely brown, green, orange and lavender.

Photo Credit: CBTL Philippines Facebook Page

A look at the journal holder when you claim it gives an impression that apart from collecting one for yourself, CBTL hopes that you will also give it as a gift to someone, for THEIR BEST YEAR YET. I chose the journal with the lavender cover. The texture of the cover feels like synthetic PU leather (not so nice) but I'm going to leave judgment on the entire journal after I see what's inside.

CBTL Giving Journal Holder

CBTL Giving Journal Cover

WHAT'S INSIDE
(see full album)

First off, apologies for the differences in photo sizes. I've only recently decided on the standard size for my blog photos. The theme for CBTL's 2015 Giving Journal is inspiration to create OVERFLOWS in one's life. It comes with a companion website that provides further triggers to abundance (http://brewyourbestyear.com).

Personal Information

About CBTL

CBTL History

About the Giving Journal and Brew Your Best Year

Tips on Maximizing the Giving Journal and 2015 Bucket List

101 Ways to Create Overflows

Vacation Planner

CBTL Coupons

Weekly Reminders: Themes include MAKE THE SHIFT, ASK YOURSELF,
CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH, PAY IT FORWARD AND HAVE FUN WITH IT

Monthly Covers: Featuring Coffee Beans / Tea shaped according to the month's theme

Year-end Message and Notes

Emergency Numbers and CBTL Store Locator

2016 Full Year Calendar

CBTL Giving Journal Inner Pocket

CBTL Giving Journal Back Cover and Garter Elastic

VERDICT

The quality of the CBTL Giving Journal isn't at its best, I expect the cover won't be able to retain luster for a quarter, the paper quality possibly recycled and substandard, and stitching that hopefully lasts the year that the journal will be used. That said, I love the content and will be keeping this journal as my inspiration for positivity, abundance and creating overflows that can be shared with others.

Limited Edition Starbucks (R) 2015 Planner: A Review

Starbucks Philippines kicked off their holiday campaign on October 30, 2014 with a 15% discount on merchandise for Starbucks Card users followed by the launch of its holiday themed Starbucks Cards and the new limited edition Holiday Mini Card with a pay PhP 1,500 get PhP 1,800 credit promo.

The Starbucks Christmas Traditions Promo Mechanics

The Christmas Traditions Promo awards customers with a planner when they buy 18 designated Starbucks drinks: 9 Holiday Featured Beverages (Toffee Nut Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Christmas Cookie Latte) and 9 Starbucks core beverages excluding bottled drinks, bottled water and fruit juices from November 3, 2014 to January 8, 2015. Customers can also instantly get a planner if they bulk purchase food and other retail items worth at least PhP 7,000 in one receipt (gift certificates and Starbucks card reload are not allowed).

Starbucks Philippines uses a promo card and sticker system to keep track of the drinks consumed (Holiday vs Core beverage). Customers can combine two promo cards to avail of a planner. Drinks have to be consumed between November 3, 2014 and January 8, 2015 (67 days) and be claimed between November 3, 2014 and March 8, 2015.

PLUS

• As one of the earlier customers starting her sticker collection for the promo, I was able to get a FREE Holiday Featured Beverage sticker (so I only have to consume 17 drinks)

MINUSes

• Promo card and sticker system: sometimes, I leave my promo card at home and if I already have two, it either (a) deters me from buying a drink from Starbucks or (b) makes me feel bad for not being able to get the sticker included in my collection. I see the wisdom in having something tangible that people can hold onto and look at to "chase" the stickers, but on a practical note, Starbucks Malaysia (in 2012) had a system where the drinks were recorded in the Starbucks Card and once the customer has consumed the necessary drinks, the Starbucks Card account would reflect that a planner is ready for the customer to claim at the store.
• The requisite 9 Holiday Featured Beverages: Not to say that the drinks taste horrible, some people just prefer to drink their unsweetened boring drinks. I understand that the monetary value of the Holiday drinks are higher, but instead of "forcing" people to drink Holiday drinks (or offer them a replacement regular drink while paying holiday drink prices), why not have a system where people have to collect more non-Holiday drinks to avail of the planner?

The Limited Edition Starbucks (R) 2015 Planner

The Starbucks Planner comes in four colors/designs, namely barista apron green with a Starbucks logo, barista apron black with a Starbucks logo, barista Holiday apron red with a Starbucks logo and brown with a coffee drinking person embroidered in front.

Photo Credit: Starbucks Philippines Facebook Page

Your planner comes wrapped in a coffee bag, with its sealer and a BEST BEFORE date of 01/01/2016. Also in the bag are a pen (for you to write your name on the name plate) and a bookmark (comes in 4 designs together with each planner design).

WHAT'S INSIDE
(see full album)

Personal Information Page

Full Year Calendars for 2015 & 2016 (partial 2015 shown)

Dates to Note - Philippine Holidays

Monthly Covers to CONNECT, January 2015

Thoughtful Notes

Connect with Memories Page - 2015 Highlights

Starbucks Coupons

Coffee Shop Planners 2015

November ushers in that time of the year when coffee drinkers make their way to their preferred coffee shop on a daily basis to collect stickers (or chops) for a 2015 planner. There's just that compulsion to get all the needed stickers lined up. Established bloggers get sent the planners to unbox and review; some present the company line, the official messaging to why you want to get the planner, other analyze the cost of getting the planner, and then there's Rappler with its list of cool planners available in the Philippines for 2015.

My plan is to focus on the planners of three major coffee destinations, and (unfortunately) do it the expensive and time-consuming way, one drink at a time. In the coming weeks, I will delve into the promo mechanics surrounding each planner,  unwrap / unfold / unbox them and take a peek into the contents, comment on what I like/dislike about them. Given that I'm getting all three, I will also prepare monthly posts reminding you, the planner owner, of the freebies/discounts available for the month. Let's face it, while we spend money fervently drinking our coffee and sweetened drinks, we comfort ourselves thinking that (1) we'll use the planner during the year and (2) the freebies and discounts offered in the planner will make the spend lighter on your wallet, but in fact, forget to "cash in" on the benefits.

In no particular order, here's what the journals/planners look like from the outside.

Seattle's Best Coffee

Starbucks Coffee

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Photo credits: Seattle's Best Coffee Philippines Facebook Page, Starbucks Philippines Facebook Page, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Philippines) Facebook Page

Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila: A Young Family's Staycation Destination

I first heard of the word staycation while searching for hotel accommodation in Singapore a few years back; hotels were touting special staycation rates for local residents to enjoy. Through the years, I saw friends' photos posted on Facebook, of their stay at a hotel in the city and think, good for them... but a staycation is not for me, a penny-pinching Chinese girl. Okay, so me saying I'm a penny-pinching person could be a pronouncement that I'm delusional, but why should I spend money staying at a hotel in the city where I live in when I have a perfectly cozy home to go home to where I can spend the night, completely free! Then, THIS happened and gave me a different perspective on what a staycation could be like, especially for a young family.

What is THIS thing that happened, you ask?

I subscribed to a hotel membership two years ago that granted me a "complimentary night" at one of its hotels in the Asia Pacific. I was under the impression that I could extend the deadline of my stay by another year, so I didn't use it in any of my travels in the past months (in hindsight, I probably should have, given that I did stayed in Tokyo and hotels don't come cheap out there). I was only told that I needed to use the "free night" before the deadline one week before said deadline so with no trip planned for that week, I chose to give a stay at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila a chance.

We arrived after 8PM and were checked into our room within 10 minutes. While the original reservation was for a Superior Room with one king-sized bed (valued at US$ 176/night), we were upgraded to a Luxury Room with one king-sized bed (valued at US$ 218/night). I checked the hotel website but wasn't able to figure out the difference between these two types of rooms.

The Room
Despite renovations in recent years, the classic interiors allow one to feel the history of the establishment along its hallways and within its rooms. The room is spacious with a resting area and an office desk to one side, and the king-sized bed to the other. The mini-bar is well-stocked with complimentary water by Viva, free coffee sachets/tea bags and pay-as-you-go snacks and drinks. The shower/toilet was also very spacious, probably taking up a third of the entire room size. Toiletries by Les Notes de Lanvin in the relaxing Orange Amber scent contain no parabens, no phthalates and no artificial color, perfect for the entire family.

The View - City View
The view from our room's balcony is that of the driveway from the road leading to Sofitel's entrance (up close) and of the City of Manila (far away). Lights from the Port of Manila twinkled against the dark sky, the perfect backdrop to a restful evening. The same balcony captured a completely different picture in the morning, that of green trees, a peaceful Manila bay and buildings under white clouds in light blue skies.

Nighttime City View

Daytime City View

Dining at Sofitel

SPIRAL is well-known as the best buffet in Manila. For those with a stomach for a hearty meal, SPIRAL boasts of a wide selection of cuisines and dishes that meet every discerning palate, it is my opinion that despite the complexity needed to offer such a spread, SPIRAL does not compensate on quality. A previous experience dining at SPIRAL had me make an attempt at trying a small piece of all the available dishes; I was stuffed to the brim with good food after going through three quarters of their selections and failed at my attempt. Rest assured, if you have a different buffet tasting philosophy from mine and just choose what you really want, you'll end up with a happy sated tummy.

Knowing my food tasting philosophy and with that lesson learned from my past experience, I decided that I wanted to go ala carte. SPIRAL was full for the evening and this led to my discovery of a hidden gem in Le Bar, the bistro/patisserie located on the lobby floor of the hotel. Le Bar serves dishes from both the SPIRAL ala carte menu, as well as its own menu. After poring through both establishment's menu, my companion and I decided to share the Seared Scallop Salad and the Onglet Beef Steak. Le Bar has a more private atmosphere compared to the SPIRAL's bells and whistles (or at least people getting up for another round of food, and the loud chitchat of bigger group), the live band entertained with soothing music while guests enjoyed and interacted with low voices. Both dishes were superbly done "just right".

Seared Scallop Salad

Onglet Beef Steak

In-room dining was also very tasty, my dimsum basket arrived within 30-minutes of my call (efficient) and the courteous waiter brought me some desserts for after the meal too! The preparation of the perfect dimsum balls and pastries is something that a lot of people take for granted (siomai is supposedly siomai how-ever it's prepared), but my discerning palate found Sofitel's room service dimsum to be at par with dimsum I have in Hong Kong.

Activities and Child-friendly Facilities

The Pool

View from the Pool Side

A stroll through open grounds leads to "island-encircling" pool/lagoon with 2 slides for children to experience the thrills, and sufficient space for adults to swim around. Around the pool are lush greens, coconut trees, hammocks, wooden furniture (on sand) and further down, a board walk, reminding me of relaxing beach destinations. There's a mini-golf area and a straight 200-meter path for runners to sprint at. Sofitel has a tent for children's activities outdoors, and a Gymboree indoors, perfect for when mom & dad want to work out at the gym, or relax at the spa.

So the next time you're thinking about spending quality time traveling with your kids, a staycation at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila may just be the thing to save you time, money and sanity.

This review of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila is on a stay in October 2014, all views in this post are the author's own. More photos here.