Take a peek inside Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s 2011 Giving Journal

It’s becoming pleasantly cooler now that  Christmas is just around the corner, making it impossible for me to resist a warm cup of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s (CBTL) coffee.  Aside from getting the 2011 Giving Journal, what makes CBTL’s coffee (tea and yogurt) more enjoyable this season is the thought that you are “changing lives with every cup.”

The 2011 Giving Journal is a huge upgrade from last year’s journal notebook with blank pages  (which is my notebook of choice when jotting down business-related notes, making to-do lists and doodling). Not a bad reward for gulping down 24 CBTL drinks:  1 Original Ice Blended, 1 one Tea Latte, 1 Apple Caramel Ice Blended or Apple Pie Tea Latte and any 21 drink of choice (Original Ice Blended, Frozen Swirl, and coffee- and tea-based drinks).

LSS: I love the way you lie

I found this very soothing version of I Love the Way You Lie (orig. by Eminem and Rhianna) by Stephenie Gee, a Korean born and raised in New York. The lyrics of the song is actually a mix of another musician and Gee's words.



Mp3 download available here.

4th Auto Review Run for Road Safety & Courtesy set on Sept. 25

Instead of the usual conference room table and chair set-up, sponsors, exhibitors and the press were treated to a very unique press conference and sponsors’ briefing of the 4th Auto Review Run for Road Safety & Courtesy at the Bluewater Day Spa. The early comers were given a complimentary 30-minute foot massage. I have to admit, it was the most unique (and most pampering) press launch that I have been to.

As the aromatic and calming scent in the Spa Theater at Bluewater Day Spa lingered in the air, Mr. Ron de los Reyes, Auto Review’s host and race organizer , discussed the details of the race. With the theme “Run Fit, Drive Fit,” the fourth Auto Review run aims to highlight the “correlation between good health and good driving. It has been found out that people who engage in sports like running can have good disposition when driving.” 

CBTL's Swirl Rewards Card

I don’t exactly know why I like Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) better than other coffee shops. It may be the homey ambiance, feel-good music or simply the excellent coffee and tea concoctions.

I love coffee. And I feel like I’m starting to fall in love with tea. That’s why I decided to get a Swirl Rewards Card. For P195, I think the perks that come with the card were worth it – free WiFi access at any CBTL branch and merchant discounts (I just hope they will get more participating merchants).

I joined the BB cream bandwagon

I am not a fan of make-ups especially foundations and other creams that make me look and feel heavily made-up. I am a white shirt-jeans-slippers girl wearing moisturizer-powder-blush-lip gloss on a typical day (you get the picture). So when I first heard of BB cream from my sister, I had second thoughts on trying it out. The thought of “cream” alone makes me think of whiteheads and breakouts.

So, I did a little research first and found out that BB cream actually stands for “blemish balm cream.” According to online sources, this cream is originally used in Germany by laser skin surgery patients as a medical, not cosmetic, product to heal their skin imperfections. The Koreans turned the cream into a cosmetic product known today as “ the secret” of Korean celebrities.