Frannywanny

Well, hello there! Missed me? This was definitely the longest break that I've took since this blog was created 10 years ago. Well, I got a good excuse reason. The day after my previous blog entry was posted, I gave birth to my adorable twins J and L. What happened after that were days filled with non-stop feeding, burping, diaper changes, sleepless nights, random playtime and more. It has been 60+ days since and I'd say, we've pretty much mastered the art of not-sleeping-at-night-or-ever. Haha! Kidding aside, I'm so in love with my twins and while never in my wildest dreams would I thought that I can change diapers in 3 minutes or less as well as turn into a human milking cow, my dream of being a Mommy has finally became a reality and I'm just so so so happy. I have yet to share with you the highlights of my year but I guess you all know what will sit on top of my list. 2018 is looking very bright for our family and I really can't wait to see what's in ...

Question: What happens when the world's top coffee chain teams up with the world's most-sought-after notebook/diary brand? The answer is ...  THIS. Yup, this Christmas was made extra special (and more classy) by our friends over at Starbucks Coffee as they launched the 2016 Planner in partnership with Moleskine . Paper fanatics will surely go crazy over this as we all know how amazing Moleskine notebooks are. I could hardly use mine though as I don't want to waste any page with my scratchy handwriting. Moleskine notebook paper has this touch-worthy smooth texture and that distinct "dirty white" shade with grey lines on every page.

Pardon the cute-sy play of words but I just can't help it!  Ever wonder why coffee is normally linked closely to love and romance? Girl meets boy in a coffee shop. Girl and boy getting to know each other over coffee (and cakes, sandwiches or pastries!) Boy professes his love to girl also in a coffee shop. ... and they live happily ever after with more cups of coffee shared along the way! For Paul and I, Starbucks Coffee surely has played a valuable role in our very own love life. Here's where we've spent a lot of hours after our dinner date be it just the two of us or with our groups of friends. Starbucks Coffee has also been our permanent venue when we were meeting up with our wedding suppliers some time back and up to today, it has been our third place -- t hat one place where we feel most at home from the exact type of drinks that we want ( eg : Signature Hot Chocolate in Kid's Temp for him and a Non-Fat Hazelnut Latte , no whip in Kid's Temp for me...

The temperature outside has been rising at such lightning speed! Almost everyday, we would complain of how hot it is outside and to cool down, all the more I start craving for ice cream, shakes and I've been entertaining thoughts of going for a nice relaxing swim at the pool or in the beach ( I miss you Boracay! ) It's THAT time of the year wherein I'd happily swap my staple Caramel Macchiato with a tall cup of Frappuccino any given time of the day. That's exactly what Paul and I did over the weekend when we had our regular coffee date. Instead of going for our usual orders (CM for me, Caramel Hot Chocolate for him), we tried Starbucks Coffee's newest drinks -- the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino and the Banana Mango Frappuccino . Don't they just look so yummy and refreshing?

As soon as the contest ended a week ago, I immediately got down to business. The first task was to be organized and to divide all those who chose the Philippines and the Singapore planner. Okay, now that task #1 was done, then comes the fun yet challenging part -- reading through all the 190++ entries and choosing for the best ones. Most entries were really sweet and amazing that I ended up with more than 40 shortlisted ones and I know it will take me a couple more day to narrow that down to TWO . I will stop blabbing now and will go straight to the point... The lucky reader who will be receiving a 2014 Starbucks Coffee Philippines Planner is... Ira Tasha Balucan I was really touched by Ira's answer on how she will be sharing the Joy this Christmas: In light with the recent devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda, I would try my best to make the victims feel that there is still hope in their lives. More than the relief goods, the food and the clothes, it is still es...

Christmas is just around the corner . While I got to admit that this is really one of my favorite seasons as I look forward to going home to spend the holidays with my family, I can't deny the fact that there's a bit of sadness in my heart as I continue to think of the victim of Typhoon Yolanda who continues to remain homeless up until this day. I just hope that their conditions will improve in the coming days and as a nation, we will be able to help them rebuild the city that they've lost and their lives that has been greatly disrupted. When it comes to Christmas, we also talk about sharing the joy and celebrating traditions. In order to bring a little cheer to everyone, here I am continuing another tradition as I present this year's Starbucks Planner giveaway!!! This year is extra special because I'm not reviewing not one but TWO cool planners which are available in the two markets very close to my heart -- Manila and Singapore . My two homes. Let me sta...

I've always been a loyal Starbucks fan ever since they opened their flagship store in 6750 in the Philippines back in December 4, 1997. A good amount of time of my college years were, in fact, spent hanging out at Starbucks Pearl Drive where I'd cram for the next exam, work on my papers or bond with new found fellow Starbucks loving friends. It's funny though that despite spending so much time in the store, I've never drank a single cup of coffee. I've tried all the other products though -- Frappuccino, Iced Tea, Hot Tea, Hot Chocolate, food items.. you name it, I've most probably tried it. I really don't know why but I never really found the "calling" to try a cup of java...till that fateful day in May 2006 when I officially became a Starbucks partner and THAT changed my love affair with the Green Siren forever. I began drinking coffee (in moderation of course) and eventually got my Coffee Master certification too! It has been almost half a d...

Can you imagine life without music? Just like a tasteless and dry roasted chicken or a bland, cardboard-like cracker, that's probably how life is without music. Flavorless, boring and dry. I grew up in a family who loves two things -- food and music. My Mom is not only a good cook but she is a fantastic pianist too. Kongkong, whom I've mentioned in numerous occasions here, can make the best Pata Tim in the land and he plays the piano, organ, violin and flute too. He also sings and conducts his barkada's choral group as well! Just imagine how our wedding reception was turned into a mini family concert as almost everyone wanted a spot on stage! It is pretty obvious how Pan and I grew up listening to all types of music. Our music knowledge ranges across a number of genres from The Cascades down to Madonna and of course to our generation's boy band craze. Outside the house, we have our iPods to keep us company. My iPod Touch has been my gym staple (well on times I do g...

The Green Siren did it again! Just when you thought they did everything they could to coffee from the basic espresso-based drinks to the cool and refreshing Frappuccino Blended Beverages. Well, they're not yet done! This time, Starbucks Coffee reinvents how we see and taste coffee by introducing two cool drinks called the Starbucks Refreshers Beverages with Green Coffee ! There are two flavors to choose from: Very Berry Hibiscus and Cool Lime . At first glance, you might seriously doubt if these two drinks really do have coffee in it but it does. What is Green Coffee after all? I was reminded of a trip I took to a coffee farm down South that showed me how a coffee goes from the ground to the roasters to our cup. It's amazing to see colorful coffee berries get sorted and roasted to perfection until it looks like the coffee beans that we see everywhere. A green coffee bean is found at the center of a coffee cherry. What makes it different from the regular coffee bea...

Hello July! I can't believe we are officially halfway through 2012 and in 5 months, we will be welcoming 2013 in! Time is flying extra fast! I hope you all had a great time in June as much as I did! It was my birthday month after all and I spent the month celebrating and catching up with my dear family and closest friends. The wait is finally over. I'm ready to announce the lucky winners of my back-to-back blog contests : Frannywanny's Birthday Giveaway x Starbucks Summer Treats . First of: the lucky winner who will be receiving a special gift bag filled with all things JAPANESE ELAINE CHUA!!! Elaine , kindly expect an email confirmation from me as I would need to get your details to send you your prize! Just in case you're curious, here are the answers to my trivia questions: 1. Trivia Question #1 : What country is called The Land of the Rising Sun? Answer: Japan 2. Trivia Question # 2: Drum Tao is coming to Manila on July 12 to 22, 2012 and wil...

The weather here in Manila continues to get more and more unpredictable. Extremely sunny and hot in the morning and later raining like there's no tomorrow in the evening. What's up with that Mr. Sun?! While we will soon bid goodbye to June and July will surely bring in more gloomy clouds, the cold wind and rains, it's nice to know that you can still enjoy a bit of summer right at the comforts of your favorite Starbucks Coffee store! Bringing a touch of Japanese in their drinks, the fun crew behind my favorite coffee store now introduces two new drinks that I truly loved and I'm sure you will too! Meet the Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino Blended Beverage (Php. 155/165/175). Hojicha is actually a type of Japanese roasted tea and this is perfect for all milk tea lovers as it is a mix of the Hojicha Tea, your choice of milk and Tazo Earl Grey tea-infused jelly! While I find the Hojicha a tad too sweet for me, I still enjoyed this sweet tea drink which makes a good al...

After weeks of consecutive weekend getaways, Paul and I found some downtime this weekend where we were able to wake up later than usual, have longer meals with the family and go out to watch a movie. Given our busy weekend schedules, believe it or not, going out on movie dates doesn't happen that often anymore. *sigh* Which is the reason why I totally get ecstatic whenever we get to really go out on a date...just the two of us spending more quality time together. Yesterday, we headed to the Powerplant Mall to watch a movie. I totally love my husband for giving up watching Dark Shadows over the very girly romantic comedy movie What to Expect When You're Expecting as he knows that I've been wanting to watch this movie since I learned about it months ago (..and after hearing me say, "this movie got an all-star cast in it!" probably a dozen times) . Yay! Thank you Paul for spoiling me. ♥ It was indeed a fun movie with a couple of my favorite Hollywood stars like...

I'm starting the week right! After having a really tummy-filling hotpot dinner last Saturday and a gastronomic buffet lunch yesterday, I'm giving my tummy a break by having something light and healthy today. Just a quick trip to my favorite Starbucks Coffee store and I get to choose from four of their new salad offerings namely: Southern Chicken Salad, Mediterranean Tuna Salad, Cold Chicken Soba Salad and the Moroccan Chicken Couscous Salad . I was actually able to try all four salads a week ago when my friends over at Starbucks Coffee sent me a few samples to try. During lunch one weekday, I started with the Southern Chicken Salad which gives a twist to the regular Chicken Salad. Served with crunchy wheat bagel crostinis, this one has all-natural chicken chopped and mixed with diced celery, onions, hard boiled eggs and pickle relish. It reminds me of what my Mommy would usually make at home only its served with assorted greens and sprinkled with lots of cheese. I e...

I won a blog contest!! To be honest, I rarely join contests or promos but after seeing the announcement over at fellow blogger Patty's website that I could win a special photo shoot for Scottie and the entire family, I took some time out to follow the mechanics and to submit my contest entry while crossing my fingers that I will be chosen. It's Christmas after all and I would like to give my dear Scottie a fun photo shoot! Lo and behold, I got an email from Pet Photographer Denise telling me that I won the contest! YAHOOOOO!!! Lucky lucky me!! :) Thank you Patty and Denise for making me day! Now it's time to pay it forward... After three whole weeks of running the contest with 148 valid entries I am so excited to finally announce the winners who will be receiving a couple of Starbucks items from me! :) Without further ado... I present the Top 4 winners as chosen by Random.org ! Mark Spencer Tan will be receiving the limited edition Coffee on the Go Backpack...

A week ago, I shared the good news about the soon-to-be released Starbucks 2012 Planner ! This got everyone so excited that in the span of a week, the entry spread like wildfire, being shared over Facebook, Twitter and a lot more. Everyday I get so excited seeing how I have help spread the Christmas joy to everyone. The entry became pretty popular that sadly, some of my photos (minus the watermark) were copied by a certain Tumblr user who at present had deleted not only her entry but her Tumblr account as well. *sigh* Thus fellow bloggers, beware of plagiarizers! Well, I stayed pretty calm about it as I'm definitely not allowing her to burst my Christmas bubble. Let us just move on and learn from this, shall we? Starting from this entry, expect to see my watermark right smack in the middle of the photo. Let me know what you think. :) Tomorrow, November 3, Starbucks Coffee Philippine s will officially launch their much-awaited Christmas campaign. I've showed you the beauti...

Once again, we have reached the -ber months where people start to make their Christmas list, families decorating their Christmas trees and for avid Starbucks Coffee fans like myself, we head to our favorite store to collect enough stickers to bring home our very own Starbucks Planner ! This is really the start of the countdown as on November 3, 2011 ; Starbucks Coffee will begin giving out stickers for every drink purchase for customers to collect to be able to redeem and get one of the five planners available. Yes, you read that right! From having three attractive designs last year, Starbucks Coffee Philippines now has FIVE for you to choose from! Last night, I was lucky to be able to see the Starbucks 2012 Planner up close and to be able to lift through the pages, run my fingers through the wooden cover and go through each month by month as I read the opening pages. I know you're all dying to see what Starbucks Coffee has in store for all of us planner fans so read on a...

One thing is for sure... blogging with an empty stomach can be hazardous to your health. I'm typing this before having breakfast and I can literally hear my stomach growling like a mad lion. To torture me even further, I am about to share with you something so delicious that the thought of it can really make my mouth water (and my stomach rumble louder). Yes, I'm such a sadist. *sigh* Last Monday, Paul and I were invited by my former colleagues of Starbucks Coffee to try a couple of new lunch sandwiches that they will be launching soon. I was so excited as knowing my talented friend C, who takes care of R&D for our local Starbucks food items, these sandwich are sure to be delicious! I remember back when I was still working for the Green Siren and C was working on those breakfast sandwiches , oh how I enjoyed hanging out with her at the training room as I watch her heat up samples after samples of sandwiches and she would generously share them with me. Now you know...

Back when I was working for the Green Siren , I learned how to mix my own drinks. Along the way, I learned to be creative. Adding a shot here and there, combining two syrups to create a new flavor or changing my milk to lessen the calories. Those, however, were only limited to espresso based drinks. With the cold Frappuccino blended beverages , we can't do as much. Back then, all Frappuccinos had a pre-mix base thus it's either you want it cream or coffee based. From there you choose your flavor that determines the syrups that will be used. I guess the farthest customization that I've done with my Frappuccino is to add more syrup into my Strawberries n Cream Frappuccino or adding a shot to my Mocha Frappuccino. That's basically just about it. It has been almost three years since I've professionally bid the Green Siren good bye. Thus my visits have lessened as opposed to my bi-weekly store visits before. It was only just recently when I dropped by our favorite ...

I'd like to start my year with GOOD news! :) As one of my new year's resolutions, I will continue to stay positive and keep a happier disposition in life. Thus, here I am ready to announce the winners of my 2011 Starbucks Planner Contest to spread the happy vibe! I was amazed to receive a total of 99 unique entries both here and in my Official Facebook Page ! With the overwhelming response, Paul joined in the fun and will be awarding a limited edition Starbucks Messenger Bag for that lucky entry that he has chosen! Basically, we looked for the entry that best answered the question: Where is your Starbucks 3rd place and share a memorable moment that has made you stay loyal to that store? I have then divided the planners into three categories: - Friends/Family - Wood - Love - Velvet - Self - Metal My top three winners will come from each of these categories :) So here they are.. 1) for Family/Friends - the Wood planner goes to... Pam Garcia ! My 3rd pl...

A year ago, I made Maan's Starbucks wish come true by awarding her with the 2010 Starbucks Planner . Her entries really touched my heart and the fact that she was able to leave meaningful comments every single day really showed me how determined she was to win the prize. I'm now back to fulfill the Starbucks wishes of three lucky readers by giving out three limited edition 2011 Starbucks Planners ! As featured in my previous post, this year's planner talks about The Third Place It's not home; it's not workplace. It's that special place in between where we meet to awaken our senses, to find inspiration, and to make lasting connections. The third place -- this is what we have become for you, our loyal customer, our friend. For more than five years already, Starbucks Ashcreek has been my 3rd Place. The only Starbucks branch where I would go to when I want to meet up with friends or to just be on my own. It's where I know most of the baristas a...