Month: December 2016

Starbucks: Cultivating Change – One Relationship at a time

The last time we went to a Starbucks Coffee Shop, a cork board caught my attention.

Starbucks had different partner NGOs since 2007. Here are the lists of the NGOs and brief descriptions about them that I saw posted inside the Starbucks Coffee Shop:

  • CASA San Miguel – Starbucks partner since 2007
    • CASA San Miguel has been a home to generations of artists, musicians, writers and dancers; nurturing artistic excellence and Filipino heritage for the past 23 years. Through its youth mentorship program in a  tiny fishing village in Zambales, CASA continues to mould and prepare holistic individuals for a wide range of careers both within and outside the spheres of arts and culture.
  • Hope in a Bottle – Starbucks partner since 2012
    • HOPE’s flagship program builds much-needed public school classrooms across the Philippines using the profits from “HOPE in a Bottle”, a purified bottled water. HOPE has built 18 classrooms since 2012.
  • Teach for the Philippines – Starbucks partner since 2014
    • Teach for the Philippines (TFP) is a not for profit organization committed to growing a more developed Philippines through education. TFP focuses on the development of professional educators and future servant-leaders through a two-year Fellowship Program that recruits, trains and places Teacher Fellows in public schools.
  • Philippines Educational Theatre Association – Starbucks partner since 2015
    • The Philippine Educational Theatre Association (PETA) is a non-profit organization committed to using theater that is distinctly Filipino as a tool for social change. Founded in 1967, PETA has written, translated, adapted, published, and performed more than 400 plays and conducted thousands of workshops locally and internationally. Through its pursuit of artistically excellent theater aesthetics and pedagogy, PETA continues to empower people and help shape the cultural landscape of the country.

STARBUCKS have supported all these advocacies through the sales they generated from their products and unrestricted grants that they provided for these different non-profit organizations.

I didn’t know about all these things that Starbucks Coffee are doing for the country but I am glad that I came to know about it. CHEERS to MORE CUPS of Starbucks Coffee that we will be drinking!

3 Top Gifts for Baby Boys

An arrival of a new baby boy in your family, circle of friends or at work probably means that some shopping needs be done. If the mother has a gift registry, purchasing a gift for the baby is much easier since you know what items she would like to receive. If there is no gift registry, personalized baby gifts for boys are a viable option. Even if the boy receives more than one blue blanket, the blue blanket you give him will be a little different from the rest because you had it personalized with his initials, full name or a character.

Here are three top gifts for baby boys to consider.

Bedding

Bedding items are great gift options for babies. Since babies can have diaper accidents and spit up incidents, blankets can come in handy for emergency clean-up situations. Quilts, valences and mats are other bedding items that a baby cannot have too many of especially during the colder months. Not only can they be used in their crib, but they are also convenient for travel and play dates.

Storage

Keeping a baby’s room organized is not always an easy task. Since their clothes are tiny, their toys bulky and diapers plentiful, storage items as a gift will probably be appreciated. Toy chests, toy bins and bath time tubs are some storage essentials as well as diaper caddies, hampers and shelves. Additionally, babies do not outgrow storage items the way they outgrow clothes. As long as the baby continues to own toys, a toy bin will continue to be useful. Even something like the diaper caddy can double as a clothing holder when the child has become potty-trained.

Baby Packages

If after browsing through the above mentioned gift suggestions for a baby boy, nothing stands out, there is always baby packages. The contents of baby packages, or baby gift baskets, will depend on its theme, but usually they will include at least one of every essential item. A sports-themed package for a boy may include a wagon plus a bib, rattle toy and box of wipes while a deluxe package may include a book, bib and wipes. Since gift baskets are pre-arranged, it takes a lot of guesswork out of the gift-giving equation.

The arrival of a baby boy is a joyous occasion, and you can help celebrate it with a great gift.

Starbucks 2017 Planner

I had 3 Starbucks planner to date, the Starbucks 2013, 2015 and 2016. All these 3 Starbucks Planner were given to me by my close family and friends because we don’t have a Starbucks Coffee Shop nearby. The closest that we have are the ones located in Cagayan de Oro City and in Davao City which will take me 4 to 5 hours to get there. It is quite frustrating especially when people would post their Starbucks Planner and how they get to own one. I joined a lot of online contests and giveaways just to win a Starbucks Planner but sad to say, I didn’t won any of it. I am really hoping that this time, I will get one through drinking Starbucks Coffee and get those stickers in order for me to have the Starbucks Planner that I want. This year they have 2 designs to choose from and I love them both, though I would only need one.

My best friend starting collecting stickers for me, and before she left the Philippines she gave it to me with 6 stickers already. When I visited my husband in Cebu, we went to Starbucks and ordered two coffee in order to add more stickers to my promo card. I am really a coffee-addict but distance kept me from collecting 18 stickers that I need to have a planner of my own. But I will not stop from dreaming of owning one.

If you are like me who wants to own one, this is how to get one :

HOW TO GET THE LIMITED EDITION STARBUCKS COFFEE PLANNER 2017

  • A customer can avail of a Starbucks® Christmas Traditions Promo card from November 2, 2016 to January 8, 2017 with no purchase required.
  • One sticker is awarded for each Starbucks® handcrafted beverage purchase.  Holder must accumulate a total of eighteen (18) stickers, to redeem one (1) Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2017 Planner.
  • Customer must present the Starbucks® Christmas Traditions card to the barista upon purchase to get the corresponding number of stickers.
  • In case any of the Holiday featured beverages are not available (ex. Toffee Nut Latte), customers can substitute it with any of the remaining holiday featured beverages (ex. Santa Hat Dark Mocha or Peppermint Mocha).  Should all three (3) not be available, only then can customers substitute with any espresso-based or Frappuccino® blended beverage of their choice.
  • A customer must complete the required number of stickers to qualify for the redemption of one (1) Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2017 Planner. A combination of up to two (2) promo cards will be allowed, provided that the 9 featured plus 9 core beverages have been purchased. Excess stickers for combined cards will be forfeited.
  • Once all stickers are completed, customer must submit the Starbucks® Christmas Traditions Card/s to redeem one (1) Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2017 Planner from any Starbucks Coffee store in the Philippines.
  • Tampering with and/or transferring of stickers to obtain the required number of stickers will render all promo cards null and void.
  • Every purchase of a handcrafted beverage (including Starbucks Signature Pairings bundled beverage) using a Starbucks Card will be awarded one (1) sticker and one (1) Beverage Star. Terms and conditions that apply to the Starbucks Card are available on www.starbucks.ph/card.
  • Single receipt bulk purchase of food and other retail items (merchandise, whole bean and Starbucks VIA®) worth at least ₱7,000 will entitle the customer to one (1) Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2017 Planner. Combination of receipts is not allowed.
  • Bulk purchase of gift certificates and Starbucks Card load/reload of at least ₱7,000 will not entitle the customer to a planner.
  • The following transactions and discounts are qualified for this promotion:
  • Senior Citizen discount
  • PWD discount
  • VAT Exempt
  • Personal Cup/Tumbler ₱5 discount
  • The following coupons and discounts are disqualified for this promotion.
  • Service Recovery Coupon
  • Free Tall Beverage Coupon
  • Customer Voice Redemption
  • Starbucks Card Registration Treat
  • Starbucks Card Beverage Treat Redemption
  • Promotion starts on November 2, 2016. Stickers may be obtained from November 2, 2016 to January 8, 2017.
  • Redemption of the Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2017 Planner starts November 2, 2016 up to March 9, 2017, at Starbucks stores in the Philippines only.

High-Resolution Ultrasounds are Beneficial For Doctors and Patients

Scheduling an ultrasound is necessary for detecting an illness or injury. The ultrasound releases sound waves into the human body using a transducer. The sound waves are inaudible to the human ear, and they bounce back to give doctors a glance of the soft tissues and organs. A patient may have an ultrasound performed to detect a problem in areas such as the heart, liver, abdomen, kidney or gallbladder.

There are many clinics and hospitals that offer a high resolution ultrasound to get an accurate reading. Facilities use high quality equipment such as the Acuson X300 ultrasound system to perform the ultrasound. Doctors and patients can both benefit from a high-resolution ultrasound.

A high-resolution ultrasound creates a detailed image of the human body. Doctors can clearly see what is happening with a specific organ or tissue, and patients do not have to undergo another ultrasound due to unclear results. The doctor will be able to detect conditions such as a blockage of the arteries or tumor on the kidney. A high-resolution ultrasound also allows the doctor to determine if a tumor is cancerous or benign. Once doctors make an accurate diagnosis, they can figure out the best treatment for the condition.

It is no secret that patients are nervous about the discomfort and radiation that comes with diagnostic tests. However, a high-resolution ultrasound is a safe and painless procedure. It starts with patients laying on a padded table with the specific area exposed. The physician will cover the area in a warm gel and carefully press the transducer against the skin. Patients do not have to worry about needles or exposure to radiation during the procedure.

Patients may also feel worried about the actual injury or condition. The accurate reading gives them the answers they have needed for days, and they can start focusing on the treatment and recovery.

There are many facilities that provide a reading within 24 hours of the ultrasound, which means patients only have to wait a day for their results. In the case of an emergency, the facility may provide results within one hour of the ultrasound. The quick results allow physicians to act quickly to treat the condition.

A high-resolution ultrasound is beneficial for doctors and their patients. Doctors receive a clear view of the body to make an accurate diagnosis. Patients finally receive answers regarding their condition.