Buy 6 Pieces Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts for Only 78 Pesos!

It was in 1937 when Vernon Rudolph opened his own doughnut store in Old Salem. It would take many decades before it reached the Philippines, but ever since the first Krispy Kreme shop opened in 2006, the response has been overwhelming, that this year, there have been different outlets in more than 60 locations nationwide. Their newest outlet opened in Rockwell Powerplant Mall last Thursday.




Yesterday (10 July 2015), Krispy Kreme had an early birthday party at the flagship store in Bonifacio High Street. Weather in Metro Manila has been gloomy for the past week, but my sister and I were so grateful that we didn't have to battle with hard rain going to the event and traveling back home.




Like most birthday parties, there were different activities for the attendees. First activity we tried was creating our own doughnuts... I truly enjoyed this because it allowed me to practice on my frosting piping skills, but I gotta admit, thinking of what design to make was the most difficult task of all.


My sister tried having her nails done; she now sports candy sprinkled nail art. Very Krispy Kreme doughnut, indeed. Sweet!


Of course, a birthday party is not complete without parlor games, fellow bloggers had fun joining the KK-Twister game and the Balloon Pinata. As much as it was fun finding for balloons with prizes inside, it was actually more fun popping the balloons. We were transported to our childhood!


Biggest surprise of the night was the "Most Creative Picture," because the winner was given a doughnut party worth 10,000 pesos. I was very happy for the winner - their picture was indeed very creative!


It was a very fun party, yes... but of course the fun didn't end there, because on Monday - 13 July 2015, Krispy Kreme is turning 78, and as a way to treat all Krispy Kreme fans nationwide, we all have a chance to bring home a box of 6-pieces Original Glazed Doughnuts for only 78 pesos!


How?

Download and Register in the Krispy Kreme Mobile App and show digital coupon to redeem Box of 6 Original Glazed. App coupons will be distributed beginning Sunday evening but valid only on Monday from 12am to 11:50pm.

OR, you may print or screen grab the 78th Birthday Celebration voucher from Krispy Kreme Official Facebook, Twitter or Instagram Page and present to the cashier.

For the complete terms and conditions, as well as the complete list of stores participating this party, please check out Krispy Kreme Official Facebook Page.


One last thing to say -- when you buy your Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts for 78 pesos, please do share your picture on your different social media sites with the hashtag #HBDkrispykreme.

Set your alarm, go to the store as early as possible, and don't forget your digital coupon and screen cap. See you all on Monday!

*** Jenn ***

Giveaway Alert! Win Awesome Prizes at Orange Magazine 5x5 Campaign

It is a known fact that I don't have anything much to offer, so any chance I could to help out, I try my best to help to best of my abilities. When blogger friend Jeman of Orange Magazine posted about the website's upcoming anniversary with a question whether readers might be okay to ask for a donation in exchange of raffle tickets, I immediately thought it would be an awesome way to pay it forward.


When Orange Magazine celebrated its 5th anniversary last July 1, I was one of the happy bloggers who attended the kick off of Orange Magazine 5x5 Campaign, in partnership with World Vision. In very simple explanation, attendees would donate 100 pesos per raffle ticket. There are no pressures in this campaign, one might donate just one hundred pesos and it will be received whole heartedly. Like I said, I don't have that much money, so I donated 300 pesos. I was given three raffle tickets to fill up, and I placed two of those in the bowl at the event.


After serving dinner, the program started - we learned all about this partnership as well as a background about World Vision. As a surprise, two awesome musicians performed - Lirah Bermudez (who once joined the TV Show Protégé on GMA-7 under the mentorship of Janno Gibbs), and rapper extraordinaire, Gloc-9. It was my first time to hear them perform live, and they are just super awesome! Gloc-9 already established his name in the music industry, and I already know he is a phenomenal rapper, but hearing him perform live was just awesome. They performed "Takipsilim," and I suggest you go check the song out on YouTube or Spotify, because it was one heck of a song - super powerful!

photo credits to Jude Ng and Orange Magazine

Anyway, both Lirah and Gloc-9 are the campaign's ambassadors, and this campaign is not only aiming to gather donation to help send five kids to school, World Vision also aims to help communities. In other words, they aim to help give kids the "fish" they deserve, they also aim to help communities "how to fish" so that more people will have better futures.

True, all bloggers who attended this party were asked to give donation... but it was actually a give-and-take situation, because in exchange of the donation we made, we stood a chance to win prizes worth more than the donation we gave.


I placed two raffle tickets, and I won an Energizer gift pack and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago's latest book, "Stupid is Forevermore." Very timely prizes to win, as the country is now under the rainy season and rainy season meant chances of power interruptions, and this flashlight and battery sets will definitely be useful. As for the book, well I am very happy to have won that because my mom bought the first book months ago, and now I have the second book! This will be a great addition to my growing number of books.

Other prizes given away were Tai-Chi gift packs, Veri-Fit gift packs, Doggie's Choice gift packs, Francis Magalona shirts, and signed Gloc-9 CDs.

Biggest prize of the night was an O+ smartphone, which I sadly didn't win, but I still have one raffle entry, so I will try my luck winning on the grand raffle.


Aside from the raffle - prizes provided by sponsors - Orange Magazine's main man Jeman Villanueva also shelled out personal items to help gather more donations. On a separate table, he lined up unused items - a Starbucks glass tumbler, a Madonna CD, an Urbanears headset, a watch that is the same brand and look that Katy Perry wore on her "Birthday" music video, and a Huawei smartphone. These items have their own price tags, and attendees were given the chance to buy a raffle ticket for each of these prizes. It was difficult for me to choose which I wanted to bid on, but in the end I chose the Starbucks glass tumbler because well... it was Starbucks and it was made of glass! It still had the original price tag (598 pesos), but I only paid 50 pesos for a ticket...and yes, I did win! Awesome!!!

As for the Bath & Body Works pack (it has hand soap, hand cream and candle - all apple scented), it was given to the earliest bird, which I also won. Just a little bit of explanation, I arrived at the World Vision building quarter past 5pm, and since the event would start at 6pm, I felt I arrived way too early, so I stayed in their lobby and read an eBook for a while. When I heard someone asked the guard where the Orange Magazine event venue was, I decided to stand up and joined the person. :)

Photo credit to Jude Ng and Orange Magazine

A very fruitful night for all of us - tummies filled (thank you to Goldilocks, Pizza Hut, and McDonald's for the food), ears and hearts entertained, and bags filled with goodies, but the most fulfilling part of the night was knowing each of us helped (or will help) people in as little possible way that we could. Yes, the prizes I took home were more than the amount I donated, but I could sleep soundly at night knowing that the money I donated will go a long way.

Giveaway Alert!!!

Orange Magazine will have a bigger and better raffle happening towards the end of the month, and you can totally take part of it! All you have to do is donate as little as 100 pesos to these World Vision bank accounts:

BPI: 4251-0024-15

BDO: 000-2700-4341-1

PS Bank: 038-33200013-8

Metrobank: 060-7060-5186-41

and forward a copy (a picture) of your deposit slip together with your complete name, address and contact numbers to katrina_gratuito@wvi.org, wv_phil@wvi.org, online@orangemagazine.ph or fax at (02) 374-7660.

Every 100 pesos donation is equal to 1 raffle ticket, so you have a say as to how many raffle tickets you can earn.  The grand raffle (prizes include smartphones) will be on July 31, but of course any donation to World Vision after this campaign is very much welcome.

To know more about this campaign, please visit the  official website - https://www.worldvision.org.ph/5x5-campaign. If you have questions about the campaign, please check out Orange Magazine Facebook Page or the Orange Magazine Website.

*** Jenn ***

Krispy Kreme Launches New App

Summer is now in full swing, and I am sure people who weren't able to take the time off to unwind last Holy Week are now planning for their summer escapades. Us here in the family, we still don't have any concrete plans, but we have listed places we wanted to go to.

When one speaks of summer getaway, or an out of town trip, we don't just plan where to go, we also take the time to think about the food we want to pack and eat while traveling. For us, we usually pack for chips and crisps, candies, and bread, as well as rice and fried chicken for lunch. Not once did we ever take a box of doughnuts with us because we usually pack heavy bags filled with clothes. We do want to (seeing people at the airport carrying boxes of doughnuts always make us feel jealous), but it wasn't feasible for us to do...yet.


I was invited to the launch of the Krispy Kreme App late last month, and we were among the first ones to try the app. Powered by Mobext, the app is available on both IOS and Android, so whatever smartphone or tablet you are using, you can easily download it and order your favorite KK treats.


Upon installing the app, tap on the three lines on the upper right corner to see the menu. For first time users, tap on "Sign-Up" and supply the needed details.


Once you created an account, you can then order the treats you want. Aside from the doughnuts, you can also order coffee as well as a combination of doughnuts and coffee. If you wanted to go for the assorted doughnuts, you then have to choose the doughnuts you want.


When your order is complete, simply tap on "Proceed to Checkout" and review the details. You can always go back if there is an error. You then choose whether you want your orders to be delivered "now" or at a later date, or to be picked up.

Things to know:

• Upon checkout, there is a box at the bottom of the order slip where you can place your notes. Use this to indicate who will receive the order (for delivery) or who will pick up the order at the store.
• For delivery orders, it is quite sad that there are only 8 key locations at the moment - Ortigas Center, Makati Central Business District, Bonifacio Global City, Malate / Macapagal Blvd., Gateway, Greenhills, Alabang, and Eastwood. If your delivery address is within the scope of these eight places, you may go for the delivery service.
• Delivery time is from 8am - 8pm.
• For pick-up orders, please specify the branch, the date and time when you will pick up the order.
• The time of pick up depends on the store's operation hours.
• Minimum order is 500 pesos.
• Payment is via Credit Card or Cash on Delivery/Pick-Up.

Our home address is out of the delivery area, but I wanted to try their delivery service, so I had it delivered to my sister's work address. I was very happy to say that my order was delivered right on time, and that the doughnuts were intact inside their boxes. Call me paranoid, but one of my worries for opting for the delivery service was mishandling of the goods - I seriously don't want ruined doughnuts because the top part and side parts of the box stuck to the doughnuts. Also, they gave me a voucher for free 3 Original Glaze Doughnuts on my next order (good for delivery). Sweet!

By the way, once your order is successful, you will receive a call from a customer service representative to confirm your order and to ask a few more necessary details - like landmarks near the delivery address and the likes. A soft copy of the receipt will be sent to your e-mail address, so you can also document it or use it as reference if you are going to pay using your credit card of GCash.

You can also use the app to locate Krispy Kreme branches nationwide, as well as a tracker for the stamps you have accumulated because every order using the app will earn you stamps, which can be used to gain rewards.

KK Doughnuts + a road trip book

This app is very useful and I loved that it is flexible enough for us to use. You can order for yourself or order Krispy Kreme treats for your friends and loved ones from different locations in the country without having to travel yourself or sending them the money. This means, children who are studying in Manila can now order KK treats for their parents living in the province and because the app is available worldwide, OFWs can also use the app to send the Joy in a Box cheer to their loved ones here in the Philippines.

The only sad note I can say about this app is that my sister and I planned to order doughnuts for our brother and his wife in Cagayan de Oro, and even if there is a Krispy Kreme branch near them, the Cagayan de Oro branch is not listed, so we still couldn't use the app to send brother KK doughnuts. :(

The app is still at its early stages, so I understand the limitations. I am sure changes will happen as the days go by. We are now interested to try it out on our next adventure.

*** Jenn ***

Celebrate Valentine's Day at Max's Restaurant

For many people, Valentine's Day is such a special day. I know, we should express our love every day and not just on Valentine's Day, but... it is like an anniversary - a special day celebrating love. Have you made plans for that day? If you want to provide a sumptuous lunch or dinner with your loveydoves and still save some precious money for other things, I suggest you go to Max's Restaurant, because they are currently offering Meal for Two, where you get to pair --


Max's Fried Chicken (half serving) with Kangkong Stuffed Tofu OR


with Sizzing Tofu...

as well as 2 servings of rice, Iced Tea, and Buko Pandan. Not too heavy, but sure to fill your tummies! Personally, I loved the Sizzling Tofu because I loved the blend of cream and celery, but the Kangkong Stuffed Tofu tasted great, too! This meal is priced for only P525 only, allowing you to save as much as P191.

Now, if you're the type who celebrates Valentine's Day on the actual day, it's just fine. This meal is on offer until the end of February 2015, so even when Valentine's Day has passed and you still crave for the perfect combination Max's Fried Chicken and Tofu bring, you can always come back and have some more.

Hashtag "Forever Alone" on VDay? Why not celebrate with your barkada or with your family? Groups who dine at Max's Restaurant between February 13 and 15, with a minimum bill of 1,500 pesos will get a box of chocolate and caramel bites for free!

Meanwhile, Max's Corner Bakery offers awesome sweet treats for your sweets -


Choco Peanut Butter Cake
a rich and moist chocolate cake, filled with premium peanut butter icing and coated with delicious chocolate frosting.

Peanut Butter isn't one of my favorite flavors, but this cake had a great balance of chocolate and peanut butter, and the chocolate cake was dense yet very moist, just like how I want my chocolate cake to be. It is great to eat this chilled, but I kinda liked my cake on room temperature, with the peanut butter frosting already softened.


White Chocolate Butter Cake
a delectably light and fluffy butter cake garnished with milky white chocolate shavings and topped with rich whipped cream and cherry.

I wasn't able to cut the cake because I didn't want to ruin the heart shape, but inside of this cake is a light cherry frosting - not at all sweet, the sweetness coming mostly from the white chocolate shavings.

These cakes may be small, but just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth, and it's not overwhelming to carry and give - it is actually cute!


If fancy cakes aren't your type, and you just want the simple cake rolls, Max's Corner Bakery now offers a new kind of cake rolls. Before, these rolls just come in single flavors (my favorite is the mango), but because Valentine's Day is usually for couples - they also married two different flavors to create one awesome cake roll pairing! It comes in four flavors - Ube Strawberry, Jelly Pandan, Choco Peanut Butter, and Choco Mocha.

Whether you're single or not, there's something for you at Max's Restaurant this Valentine's Day. These offerings are available on all branches nationwide. For more information, head on to the Max's Restaurant website - http://www.maxschicken.com or check their Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/maxsrestaurant. They are also on Instagram (@maxschicken)



*** Jenn ***