Blog Giveaway #7 - Boxfresh Shoes

I have size 13 feet. Buying shoes for me in the Philippines is like looking for a needle in a haystack, or as I have previously blogged, is like a Cinderella story. Believe me, I have grown frustrated asking almost everywhere if they have sizes for my big feet. Most often than not, if not all the time, the answer is no. I hate it when after answering that they do not have my size, they will instantly look at my feet, as if I have a disease of some sorts. #TRUESTORY.

Anyway, this year, I was very happy when I finally found BOXFRESH, an early New York / Hip-hop inspired East London brand, which meant a pair of trainers being literally "fresh out of the box". It hails itself as "The Original British Streetwear brand".

The "Boxfresh" definition is "someone or something that is new and cool or innovative in a fashion sense." The authentic British Streetwear is multi-cultured, intelligent, witty, sleek and expressive, independent and always fresh.



Boxfresh apparel and footwear caters to the sophisticated urban street culture, mixing grungy overtones with sleek cuts and polished lines. Heralding the heroes of the street from musicians, performers, artists and creatives, we believe that "The sidewalk is the new catwalk".

For the latter part of the year, until December 31, Boxfresh has a promotion for people with big feet. You know as they say, BIG FEET MEANS BIG.....SHOES, of course! And Boxfresh is one of my trusted brands to provide shoes for people who have big feet like myself.

BOXFRESH PROMOTION: Print this photo-coupon and get 50% off on Selected Boxfresh shoes in participating RES|TOE|RUN and Bratpack outlets nationwide! (Limited time offer only). This coupon is valid for Size 11-13 US only. Not applicable in the following shoe styles - Zelos, Aidos, Ember 2, Khyke Tartan, Dalston. Valid only until December 31, 2011. One coupon per transaction only.

Also, in the spirit of the season, The Philippines and Beyond will be giving away a pair of Boxfresh shoes to one lucky reader for him or her to enjoy. Read the mechanics below on how to join in the Blog Christmas Giveaway. Merry Christmas! :)

HOW TO WIN A PAIR OF BOXFRESH SHOES:

Blog Giveaway #1: Win free FILED 2012 Planners

Meet FILED...A company founded in 2007 by a group of business majors "hell bent on stopping the biggest problem all students and yuppies face: disorganization." It "fuses ORGANIZATION in STYLE in products that provide solutions to the dynamic needs of today's stylish young generation."



The brand’s flagship product – FILED Folders – went on to captivate the hearts of hundreds, and with the release of the FILED Beach Bags in the summer of 2009, the family just keeps getting bigger and better. 2010 paved the way for the highly demanded FILED Planner, followed by LinkNotes this 2011.

And now, they bring back the FILED Planners for 2012...Doodle, It’s 2012! This coming year's FILED planners let you plan and design your year, month, and day, in YOUR own creative way. May it be through doodling, coloring, or any artistic output...this planner is for you - it's for the OC, the creative, the artsy-fartsy, the brave, the bold, the stylish, etc. :))



It also has a monthly expense trackers that "help you save up for that special something (or someone!)," as well as pages for your plans to conquer the year—all in that convenient pocket-sized jotter!



One more thing--they've also thrown in a FREE pen bandolier! What’s that you say? It’s their simple yet innovative way of making sure you always have your writing materials in one place. No need to worry about losing all those fancy pens, because you can just strap them in with your planner and you’re ready to go!

Who says organizing and planning can’t be fun, personalized and stylish?

*Pens not included
Dimensions: 7 in x 5 in x 0.75 in
Price: Php 545.00

FILED 2012 Planners are available at FILED ONLINE SHOP (http://www.filed.com.ph/), Fully Booked branches (Metro Manila), and Powerbooks branches (Metro Manila).

HOW TO WIN THE FILED 2012 PLANNERS:

(1) Like The Philippines and Beyond official Facebook page.

(2) Like the FILED official Facebook page.

(3) Share this blog post via Facebook: "I want to win the @FILED 2012 Planner from @The Philippines and Beyond! @(tag 3 friends)" or via Twitter: "I want to win the FILED 2012 Planners from @briankingong! @(tag 3 friends)"

Example: Facebook - "I want to win the @FILED! 2012 Planners from @The Philippines and Beyond! @Friend1 @Friend2 @Friend3" or Twitter - "I want to win the FILED 2012 Planners from @briankingong! @Friend1 @Friend2 @Friend3"

(4) Leave a message at my comment box below with the URL LINK of your Facebook or Twitter message/post complete with your NAME and E-MAIL ADDRESS. Failure to do so automatically disqualifies the entry.

(5) This contest is open to all readers in the Philippines. One entry per person only. Winners will be chosen via electronic raffle. This contest will run from December 06, 2011 to December 09, 2011, 11:59PM. There will be two (2) winners, getting one FILED 2012 Planner each. I will be notifying the winner via email and will also announce it here in my blog. The 2012 Filed Planners will be delivered to the winners.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows T-Shirts Giveaway

1 more day until the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows World Premiere trip to London! But first, don't fret if you didn't get selected in the Harry Potter Windows Live Contest I blogged before, because more exciting items are up for grabs! :) Thanks to Warner Bros and Windows Live, I will be giving away some Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows T-Shirts to two lucky Filipinos! :)

HOW TO JOIN?

1. Follow me on Twitter @briankingong
2. Re-Tweet the following: "2 x Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows tees from Warner Bros to be won for Filipinos! RT to win! #hotmail_hp" so it should appear like this: "RT @briankingong 2 x Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows tees from Warner Bros to be won for Filipinos! RT to win! #hotmail_hp"
3. You can start Re-Tweeting today until 11:59 PM of Friday, July 8. Will be raffling/picking the winner when I return next week, with the T-shirts, from London :)

EDIT: 03:01PM - But wait, there's more! Warner Bros & Windows Live are giving the 2 winners more prizes, a Gringotts Magnet with pouch each! :)

GAME!!! :)

Free! Rare Leather Starbucks 2011 Planner Contest

Ever since, I wanted to run a contest on my blog, but I have yet to talk to possible sponsors, who would be willing and generous enough to agree to this. Maybe it’s time to do it; a way of saying thank you, to YOU, my readers and friends, who have been with me in this gastronomic and scenic blog-journey, for my 3 years this coming January 2011. I have been blessed with a lot of awesomeness with this blog, and it has been really a wonderful experience for me and my close friends, who have been with me in my adventures. There is still a lot of work to be done.



For now, my uncle, Martin Gomez, has been generous enough to provide 2 of these unique Starbucks planners as prizes to a contest he is sponsoring. These RARE Starbucks holiday planners cannot be found in the Philippines, because it is issued in Malaysia; plus, it's already out of stock there. I would say it is better because of a lot of reasons, but I'll let the photos do the talking.



Now, if you are wondering how can you win this awesome rare planner, all you have to do is answer one of the two (or both) questions below in a blogpost, use the URL SHORTENER he created, and get a chance to win these awesome Starbucks 2011 planners.



WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO QUALIFY:
1. Answer one question (1 Starbucks planner as prize per question) as a blogpost in any of your blog/s (blogspot, wordpress, facebook, multiply, etc);
2. Link this contest in any part of your blogpost;
3. Use the xvr.in URL shortener to shorten the URL of your blogpost;
4. Promote the xvr.in URL shortener in the most creative way possible (must be referenced or talked about in your blogpost);
5. Post the shortened URL as a comment in this contest blogpost.

Q # 1: How did the true spirit of Christmas come alive in your Christmas?
Q # 2: How do u plan to plan your 2011 with a planner?

Criteria for Judging:
75% - Content (How you answered the question)
25% - Promote the xvr.in URL shortener in the most creative way possible. (Must be referenced in your blog post)

Deadline of this contest is on December 31st, 11:59pm. | FYI: One blog post per question, per person. So a person can join once per question. :) Thanks!

Nestle Fruit Selection Yogurt with Jelly Contest

CONGRATULATIONS to @josefina_am (soft + fantastic = sofantastic), @laocee (major + delicious = majorlicious) and @jameelamalicdem (major + terrific = majorrific). You guys won 15 cups of Nestle Fruit Selection Yogurt with Jelly each. :) See details below on how to claim your prize.

Our friends at Nestle are giving away some cups of their newest yummy yogurt variant, the Nestle Fruit Selection Yogurt with Jelly. Winning is really simple! :)

1. Each contestants must describe their Nestle Fruit Selection Yogurt with Jelly snacking experience using the portmanteau(*) game. Was it fun, cool, odd, amazing? We want to know!
2. There are two ways to join:

• Tweet your entries using this format: @briankingong word1 + word2 = portmanteau #NestleFruitSelectionYogurt (e.g. @briankingong jelly + delicious = jellicious #NestleFruitSelectionYogurt).
• Post your entries on Facebook using this format: Hey, @Brian Ong! I just had a cup of @Nestle Fruit Selection Yogurt with Jelly and it's so word1 + word2 = portmanteau!

3. Each person can send in as much entries as they would like.
4. Winners will be chosen by yours truly according to creativity in your entry. I will announce 3 winners by September 8, 12mn
5. The winners will receive 15 cups of Nestle Fruit Selection Yogurt with Jelly each.
6. The winners can claim their prizes from September 8 to 10 (9 am - 8 pm) at the Ogilvy office at this address: 25F Picadilly Star Building, 4th Avenue corner 27th Street, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City 1634

-----
*A portmanteau or portmanteau word is used to mean a blend of two (or more) words or morphemes and their meanings into one new word.

I love Yoshinoya Blog Contest Winner!

After being stuck trying to select the best among the entries, with the help of Hannah Co and Jethro Koon, food and literary bloggers respectively, I was able to narrow down the selection to 2, and chose the winner. The winner for the "I love Yoshinoya" blog contest, who will receive Php 500 Yoshinoya gift certificates, is.......... *drum rolls*

And this winner is Migs Eslava's (migguee) "Why I Love Yoshinoya ^_^x" post. According to the judges, he had the most sense out of the rest. He answered the question, was straight to the point, and related his entry to his life experiences. Congratulations!


Please wait for my email notification on how to claim your prize. Thank you to all those who submitted their entries and joined the contest! :) I hope you guys join once more should I have other blog contest. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! :D

I love Yoshinoya, Japan's #1 Beef Bowl

Yoshinoya dates back to 1899 at Nihonbashi, Tokyo where a Japanese man named Eikichi Matsuda created a delicious recipe of beef and rice known as Gyudon beef bowl. This recipe became popular worldwide and sparked the expansion of Yoshinoya in over 1,000 outlets in Japan, US, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines.

In the Philippines, it was franchised by Century Pacific Inc., makers of Century Tuna, in 2001. To date, it has 7 branches, serving quality authentic Japanese fast food, in Metro Manila. Yoshinoya is available at Parksquare 1, SM Megamall, Robinsons Galleria, SM North EDSA, Greenhills, SM Mall of Asia and Sta. Lucia.

Why I LOVE Yoshinoya

Yoshinoya, unlike any other Japanese fast food restaurant, serves the best beef, which is simmered in a special broth of herbs and spices. Once it has reached your bowl or plate, and is on top of steaming white rice, you'll forget you're in the Philippines. A lot of people claims it tastes exactly like the Yoshinoya in Japan.

The photo above is the JUMBO-C (Gyudon + Ebi Tempura). The beef is so soft and tender and very juicy. You don't need anything to compliment its taste. It may look dry and bland, but wait until you've tried it. You'll surely love every bite. The Ebi Tempura was awesome as well. :)


Some of the other dishes you may want to order in Yoshinoya: Japanese Fried Chicken (Php 80), it was like any other normal fried chicken, maybe the least Japanese-y of them all; Mixed Tempura (Php 125); Chicken Teriyaki, which comes in regular (Php 90) and large (Php 125) - said to be the healthiest option in Yoshinoya; and the Shiitake Shu Mai and the Kani Shu Mai (Php 50) - the Shiitake is love. 'Nuff Said.


Jumbo Plates at Php 165: JUMBO-A (Gyudon + Chicken Teriyaki); JUMBO-B (Gyudon + Beef Yakiniku); and JUMBO-C (Gyudon + Ebi Tempura)

CONTEST MECHANICS

1. Write a blog post in your own blog (wordpress, blogspot, tumblr, multiply, etc.) on "WHY DO YOU LOVE YOSHINOYA?"
2. Link this entry "I love Yoshinoya, Japan's #1 Beef Bowl" in any part of your post.
3. Comment at this entry by posting the link to your blog post and your email or any other means I can contact you, should you win :)
4. Deadline is on February 26, 2010 (11:59pm). I will close the comment box after that.
5. This contest is open to Mega-Manila residents only.
6. I will announce the VALID* winner based on content and how you answered the question, on Sunday, February 28. :)

*VALID - meaning you blogged and answered the question, you linked this post, you commented below by putting the link to your post and your email/means for me to contact you, and you're from MEGA MANILA.

PRIZE = Php 500 worth of Yoshinoya Gift Certificate

Toblerone's Thank You Day Contest

SPREAD THE SWEETNESS OF GRATITUDE PHOTO COMPETITION

There are more than a thousand reasons why I should be thankful for - my family, friends, blessings, studies, career, etc; and at the same time, there are that much ways I can express my thanks and gratitude for all of these. Chocolates, flowers, thank you card, a kiss, what have you.

I guess, I would like to thank my cousins, for being always there, in good times and in bad times, for sticking with each other always. :) (P.S. Happy Birthday Lujean!)

Once again, October 20 marks the National Thank You Day, an event spearheaded and sponsored by Toblerone, a popular international Swiss chocolate brand, for the third (3rd) time.

This event highlights two simple yet powerful words - THANK YOU. We have seen how the Filipino people have expressed their love and gratitude to an international icon of democracy. Thank you President Cory Aquino. This is why, the thought that we, Filipinos, are well known to be very accommodating and hospitable people in the globe.

In the previous National Thank You Day, the Filipinos proved to the world that the country is united in gratefulness – debunking the Reader’s Digest survey which claimed that the Philippines is one of the least courteous nations in the world.

In line with this, The Philippines and Beyond, with Kraft Foods (Toblerone) and GeiserMaclang, Inc. will be launching this contest, "Spread the Sweetness of Gratitude Photo Contest," on how Filipinos can come up with creative ways to spread the gratitude fever by getting people to say ‘thank you’.

Toblerone wants this spirit of thankfulness to extend further to the whole country. And you can join in by showing us how you say Thank You.

WHO CAN JOIN?

• All Filipinos of legal age (18 years old) and who lives within the GREATER MANILA (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Antipolo, Cavite and Laguna) AREA ONLY.

HOW TO JOIN?

• Take a photo that shows how you can creatively say thank you or express your gratitude. Think out of the box, be as creative as you can be! Make it alive, exciting and extraordinary!
• Participants must post their entries in their own website (blog, Multiply, Friendster, Facebook, etc.) and link these photo entries to the gallery found in www.thankyoudayphilippines.com.
• You should also post the link as a comment in this blog post. Make sure that I can access and view your entry.
  
• Please provide a valid email address or and your contact detail/s when posting your link/ comment in this post, so that I may be able to get back to you (for the finalists who will be chosen).

PHOTO ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• The entry must be the entrant's original work.
• Limit of one entry per person. Incomplete, illegible, or corrupted entries will be disqualified. The Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, damaged, incomplete or misdirected entries. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and none will be returned.
• By submitting an entry, the entrant agrees to have his/her entry posted on www.thankyoudayphilippines.com and used for advertising purposes (TV, print, out-of-home, radio, PR, etc.)

SELECTION OF WINNER

• I will select five (5) finalists from all the entries submitted.
• Three (3) top winners among all shortlisted entries will be selected by Toblerone (Kraft) and GeiserMaclang, Inc.
• The three (3) top winners will receive a Toblerone gift pack each (while all shortlisted entries will be given a "thank you" kit).

CONTEST PERIOD

• This photo contest beginas today, Monday, Sept. 7 at 2PM and ends on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 5 PM. Comments will not be permitted after the contest period has expired.

For more details on the contest rules and entry requirements, please visit www.thankyoudayphilippines.com.

Online Contest: Winner of Havaianas Limited Edition Leisure Towel

After having trimmed down the entries to 5, I asked my friends (Jeric, Kimberly, Blanch and Christa) to pick their top answer. After voting from the shortlisted 5, including my own vote, the winner who emerged from the 45 entries of the Online Contest - Havaianas Limited Edition Leisure Towel last December is:





Congratulations! I'll contact you on how you may claim your prize.



On other news, I just wish that there were more towels to give out, because if I did, I would also give one to him. This was the answer which emerged next to Fran's. This personally caught my attention because back when I was still small I used to do this with my brother.. Haha!













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Online Contest: Win a Havaianas Limited Edition Leisure Towel

Havaianas together with GeiserMaclang and The Philippines and Beyond will be giving away a Havaianas Limited Edition Leisure Towel to one lucky reader!



You just have to answer this question in the comments section below: WHAT IS YOUR MOST CREATIVE WAY OF USING A TOWEL? Please leave your name and e-mail address with your answer. It's that simple! This contest will run until January 9, 2009 :)



To every towel there is a purpose.



Some are meant to be kept demurely folded in guest bathrooms; some are used by martial artists for self-defense; but others—those cut from heartier stock—are the kind you want to have on your back as you jet set through the holidays.



In fact, if pop culture’s most reliable handbook for space travel, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” is anything to go by when it referred to the towel as “the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have”, it’s the best Christmas present you could possibly give this season. And while only a few will be given the chance to go on an intergalactic journey, this doesn’t mean it still won’t be a welcome addition to anyone’s holiday gear.



This is why you should check out the latest addition to Havaianas’ arsenal of travel essentials: the Havaianas Leisure Towels that mirror the versatility and convenience of the world-famous favorite flip-flops brand.



Snap up the special edition, travel must-have for yourself or give them away as gifts and get creative. The jazzy towels are made of plush and absorbent terrycloth that makes it the ideal seaside companion as you stretch across the scorching sand; or share the comfort of 100% cotton as you leisurely enjoy a sunny picnic. Plus, at 3.28feet x 4.92feet, it’s something big enough to stretch out on, but easy enough to tote around and zip up in your carry-all with ease.



So the next time you hit the surf or the road, leave the monogrammed bath sheet at home and travel right with the versatile and made-to-last Havaianas Leisure Towels.



The Havaianas Leisure Towels are available starting December only in all All Flip-Flops branches – Bonifacio High Street, Glorietta 3, Mall of Asia, Alabang Town Center, RP Ermita, TriNoma, Greenbelt 5, Session Road Baguio, Robinsons StarMills Pampanga, SM City Batangas, SM City Iloilo, SM City Cebu, SM City Davao, SM City Cagayan de Oro










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