Gloomy, Wet, N Sentimental...

Yep, Winter is truly here in Taipei...  Once again, air-con Not needed,  fans put away, and comforter covers being used to keep warm...  Not just the "Ber" months but can actually say the "Brrrrrr" months.... :)

The last two days have been gloomy and wet too..  So Best way to keep warm and happy is to head on down to  7-11 for some Hot City Cafe Coffee...  And the Bonus is the current Premium Program they are running just fir Coffee Lovers - Sentimental Circus!

It is a collection of spoons, forks, knives and chopsticks with the characters from Sentimental Circus adorned on them...  Much too cute... 

And if you are a Big Fan, a special Carousel Holder is being offered too - you can purchase separately!

Note: Stickers to collect for redemption can only be had by purchasing City Cafe coffee...  Eight Stickers = One Premium...  All are packaged in Blind Boxes, for added surprise, of course! There are 8 different ones pictured, plus 2 Secret ones to collect in all!  

Have a Sentimental Circus Winter and Happy Hunting!

Summer Fun with Open Chang & the Gang!!!

Debuting today, 7-11 brings back the loveable  and personal favotrite od mine character, OPEN CHANG for their Premium Promotional Program.....   The entire gang's  back for this cute promotional program...  this time around as pen/pencil toppers - each character dons the Open chang head mask and their cute little heads are sticking out of them....   each and every single one is a MUST HAVE - and so far there are 7 of them introduced, pictured above...

The way it works is that one must purchase at least NT$70 on a single receipt to get a sticker point...  for every 4 stickers, and an additional NT$49,  you have the option of redeeming one of these cuties.... am pretty positive they will be packaged as Blind Boxes though, so one will not know which one he/she is actually getting.....   An added element of SURPRISE for some... a cause of FRUSTRATIONS for others...  myself included... hahahahahahaha....

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 7-11 even enlisted Taiwan Pop Idol, Show in the promotional TV ADs currently running in all major Taiwan TV stations...

For the UBER CUTE Commercial with Taiwan Pop Idol Show,

 PLS CLICK HERE!

tokidoki X hello kitty X 7-11 Hong Kong

Tokidoki Fans are in for a treat for the Holidays!!!   New tokidoki charms are being offered as a Special Premium Toys Offering by the 7-11 Shops in Hong Kong....   Just like the ones in Taiwan - one will be able to avail them by collecting stickers one gets when they buy from their local 7-11 Convenience Store shops....

From what I can make out, as I really cannot read Chinese (LOL!) - there will be two sets available... one collection debuted on the 7th of this month (December 2011) and another will make their appearance starting the 11th of January, 2012.... A total of 22 Hello Kitty x tokidoki keychain figures fans in Hong Kong will be able to collect…

All of this is quite EXCITING for me... so many FUN pieces.....  but ALAS, they will just be added to my tokidoki Holy Grails wishlist - as so far, no one in Hong Kong I know, has offered to help me acquire them.....  *SIGH*

Catch the FUN TV ADVERT HERE!

Open & Lock Case XMas 2011

ECSTATIC.HAPPY.OVERJOYED

Just a few words that describes my feelings tonight  - I LUCKED OUT and actually got my Open & Lock Premiums from 7-11...   and not just the Regular POP & Rock versions that you can hook up with your iPhone to listen to your music - was also LUCKY ENOUGH to get the XMAS versions of the duo, that doubles as speakers once attached to your MP3 or computer....   SCORE!!!

Regular Versions = Earphones

Special XMas Suits Versions = Speakers

Now if only I can get the COCO one from COSMED and the newly introduced, PLEASE one from

 7-11....  neverending, isn't it?

Sunday's Little Blessings

Started off the day with my first 7-11 Premium Earphones....   yes, I was FINALLY LUCKY enough to happen upon a 7-11 with a few of them IN STOCK for redemption....   and I got me the OPEN chan one....   Could not wait to get it deboxed and give it a try....   hooked it up on my iPhone and listened to some tunes - in fairness, it sounded pretty good....  nice, very nice, reception indeed!!! 

Now I cannot wait to get the LOCK chan one... I do hope that I get LUCKY enough for that one as my second redemption -- two more stickers to go..... :)

Then later on, out of the blue - with the skies still looking gloomy but no rain - we decided to drive up for a DIP at the Hot Spings... less than an hour outside of Taipei....   today was the perfect day... though the sun tried to come out a few times - it never really did....  so it was refreshing to be outdoors, nice cold breezes, and soothing Hot, Natural Spring waters...  and all that heat equaled an appetite for some delicacies for lunch....

...and earlier tonite, we got a visit from Jewel - who just came back from Japan... her first trip abroad ever....  only a year old and already Traveling....  what a life!!!

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT WEEKEND!!! 

 HERE'S TO A BRAND NEW WEEK!!!

Close But No Cigar...

or in my case: "No Premium Earphones....  Yet!"

Went to a few 7-11 today to try and CLAIM my first of the Premium Open/Lock Earphones as I have collected enough stickers (Thanks fto all those cups of coffees - the BEST and FASTEST way to collect stickers!!!) for one so far....  but NO SUCH LUCK....  except for the ones they have on displayed (Teasing Me!) - none were available for redemption...  so I wait another week... BOO HOO!!!

AAAAAAHHHHHH  The Torture..... 

 I really should just got the Yahoo Auction way via Sue....  hahahahahahahaha.....

In My hand but cannot take home... BOO HOO!!!

Incidentally, sister company COSMED is running the same Premium Program but offers 3 EXCLUSIVES - Coco the bird, Open & Lock in XMas Clothing!!!

Original Post Regarding this Newest 7-11 Premium Program HERE!

Enjoy Music with Open & Lock!!!

November 2nd starts a brand new, and awfully awesome, Premium Program from 7-11....  this time around, Open, Lock and the rest of the Open Plaza gang with let you enjoy MUSIC like never before....  yep, they will all be available as Music Earphones... and just from the Adverts and posters up so far - I already know I want to collect them all!!!  HELP!!!

Premiums * Premiums * Premiums

Cannot believe I have been so behind in photographing and sharing my latest acquisitions of Premium Toys.... Vinyl toys that are FAVEs of mine from McDonalds & Mister Donut... so here goes:

DORAEMON: Current Premium Tie Ins for McDonalds.... Doraemon doubles as the 12 Lunar Calendar Animals... of course I got the DRAGON, one... :))

Mister Donut's Premium to welcome the New Year... the shops mascot sits atop the Fortune Boat, that doubles as a candy container.

These guys came out a few months back to benefit the Ronald McDonalds House Foundation... Set of 4. (Thanks Sue & Juliana!!!)

Not sure when this Jungle Book Premium was issued - came across this at one of the Toy Shops I frequent... MOWGLI - gottat have!!!

I better learn to read Chinese....

...or ELSE AM MISSING OUT ON ALL THE GOOD PARTS!!! LOL.... and this is one of those times.....

...Been collecting Premium Toys from various places here in Taiwan, 7-11, McDonalds, Family Mart, etc... and recently I have been coveting the XMas 2010 Open Plaza premiums, basically the more Limited Special Edition Open and Lock ones.... dressed as Nutcraker Soldiers, they are just cute as a button.... and as an added bonus, they double as Flashlights...Somehow I lucked in on the Lock one when I redeemed the points I have collected so far.... unfortunately, though I had enough for two, the other one I got was the Pink Dog (Jewel is getting this from me...:) ) so I had to ask Sue, my Yahoo Auction connection to help me get the Open chan one.... which she was able to quite fast....

Anyway, when she called to tell me she had received Open chan - she went on to say that she had to check if the light works, as well as the sound recoding device... I had to ask her to repeat right away, "the sound what?" Little did I know, each one can also record one's voice and playback.... and it even say so on the boxes...waaaaah!!! I had to run and get my Lock-chan out right away and test it - and it sure did record me talking and can play back pretty clearly.... I never would have known this if I did not enlist Sue to help me get one.... LOL!

Needless to say, am even happier about this EXTRA UNEXPECTED SURPRISE!!!!

OPEN for XMAS, once more....

It's beginning to look a lot like Open Plaza XMas... once more...
7-11 has already unveiled their XMAS Premium Toys Promotion... already ongoing till early Jan..... and yes, Open-chan & Lock-chan, along with their KOOKY Open Plaza friends are back - much, too much, to my excitement - of course!!!
This time around, the gang will Thrill and WOW, all collectors as they, not only come musically equipped... they also double as mini flashlights.... to better shine on each other I suppose....and once more, one can collect sticker points faster by Special promos such as this one: Buy 7-11 Slurpee Large Cup size and get double sticker points... Weeei.....

Premiums Galore

Been so busy the last couple of months am sooooo behind even on one of my most FAVE pastimes in Taiwan - Collecting Premium Toys... and boy, oh boy, a fine time to behind., too... so many cool stuff have been put on the market since the beginning of May.... am not quite sure what is what yet.... so I have just been taking photos of the posters and the displays as I happen upon them.... so far here are the ones from 7-11, Family Mart & McDonalds...


7-11 brought Maruko-Chan, her family and friends...

...set in the classroom world of Maruko-chan... each of the premium vinyl toys is set on a school desk diorama that doubles for real working, useful things such as scissors, staplers, tape dispenser, hole puncher, etc.. So far I have this one to start of the collection... it doubles as a stapler...

Family Mart has the local PILI characters for their current Premium program...

and the latest SHREK Movie is the subject of McDonald's latest Happy Meal Toys....

it's an OPEN & LOCK case...

I have completed the chorus line of OPEN PLAZA Premium Toys - FINALLY!!! With a BIG THANK YOU shout out to Sue for helping me acquire the last piece to complete this collection... actually I would have been loooong finished in completing the collection - even with the addition of the Silver and Gold variations of Open & Lock for the Holidays to boot (part of my XMAS present from Sue & Cecilia) - but towards the end of the promotion, 7-11 Taiwan introduced an additional character... that of the program's spokesperson, Jolin Tsai... Jolin has been one of the Premier Pop Idol in Taiwan ever since I moved here - and that was a decade ago...

Anyway, I was frustrated with the idea as I knew I was going away and will most likely not have a chance to collect this - and how many of us are ever happy knowing our collection is not complete...especially when it is just by one piece... months passed and I have completely forgotten about her and was just reminded last month... so I had to ask Sue for help as she is, for me and Juliana, the Yahoo Auction Queen of Taipei... hahahahahaha... Lo and behold, she has not failed us yet - so now, another collection completed!!!

Magazine Ad Introducing the newest additional character, announced by the spokesperson, herself, Taiwan's Pop Idol Jolin Tsai.

OPEN PLAZA and Collection Photos Here

...what makes me SAD....

over the Chinese New Year holidays, down south with The Wus, I stumbled upon a few of these completed Premium Program booklets, all ready to be redeemed from Family Mart & 7-11... I should be HAPPY right? But am not - for these have all EXPIRED!!! Such a WASTE as it is not even easy to accumulate the stickers to begin with... OH WELL... guess, unless you are like me all GA GA for the Premium Toys, such things will not really matter.... oh well...

4 down - 2 more to go...

well, am getting there with my OPEN YOUR DREAM Premium Toys Collection.... so far i have been able to acquire 3 of the ones from 7-11 and the SPECIAL (BIRDEE) one, XCLusive to COSMED...Now if only I can get LUCKY and get the other two am missing.... especailly the one that I covet most....WISHING.... for now, I leave these 4 cuties to ENTERTAIN ya' all....

let him entertain you...

1 down, 5 more to go on this quest of mine for the OPEN YOUR DREAM premium program by 7-11.... weeeee...

(in case it does not appear here - CLICK HERE FOR DIRECT LINK TO VIDEO)
I GOT ONE... of course, I had to take him out of the box right away and test for myself... dancing cuteness with built in music to boot.... Plus yesterday, I got to see up close the COSMED EXCLUSIVE, Coco the Bird... definitely a MUST HAVE, too!!!

more photos of these OPEN PLAZA Premium cuties in THIS ALBUM

Open Your Dream

Back in August, while visiting my fave mall in KAOHSIUNG, Dream Mall, we happen upon this new cute little boutique - OPEN PLAZA. Cute characters printed in so many different goods: tote bags, umbrellas, tees, caps, etc.... and of course, the thing that attracted me to them in the first place, VINYL TOYS!!!

Over the last few years, OPEN PLAZA characters have been used for various promotional push by 7-11, but for the most part I have seen keyrings, plush items, and a few others. So, as cute as they are, I did not pay them too much attention. Not until I stepped into their shop, their wonderful world. So much VINYL TOYS - from music boxes with rotating figures, cute dioramas, and vinyl figurines... I was sooo enamored but still was strong willed not to start another new collection, after all, with just tokidoki goods alone, I really do not have more space for anything else.

Fast forward to this recent visit to the Wu residence in Kaohsiung, a visit not ever complete without hitting three places: our FAVE breakfast place, IKEA, & of course my personal fave, DREAM MALL. I dragged everyone to take a look at OPEN PLAZA Boutique once more - just to take photos. (^_*) Once again, I was enamoured with everything there - and was once again reminded how am loving these characters.

As if to egg me on more into wanting to covet them, the cutest 7-11 promotional tie up just commenced, ""Open Your Dream"". In this one, running through the holidays, the five main characters stands a top their own individual boxes. Cute I thought but why in the heck, do I need 60 point stickers (1 sticker per purchase of NT$30/a little less than US$1)!!! Well, upon closer look I realized that with a push of their individual buttons - they each start dancing -- and when you line them all up you got yourself the cutest chorus line. Now I gotta get cracking with these stickers - I now have 14 stickers so far - only 286 more to go in order to get all 5 figures.

Naturally, 7-11 was the next stop for a round of drinks - and of course, to get the stickers! Lo and Behold, as if they wanted to add SALT to my WOUND from pining for them, a cute mechanical display was put up at the Mall's 7-11 shop -- in it, a bunch of these cute figures are lined up, dancing away. And actually a 6th figure was added to the line up, a bird named Coco - this one I am told is a cross promotion that will run with another shop, COSMED. Darn, now I gotta go find me a COSMED to figure out how to get my hands on this 6th one. WHEW!!!

Open Plaza Cuties dance up a storm!Here's the cute ADVERT for the 7-11 Program, it stars one of Taiwan's Biggest POP Star, Jolin Tsai.
OPEN PLAZA PHOTO ALBUM HERE

Coi + Oli Bear X 7-11 Slurpee

Introduced at last July's Taipei Toy Festival - these 3 New Premium Bears are available starting now through 7-11 Shops Only. Now, a bit of INFO on how to get them... it isn't as EASY as buying them or collecting stickers from one's purchases, in order to REDEEM them... one actually has to be in the mood for a SLURPEE (the HOT weather
is agreeing enough to crave these brain freezing concoctions!)... and you will be given a chance to DRAW a card that would either entitle you to a discount or a FREE SLURPEE Coi + Oli Bear...

Not sure how long the Program is for - but I do sure hope they turn up on Taiwan's Yahoo Auction - am sure that will end up being much cheaper (and less Painful to the Brain!) way to acquire these cuties!!!