Tag Archives: review

Coffee Review: Starbucks Mooloolaba

Posted on by
1

 

Starbucks Mooloolaba

Starbucks Mooloolaba

A well-known chain coffee brand, Starbucks usually has its critics. It also hasn’t had the best run in Australia, recently having to close 60% of its shops on Aussie shores.  However “large scale” they may be, I think they have still managed to capture a small business feel through their outstanding service.

Price: $3.80 for a tall takeaway skinny cappuccino

Presentation: 5/5 – They got a couple of bonus points here for the presentation of the takeaway cup (which is hard to make unique). There was the standard takeaway cup with lid, but I was happy to see they’ve embraced the festive season through the use of Christmas themed cups. The clincher to get them to a 5/5 rating was they put on a cardboard band around the middle, which helps to hold the cup while it’s hot. It’s been quite rare to find this in Mooloolaba, and when you’re walking back to the office with a coffee it can sometimes be unpleasant. Or maybe I just have girly hands…whatever.

Atmosphere: 4/5 – It’s the typical “Starbucks” affair, which doesn’t change much from store to store. Inside was a big display of food items, and everything was fitted out with the red/wood theme. There are some comfortable couches surrounding a number of tables and chairs (including some couches facing the beach), and for the corporate clientele there are some power points available. If you’re an iinet customer, there’s also wi-fi available as well. It’s well placed on the esplanade, having a great view of the beach and situated within the beautiful Sirocco hotel complex.

Service: 5/5 – The lady who greeted me had a smile, and a ton of personality. She made my visit seem personal, and we had a bit of a laugh together. Definitely a reason to come back.

The taste: 4/5 – Good temperature, decent coffee. Not enough to make me scream “that is an awesome coffee”, but it definitely satisfied my need for caffeine.

Overall score: 18/20

**Update**
I wrote this update yesterday, went back this morning to get a coffee and it was the same lady that was working yesterday. Amazingly, she remembered my name. I knew she had great service skills, but that just made me even more impressed.

Starbucks Mooloolaba
Shop 108, Sirocco
51-57 Mooloolaba Esplanade,
Mooloolaba QLD 4557

Coffee Review: Jamaica Blue

Posted on by
Reply

 

Jamaica Blue, Mooloolaba

A takeaway coffee from Jamaica Blue

 

I was attracted to this shop because of the words “Fine Coffee” after the company name, and was impressed by the range of the coffees available on the menu board.

Price: $4 for the second smallest size, which looked like a large to me? I couldn’t see anything that explained what each size was.

Presentation: 4/5 – Nicely branded coffee cups, but again, nothing spectacular. In itself, that’s a good thing. I think it’s probably a good thing that I don’t have much to say in this section, because the negatives or extreme positives are the standouts. No news is good news, right?

Atmosphere: 4/5 – A nice coffee lounge feel. This is the kind of place that would appeal for those with laptops, looking for a quiet place to have a coffee and get a bit of work done at the same time. There’s a couple of tables inside, while outside a giant shared eating area (shared amongst a few cafes) is also available for those looking for a view of the beach.

Service: 4/5 – Immediately served when I stood at the counter, and greeted with a smile. Can’t ask for much more than that!

The taste: 3/5 – Almost burned my mouth when having the coffee, so that affected the score. However, once I had brought the coffee back to the office and let it cool down a bit, I enjoyed the coffee. Still not fantastic though.

Overall score: 15/20

Jamaica Blue
Zanzibar Resort, 47-51 The Esplanade, Mooloolaba
Website: http://www.jamaicablue.com.au/

A tie is a tie…right? Not at Swagger and Swoon!

Posted on by
Reply

If you’re anything like me (bogan, casual, something similar) you would rarely find yourself wearing a dress. Or anything formal of that nature. My favourite clothing pieces are my jeans, and well….whatever goes with my jeans. So when it comes to formal wear, I’m at a loss.

I have one dress that is buried away, and I’m determined never to wear again. Mat has a large range of ties, but that’s because they were given to him by someone who didn’t want them anymore. So as you can see, we don’t really know our stuff.

So when I was asked to bring your attention to Swagger and Swoon’s range of silk ties I didn’t really think I was suitable. Out of curiosity, I looked at their website and was blown away. Who knew there could be such a HUGE range of ties? Of course, I immediately checked out the novelty ties, and have formed a plan to order some pretty impressive ties for joke gifts (imagine getting a tie that’s got pigs having sex on it).

So I’m clearly immature, and checked out the silly stuff first. But that’s not all that is available on the site. If you’re in the market for formal wear, you’ll find all your fashion accessories on the site – silk ties (non-novelty, ahem), cuff links etc. There’s also a range of items available for women and children, and a dedicated section just in time for Christmas.

Also another point worth noting: they have a large range of countries that they will ship items to (including us Aussies), although additional delivery charges do apply

So if you’re in the market for some formal wear (serious and non-serious) check out Swagger and Swoon.

Great freebies site for US based readers

Posted on by
Reply

If you’re in America and like Freebies (who doesn’t??) there’s a great site called The Freebie Source. Unfortunately, I can’t get anything since I’m based in Australia, but if I did live in the States I would using this site a lot.

From just having a quick glance it looks like there’s some pretty decent stuff in there – pet food, clothing vouchers, stationery etc etc. I’m sure there’s something on the site for everyone.

So if you want some freebies, go check it out!

The Freebie Source

The new Hyundai i45

Posted on by
2

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hyundai. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hyundai-i45-1-625x416

Have you seen the new Hyundai i45 ad on tv? It’s the one with all the water drops in shapes of weapons. Car ads have taken a beating in the last few years with complaints about displaying dangerous driving etc. But with the new types of ads coming out, I’m impressed with their creativity. Honda did one with car parts and a gigantic chain reaction, and now Hyundai have done it with water. Totally thinking outside the box, I like it.

Hyundai i45 on YouTube

Continue reading →