Tag Archives: Rubens Chocolate

And the Wins Kept Rolling In…

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Winning sometimes eludes me, no matter how hard I try.  Droughts make me sad–not because I want more stuff, but because I miss the element of surprise.  However, like many droughts, this one ended with a downpour.  I won five prizes in just over two weeks!

1. April 9th: It all began with Leonard Cohen’s Book of Longing.  @chaptersindigo posted a contest on Twitter.  It involved tweeting the name of your favourite Canadian poet to receive Cohen’s book of poetry.  I chose Robert Service, as he was one of the few Canadian poets I remembered.  Luckily, my tweet was one of the five winning ones!

2. April 11th: The second prize I won was an all day pass to Fusion 2013:

I entered this contest via e-mail with through The Georgia Straight.  I entered in hopes that my husband would go, as he’s interested in photography and videography.  Unfortunately, he was working on a side job that day and there were no takers for the pass, so I had to forfeit this prize.

3. April 14th: Next, I won a $10 gift card to Metropolis.

I won this by playing the spin and win contest on their website.  I ended up spending my gift card at Lush.  I bought a face mask called Love Lettuce.

This mask is amazing!  It makes my skin feel really soft and costs less than $10!  I have tried lots of face masks and I would really recommend this one to anyone with combination skin like myself.

4. April 23rd: My fourth win was two tickets to Got Craft?

I entered on Facebook and won the prize by answered a trivia question about the show more quickly than anyone else.  I must confess I was watching my news feed like a hawk in order to get those tickets.  Got Craft? is my favourite craft show of the year.  Not only do they have fabulous vendors, but they have a lot of DIY workshops which I love!  Oh, and I took my wonderful mother with me to the show!

5. April 24th: My last post-drought win came on the heels of my fourth one.  I won two tickets Nikkei National Museum’s art auction fundraiser.

I won this prize on Facebook/Twitter from Hello Vancity:

I greatly enjoyed the auction, canapés, and the beautiful dolls, one of which I bought for my Mom for Mother’s Day.  Check back for an upcoming post.

*An additional prize came just this Friday, May 10th.  I won two tickets to the Great Canadian Craft Spring Fling from Miss 604.

**Total winnings are approximately: $134.00 to date.

***A fond farewell to Rubens; my year of chocolate ended yesterday.

Chocolates in January

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As the days turn colder and the excitement of the holiday season dies down, we find ourselves looking for warmth and quiet comfort. I found both at Rubens earlier this month.  Bundled up in my scarf and red coat, I went inside and ordered strawberry tea for myself and hot chocolate for my husband, Ryan. I paired my beverage with my two favourite chocolates: passionfruit matcha and English toffee. Ryan opted for their sinfully delicious brownie.

We sipped and munched away happily while I tried to decide how to spend the rest of my $50 this month. My thoughts turned first to my parents.  My Dad who was celebrating his name’s day in a few days, got the milk chocolate almond bark (his favourite Rubens product).  My Mom, who was planning a dinner party for 30+ people, got some sugar-free chocolate (diabetes is no fun).  Then, I remembered a friend who had just been fired. Chocolate therapy was in order and green apple truffles were the remedy of the day.

A chocolate fruit assortment was intended for another friend, but due to a bad day I had later in the month, it never reached her.  I can tell you, though, sometimes a little selfishness is very, very necessary.

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For those of you following my winning ways, I am still entering contests.  Watch this space for updates!

 

 

2012 – A Year in Review

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Happy New Year, Everyone!  Well, 2012 has come to a close and it’s hard to believe we’re already in 2013.  Upon looking back at my winnings this year, I am pleased to announce that 2012 was even more successful than 2011.  To recap, I won:

1. a 200K Canucks t-shirt from @VanCanucks
2. entrance to the premiere of Arctic Air, which sadly I was unable to attend, but thanks to @Miss604
3. two tickets to Turning Point Ensemble’s Colourful World from hummingbird604.com
4. a goodie bag at a friend’s Oscar party for the accuracy of my predictions
5. a pair of tickets to the Vancouver Women in Film Festival from 24 Hours
6. a $50 gift certificate from Clayburn Comforts and Body Works
7. a class for two at the Dirty Apron Cooking School through the B.C. Dairy Association’s “Get Your Hands Dirty” contest
8. chocolate for a year from Rubens Chocolates
9. $100 recharge on my Go2 card from West Coast Express
10. a week at The Hungry Oven Cooking Camp for my niece Olivia, again from hummingbird604.com

 

The total amount of the winnings is difficult to calculate, but it is approximately $1300.  A $200-300 increase over last year.  I enjoyed winning all of these prizes and particularly giving my niece the opportunity to learn how to cook.  I will still be enjoying free chocolate up to and including the month of May.  It was great to take the chocolate to Greece and share it with my relatives.  My friends and I also enjoyed it at Christmas in some delicious fondue.

 

November and December with Rubens

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Everyone!

I apologize for the long gap between posts. Since I came back from Europe at the end of October, life has been busier than I could have imagined. A nice escape from all the chaos has been going to Rubens, though. During the last two months, I have gone in and sipped their delicious strawberry black tea while making decisions for Christmas presents and getting supplies for my Christmas party. I’m afraid I can’t tell you about the former just yet, as it would spoil the surprise for some people on the 25th! However, in terms of the latter, I managed to get a large bag of milk chocolate buttons which were put to good use in a big pot of brandy-laced fondue. I also chose a dozen marshmallows dipped in various yummy toppings.

 

Rubens Travels Abroad

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I write this latest instalment high above the clouds. My long journey to Greece has begun. And so, incidentally, has Rubens. As I return to see my family and the bluest of blue seas, I have chocolates in tow. My suitcase is filled with the familiar red bags and various assortments to delight Eleni, Dimitri, Yianni, and many more. My hope is they will enjoy the chocolate almond bark, caramels, and fruit flavours all the way from Canada.

My quest for more contest wins will be curtailed for the next little while, as online surfing is going to have to give way to lots sun-drenched picnics, sandy toes, and new adventures. I’ve had a very lucky year so far and hope to bring you more tales of my winning ways in the autumn.

Rubens Chocolates – a Year of Chocolate Continues and Win #10

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So, it was my birthday on the 15th. Let’s all observe a moment of silence for the aging process…now, back to chocolate! I ordered a cake to share with my family and friends from Rubens. It was the definitive chocolate cake. Other cakes aspire to achieve this level of chocolaty goodness. Please see the amazing picture and how nicely decorated it was! Check this space next month for another instalment of “A Year of Chocolate Continues”.

This month was also eventful, as I won a prize for my niece Olivia from The Hungry Oven cooking school, courtesy of Hummingbird604.com. Olivia will join a cooking class for a week and will receive an apron, a backpack, a cookbook, and copies of the recipes they use. Again, check this space next month to hear about her experience learning to cook. I started cooking at age nine, so Olivia will have a head start, as she’s just six and a half!

Win #8: Chocolate for a Year!

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“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”― Charles M. Schulz

Now and then for me has become every month, thanks to the wonderful generosity of Rubens Chocolate! Yes, that’s right I’ve won chocolate for a year! This was also the easiest and least deliberate of any win I have achieved so far. I like Rubens Chocolate. I “liked” their Facebook page.  I won chocolate for a year! However, I have gotten a little ahead of myself. Let’s start this story at the beginning:

Rubens Chocolate opened in my neighbourhood a few short years ago. My husband was incredibly excited. He rode down on his bike on their opening day and immediately purchased a big box and was given a large stuffed bear that says, “I loooove chocolate!” every time you press its hand. Both of these he presented to me with an enormous smile on his face. Since that day, we’ve returned to Rubens again and again with our family and friends. On hot summer days, we’ve cooled down with their ice cream. On cold winter nights, we’ve grasped cups of strawberry black tea and hot chocolate in our mitten-clad hands while eyeing Christmas presents for others…and ourselves!

Well, starting last week the tradition of going to Rubens continued in a big way as I came down to claim my prize:

I brought my husband and mom along, hence the picture of two smiling people! I gave my husband a box of assorted chocolates, which he kindly shared with me! My mom chose a sugar-free box of chocolates because, well, diabetes. We also picked up a bag of chocolate almond bark for dad. Then, we sat down for some coffee and strawberry black tea, of course.

I’ve only had a few chocolates since that day, as sadly, the flu and chocolate don’t mix well. My favourite chocolate so far has been passionfruit matcha.  A unique taste that has to be experienced, rather than described.  It also had a nice soft texture that made it easy to swallow with a sore throat.

In the coming months, I’m planning some chocolate-themed parties for friends and family. Next month is my birthday, so look for some Rubens chocolate to appear on my big day.

*For those of you who have been following this blog for awhile, you know that my biggest win to date has been $500.  Now, I am pleased to announce that it is now $600, as Rubens has given me $50 a month for the next 12 months to spend on chocolate.  Again, very, very generous.

**I am also pleased to announce that I have just been notified about Win #9!  I will know more by the end of the week, but will simply tell you that my next prize is transportation-related.  Guess if you can!