Presenting the 2012 Starbucks planners!

Starbucks has once again leveled up its planner offerings. In 2011, it came up with 3 variants but for 2012, not only have they increased that to 5 variants but they have adapted a green theme - Starbucks Shared Planet theme. Each planner was prepared in a facility that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC-certified). The FSC is a non-profit organization established to promote responsible management over the world's forests. According to Love Fernandez, Starbucks' assistant marketing manager, about 70% of the paper in their planners are recycled paper.

Each planner is named after a type of wood ranging from the light to the dark kind : poplar, bamboo, cherry, spruce and oak.

The planner is now smaller than those of past years (ladies, these will fit more easily in our bags!). And like the moleskine notebooks, a band keeps the planner closed. The hard covers are made of engineered wood that comes in the shade of wood it is named after.

What I love about these planners is that they come with burlap pouches and there are pockets inside to hold more of your stuff including a mobile phone. These burlap pouches have the same color as the planner's spine.

That's my phone in one of 2 pockets inside the burlap pouch.

The pouches are reusable even without the planner and can be snapped shut because it has a button with the Starbucks seal on it. Cool!

Aside from the weekday pages, there is now a monthly calendar view so you can see all your appointments for the month at a glance.

Monthly calendar

Weekday pages

Of course there are still the traditional coupons (you get 9!) that can be redeemed at any Starbucks outlet but besides that, you get a bookmark as well.

Start accumulating stickers beginning Nov. 3, 2011 to January 8, 2012. It's even much easier now to get it! There are now 2 ways to get your favorite planner. Aside from the customary 17 stickers (9 Christmas beverages + 8 core beverages except bottled drinks), there is a second option for those who do not care for the Christmas beverages. Just collect 23 stickers of core beverages except bottled drinks and you also get a planner!

As always, your support of Starbucks planners also supports SparkHope, a giving-back-to-the community programme that allows each Starbucks store in the Philippines to adopt a barangay and provide for early childhood care and stimulation for children below six years old in that barangay.