Diamondcuts Review | All You Need to Know About Blue Nile Diamonds

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend or say the cliché of one of the best marketing lines in the world. This precious stone is one that signifies luxury and is used in many things especially in jewelry.

It is usually used for engagement rings as a sign of capability and commitment. Diamond rings are a sign of capability because they are expensive. If you can afford one, then you might as well be able to provide for your partner. It is a sign of commitment because of the fact that it so expensive that you would have to be crazy to give it to someone you are not sure about.

Diamonds are expensive but it doesn’t mean they are rare. They are expensive because of the high demand for this precious stone. There are many other precious materials rarer and more expensive than diamonds. However, none of them can compete with a diamond’s eye-catching properties as people tend to be bewitched by its sparkle.

Contrary to popular belief, not only women are interested in diamonds, but also a lot of men also aspire to wear diamonds as jewelry. This is because having diamonds in your watch or your ring can signify success and prestige. Here is a Diamondcuts review of Blue Nile:

Diamonds are a girl's best friend. :)

Blue Nile
One of the leading brands of diamonds in the market today is the Blue Nile. This company was founded by Mark Vadon in 1999. He is one of the first to bring the market to the online world to change the buying experience to be more convenient to the customers.

Sometimes, buying diamonds face-to-face can be overpowering and you won’t be able to choose the right one because of an over-pressuring attendant. The Blue Nile became public in 2004 but was eventually privatized again in 2017. This company is considered one of the biggest online retailers of diamonds with the majority of its sales coming from engagement rings.

Isn't she lovely? 

Website
Their website is just like any other diamond retail websites wherein you can customize your diamonds and your ring any way you like. You can choose the type of ring you want. You can choose white gold, Chinese gold, Italian Gold, and many different precious metals.

You can also choose the karat of the gold whether it is 14k, 18k, 22k, or 24k. Then you will have the option of different designs. There are a plethora of designs for the ring so you can definitely find the right design that your future wife will like. Click here for a list of precious metals used in engagement rings.

After choosing the right ring, it is time to choose the diamond or diamonds. You can choose between sizes, cuts, and clarity. There are many to choose from and the price will depend also on your choice. Some cuts are cheaper while others are more expensive. Of course, the bigger the stone, the more expensive it is. Same goes for clarity. If the stone is clearer, then it is more expensive.

Once you have finished choosing the right options for you, you can pay for it and it will be shipped to you through FedEx priority overnight. Since diamonds are not cheap, they also have payment plans to allow you to pay for them conveniently.

They offer payment terms with 0 interest of up to 12 months. Additionally, if you make a mistake on the ring size, you can just mail the ring right back to them and they will send you another one with the right size for free.

Photo credits: Jamie Grill, Getty Images.

Buying a diamond ring for your partner is a wonderful thing to do. You can even consider it an achievement. Especially for those who do not come from wealthy families, buying one for your partner can be very rewarding.

However, people should not be pressured to buy one outside of their buying capabilities. Diamond rings are nice but financial security is more important still. Make sure that you will remain financially secure even after buying a ring for someone you love because if you are not careful with your finances, you might just end up losing your partner instead. Visit this link for alternatives for engagement rings: https://jewelrybyjohan.com/blogs/jewelry-blog/alternative-engagement-rings

One thing that society needs to relearn is that engagement rings don’t have to be expensive; they are a sign of love and commitment. Your sign of love and commitment should not destroy your life. Rather, it should help grow it.

2019 | My Roller Coaster Ride of a Year.

Hello everyone! I've been extremely busy lately (so many things to do at home!) that I hardly have the time to sit down in front of my laptop, and update my blog. But because this has become a tradition of sorts, I definitely wouldn't miss the chance to do a year-end blog post.

2019, for me, was a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. This year has been quite good to my family despite Yue's hospital confinement because of pneumonia.  Husband is doing well in his job (and still with his same old employer), my boy is doing great in both academics and sports (three karate tournaments this year with good results, still with high honors in his class), and as for me, as you can see, my blog is still alive and kicking. I've worked with some really awesome brands this year, and even became a Beauty Ambassador for BeautyMNL.

However, unlike the previous years, we weren't able to travel to Korea for the holidays, or anywhere outside the country for that matter. We had planned to cut back on (travel) expenses this year as we're saving up for something big (ergo, our own home), and thankfully, with the help of my dear parents-in-law, we're almost reaching our goal.

It would have been awesome if my best friend could see this dream of mine finally come to life; unfortunately, 2019 also gave me the biggest heartbreak. My best friend passed away all of a sudden last August, and it took me awhile to come to terms with the fact that he's gone. I miss him terribly, and I break down in tears whenever I think of him - which I still do very often.

"The best is yet to come" so goes the Frank Sinatra song, and I do hope that the new decade will bring better, brighter, and happier things for all of us. Welcome 2020! Happy New Year! :)

Thank you, 2019!

Kahakot Hakot na Pamasko at Super8 Grocery Warehouse!

Just three more days 'til Christmas, and we're pretty much done preparing for the holidays - decors have been hung, presents have been wrapped, and the Noche Buena menu has been planned out. We're also done grocery shopping for our holiday feast!

Wanting to avoid the holiday rush, Yue and I already went shopping for food stuff over the weekend. It's a good thing we decided to visit Super8 Grocery Warehouse this time around. Not only were we able to purchase everything in this week's shopping list, we also got huge discounts on most of the items that we bought. Hooray for Super8's Kahakot Hakot na Pamasko Promo! :)

Hello from Super8 Grocery Warehouse San Pablo! :)

This selection of Noche Buena food items, for instance, has the lowest prices in the market, guaranteed! Look - where else can you get a complete spaghetti package (yes, corned beef included) for just Php 99?

Spaghetti Package, Php 99.

Or a macaroni salad and graham cake package for Php 349? This pre-packed bundle comes in a reusable plastic box and includes the following: Super8 Elbow Macaroni, Best Food Mayo Magic, Del Monte Pineapple Tidbits, La Pacita Graham Crackers, Angel Condensada, CDO Nata de Coco White, Mega Prime Fruit Cocktail, and Super8 Great Buy All-Purpose Dressing. 

Macaroni Salad Package at Php 249,
Macaroni Salad and Graham Cake Package at Php 349.

If you're feeling fancy, they also have these Christmas baskets with gourmet snacks, chocolates, and wine, even.

Snack Basket, Php 499.

Snack Basket, Php 549.

Wine Basket, Php 799.

Thinking of giving ham as Christmas giveaways? Super8 has you covered! They have the Great Buy Pear-Shaped Ham (800 grams) at just Php 208 each. And for every 10 hams you buy, you get one free!

Pear-shaped Ham at Php 208.
Buy 10, get 1 free!

How about some ball cheese to complete your Christmas feast? At Php 195 each, Super8's Great Buy Queso de Bola has the lowest price guaranteed!

Super8 Great Buy Queso de Bola, Php 195.

Super8's huge discounts are not limited to just Christmas food items. Regular grocery items are discounted, too! And with your Super8 Rewards Card, you even get 20 Bonus Points with every Php 200 single-receipt purchase of participating Nestle items.

Someone's having fun shopping.

Scouting for deals at the Super Sulit Points section.

For even more bonus points, head over to the Super Sulit Points section where you can get 25 Rewards Points for every Php 500 single-receipt purchase of participating items. Great deal if you're buying items in bulk!

Done with our Christmas shopping!

Thank you, Super8 Grocery Warehouse San Pablo!

Thank you to Sir John, Sir Larry, and the staff of Super8 Grocery Warehouse San Pablo! :)

If you're still not done with your Christmas shopping, I suggest you drop by a Super8 Grocery Warehouse near you so you can enjoy the same perks and privileges that we did. Don't forget to sign-up for the Super8 Rewards Card! It's your ticket to deep discounts and rewards points! :)

The Super8 Rewards Card - your ticket to deep discounts and big bonus points. :)

My First Airbnb Experience + Tagaytay Food Trip.

Last week, our sixth-graders had their spiritual retreat at the Carmelite Missionaries Center of Spirituality in Tagaytay City. Worried about the fact that our kids will be out of town, on their own, for the first time in their lives (yes, yes, we're paranoid stage mothers like that, lol) my mom squad and I tagged along. We did not spend the night with them at the retreat house, of course. But we did stay close by, at a vacation home along Kabangaan Road which we rented through Airbnb.

Roadside sign to show you the way.

Secured fence + front entrance to the balcony.

Listed as 'Modern Splendor Tagaytay', this charming bungalow is everything you'll want in your dream home - immaculate interiors, posh furnishings, wide hallways, a spacious and modern kitchen. I fell in love with the place as soon as the caretaker, Kuya Dan, ushered us in!

The living room with extra beds on the side,
plus a 55-inch curved Smart TV with Netflix.

The dining area and kitchen.

Side by side fridge with ice cubes dispenser.

Kitchen bar counter.

Love their fully-equipped kitchen!

And the Himalayan Salt Lamp for that zen effect, haha.

The house has 2 bedrooms fully en suite (ergo, there's an adjoining bathroom), each with beautifully dressed beds. Both rooms are air-conditioned, as well as the common area. 

One of the rooms inside Modern Splendor.

The bathroom, complete with towels for the guests.
There's hot water, and a hair dryer, too.

Guests are allowed to cook in the kitchen, and can use all the utensils in the kitchen cabinet. We chose to dine outside, though, but we did use the some of the plates and cutlery, and the electric kettle for coffee and tea, which were provided by the hosts, Letecia and Donald.

Pool table + outdoor dining area. 

Garden + undercover carport.

This swing seats two! :)

Aside from the classy interiors, Modern Splendor also boasts of an outdoor entertainment area complete with a pool table, dart board, videoke machine, and a barbecue grill. There's also a wicker swing to complete that country home feels!

With my Mom Squad. :)

Groufie mirror shot!

Sweater weather. :)

My mom squad and I truly enjoyed our overnight stay at Modern Splendor. Our hosts were nice and very responsive to my inquiries, and the caretaker was quite attentive to our needs. The place is cozy and commodious, and is situated in a quiet area that's close to the city market, restaurants and convenience stores, and just minutes away from Picnic Grove. I would definitely recommend this home if you need a place to stay while in Tagaytay.

Oh, and speaking of restaurants, here's a glimpse of our Tagaytay food trip. We pretty much did nothing but eat and shop in Tagaytay, I felt like I gained a kilo overnight, haha!

Carmela's Banana Cakes.

Banana Chips by Carmela's.

Lining up for Ube Jam at Bahay Pastulan.

Special Ensaymada by Cecilia's.

One of the best buko pies in Tagaytay.

Grilled Seafood platter.

Crispy Pata.

Bulalo.

Dinakdakan.

Best piaya ever at Balay Dako.

Balay Dako Deli.

Pasalubong goodies at Balay Dako.

Shopping for flowers while watching the Tagaytay sunset. :)

We had planned to have dinner at Balay Dako, but alas, the restaurant was closed because they were having their staff Christmas party that night. We visited them the following morning so we can buy piaya for take-out. My friend's mom had raved about their piaya so much, and boy oh boy, she was not kidding. Balay Dako's piaya is exceptionally good! Another reason to visit Tagaytay again soon! :)