Love

~ The 5 Languages of Love…

/ raindropstosunshine / 2 Comments

There are 5 languages of love which one you choose depends on who you are and also who you are showing that love to. In lieu of Valentine’s Day, today I am taking about these languages of love.

So what are the 5 languages of love?

Words of Affirmation:

Everyone loves being appreciated!! And if you cannot readily think of anything positively noteworthy to say about your partner, parents or kids – you are most likely taking them for granted. It’s worth taking the time out to stop, reflect, and comment on how they enrich the lives of others, be it their partner, children, extended family, friends, colleagues, and/or community. 

It’s always good to notice and acknowledge the little things as well as the more obvious things, and give thanks for those everyday routine things that are mostly taken for granted. Aim for at least a couple of genuine heartfelt compliments, words of appreciation, and encouragement daily. It’s good for the soul.

Acts of service (devotion):

I think of this one is more like loyalty. If your love is true, no matter to whom (be it your parents, partner, kids or God) you will also be loyal and show devotion by making time.

Also people with this love language are always there to help others out and love to have others help them out! These are also the friends that feel so loved and cared for when you do something special for them in some way.

Gifts:

When in doubt – give gifts!!

Don’t mistake this love language for materialism – it’s actually far from that! The receiver of gifts thrives on the love, thoughtfulness, and effort behind the gift. The perfect gift or gesture shows that you are known, you are cared for, and you are prized above whatever was sacrificed to bring the gift to you. 

Gifts are visual representations of love and are treasured greatly!!

Quality time:

Quality time is giving someone your undivided attention. I don’t mean sitting on the couch watching television, instead what I mean is sitting on the couch with the TV off, looking at each other and talking, and giving each other your undivided attention. 

Sometimes you need to spend quality time together to make the love felt. It doesn’t have to always be in person, chatting over the phone with a friend is also spending time together, or even better Facetime with them so they know all your attention is theirs. 

A central aspect of quality time is togetherness, but by that I do not mean proximity.

Physical touch:

Physical touch doesn’t always mean sex. Hugging, kissing (even on the cheeks or forehead, on the hand), a pat on the back, a stress relieving head massage, massaging someone’s feet when they are hurting, patting their head – are all examples of physical touch. 

When you reach out with tender touch, you create emotional closeness. They can be implicit and require only a moment.

So what does all this mean??

They say we all have a primary love language but I believe, in reality, we often do need more than one with each relationship we have in our life. 

For example: As lovers/parents/friends – you share all 5 languages of love. For your God, you have the devotion form of love and also gifts in terms of the offerings we make. A teacher’s words of affirmation are their form of showing love for their favorite student.

Final thoughts:

If you want to understand these languages of love in greater depth, I would recommend reading Gary Chapman’s book “The Five Love Languages”. 

Disclaimer: This post is in no way an advertisement, infact I myself have to still read this book!!

It would fun to also take an online quiz to see what is your preferred language of love when it comes to the receiving end of the spectrum! Here’s a link to where you can do that:

5 Love Languages Online Quiz

Hope you enjoyed my post and wishing you all a Very Happy Valentine’s Day in advance!! 

Ps: My online quiz revealed that I am a Quality Time (#1) and Physical Touch (close #2) kinda girl and I would say I couldn’t agree more. I definitely have changed over time, as I have matured. Earlier gifts would excite me a lot, don’t get me wrong, they still do, but just not as much as spending some meaningful time together. Oh and yes I am totally touchy feely and the physical touch being a close second doesn’t surprise me at all. If you wondering what the others rated as: #3 was tied between Act of Service, Gifts and Words of Affirmation.

~ How to take care of your Diamond Ring…

/ raindropstosunshine / 1 Comment

Your diamond ring is a symbol of love, treasured for life, precious and enduring as well as beautiful and valuable.

The care and cleaning of your diamond ring is important for their long life as your rings are valuable in sentiment and investment as well as beautiful jewellery items.

Today I am sharing with you some tips and tricks on how to take care of diamond rings responsibly –

Handling:

Always pick up your diamond ring (or any gemstone ring) by its band, not by the stone or setting. Not only will this prevent natural oils from your hands to build up around the stone’s setting, but it will help to keep the diamond secure in its setting over time.

Metal:

Platinum and white gold rings are the safest bet as they won’t tarnish, but they may be scratched over time, creating a display of age and wear. While some people like the sheen of age created by these minute scratches, if you are more into a sparkling band, a quick polish can repair a ring back to its original appearance if desired. 

Gold is softer than platinum and therefore easier to repair. The polishing of rings is generally an inexpensive and minor jewellery service and can be done at your local jewelry store. Scratches can be removed by a specialist jeweller without problems.

Storage:

Diamonds are famously hard, so while they are hardy in ordinary wear, they can scratch other jewellery. Storing diamond rings away from other jewellery, for example in a soft fabric pouch or jewellery box, can protect your ring as well as other jewellery items.

Protection:

Over the course of the day there are many opportunities for getting your ring dirty. Substances likely to accumulate on and around your diamond ring setting – including but not restricted to shampoo, sunscreen, make-up, flour, dust, soap residue and hairspray. 

So in my opinion, taking off your ring before you work with greasy or dirty substances or embark on cleaning or lifting and carrying, will ensure that your ring stays looking clean for longer. But don’t forget to put in a safe place!!

Chemicals:

Many women wear diamond rings throughout everyday life without giving their jewellery much consideration. Common chemicals used around the house, such as hairspray and furniture polish, have the potential to cause lasting damage to your ring. 

Chlorine is a definite no-no and you should not only remove diamond rings before you use bleach, or hairdye, but ensure you wear protective gloves and wash your hands thoroughly before you put your ring back on your finger to protect your hands and jewellery.

Chipping:

Although diamonds are one of the hardest substances known to man, they are also a naturally occuring material, formed in crystals, so it is a myth that they are immune to chipping and scratching. 

It is vital that you take great care when doing heavy lifting or manual work, because while you may scratch other items, you may also chip your diamond ring or loosen your ring’s setting.

Soaking:

If you simply want to give your diamond ring a quick home clean, the best thing to do is to soak the ring in a bowl that contains four parts warm water and one part soap/shampoo/detergent for no more than ten minutes. 

Brush the ring very gently with a very soft brush, dip it back into the solution, rinse and leave it to drain on some tissue paper. 

Paper tissues can leave fibres and dust on the ring and are therefore less suitable for rubbing your ring dry, rather use jewellery cloths or other lint-free fabrics.  

Alternatively, you could use a hair dryer on a low setting from an appropriate distance to air dry your engagement ring and avoid water spots.

Expert check-up:

Even the most secure diamond settings may loosen over time, particularly if extensively worn. It is important to have your diamond ring checked for any manufacturing defects, warped prongs and other problems that could make the setting of your diamond less secure. A specialist diamond jeweller will give your diamond ring an expert check and clean at the same time and return it to you looking like new. Do this atleast once every 6 months.

I hope these tips will be helpful for you to keep your diamond ring looking wonderful for many, many years. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!!