Iced coffee is great with regular ice, but it's even better with coffee cubes. Next time you let a pot of morning brew sit too long, pour it into a clean ice cube tray and let it freeze. Next time you want to have iced coffee, drop a few of those into it. Delicious.  These also go great in mixed drinks and cocktails, or as an addition to chocolate milk. If you don't like coffee, try freezing herbal tea, lemonade, or any drink you prefer. Another delicious addition to a fruity cocktail or mixed drink is a fruit-juice ice cube. Freeze cranberry cocktail cubes and add it to your iced tea. Freeze pineapple-mango juice to pop into your next smoothie. This is a great way to spice up any drink. Generally, citrus juices don't work quite as well as other fruit juices and cocktails. Anything based in apple or grape juice works really well. In the summer time, a good way to save money is to make popsicles in the fridge yourself. Mix up a batch of you favorite Kool-Aid flavor or other fruit drink and pop it not the ice cube tray. About halfway through, stick toothpicks into the centers, or just pop them out and let the kids eat them outside. You can also get molds made specifically for making popsicles, which have plastic holders that you can reuse. They're a lot of fun for kids. One great visual treat is to add a single blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, or grape to each section of the ice cube tray and then cover them with water. Squeeze a little lemon juice or lemonade onto the fruit, then cover with water, or the fruit juice of your choice. These make great little additions to any mixed drink, or just a plain glass of water. If your garden goes crazy with herbs, a great way to save them for later in the season is to chop up the herbs finely, then pack them into an empty ice cube tray and cover with a small amount of water. When they freeze up, pop them out and keep them in a freezer bag.  These are great for cooking later in the season. You can toss a cube of basil into a soup pot, or toss a cube or mint into a big pitcher of fresh iced tea. You could also do this with sage, thyme, parsley, cilantro, or any combination of herbs you regularly use. While it won't really add any flavor to the cubes, it can be fun to add a drop of food coloring to individual sections on the ice cube tray and let them freeze. It's a fun project for kids, and makes a plain water glass a lot more fun.
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One-sentence summary -- Make coffee cubes. Freeze your favorite fruit juice. Make your own popsicles. Add berries or other fruit. Freeze chopped mint, basil, or other herbs. Add food coloring for fun.


This does not affect the quality of the stone in any way, so a heavier weight does not necessarily indicate a higher quality stone. Note, however, that this may not be possible on a budget. Do you want a slightly smaller stone at higher quality, or the opposite? The most common sizes for engagement rings are 1/2 karat, 1 karat, and 2 karat. People often choose common karat weights, which are known in the industry as ‘magic weights’. Because they are common, the price of diamonds at these weights is usually disproportionately higher than diamonds just below the magic weight e.g. a 0.98 karat diamond may be significantly less expensive than a 1 karat diamond, with no visible difference in size. Not all women prefer many karats. Some may place quality over size while others may be willing to sacrifice a bit of quality for a more noticeable diamond.  Ask the recipient herself about her preference. Ask close friends or family about the recipient's preference. Women with more petite hands may prefer the look of a smaller stone to larger stones that have a tendency to overwhelm. However, women with larger hands may drown out a small stone, making it appear smaller than it really is.
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One-sentence summary --
Take karat weight into consideration last. Consider selecting an uncommon size karat to save money without sacrificing quality. If buying an engagement ring or gift, find out what the recipient prefers in size. Consider the size of the wearer's hand if buying a diamond ring.