Diamond Certified Blog

For many people, a car represents more than a mere means of conveyance. It might be a status symbol, a passion project or simply the result of long-term hard work and frugality. If any of these applies to you, you’re likely as concerned about your car’s outward appearance as you are about its internal components, in which case you’ll want to know how to effectively maintain it. To that end, we’ve asked six Diamond Certified Expert Contributors to provide their auto body care tips. Read more

Last week, TCU pulled off a huge comeback to defeat Stanford in the 2017 Alamo Bowl. Viewers throughout the Bay Area watched the real-time drama unfold, but exciting football isn’t all they saw—one of our Diamond Certified Resource television commercials ran during the broadcast. Here’s the commercial, and congratulations TCU! Read more

From gutters and gardens to oil changes and tire rotations, it can be challenging to keep up with the annual maintenance for your home and car. And let’s not forget that the Bay Area is a unique place where seasonal maintenance looks a little different. Where else in the country do you have heavy fog one month and wildfire risk the next? That’s why we’ve created the 2018 Diamond Certified Home Service Calendar. It’s designed to help Bay Area residents organize and execute all their maintenance tasks throughout the year, and it also features numerous helpful tips and insider knowledge from Diamond Certified Expert Contributors. Read more

It’s no wonder the custom of adopting annual resolutions coincides with the year’s beginning rather than its middle or end. A new year means a fresh start—a milestone that signals an opportunity for positive change. Like a blank canvas to a painter, the New Year invites us to entertain new possibilities, inspires us to innovate upon the past and fills us with “momentum of purpose.”

While this sense of positive propulsion is often directed toward personal development, it can also be useful for accomplishing tangible goals, which is why the New Year is an ideal time to review and renew your to-do list. Whether you need to catch up on overdue maintenance, have a project you’ve been putting off or simply want to start off on the right foot, Read more

As I was thinking of potential topics for this month’s Diamond Certified Consumer Report, I decided it was time for something completely different. Rather than writing about how to be a savvy online shopper, giving wisely during the holiday season or the pros and cons of gift cards, I wanted to share something more personal.

Every year, I ask my family members to think about how we can simplify our celebrations. For example, how about drawing names for gifts instead of shopping for every person? I’ve introduced the idea of a “white elephant” gift exchange where we re-gift items we already have on hand. Rather than going out for a family restaurant meal before Christmas, Read more

Throughout the year, we’ve heard from so many Bay Area consumers who’ve been thrilled by their results of working with Diamond Certified companies. Some of the most grateful are those who’ve embarked on major projects, like David White of Oakland, who chose Paradigm Concrete & Construction, Inc. to build a retaining wall for his home. He writes, “This project was a significant commitment for my wife and me, and we’re happy we found Paradigm Concrete & Construction to do it. If we have another such project at our home, we’ll definitely call Paradigm again. This experience confirms our inclination to consult the Diamond Certified Directory first when we need to find a company.” Read more

Earlier this week, we posted an article about modern innovations in dental technology. One of the innovations referenced was dental implants, a technology that has vastly improved both the aesthetic and practical attributes of dental prosthetics. To learn more about dental implants and how they work, watch this video by Dr. Alfred dela Cruz. Read more

In our scientifically advanced age, technology is altering the landscapes of many professional fields. The dental field is no exception, with innovation yielding improved methods and products for treating age-old problems. To learn more, we’ve asked six Diamond Certified Expert Contributors to expound on some of these innovations in dental technology.

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As the year comes to a close, many of us have money on our minds. Maybe you’re mulling how much to spend on gifts or how much to donate to your favorite charity. As you draw up your end-of-year accounts, one thing to consider is your health insurance benefits. If you’ve been putting off seeing your physician, optometrist, dentist or chiropractor, you may want to make an appointment before January. There are two reasons why December is a crucial time to plan for health care costs: 1) deductibles will reset in January and 2) it’s your last chance to use any money you’ve put in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Read more

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, gratitude is “a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation.” And to quote a North Bay fire survivor, “Gratitude is a big word in my vocabulary right now.”

“Words are powerless to express my gratitude.”

As I looked deeper into the roots and meaning of this word, I found that psychologists have added a social element to the definition. Read more