Hope Solo on DWTS.

The finals have turned into a horse race. With JR Martinez injured, and so in a weak position tonight despite last week's two perfect scores, and Rob Kardashian stepping up with his first score of 10 for his Paso Doble and 9s for his Argentine Tango, as well as winning the Cha Cha relay, it could be Rob pulling even with Ricki Lake next week. Surprisingly, as a consistent frontrunner and crowd favorite, it will be up to JR to make a break for it in the finals. He no longer has the inside track for being an injured war veteran. That's the breaks (sprains and other ailments) on "DWTS."

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I think we all know Hope Solo and Maks will leave Tuesday night. She was not only the weakest dancer, but she was snotty to Carrie Ann after the judge chastised Maks for his facial expression, and she sounded bitter, saying "they" wanted me off since week one. Tut-tut (or is it tsk-tsk?).

Seeing

In our last blog, we promised to pursue whats hot in the clarity enhanced diamond market. Usually the enhanced diamond market follows the regular diamond market, so lets take a closer look. Round brilliant diamonds are always popular. The majority of people who are buying diamonds tend to crave the round diamond. From our vantage point, 1.70 to 4.00 carat round diamonds are very hot. Fancy cut diamonds, including pear shape (2.00-5.00 carats), oval cuts (2.50-5.00 carats) and princess cuts (1.00-4.00) are very popular. Depending on the size of the diamond, we can tell you how in demand it
is. It is, however, very hard to find an enhanced emerald cut diamond that is eye clean.

As we stated, the clarity enhanced diamond market is sizzling and we dont see an end to it. Why should we when you can save half the money!?

By GalTime's Home Improvement Expert Tina Gleisner

Our homes are lovely when we decorate for the holidays. The big question is how much are you spending each year to create that perfect look? Can you relate to the holiday blues when you've done the same thing for a few years? Maybe it's time for something new? Before you rush off to the store, learn a new way to save money and change your holiday decorations.

Have a decorating party and exchange your decorations for a friend's decorations. As long as things are stored properly, there isn't any wear and tear from sitting on a fireplace mantle or hanging on a tree for a month each year.

Get tips on hosting your own holiday decorating party. You'll enjoy time with friends, you'll get inspiration for decorating your home and you'll save money too!

Related:

It's your party so you get to pick the theme, i.e. maybe you're looking for new ways to decorate for your Thanksgiving gathering. By

Contributing Editor Frances Schultz redid her dining room - and shares tips on how she did it - for an unbelievable transformation.


BEFORE: The dining room had yellow paint and nice architectural details.

Related: 12 Romantic Bedrooms


AFTER: The finished space works as both a dining room and a sort of library room. "Even if dinning rooms are seldom used, they're so lovely to have. Yet the single-purpose, formal dining room doesn't suit the way so many of us actually live," says Schultz.

See More: Best Designer Kitchens


TIPS:

1. Add Wainscoting
Wainscoting gives a small room presence. Different treatments above and below a chair rail add another layer of interest and texture to the room.

See more: See France's Bedroom Makeover

2. Play with Scale
Don't be afraid of using big pieces in small rooms; they enhance the sense of spaciousness and scale. Big mirrors are especially effective.

3. Use Multiples
Hang art (like my botanical prints) floor to ceiling, whether wall space is limited

By Melanie Abrahams, REDBOOK

No offense, repair guys, but we don't always trust your fuzzy math. So we asked three Ms. Fix-Its how a sister can avoid getting suckered.

THE #1 CAR-REPAIR RIP-OFF: engine work.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says that auto shops - one of the 10 most complained-about industries last year - routinely charge customers for replacing engine parts they never even touched!

BEAT THE SWINDLE: Tell your mechanic that you want to see any parts they remove and replace. "That way, they have to come clean about exactly what they did under your hood," says Bogi Lateiner, owner of 180 Degrees Automotive in Phoenix. And visit repairpal.com, where you can find the reasonable price range for many common fixes at shops in your city.

THE #1 PLUMBING RIP-OFF: leaky pipes or faucets.
Many plumbers will stick you with a higher bill claiming that the original estimate was for "labor only" and didn't include travel and parts.

BEAT THE SWINDLE: Ask

This Thanksgiving dinner essential gets a much-needed makeover from fresh veggies and a lightened (but super-rich!) homemade sauce.

Home-Style Green Bean Casserole
Home-Style Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp. butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 Tbsp. Ranch dressing mix
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. butter
1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms
Vegetable cooking spray
1 cup French fried onions, crushed
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover in a Dutch oven 4 to 6 minutes or to desired degree of doneness; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in Dutch oven over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk; cook, whisking

Julie Grice is a blogger who shares her wisdom with us at SheSpeaks.

During my sophomore year of college, I went to Target with my then-boyfriend (now-husband) to pick up some things for his new apartment. I was still living in the dorms, so I was mostly there to get a few new binders and pens and to help him pick out some small kitchen appliances. He was adamant about getting a crock pot so that he could come home from class to a hot batch of chili.

I, on the other hand, didn't even really know what a crock pot was. My family didn't have a crock pot, so I had never before experienced the joy of slow cooking.

We still use that crock pot today, and now I can't live without it. I use it for everything: making fruit butter for canning, throwing together a soup on days when I'm not feeling well or am pressed for time, slow-cooked pork and beans, even making hot mulled cider for a dinner party.

Here are 13 of my favorite blogger recipes starring the slow cooker. Enjoy!

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