Oliver Queen gave us another reason to fall in love with him this week. Not only is he the chiseled-ab carrier of justice to the troubled Sterling City, but now he's a romantic who will risk his own heart to save a broken villain. Too bad for Oli: It's his turn to learn what a broken heart feels like.

We already know Helena and Oliver have two different definitions of justice. Oliver wants criminals to pay for their crimes, while Helena wants to slaughter them. But their differences don't end there. Apparently the two also view their relationship differently. While Oli's ready to jump in with both feet tied to a cinder block and never look back, Helena is ready to put on the brakes.

"We slept together and it was nice," Helena begins in a patronizing tone, "but I'm not looking for anything right now."

Again, has she seen those chiseled abs or those impressive pull-ups?

In an attempt to reach her on a deeper level, Oliver takes her to Sarah's grave. He proceeds to tell her the story about how he cheated on his fiancee with Sarah and then watched Sarah drown on his yacht. You know, because that just screams, "I'm never going to hurt you."

That's actually what he tells her, and she buys it. Then, she also agrees to learn his brand of justice, starting with a sexy crossbow lesson.

Diggle is the best. He is the sassiest voice of reason and has no problem telling Oliver and Helena how he feels about their relationship. Oliver doesn't want to hear it. Instead, he thinks Helena is just lost and he wants to save her. I'll give you a second to giggle at his adorable naivety.

Things are going well for a while. They even find a bad guy on Oliver's list who also works for Helena's corrupt father, and she's satisfied not to kill the guy. But things take a turn for the worse when the pair run into Tommy and Laurel at a restaurant and have dinner. It doesn't take Helena long to realize that Laurel is Oliver's ex and he might still be in love with her. She dumps him on the spot. Tommy and Laurel have their own little spat over Tommy's insecurities about Oliver , but they resolve it quickly and wind up stronger than ever.

Now, Oliver feels like he's seen the real Helena and tells Dig he was right all along .

"I can't stop her from going over the edge," Oliver solemnly realizes. "She's already passed it."

And she sure the as heck has. She guns down several Chinese gangsters to set them up to retaliate against her father. It doesn't take them long to seek revenge on Mr. Bertinelli. While they're running amok in his house, he manages to escape, but Helena hunts him down. Just when she's about to shoot him with an arrow, the Green Arrow interferes. The two fight, but in the process, Mr. Bertinelli shoots his own daughter with the arrow. The cops arrive while Arrow carries his wounded Huntress into the night.

Saving his damsel in distress didn't do him much good. Helena still wants nothing to do with his brand of justice or him. As Dig pointed out, Oliver can't change Helena. She already changed when she lost her fiance, and this is what she changed into. Poor Oliver. He didn't realize that while bad girls need love too, sometimes they just don't want it.

Photos courtesy of The CW

The Passage
Justin Cronin

Though The Passage has been labeled as a "vampire book", its creepy, single-minded villains have much more in common with the zombies of The Walking Dead than the gorgeous, vegetarian vampires of Twilight. It takes place in a future, after zombie/vampire hordes have overrun the United States, and there are only small groups of humans left. Survivors must work together in order to resist the hordes, and just when they think all hope is lost, they discover that a young girl named Amy may have the key to stopping the zombies.

Zone One
Colson Whitehead

If you're a fan of more literary, high-brow novels but still can't resist the zombie allure, Zone One might be just the book for you. The plague is over, and in its aftermath are left two groups: the regular humans and the undead, the zombies that must be wiped out lest they bring destruction on us all. Mark Spitz works in lower Manhattan, cleaning out the zombies that are left in the area called "Zone One" that humans have managed to reclaim.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Max Brooks

What you've heard about World War Z probably isn't good, most likely that it's a movie starring Brad Pitt that has been in production for years and is in some trouble. Apparently in its current form, the movie bears little resemblance to the book it takes its name from, which is a shame. World War Z is a rich, detailed novel, an account of the near-wiping out of humanity by those who experienced it firsthand. It's told as a history, a series of first person accounts by different people living in different parts of the world, all of whom converge to stop the zombies once and for all.

The Strain
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

If Guillermo del Toro's name sounds familiar, it's probably because he's the acclaimed director of movies such as Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy, and now he's brought his talents to the page. When a plane at New York's JFK's airport mysteriously comes to a stop in the middle of a runway, flight controllers are perplexed. The doors are sealed and the pilots aren't responding. When the doors finally open, they reveal that everyone on board is dead. Now, the Center for Disease Control must work to discover if it was a disease that killed these passengers, and if it was, to stop it from spreading to the general population.

National Tie Month

Your career-minded guy is always showering you with cute gifts, so this December, in honor of National Tie Month, why not reciprocate the sweet gesture?

Tie the knot

Whether you wait until the 25th to surprise him or not, these stylish ties will have him thinking about his future with you and at work!

Discover more gift tips for your guy

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Take the heat off

Think a serum has to be room temperature to work? Well, Votre Vu's cool child on the anti-aging block has you thinking again. Meant to be savored, this serum will not only help you erase your wrinkles but will help you stay beautifully cool wherever you are. See why we're loving it in our review below!

Serums are the new beauty blockbusters, no doubt, and Votre Vu's Les Sorbet Advanced Ice Care Pour Le Visage sounded tres appealing to us because of its differentiating feature: This is a serum which is frozen in order to preserve the efficacy of the formula. It comes in a convenient fat wand-like applicator that you can swirl and swipe over your face quickly.

Les Sorbet had already picked up a few snazzy beauty awards such as the Shecky's national beauty award, so we couldn't wait to put it to the test.

The solid wand is packed with anti-aging superstars: think marine elastin and collagen , organic muscle-relaxing vegetable peptides that also luxuriously nourish the skin, hydrolyzed collagen for that ultra-moisturizing and protective factor and a complex vegetable broth that soothes, revitalizes, regenerates, smoothes and stimulates.

What does it do?

What you'll have to do is definitely keep this in the freezer . We took ours straight from the freezer , so that the formula was at its best. The serum promises to protect your skin from free radicals with each application, and the result is a deliciously cool and glowing complexion with reduced pores.

How does it measure up?

Les Sorbet promises to contract fine facial musclee, tone skin, rev up circulation and renew cell turnover. Quite a lot of promises from a little frozen wand, right? What we found is that our pores were noticeably smaller, and the skin was glowing. The skin also felt firmer. I couldn't say with 100 percent certainty that it reduced my wrinkles visibly, however .

This iced serum can be used on the face, neck and decolletage and it's also compact enough to fit into a purse. BUT, because it absolutely needs to stay frozen, there's no way you can carry this around unless you pack it in dry ice or carry a large fridge strapped to your pocketbook, so beware.

The serum is also nice and thin and glides on your face beautifully. You'll need to use your fingers to make sure it completely sinks into your skin, but the sensation will be quite thrilling because it's unlike anything you've experienced before.

We recommend you use a toner for a more tingling effect and a rich moisturizer afterwards to make sure your skin is thoroughly moisturized because the serum will make your skin feel taut . It retails for $165 and is quite pricey, but because it's concentrated and packed tightly, it will last you a long time if you refreeze it after use.

Tip: Use it under your eyes as well as on the lips for a complete top to toe cooling effect.

More beauty reads

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Christmas can be a good time of year to make a point about excessive consumerism, Hallmark holidays and the way that “traditions,” such as chopping down trees, are bad for the Earth.

Create your own holiday traditions

So, what alternatives are there for families who are looking to celebrate a bit differently?

Truth be told, considering that Americans spend over $400 billion a year on Christmas, with 60 percent going into credit card debt to afford presents and 78 percent admitting that they believe Christmas has become too materialistic, it is understandable that some people would like to create holiday traditions in their own families that aren't based on consumerism and unnecessary waste.

Below are five fun and creative ideas for your next non-traditional holiday season.

Don't spend money on buying everyone in your office presents that just get pitched into the re-gift bin anyway. Make fun holiday-themed crafts out of old clothes, out-of-date ornaments, or even broken Christmas lights.

Instead of buying the kids a bunch of toys they don't need and will forget about by the time Christmas Day is over, choose to make a special contribution to a charity this holiday season. Use the holidays to teach your kids about charity. Let the children help you pick the charity and if possible, choose one that has a related activity in which your family can participate. For example, make a donation to the local children's hospital and plan a visit to the playroom where your family can lead a craft with the in-patients. This is a great way to teach your children about the meaning of giving in a tangible way they can really understand.

Take the time to learn about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Las Posadas Navidenas. If you have a friend from a different religious or cultural background, ask if you can attend their holiday festivities this year. If not, look in your local city guide and see what cultural celebrations and festivals are open to the public.

Learn about Christmas traditions around the world>>

Pick a country and research their holiday traditions. You will be amazed at how different traditions are from place to place. For example, in Argentina, Christmas means barbecue, fireworks and a big party on Christmas Eve with everyone opening gifts at midnight, even the little children.

A new trend among the ecologically-minded, live Christmas trees have all the festivity of the cut ones, but none of the waste. In order to ensure the tree's survival, keep your tree outside as long as possible, only putting it on display inside for a few days. Decorate the tree with beautiful lightweight crafts and ornaments, but make sure not to use Christmas tree lights, or the tree could come out of its dormant state and will not survive the planting.

More holiday traditions

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The importance of Christmas traditions to kids
Christmas food traditions

Geeky girls everywhere have waited a long, long time for the follow-up to 2009's Star Trek. For many of us, that's when we fell in love with Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine. Now, the boys are back. There's a new guy to swoon over and even more action to keep us glued to YouTube for additional footage.

Can you remember the last time a trailer was this dramatic?

The official IMDB.com page has this to say about the film:

"After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction."

Who is this "one-man weapon of mass destruction?" It's rumored that it's none other than Khan, an old enemy brought back from the first incarnations of the Star Trek series and movies. In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Captain Kirk and the USS Enterprise gang faces off against the genetically engineered Khan after he escapes his 15-year exile to take revenge on Kirk. The film ends with the death of Spock .

If this is a new movie featuring Khan, it's hard to tell if it will be a reimagining of the original stories involving Khan or something new. Either way, in the original version, Spock returns in the next movie. So, fear not, all you Zachary Quinto–loving ladies, if Spock dies... he'll return.

Aside from Quinto and Pine, the movie will also star the very British Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch also plays the title character of BBC's Sherlock. Sherlock premiered roughly two years before America developed Elementary and, other than Sherlock's characteristic offensive genius, the shows are quite different. If you haven't spent much time with Cumberbatch before, Sherlock is an excellent way to do so.

Star Trek Into Darkness will be more than just cute boys, though. With a whopping estimated budget of $185 million, the movie ought to be rife with action and special effects. J.J. Abrams may not be as 3-D obsessed as James Cameron, but this movie should be absolutely breathtaking, even in 2-D.

But don't get too excited yet! We still have six months until the proposed May 2013 release date.

Images courtesy of WENN.com

by Amber Skipper
as told to Julie Weingarden Dubin

In the fall of 2010, I was playing on the floor with my kids while watching a Colts football game. Audrey was 3, and Hailey was 1. Hailey reared back and head-butted me in the neck. Little did I know at the time that was a blessing in disguise. My neck began to swell; I couldn't talk or eat. That next day I went to the doctor and he decided to order an ultrasound. Hours later I got the dreaded phone call that my doctor suspected cancer.

I remember those words like it happened yesterday. I broke out in a hard, sobbing cry for what felt like lasted no more than a minute, then I went straight into fighting mode. I decided right then that with God's help and strength I was going to do everything I could to beat this! I was going to see my precious babies walk down the aisle on their wedding day and I was going to grow old with Ryan.

Fighting cancer with kids

Approximately 15 days after I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, I was admitted in the hospital to undergo a seven-hour total thyroidectomy which left a scar from one side of my neck to the other. My surgeon found a couple of tumors and removed 113 lymph nodes of which 20 percent were cancerous. The surgery was extensive but I felt blessed to have a wonderful surgeon and surgical staff at the Indiana University Heath Simon Cancer Center.

Following four days in the hospital, I came home and was on bed rest for two weeks. I then went through radioactive iodine treatment and had to be in isolation in my room for seven days. During this time I couldn’t care for my children, but was blessed with family who took wonderful care of them. I Skyped with my girls a lot during my isolation, but it was incredibly difficult to see their smiling faces through my computer and not be able to hold them.

Trying to care for two little girls was especially difficult with a cancer diagnosis. All of a sudden our seemingly peaceful life became filled with doctor appointments, various medical tests, biopsies, and surgery plans. We tried to make our days as normal as possible for them, and Ryan and I tried not to let it show how terrified we were, but you could tell they were very confused. All they wanted was for Mom to play and wrap their arms around my neck, but the more tests I was put through the more sore and tired I became. It was increasingly difficult to be an active mom, so every chance I got I told my babies how much I love them and showered them with hugs and kisses.

Living cancer-free

Ever since the day I was told I had cancer, I dreamt of hearing that I was cancer-free. That day came after my radioactive iodine treatment. I had a whole body scan and it showed no cancer! I now have six month checkups with my endocrinologist to make sure the cancer doesn't return.

Hey, Moms: Do you know a mother with a great story? We’re looking for Mom Stories. Email Jrosewriter@gmail.com with your suggestions.

Living without a thyroid, which controls body temperature, energy and mood, can be very challenging. I’m constantly checking my thyroid levels to make sure I’m not in the hyperthyroid or hypothyroid state. I’ll rely on a thyroid hormone replacement pill every day for the rest of my life. But I’ll count my blessings that I’m still here to be a Mommy and watch my children grow.

I always thought I was thankful to God for my life, but now going through cancer I find myself even more grateful for each day with my family and knowing how short and precious life truly is. I kept a journal during my cancer treatment. It was a journal of hope and determination during a difficult time. My hope is when they’re older and they are going through a challenging situation that they can see how I handled my thyroid cancer and draw strength from it.

Being a mother is an amazing gift and has humbled me in many ways. It definitely brings out my faults as well as my strengths as a person and encourages me to be better. I take great responsibility in raising my little girls to be strong, loving, respectful and giving. I love every part of being a mom. I love the story times, the adventure, the smiles, the lessons, and the big neck hugs that my children can now give me.

Read more Mom Stories

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Not only is this cake a stunning addition to your dessert table , it's made with no solid shortening! Unlike many Bundt cake recipes, this one uses a mix of butter, applesauce and oil, so you get a lighter and more moist end result. We don't know about you, but after eating fried latkes and brisket for eight days, we could use a little lightening up!

Spiced berry Star of David Bundt cake

Recipe inspired by Williams-Sonoma

Serves about 8

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 2-3/4 cups flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup butter , softened
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• Zest from 1 orange
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 2/3 cup water

For the glaze: 

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 orange, zested and juiced

Directions:

1. Position an oven rack to the lower third portion of the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a Star of David Bundt pan and sprinkle with flour.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla together until fully combined. Add in the butter, applesauce, oil and honey. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the mixture until fully combined and creamy.
3. Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and spices. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, alternating with the water and finishing with the flour. Stir until mixture is fully combined. Gently fold in orange zest and raspberries.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the bottom. Place the Bundt cake into the oven and bake for about 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cake cool for about 10 minutes then pop out of the mold.
5. While cake cools, heat butter in a microwavable safe dish until melted. Mix with powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Drizzle over the top of the cake and serve immediately!

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Some people, like Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times, are saying that this year's Grammy nomination list is full of "relative unknowns." We think that if you've paid any attention to the radio at all, you probably know almost all these names. More importantly, who says only already famous people should win all the awards? Check out our list from the most popular categories and tell us whom you want to win!

Record of the Year

"Lonely Boy"— The Black Keys
"Stronger "— Kelly Clarkson
"We Are Young"— fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
"Somebody That I Used to Know"— Gotye Featuring Kimbra
"Thinkin' 'Bout You"— Frank Ocean
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"— Taylor Swift

Album of the Year

El Camino - The Black Keys
Some Nights - fun.
Babel - Mumford & Sons
Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
Blunderbuss - Jack White

Song of the Year

"The A Team"— Ed Sheeran, songwriter
"Adorn"— Miguel Pimentel, songwriter
"Call Me Maybe"— Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen & Josh Ramsay, songwriters
"Stronger "— Jorgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi, songwriters
"We Are Young"— Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & Nate Ruess, songwriters

Best New Artist

Alabama Shakes
fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers
Frank Ocean

Best Pop Solo Performance

"Set Fire to the Rain" [live] — Adele
"Stronger "— Kelly Clarkson
"Call Me Maybe"— Carly Rae Jepsen
"Wide Awake"— Katy Perry
"Where Have You Been"— Rihanna

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

"Shake It Out"— Florence & the Machine
"We Are Young"— fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
"Somebody That I Used to Know"— Gotye featuring Kimbra
"Sexy and I Know It"— Lmfao
"Payphone"— Maroon 5 & Wiz Khalifa

Best Rock Performance

"Hold On"— Alabama Shakes
"Lonely Boy"— The Black Keys
"Charlie Brown"— Coldplay
"I Will Wait"— Mumford & Sons
"We Take Care of Our Own"— Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Song

"Freedom at 21"— Jack White, songwriter
"I Will Wait"— Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall & Marcus Mumford, songwriters
"Lonely Boy"— Dan Auerbach, Brian Burton & Patrick Carney, songwriters
"Madness"— Matthew Bellamy, songwriter
"We Take Care of Our Own"— Bruce Springsteen, songwriter

Best Rock Album

El Camino— The Black Keys
Mylo Xyloto— Coldplay
The 2nd Law— Muse
Wrecking Ball— Bruce Springsteen
Blunderbuss— Jack White

Best Alternative Music Album

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do— Fiona Apple
Biophilia— Bjork
Making Mirrors— Gotye
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming — M83
Bad As Me— Tom Waits

Best R&B Performance

"Thank You"— Estelle
"Gonna Be Alright "— Robert Glasper Experiment featuring Ledisi
"I Want You"— Luke James
"Adorn"— Miguel
"Climax"— Usher

Best Urban Contemporary Album

Fortune — Chris Brown
Kaleidoscope Dream— Miguel
Channel Orange— Frank Ocean

Best Rap Performance

"Hyfr "— Drake featuring Lil' Wayne
"... In Paris"— Jay-Z & Kanye West
"Daughters"— Nas
"Mercy"— Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz
"I Do"— Young Jeezy featuring Jay-Z & Andre 3000

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

"Wild Ones"— Flo Rida featuring Sia
"No Church in the Wild"— Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean & The-dream
"Tonight "— John Legend featuring Ludacris
"Cherry Wine"— Nas featuring Amy Winehouse
"Talk That Talk"— Rihanna featuring Jay-Z

Best Rap Album

Take Care — Drake
Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1 — Lupe Fiasco
Life Is Good — Nas
Undun — The Roots
God Forgives, I Don't — Rick Ross
Based on a T.r.u. Story — 2 Chainz

Best Country Solo Performance

"Home"— Dierks Bentley
"Springsteen"— Eric Church
"Cost of Livin'"— Ronnie Dunn
"Wanted"— Hunter Hayes
"Over"— Blake Shelton
"Blown Away"— Carrie Underwood

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

"Even If It Breaks Your Heart"— Eli Young Band
"Pontoon"— Little Big Town
"Safe & Sound"— Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars
"On the Outskirts of Town"— The Time Jumpers
"I Just Come Here for the Music"— Don Williams featuring Alison Krauss

Best Country Song

"Blown Away"— Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters
"Cost of Livin'"— Phillip Coleman & Ronnie Dunn, songwriters
"Even If It Breaks Your Heart"— Will Hoge & Eric Paslay, songwriters
"So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore"— Jay Knowles & Adam Wright, songwriters
"Springsteen"— Eric Church, Jeff Hyde & Ryan Tyndell, songwriters

Best Country Album

Uncaged — Zac Brown Band
Hunter Hayes — Hunter Hayes
Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran — Jamey Johnson
Four the Record — Miranda Lambert
The Time Jumpers — The Time Jumpers

There you have it: The 2013 Grammy nominations. Of course, that's not all of them. Each year, awards are given for dozens of categories before the cameras even begin to roll. These, however, are the ones you'll talk about the next day.

Images courtesy of CBS

Recently I was lucky enough to host a baby shower for my very dear friend who’s expecting two bundles of joy — a boy and a girl! I wanted a theme that would both celebrate each baby and reflect their mom’s modern style. The result? A dusty pink and light aqua Chevron Chic soiree!

While it’s tempting to go straight to shower-theme staples, like teddy bears or building blocks, don’t be afraid to skip pre-packaged themes and tie everything together with unifying prints or patterns instead. For this shower, I opted for pink, aqua and gray zigzag chevron prints that were displayed everywhere, from the invite to the stamped Mason-jar lids and chevron cupcake toppers I found on Etsy . The food and dessert spreads were also displayed with custom chevron-print labels, as were verses from children's books that we framed for nursery art, thanks to another Etsy favorite .

The cake table is the perfect stage to display your theme… and your creativity. While the chevron end of the theme was woven throughout, the cake table is where the chic part really came into play. The cake was actually baked with love by the grandma-to-be . We topped it with a sweet His and Hers custom cake banner. For the rest of the cake table spread, I enlisted help from Pop Culture Desserts, who helped me up the ante on the chic factor with sweet touches like bite-sized brownies topped with powdered sugar, skewered and tied with a gray bow; white fondant cake pops with gray and white striped straws to match the Mason jars; mini powdered doughnuts; chevron-iced shortbread cookies and rich mini flourless chocolate cupcakes sprinkled with sparkling white dusting sugar. The mostly-white dessert spread was rounded out with pink and aqua chocolate-covered candies and a chevron table runner. Over the cake table we hung white paper pom-poms from clear wire and round paper garland that had alternating hues of pink, aqua, gray and white.

Because she was expecting one of each sex and it had been a few years since her last baby, I knew the mom-to-be could use a hand stocking the babies’ closets. I asked each guest to bring a boy or girl outfit to hang on a clothesline with a personal note for the twins, handwritten on chevron stationery cards. The mom-to-be loved reading all the notes and the guests enjoyed seeing all the adorable little outfits that the other guests brought. Since I’d called in some reinforcements from Etsy on the chevron theme, I wanted to make sure I added some homemade touches, too. I created these simple DIY S’mores favors in brown paper party bags, tied with a dusty pink and aqua chevron-print tag that read, “Twins: S’more to Love!” and stuffed them with an assortment of flavored marshmallows, graham crackers and mini chocolates.

More on baby showers

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Brandi Glanville says she doesn't like taking her concerns about ex-husband Eddie Cibrian and LeAnn Rimes public — it's just that the stars won't call her back unless she rants on Twitter.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star gave an incendiary interview to Us Weekly Wednesday in which she accused Rimes of allowing her 9-year-old stepson to get hold of one of the laxatives she carries in "every purse" and letting her 5-year-old stepson bicycle without a helmet on a busy street.

Cibrian responded to Us that "it is absolutely ridiculous that my ex-wife continues to put the personal lives of myself, LeAnn, our sons and my family on public display for the sake of her notoriety. She is fully capable and has the means of contacting myself and LeAnn privately to discuss any matter concerning the children."

For her part, Glanville claims that Rimes and Cibrian only respond to her concerns when she posts them publicly on Twitter.

Brandi freaks over LeAnn's laxatives>>

"I emailed, emailed, called, called — no answers," Glanville told Us. "Couldn't even discuss it. He refuses to even be in the same room as me. He can't have a parent-teacher conference if I'm there. I don't know how to do this when I can't talk to the father of my children and his new wife. I don't know what to do."

Cibrian had more to say Wednesday, forwarding the text of an email he'd written to Glanville to Radar Online.

"I know your life exists solely for the purpose of living and creating drama," Cibrian wrote. "It's a sad way to live. It's so obvious that you have to constantly mention my wife so people will care what comes out of your mouth. One day when wine and narcissism are not consuming you, you will realize how fortunate the kids are to have LeAnn in their life. She is amazing with them, as the kids will 100 percent attest to."

Cibrian then went after Glanville's single status: "You should be so lucky to one day find someone who will love and respect Mason and Jake as [LeAnn] does. Although, I really don't know how anyone can put up with your constant bulls***. No wonder you have lost so many 'close' friends."

And then he finished with a punch in the gut: "Grow up already and for once, PUT THE KIDS FIRST!"

Wow. That holiday handoff is going to be tense this year!

Rimes and Glanville have long had a troubled relationship, with Rimes suing Glanville at one point for invasion of privacy.

On Nov. 30, Rimes tweeted that she was going on vacation with her "boys."

Glanville tweeted back: "Someone is trying 2 get under my skin by calling MY children 'her boys' Sooo transparent! They R MY boys, Eddie Boys and ur step-sons...4 now."

Brandi is not 2 good with grammar and spllg, huh?

Image source: FayesVision/WENN.com

Rayna finally learns the truth

Rayna's been drifting along for most of the season with her constant worries over her career and longing over Deacon. But that all changes when she finally learns about the pictures Coleman has of Teddy and Peggy. He denies that they had an affair, but then he has to tell her everything about the embezzlement to explain the pictures.

Naturally, he blames the whole thing on Peggy. You know, like a gentleman.

Rayna isn't buying it, though. She tells her spineless hubby that she can't trust him anymore and then heads over to Peggy's house to confront her. The problem? Peggy popped a bunch of sleeping pills in an overdose attempt.

Later, Rayna defends her husband at a press conference, telling the reporters that he didn't have an affair. "I did it for the girls," she tells him.

Divorce, on?

Live in the Nashville house for a cool $19.5M>>

Gunnar and Scarlett totally make out

Gunnar and Hailey still can't get over the drunken performance Scarlett gave at the bar. Secretly, Hailey is totally jealous of all the attention Gunnar gives to his songwriting partner instead of, you know, his girlfriend. Hailey tells Scarlett that she should front her friend's band, but Gunnar freaks and they break up.

Later, Gunnar breathlessly approaches Scarlett inside the Bluebird and basically says, "I love you." They make out for a second. We can't ever have nice things, though: Scarlett pulls a Scarlett and acts all awkward about it.

The good news? A performer put one of their songs on hold. Celebration!

A sneaky proposal

Juliette is legitimately happy with Sean, despite that whole virgin thing. He shows up at her house one day in the midst of a workout for a smooch, and somehow that turns into Juliette going to church with his family.

Juliette makes good and shows up at the church, much to the happiness of Sean's younger sister. She performs with the choir and is on her best behavior. Later, she comes to the house for family dinner where it's all smiles and small talk — until it's just her and Sean's mom. Mom is none too pleased with Juliette's stunt and tells her not to get her hopes up.

Joke's on mom, though: Juliette invites her baller over and asks him to marry her.

Hayden Panettiere swears she's not channeling Taylor Swift >>

New challenges

Avery and Deacon are at polar opposites of their careers, but both are faced with new opportunities they don't know how to handle. It's all great for Avery: Dominic Wells loves his work and flies him down to Atlanta to "dirty" his sound. The catch? Dominic wants Avery to dump his childhood friends. It's called show business, not show friends, duh!

As for Deacon, he's presented with a two-year contract to tour with the newly sober Revel Kings. He's not sure about the gig, mostly because he wants to be there for Rayna's every need. Eventually, he decides to sign on, and they toast with a nice bottle of water.

Will Deacon — or the band — be able to stay sober on a two-year tour filled with groupies and temptations? We want to say yes, but probably not.

Is the tour happening?

The Rayna/Juliette performance at the label's anniversary party was an OMGHUGESUCCESS, and the song is apparently flying up the charts. The suits are dying to strike while the iron is hot — and that means a co-headlining tour.

As for how Rayna feels about it? Her sassypants attitude has died down since the first episode — a cheating scandal and impending divorce will do that to you. "I'm not saying no," she told the label exec.

Get ready for the fireworks, 'cause it's happening when Nashville comes back Jan. 9.

Images courtesy ABC

Read on for more Nashville

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Nashville recap: Put it in the rearview mirror

These beautiful red and green holiday mojitos are almost too pretty to drink. Cranberries and fresh mint are very easy to find this time of year and really create a lovely after-dinner holiday drink for the adults. The cranberry syrup can also be made up to several days ahead and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. One trick that works great in this recipe is using frozen cranberries instead of the ice. It keeps your drink cold, adds color and doesn't get watered down!

Cranberry mojito recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces fresh cranberries, washed and dried
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 20 fresh mint leaves
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 8 ounces rum
• 12-14 ounces club soda
• Ice
• 4 tall glasses

Directions:

1. In a saucepot over medium heat add the cranberries, sugar and the water. Bring them a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for about 10 minutes to create a syrup. Just before the cranberries start to burst, remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Add the cooled cranberries to a strainer and mash to extract the syrup.
2. To assemble the mojito, add about 5 fresh mint leaves, 1 tablespoon of the fresh lime juice and with a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon mash the mint. Add the ice, about 4 ounces of the cranberry syrup and 2 ounces of rum to each glass. Top off with club soda and garnish with fresh cranberries and mint. Serve immediately.

More holiday drinks

Apple and pear cider cups
Dessert cocktails for the holidays
Colorful cocktails for the holidays

Read more on celebrating the holidays

Christmas around the world
How to survive Christmas
Family-friendly Kwanzaa activities

For every woman from the on-the-move mommy to the trendy fashionista, Hipknoties is one garment that can be transformed into just about anything using elastic bands. No matter how you dress it up — or down — it’s an effortless way to make the most out of just one piece of clothing. Talk about a bang for your buck!

Temps are winding down and with Hipknoties, which are made out of 95 percent rayon, you can create a warm cover-up that is stylish at the same time. Pair it with J. Crew’s signature stretch jersey leggings , leather riding boots from Aldo and an infinity scarf from H&M . If you’re feeling extra chilly, top it off with a cashmere beret from Nordstrom, $58.

Take Hipknoties from winter to summer with this draped halter top and maxi skirt combo. Slip on your favorite pair of jeweled sandals like these ones from Michael Kors, $125. For some summer fun, have an arm party of your favorite bracelets. This set of beaded bracelets from Buckle adds the perfect touch and can be worn with almost everything — plus it’s only $12. Don’t forget the perfect pair of Ralph Lauren cat-eye sunnies to fight off the rays!

Going out for lunch with the girls or running a few errands? Using one long Hipknoties and a couple of bands, you can wear a maxi dress that’s both comfy and stylish at the same time. Tribal wedges, like these from Charlotte Russe , add flair and are easy to walk in. Grab this Olivia + Joy tote that’s large enough to hold everything you need for the day and add Francesca’s Time Will Tell watch, and you’ll be the chic girl on the go!

Transform Hipknoties into a fabulous pleat detail dress fit for your upcoming office party. Bring on the bling with rhinestone earrings or sparkling drop earrings and a rhinestone bracelet, all from Forever 21. Put some sparkle in your step with these Steve Madden DEEVAA pumps . Complete the look with a satin clutch from Ann Taylor , and you’ll be dazzling all night long!

Another way to take that Hipknoties to the next level is by wearing it as a fabulous one-sleeve dress. Be bold with a crystal statement necklace, like this one from Dillard's . Wrap the whole look up with a bow with these metallic platform sandals from Bakers .

Visit the Hipknoties site to learn more about this must-have closet piece!

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What you’ll need

Most potato pancake recipes require the same ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Vegetable oil or olive oil for frying
• Eggs
• Salt and pepper
• Flour
• Onions

Once you find the recipe that suits you and your family the best, use these five tips to create the best potato pancakes for your Hanukkah celebration.

Step 1: Do not overuse

The No. 1 mistake preparing latkes is overdoing some of the ingredients. Flour, eggs and onions are the top offenders. Make sure to measure just enough egg and flour to bind the pancake batter , but not so much that they are too doughy.

Step 2: The power of oil

Hanukkah is, after all, the festival of lights, which involves loads of oil, so don’t be shy when cooking your potato pancakes. Use generous amounts of oil to avoid burning your pancakes. Vegetable oil and olive oil are commonly used, but many latke experts like peanut oil, which will not burn while you cook.

Step 3: Work fast

Make sure you have all your ingredients measured and ready to go before you begin to shred the potatoes. You can keep peeled potatoes in water while you prepare the other ingredients, but once you begin to shred the potatoes, everything else must be done quickly to prevent potatoes from turning brown. To shred quickly, use a food processor with a grating blade.

Step 4: Squeeze

Once the potatoes are shredded and ready for cooking, remember to squeeze all the water out of them. Cooking the potatoes with the starchy water still in the potatoes will make for soggy pancakes, and nobody wants that!

Step 5: Serve immediately

To keep your pancakes perfectly crispy, serve them right after they are done. You can warm them in the oven, but you risk losing the crisp texture that makes potato pancakes so irresistible.

More Hanukkah ideas

A hip and modern Hanukkah menu
How to host the ultimate Hanukkah party
Hanukkah activities for kids

So you’re due on or around Christmas and your doctor has offered to induce you a week or so before the big day.

Elective induction before Christmas

Do you take her up on it, or do you wait until you go into labor on your own?

Ask anyone — they’d probably prefer to not be in the hospital for Christmas. And a Christmas birthday? Most of us have heard the horror stories about kids getting ripped off in the gift department. But if you really had a choice, would you induce early just to avoid the possibility of a holiday birthday, or would you prefer to let nature take its course?

No way

Quite a few moms we talked with thought that choosing a baby’s birth date for what amounts to convenience was not the way to go. “I would never,” stated Lindsay, mom of two. “My child's health means more than a day on the calendar.” While many inductions go very well with no ill effects on the mother or child, sometimes it can lead to a cascade of medical interventions that sometimes lead to a C-section — or the induction may not work at all because Mom’s body wasn’t ready. Even worse, sometimes the baby isn’t ready for life outside the womb and serious complications can arise.

Not so bad

While being in the hospital on a major holiday has its drawbacks, it can also be kind of nice. “My baby was born on Christmas Eve, so we also spent Christmas in the hospital,” shared Amanda, mom of four. “It was very peaceful and really quite special to spend Christmas Day in the hospital with my new baby. The halls were quiet and visitors were few. It’s a good memory.” And Claire, mother of one, said, “In fact, if I had to be induced for medical reasons, and Christmas Day was one of the options, I would pick it!”

Probably avoid

Scheduled C-sections are often a different story — they are usually offered to prior C-section mothers who don’t wish for a vaginal birth after cesarean trial. “Any future births of mine will be planned C-sections, so yes I would avoid Christmas Day and the three days before,” explained Liz from Iowa.

Different scenarios

And there are other reasons moms have to avoid specific dates, whether they be Christmas or not. Rachael, who lost her daughter last year to SIDS at 5 months of age and now expecting her third child, told us, “If they told me we need to take this baby out a week early, which would be the day Scarlette died, I would request any day but that. A baby born on Christmas wouldn’t bother me, but a baby born on my baby’s death date would be really, really hard to swallow.”

Expectant mothers should carefully consider any reason for electively inducing labor — holidays or not — and work carefully with their care provider to understand what the risks may be. In many cases, inductions go well, but they don’t always, so you want to be prepared in either case.

More on labor and birth

Ask a labor nurse: 9 Things you need to know
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Does One Direction have what it takes to make kids brush longer? Colgate and singing toothbrush maker Brush Buddies are betting big on the Brit boy band, licensing the band's name, songs and image for a variety of toothy products.

Harry, Niall, Zayn, Liam and Louis flash their pearly whites brightly on the packaging for Colgate's One Direction power toothbrush and manual toothbrush , as well as the MaxFresh Toothpaste.

Any chance the toothpaste tastes like one of the fellas? No such luck. "Fresh mint" reads the packaging. Darn.

Meanwhile, in singing toothbrush news , songs "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing" will play on the Brush Buddies' One Direction singing toothbrush, each playing for two minutes. Say, is that the same amount of time dentists recommend we spend brushing? Why, yes! Yes it is!

Taylor Swift and Harry Styles spotted playing house>>

The idea is that brushers will use one song for morning brushing, one for night brushing. Say, what about our afternoon brushing? We're supposed to do that silently?

Brush Buddies is something of a big fish in the small pond of singing toothbrushes: its Justin Bieber brush, introduced in 2011, racked up $4.62 million in sales in 52 weeks. The Lady Gaga model, which plays "Born This Way" and "Bad Romance," hasn't proved quite as popular.

Singing toothbrushes aren't a new idea: Hasbro's Toothtunes brush played Hilary Duff songs in 2006.

Neither are weird celebrity endorsements new. Jamie Lee Curtis earned lots of money by endorsing the supposedly colon-cleansing yogurt Activia, while Paris Hilton garnered giggles when she appeared in an ad for Burger King eating a big drippy cheeseburger.

Ozzy Osbourne was on commercials for I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and Best Buy. Lisa Rinna filmed a commercial for a Depends bladder-control product in which she implied she was wearing them on a red carpet.

With all this in mind, doesn't sound all that strange to have One Direction singing in your mouth, does it?

Image source WENN.com

Host a dinner party with a meaning

'Tis the season for giving, so why not host a dinner party with a purpose and give back?

Hosting a dinner party is always great fun, especially when you gather a room full of friends. When you host a dinner party with a meaning, a "food drive dinner party," your ability to give and give back is a double blessing. So how do you do it? How and where should you start?

Check out these 5 food charities we love>>

There are other ways to help. The need for monetary donations at food banks is very high. How can you and your friends hold fundraisers to raise the desperately needed funds? Talk to local business owners and ask them to donate a portion of their profits on a certain date, to local food banks. Ask your local liquor store to sell wines at cost to you, then you sell "tickets" for a wine tasting. All ticket money and any additional money raised at the wine tasting would go directly to the food bank. Go without coffee shop visits for a week, then donate that amount to a local food bank.

More ways to fight hunger

8 Ways you can help fight hunger
Fighting hunger in America: How you can help
Fighting hunger is no game

There's good news and bad news for Cat . The good news is Vincent's blackouts aren't her fault. The bad news? They are her mother's fault. Didn't see that one coming, did you?

J.T. has been locking Vincent in that little cage and inducing blackouts. While Vince is unconscious, he has flashbacks of repressed memories of his time in Afghanistan, when the "project" that turned him into the beast first began. He remembers that Cat's mother, Vanessa, was the one who gave the injections and was a key scientist in developing the serum.

At first, everything was great. Vincent was told he was receiving vitamin shots, and he felt stronger and healthier than ever. Even his hearing was drastically improving. But, he knew something was wrong when a female soldier suddenly had a blackout episode and broke a picnic table with her fist. When he tried to ask questions, Cat's mother couldn't answer him, but he knew she was concerned. She does say, however, that blackouts are a side effect of the injections.

Soon, a commander wants to shut down the project and terminate the soldiers. When Vanessa speaks out against the death of her subjects, he tries to kill her, but Vincent turns into the beast and saves her.

This news isn't exactly news to Cat since the FBI agent already had informed her that her mother worked for Muirfield. Vincent is hurt when he realizes she kept something that was so important from him. "I thought we were past keeping secrets." This girl is always hurting his feelings. He's just trying to do right by her all the time. Make it easier for me to like you, Cat!

Cat goes through her mother's boxes of research that have been packed away in her father's house and discovers what could be a cure for Vincent. Or, at least for the blackouts. She has to sneak J.T. into the forensic lab at the police station, though, so he can use their equipment to make the serum. This doesn't go perfectly. Tess winds up seeing him and later brings it up to Evan that there was a man in his lab.

Evan's at the point where he's ready to investigate the beast he heard rip that serial killer to shreds last week. He knows there's a mystery to solve and I bet he thinks Cat's involved, so I think this will only spark some new questions. He will most likely be the next to stumble upon Vincent's secret.

Vincent does go all beast like for a moment during a blackout/flashback. He bursts out of his cage and nearly attacks J.T. as memories replay in his mind. When he saved Vanessa, it wound up being the commander who slashed his face with a knife and gave him that ugly sexy scar on his face.

When Vince comes to with the help of Cat's magically calming voice, he immediately injects himself with the serum. He's tired of living like a wild caged animal and is desperate for a cure. But, no one knows if the serum will do more harm than good. This feels a long-winded, anti-steroid PSA.

Photos Courtesy of CW