We’ve all been in love with Ilona Maher since the Paris Olympics. She’s funny, fresh, strong, and a great champion of body positivity. In addition to being a tremendous rugby player, Ilona is also one heck of a great dancer. She and her Dancing With The Stars Partner, Alan Bersten, came in second during season 33 and some fans wondered if there was more to their relationship than just being great dancing partners. Ilona Maher isn’t shy about dating. She’s even joked about potentially becoming the next Bachelorette. But what’s really going on in her love life? Are Ilona Maher And Alan Bersten Dating? Nope, Ilona isn’t dating anyone. She told E! News that she and Alan are just really good friends. “We see it all over. And honestly, keep doing it, people! We love it. I think honestly, if ‘ship’ means ‘relationship’—we are the besties. We love it. I think him and I get along truly so well, and we have a lot of fun together. And honestly, he’s like my teammate, and I love my teammates. I love him. I think we’re building something really beautiful here.” So is she looking for someone special? Sometimes. But as she joked with People, dating takes more effort than she can muster right now. “I was heading home from [DWTS] rehearsal, and I saw these people going out to bars, and I was like, ‘I’m young, I should be going out meeting people, talking to hot people,'” she recalled thinking one night. But a few minutes later, she lost interest. “I was like, ‘I’ve got to get to my couch, I’m tired, I’m doing too much,'” she laughed.  This story’s featured image is by Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images. The post Ilona Maher Hilariously Opens Up About Dating & We All Understand appeared first on InspireMore.

'Especially around Christmas time'

'Not going to stop us'

Keep your pond sparkling clean with this easy pond filter tutorial. Make your own pond filter now and say goodbye to your old muddying pond! DIY Pond Filter | Tutorial What you'll need: Filter Container (Suggestion: 30 gallon, plastic food grade drum) 1 – length of 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe 1 – length of 2″ PVC pipe 1 – 1 1/2″ PVC slip T 1 – 1 1/2″ PVC threated T (the threads are on the perpendicular opening) 2 – 1 1/2″ PVC elbows 1 – 1 1/2 inch to 1 1/4 inch threaded nipple reducer (or a threaded hose adapter from the pond shop) 1 – 3″-4″ closet flange (its a toilet part) 4 – 1/4 inch by 1 1/2 inch bolt, nut and washer combinations 1 bottle silicone sealant 1 – 2″ PVC ball valve 1 – 2″ shower drain 1 – 3″-2″ ABS bushing 1 – length of hose (1″ hose) 2 – hose clamps (You'll only need one but there's no harm in adding extra, just in case) Filter Media or plastic fencing 1 – length 1/2″ PVC pipe 4 – 1/2″ PVC elbows 1 – 1/2″ PVC cross (the X shaped one) these are for building a stand to hold the egg crate off the bottom of the filter 1 – plastic egg crate style overhead 2×4 light grate (or something similar) you get these in the lighting section of hardware stores. For a more detailed materials, click here. Let's get started! Tip: Clean your barrel so it is safe for fish. Let it soak for a couple of days in clean water. | The Drain Aquascape 95110 Biological and Mechanical Submersible Pond Filter, small piece of pipe or 3/4-inch threaded fitting,... Can be added to the intake of almost any submersible water...Contains ceramic filtration rings, providing substantial... $63.98 Buy Now Cut a hole so that your shower drain fits tightly at the bottom of the gallon (the grate part goes on the inside of the barrel). Take each part that needs to go through the barrel and trace them onto the side. Drill some big holes around the opening so you can insert the jigsaw. Then play connect the dots with the holes. Trim the holes bit by bit until they fit perfectly. | This drain must be sealed onto the bucket with the silicone sealant or it will leak. Sealant must be applied along the inside edge. Whenever you seal something like this, make sure to wipe down all the surfaces to be sealed with rubbing alcohol. Don't be stingy with the sealant — you want it to smoosh all over the place. No products found. Next, insert a cut piece of 2″ PVC pipe into the 2″ shower drain. The 2″ ball valve goes onto that cut piece of pipe. It all must be glued together. | Attach it to the barrel. | Pond Return Cut the hole for the pond return spout the same way the drain one was cut. | While holding the flange in place on the barrel, drill the holes for the 4 bolts. The bolts will make sure that the flange stays pressed against the barrel. TetraPond Clear Choice Biofilter PF-1 For Efficient Filtration Easy out-of-pond accessibility and simple maintenanceMechanical pre-filter sponges remove suspended debris to... $99.99 Buy Now | Wipe all the surfaces down with rubbing alcohol. Goop on the sealant and smoosh it into place. | Wipe down all the washers that will be on the front of the barrel with rubbing alcohol. Goop some sealant into the holes and insert the bolts. | Now insert the bushing.  The bushing allows you to attach a 2″ pipe to the flange. Put sealant on the inner part of the opening of the flange and insert the bushing. Ponds are very relaxing to look at only if their clean. What better way to keep it sparkling is to have a filter. Don't break the bank, create your own filter by following this super easy step by step tutorial. Did you enjoy our DIY Pond Filter Tutorial? Let us know in the comments section below! Looking for more outdoor DIY projects? Then you'll love this: How To Build A Backyard Chicken Coop Pallet Projects for Homesteaders To Use Around The Farm

How will the latest shutdown showdown end? The media always use the threat of shutdowns to paint Republicans as heartless budget slashers, and that's especially fun for them at Christmas time. They paint federal employees as too broke to buy a Christmas tree.  Paul Teller, executive vice president of the group Advancing American Freedom talks about hopes for restricting federal spending in 2025 and beyond. AAF, founded by former vice president Mike Pence, has called for ending federal benefit programs tasked with helping illegal immigrants, prohibiting federal funding for programs that push diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and clawing back unspent COVID-19 money. They also want to halt hundreds of billions of dollars in student debt from being canceled via programs started by Biden’s Education Department, and get non-defense spending back to pre-COVID levels. In our "Best Notable Quotables of 1996," we had several amazing quotes underlining how the media exploit shutdown battles:  "Monuments and national parks are shut. So are museums. A long-awaited rare exhibit of the Dutch painter Vermeer at the National Gallery, eight years in the making, is closed. And the shutdown now has a human face. Joe Skattleberry and his wife Lisa both work for the government. Both have been furloughed. They can't afford a Christmas tree." -- ABC reporter Jack Smith, December 22, 1995 World News Tonight, the fifth day of the federal government shutdown. "In April, terrorists tried to kill them. Today politicians stopped their paychecks. In Oklahoma City's Social Security office, they're being ordered to work for nothing." -- Beginning of CBS reporter Scott Pelley's January 2 Evening News story on some federal workers being ordered to work during the shutdown. Now obviously, someone who has yet to miss a paycheck shouldn't be broke, and nobody was ordered to "work for nothing." They're always going to get paid.  Here we go again. The TV anchors and reporters parachute into a budget battle, and they have spent the year pretty much ignoring the mundane matter of Congress passing spending bills. The Senate has spent the year NOT passing any spending bills.  I think they presume this entire subject bores their viewers unless they can spotlight some human crisis. As much as the media love to pose about the partisan fray and tsk-tsk the politicians for failing to arrive at a solution, they are not part of the solution. They are part of the problem. They don't care about the deficit or the national debt, unless there is Republican-shaming to be done. The Democrats are emboldened to careen toward a shutdown because they know the Democrat media will do their messaging. The blackmail machine kicks into gear, with the whole bureaucrats-can’t-afford-a-Christmas-tree garbage. Enjoy the podcast below, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Mike Johnson Criticized As The CR Heads to The Senate: Brit Hume Asks, Is Anyone Blaming Chuck Schumer

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