Blog Posts by GALTime.com

By Christy Wilson, RD for GalTime.com

Are you passing down unhealthy habits? You may not think twice about laying around the house on a sunny day, serving yourself heaping portions of food or perpetually sipping soda, but know that your kids are watching you.

They probably won't talk with you about the health risks of being a couch potato or scold you about the abundance of calories you're eating and drinking because, to them, this is normal.

Regardless of whether our lifestyle habits are good or bad, our kids perceive them as typical behaviors. If you want to pass along healthy habits to your kids, don't just tell them what to do, show them you're doing it, too. Kids are likely to follow our lead, so set a healthy example before your unhealthy behaviors become their lifelong bad habits.

If you do this: Serve yourself large portions of food at mealtime.

Try this: Divide and conquer your plate.

One of the best models to follow at mealtime is our national food icon, MyPlate (www.choosemyplate.gov

By GalTime Teen Parenting Expert, Barbara Greenberg, PhD

Are you treating your kids like your career? We don't talk about this subject out loud now, do we?

And, we see this all the time. Hey, listen I've heard evidence of this phenomenon at the hairdresser, nail salon, at high school softball games, and at the grocery store. Mothers move in closer to each other and start to talk to one other very seriously and very competitively about their kids' achievements, successes, activities but certainly not about their disappointments, feelings, or emotional concerns. Nope, those topics are reserved for the night when those parents are alone with both the darkness of the night and their concerns.

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Now these are kids they are talking about, not careers. I'll tell you though that it sounds a whole lot like they are talking about jobs and job advancement. And, these kids who are their current careers, in my opinion, are at risk to become highly anxious and stressed as

By Sandy Weiner, Certified Dating Coach for GalTime.com

Questions to Ask Are you ever at a loss for words on a first date with a virtual stranger? You're not alone!

Unless you're endowed with the gift of gab, you and your date might end up in a staring contest, while you listen to the crickets in the background. Okay, it might not be that bad for you. But trust me, it's not always easy to be clever when you're nervous.

I'd like to help you out before that next big dinner or coffee by offering with some creative first date questions you can use if you need to stir up conversation. Use one or two on your date, and the conversation should begin to flow.

You can also use one of these questions in your online email correspondence. Asking a question in an email will increase your chance of hearing back from someone you have your eye on!

RELATED 5 Things You Should NEVER Say on a First Date

. What's a secret skill that you have?

2. What was your favorite childhood toy?

3.

By Romance Recovery's Johanna Lyman for GalTime.com

When to Tell Him You Have an STD We recently covered WHEN to tell your partner you have an STD -- and let's keep in mind, it is not really cocktail-party conversation but something you share with someone you trust. Waiting until after you've been intimate is a recipe for disaster. Once you are at the place to have the talk, it may help to prepare yourself with strategies, words others have used, practice and deep breaths.

I know it's hard to talk about having an STD. Even though lots of people have or have had a sexually transmitted disease at some point, we're still very shy about confessing it. But it's better to have the conversation than not. In fact, I recommend talking about it even if you don't have an STD yourself.

There was a great campaign for safe sex in Montreal a few years ago. It was a photo of a man and a woman hugging, and there were several extra sets of arms around each of them. The message was that you're sleeping with everyone

By Eleanore Wells for GalTime.com

Happily Single for the Holidays As soon as the weather dips below 90-degrees, holiday decorations line the aisles of stores. And so the stress begins. Holidays can be challenging to just about everybody. There are decisions to be made, plans to put in place, and money to be spent. And while this is true for everyone, many single people feel an extra layer of stress.

The holidays would be tough for me if I didn't have a loving network of people around me. I make it work. For example, I often host Thanksgiving for what I call my "straggler" friends. It includes single people, those who can't or don't want to get together with their family, people whose plans changed at the last minute, and couples without children (I have to draw the line somewhere).

RELATED Why the Holidays Are Dicey For Dating

The holidays get a bad rap by single people, but they're often filled with moments and events that are quite good -- there's the feeling of festivity in the air, the parties,

By Saba Salehi & Laura Schuffman, GalTime Stylists

Topshop Faux Leather Sleeve Army Jacket, $130Seems like just yesterday we were rocking bathing suits, sarongs, and oversized sunnies, but now it's time to think about sweaters and cold-weather coats!

Don't fret fashionistas! Your outerwear doesn't need to be bulky, budget-zapping, and blah. Avoid the winter blues by topping off your outfit with one of these 5 styles…all under $150!

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1. Military: Military inspired jackets are back and bigger than ever! We absolutely love the cool and effortless look this type of jacket conveys. The foresty-olive green is also perfectly paired with the black clothes that take over our closets when it gets chilly. We've totally fallen for the leather sleeves on this number from Topshop (right), which add the perfect touch of toughness and texture. Pair your military jacket with simple skinnies for a casual look, or use it to dress down your evening dress or skirt. There are tons of

By Josh Burrell for GalTime.com

A guide to disciplining toddlers. Parenting inherently comes with a lot of responsibility. As parents, we literally hold the well-being of our children in our hands. We also play a pivotal role in shaping the behavior, attitudes, and, to a degree, the personalities of our children. One responsibility we have to take seriously is disciplining.

Even thinking about discipline can, at times, be a daunting task: Should I spank, use timeouts, raise my voice? Many considerations go into determining how, when, and why parents should discipline. No matter the method used, there are some universal truths that go along with the discipline of, well, discipline.

DISCIPLINE IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY

As parents, we cannot shirk our responsibility. We are the authorities over our children. Children don't make the rules; they don't even know the game they're playing! Therefore, it's up to us - their protectors and guides - to set the rules and make sure our children abide by them.

By GalTime's Entertainment Diva Andrea Krivelow

Brooke-Burke Charvet Brooke Burke-Charvet revealed on Thursday that she has thyroid cancer.

The Dancing with the Stars host said on The ModernMom YouTube channel:

"I need to have thyroid surgery and a thyroidectomy, which means I'm going to have a nice big scar right here across my neck. I don't get to just walk around and pretend like nothing happened or not follow up or not share it, because it's going to be pretty much dead center. I don't want anybody to read about it and get the wrong idea, or think that I'm sick, because I'm not."

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Brooke discovered the news after a regularly scheduled physical:

"I got my results back days later and they were atypical, which means that the doctors couldn't confirm whether the nodule was cancerous or benign. So I had to go and do a whole bunch of additional tests and get second opinions. Long story long, I got my results back and they