Blog Posts by GALTime.com

By Master of Gastronomy Amy Reiley for GalTime.com

It's shocking to me that in 4 years of writing about aphrodisiac ingredients I've never featured raspberries. I will admit that, from a folkloric perspective, raspberries have a less interesting history than, say, apples, figs or pomegranate. But just look at that fruit! It should be clear, from just a glance, that raspberries are sexy.

Related: The Aphrodisiac Power of Pomegranate

Red raspberries in particular, are evocative in their appearance. The perfect, lipstick shade of red, the berries are enticingly shaped like a dome of pearly, crimson caviar beads. These beads, or druplets as they're technically and less romantically called, pop one by one in the mouth to add to the sensuality of the fruit.

Related: 4 Mistakes Men Make in the Sack

Raspberry's aroma, similar to the petals of a freshly cut, home grown rose, is often used in lightly seductive colognes, candles and sachets, leading researchers to believe that the fruit's

By Veronika Javor Romeis for GalTime.com
Serve It Up: Decorating With Trays in Your Home

When it comes to decorating your home, I'm all for adding elementes that add both style AND function to your spaces. You may think serving trays are for just that---serving---but trays are a chic addition to your home decor. Here's how you can use them to dress up everything from your coffee table to your bathroom counter!

Related: Make a Statement With a Photo Wall

In your bedroom: I have a white serving tray from West Elm that I keep on the dresser in my bedroom. It hold things like perfume bottles, jewelry and accessories. It's a fun way to display your favorite and most-worn items while keeping them organized and easy to access.

In your bathroom: If you have a double-sink, a great way to dress up the area while keeping function in mind is to use a serving tray to hold glass canisters with everything you need---from q-tips to cotton swabs. You can also keep perfume bottles on your bathroom tray to add a feminine touch or add a

By GalTime Love Coach, Johanna Lyman

"I Love You, But I'm Not In Love With You." How many times have you heard or said that sentence? It's commonly used to end a romantic relationship, but the idea that we're supposed to be "in love" with our partner forever is a myth. It's a myth that has destroyed many a relationship that could have been saved, if only the partners knew the truth.

Related:Are You Unrealistic About Romance?

The truth is that being "in love" is an immature type of love. It was never intended to be a permanent state. In fact, being "in love" isn't even about love; it's about lust and procreation. That state of being "in love" is a complex hormonal reaction designed to bring two people together who have a chance of making healthy babies. We're attracted to people whose genes are compatible with our own and different enough from our own to create strong, healthy children. That's all it is. It's not about long term compatibility or having good parenting

By GalTime Teen Expert, Barbara Greenberg, Ph.D.
Moms... What Are You Going to Wear on the 1st Day of School?

I've been perusing all of these back-to-school articles. If I see one more photo of a big yellow school bus I think that I'm going to lose it.

Yes, our kids need the right lunchboxes. Paper bags just won't cut it.

Yes, our kids need the right school supplies. Yes, you should get them early and not at the last minute.

Dress your child nicely and no, don't spend too much money because, yes, they will outgrow their clothing.

Related: Back to School Strategies for Each Year of High School

No, if they are teenagers they should not go to school too scantily-clad. School is a place to learn and we don't want the scantily-clad girls distracting other students.

Yes, you should set up a homework routine for your child. And yes, you should make sure that they are not over-scheduled because that could lead to stress, anxiety, and eventually to a therapist visit during which you may be told that you are not only

By GalTime Teen Expert Barbara Greenberg, Ph.D.

"Awkward"... Thank Goodness for the Urban Dictionary

Here I am expecting to watch fifteen minutes of this new teen series and then turn off the TV. Once again, though, I am intrigued. "Awkward," the new MTV series, centers around Jenna and her high school friends. They address their insecurities, their confusion about all things involving relationships, and navigating the tricky high school years.

Related: Doctors Warn Parents About Facebook Depression

Jenna, the star of the show, wants clarity about her relationship with Matty. She refers to DTR. This is when I google The Urban Dictionary and learn that this is an acronym for Define The Relationship. Jenna wants to know if Matty considers her girlfriend material or simply considers her "a friend with benefits." She finally gets up the courage to address this with him and the relationship is DTRed. Much to Jenna's dismay, Matty does not want to be "together."

Related: 6

By GalTime College Coach Suzanne Shaffer

It's that time of year again and your college-bound teen is headed back to high school. Every year presents opportunities to get a leg up on the college process. If you and your teen plan strategically before school starts, you'll have some goals and be able to hit the ground running.

Here is a quick list of strategies, broken down by each grade level. The activities are to be done just as soon as your teen gets back to school:

9th Grade

• Meet with your school counselor and map out a course plan with challenging classes in core academics
• Start establishing strong relationships with teachers and faculty
• Get involved in school and community based activities (showing a 4-year pattern is the best strategy)
• Begin studying for the SAT/ACT by doing online practice tests and vocabulary reviews
• Begin collecting all college-related materials as they become available

10th Grade

• Sign up for the PSAT (SAT) and/or

By GalTimer Marni Battista

Time and time again, the men I interview and work with tell me the number one thing they are attracted to (outside of physical attraction, which varies widely from man to man) is…drumroll please… CONFIDENCE!

Confidence is such a subjective word. What does confidence look like? What does it feel like? What is missing when you don't feel confident? In order to create confidence you uncover who you are at your very core. Beneath all the masks you wear in hopes of fitting in, being loved, getting approval, or coping with the ups and downs of life as an adult woman in the twenty-first century, there is a version of you that is real and free from the dark voice of your "inner critic." In order to discover the "you" who lives beneath the masks-the real you-it's important to look at the roles in your life in which you shine the brightest.

Related: Are Women Only Into Good Looking Men?

Discover Where You Shine
Whether it is as a parent, co-worker,

By Marcus Osborne for GalTime.com

We have a StraightMaleFriend Facebook Group that gets pretty lively. So lively in fact, that I'm compelled to warn people when they join that they should expect their inboxes to get a serious workout from the fiery conversations that take place there.

Most recently, I was asked to share my opinion about so-called "cougars." For the uninitiated, it's generally accepted that cougars are women of a more mature age, ranging from age forty and up, who enjoy and seek out the company of younger men. This turned into a debate about the perceived offensive nature of the term "cougar." In fact, many women offered that they would prefer being referred to as a"MILF." MILF, by the way, is an acronym for Mom I'd Like To…uhhhh…Fornicate with. The "F" actually stands for a slang term for fornicate.

Related: Cougar and MILF-- What Your Kids Think of the Terms

This was a bit of a surprise. Some of the comments:

Kathy - "Over tanned, over made-up