Blog Posts by GALTime.com

By GalTimer Dee Wiese

Okay, so I have a close-knit group of friends - both guys and girls.

People I've known from high school up to varsity who all seem to have a general sense of the kind of person I am.

You know, the friendly weirdo who can have 10 minuet conversations with the old grandma in the queue or the not-so-attractive nerdy guy standing lonesome at a party. Generally, I'd consider myself just a people person - I like getting to know people!

Related: What Style of Flirt Are You?

But during a recent conversation, my friends made an assumption that sorta disturbed me - while my girlfriends all defended my friendliness as part of my quirk, my guy friends all chose to label it as over-friendliness..... as in I want a man's you-know-what if I compliment his hair. Yip. They called me a FLIRT or more accurately a TEASE.

But what makes a girl a FLIRT? All my actions were subconscious, only when they were pointed out did I start to realize that maybe.. JUST MAYBE...

By GalTime Consumer Watchdog Mary Schwager

Ticket lust. You know the symptoms: Heart palpitations just thinking of seeing your favorite performer. Sweaty palms just picturing yourself catching that fly ball at a baseball game. You'll do just about anything and pay anything to see the event. The fact it's sold out just makes you want it more. Which of course, is exactly what con artists count on. Ticket lust makes them lots of money! Consumer review website sitejabber.com hears it all when it comes to scams and even the most savvy show and sports goers can fall for a scheme! Their expert Jeremy Gin shared some tips with Galtime on how not to get ripped off.

How widespread are ticket scams?

Most ticket scams go unreported, so putting an exact number on it is difficult. But I think it's fair to say ticket scams are a large and growing problem. Just in the last few months we've seen dozens of new scam sites reviewed by our community. More and more people are "Googling" the tickets

By GalTime.com

You love to entertain, but who wants to act like waitstaff at their own dinner party? We've all done it, but summertime is the time to relax...even while you're playing host. You can throw a perfect party, one that even YOU will enjoy. Here are some fail safe tips from Sarah Newell, Lifestyle Editor at TheNest.com.

More from GalTime.com

• Three Cheers for Red, White and Blue Desserts
• Make Your Own Power Bars (video)
• Big on Bok Choy: Great Summer Salad
• $5.00 Dinner That's Just Plain Delicious
• Think Red (Wine) This Summer
• Fabulous BBQ That Doesn't Roast Your Wallet

By Carissa Wright, GalTime.com

When the first hint of a possible love interest pops up, there's only one thing to do: call together your tight-knit council of best friends to weigh in and evaluate the situation.

It's all very Sex-and-the-City-esque, really. Carrie Bradshaw would most certainly gush over her new man with Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha at their next lunch date and opinions would undoubtedly be shared around the table.

Questions about how he approached you, what you'll wear on your first date, and those gorgeous eyes of his will undoubtedly be fired at a rapid pace. This kind of consulting persists years into marriage in girl world. But, exactly how much should you let your girlfriends' opinions affect the decisions you make in a relationship, and how can you tell the difference between constructive advice and misguided suggestions?

Dr. Joyce Morley, also known as "Dr. Love", is an expert on relationships. Featured as a relationship counselor on Lifetime's

By GalTime Parenting Pro Michele Borba, Ed.D.

Parenting tips to help kids feel more confident away from home - whether it's at camp, a sleepover, or playdate

Mooommm… I want to come home!

But can't you pleassse pick me up? I hate it here!

I don't care how much you paid. Come get me now!

Ah the joys of camp …or that weekend with Grandma. Right? And we wanted our kids to come back so excited after their first time away from home.

I'll never forget sending my son to camp the first time. I'd combed the brochures to find just the perfect camp (or so I thought). Even purchased the world's best (or so said the manager) sleeping bag and camp paraphernalia. My kid lasted forty-eight hours before I finally drove to pick him up.

Related: 3 Tips to Break the TV Habit This Summer

We tried again (at his suggestion) the following year, but this time I didn't focus on the sleeping bag. I put my energy instead into preparing him for that first extended time away so he would

By GalTime's Emily Liebert, Author of Facebook Fairytales
Dear Ms Liebert, All I hear lately is about how social media is necessary for everyone from bloggers to big businesses. I work for a small boutique. Is it still as important and is it more important than regular marketing/advertising?

In my opinion, social media marketing can help any brand/business in a positive way. So, it doesn't really matter if it's as important for you as it is for other businesses. It matters, only, if it boosts your business.

Related: Which Kinds of Posts on Facebook Are Most Popular?

One of the great things about the Facebook advertising platform is that ads can be targeted to very specific audiences-by location, interests, age, sex etc... For example, if your small boutique is in Manchester, Vermont and you sell women's dresses by specific designers, a Facebook ad targeted to women who live in Manchester, VT and are interested in fashion and those specific designers would undoubtedly help

By Desiree Miller, GalTime.com

Summer is all about sunshine and spending more time outdoors, but all that sun can do some serious damage if you're not careful. We all know we're supposed to put on some protection, but with shelves stocked with sunscreen in all kinds of shapes and sizes, how do we know what's best for our skin?

The FDA just came out with updated guidelines for sunscreens, a move designed to simplify product labels and claims. The bottom line: look for the words "broad spectrum protection" on the packaging, which means the sunscreen offers both UVA and UVB protection. Broad spectrum sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher will be the only ones allowed to state that they protect again skin cancer if used as directed with other sun protection measures. The complete list of changes (to take effect next year) are listed here:

Now that you know to buy "broad spectrum protection," how do you decide between a stick or spray, or any other option on the shelf?

Related:

By Marianne Beach, GalTime.com

I still remember a long-ago ex who just loved to fight. Whatever I did, he'd be sure to find something wrong with it, and would just start screaming at me, paying no attention to anything I tried to say. And it wasn't just me; pretty much anyone who differed in opinion or did him wrong was in for the confrontation of their life.

I, on the other hand, have always been the type to avoid conflict by any means necessary--preferring to live completely unhappily rather than confront someone and risk a fight.

Related: Does Fighting A Lot Mean You're Sick of Each Other?

I realize now that neither of our fighting styles were very productive in the long run and it's not surprising that the relationship didn't last. Maybe if we'd figured out a way to fight fair--we both could've gotten what we wanted without ending up hurt (or hurting the other person) in the process.

But that can be easier said than done--especially in the heat of the argument. So