Blog Posts by GALTime.com

By GalTime Parenting Pro Jennifer Powell-Lunder, Psy.D.

Cold-Weather Battle with Teens The cold weather is coming upon us quickly. While you relish the opportunity to take out your sweaters and are thrilled blazers are in this season (and hello, boot season!), your son stars almost daily in his own version of 'What Not to Wear' when it's cold out.

How many times will you have to insist that shorts are not appropriate when it's ten degrees? Or maybe it's your daughter, a fashionista who looks at you like you have three heads when you tell her to put a coat and hat on. She insists that this would ruin 'her look.' A hat is unthinkable after she just spent two hours styling her hair! 'When her hair breaks off in icicles she won't have to worry about it,' you think but know better than to say out loud.

Oh, how you dread the arguments, the threats. Your demands are not unreasonable. You gave up insisting that your teen wear a rain coat years ago, what's the use? Inappropriate dressing when it's too cold out is

By GalTime Nerd Chick Andrea Eldridge

Check out these Windows 7 features that will make your life way easier! The route you take to work is probably so familiar that they could build a bridge directly from your street to your parking lot, and you'd likely drive right past it for at least a few weeks.

We get used to navigating around the computer in much the same way. Taking a few minutes to explore, however, can unearth some handy tools hidden in the Windows 7 framework that you've likely never used or known existed.

Here are just a few of the most useful, under-utilized tools built into Windows 7.

Upgrade Your Security:

Windows 7 supports biometric (fingerprint) authentication, allowing you to restrict access to your laptop and/or login to websites with your finger. Anything that saves me the arduous task of memorizing a bunch of complicated usernames and passwords is a boon. Add the cool, James Bond feel of using your fingerprint to unlock your system and I'm in. If you don't have a fingerprint scanner built-in to your laptop

By Jenny Tiegs, GalTime.com
Spooky or Romantic?A bridal party dressed as fairies and pirates? Freshly carved pumpkin centerpieces? Frankenstein groom and a equally frightening bride? A hand-tied bouquet crawling with rhinestone spiders? Halloween weddings are a real thing, and it might be the theme of your upcoming nuptials.

We checked in with a Nadia Digilov, author of best-selling wedding book, Getting Married in New York, to find out how to plan an All Hallow's Eve affair that's more treat than trick.

"A wedding is a celebration of a marriage between a couple and therefore should not be confused with a tacky Halloween party," Digilov said. Instead, Digilov encourages the couple to infuse the holiday spirit with subtle touches that can add the aura of mystery and romance to the wedding day.

"Anytime I tell people I had a Halloween wedding, they always kind of laugh," explains newlywed of two years and teacher Meghan Robison.

So why would she or anyone else set a wedding date

By GalTime Consumer Watchdog Mary Schwager

Safety Tips for Halloween

If you've got kids, Halloween is probably the talk of your house right now. But beyond the excitement about costumes and candy, there are a lot of important safety precautions to keep in mind. Keep reading, because you certainly don't want the evening to become a real life fright night!

The Centers for Disease Control says children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween. That's especially scary this year, because October 31st falls on a Wednesday, when many people will be heading home from work.

Securitas Security Services President, Richard Avery warns, "The fun of trick-or-treating and the excitement of Halloween may be a distraction for children. Careless street crossing coupled with drivers' more limited vision at night can make for a deadly mix. Many of the risks children face on Halloween can be avoided if parents discuss important safety precautions with their children."

The best ways to keep your

By Eric Metcalf for GalTime.com

Release Your Fear of Cancer Let's face it: Cancer can be a scary disease. It will strike more than 1.6 million Americans this year. Cancer is one of the most common causes of death, and surviving it often means going through difficult treatments.

But whether you're healthy and worried about the possibility of cancer, or you've been diagnosed with the disease, it's possible to live your life with less cancer-related fear. Here's how to release it:

Shift your attention

If cancer is on your mind, it's tempting to feel yourself for lumps and bumps or go online to look up symptoms you think you have. But once you get started down these roads, you may have trouble stopping. Try to avoid monitoring yourself for symptoms, and keep your health-related searches on the Internet brief and focused.

Work with your doctor

It's important to find a doctor whose judgment you trust. Discuss your cancer risk with your

By Jessica Conway, GalTime.com

Kendra Scott Abena Cuff Bracelet, $150You've got every style of pants from colorful to coated, and your sweaters are stacked to the closet ceiling. But let's just say your jewelry box isn't exactly sparkling.

Have no fear! Kendra Scott, Founder and CEO Kendra Scott Jewelry, tells GalTime which baubles will make a statement all season long.

Baroque-Sculpted Pieces - Baroque embroidery and embellishments are a must this season. If the thought of a sweater or blouse is too over-the-top, stock up on romantic jewels. Try intricately etched, textured cuffs (like Francesca's Filigree Shield Bracelet, $22) or delicate earrings to add that old world, lace-like texture to your look.

Francesca's Filigree

Military-Inspired Gems - The military trend is back, but if you're not ready to go all out (camouflage skinnies and fringe epaulet accents, anyone?), this look can also be easily achieved with jewelry. Hard edges and stud accents express the military ambience more subtly. Add drama to your

By Caroline Flohr for GalTime.com

Can a parent find peace when a child dies?I was a woman like many others; focused on my five children and family, living a quiet life on Bainbridge Island in the state of Washington. And then, in August 2004, our lives changed. That night, eight teenagers piled into an SUV and took a midnight joy ride. My 16-year-old twin daughter, Sarah, was killed.

The thought of losing a child -- if "losing" is the correct verb -- had never crossed my mind. Tragedies, as such, were something that happened to someone else, something you read about in the paper or heard from a neighbor. Nothing could have prepared me for the deep pain...but nothing could have prepared me for the peace that now permeates my mind and heart.

The shock sets in; everything moves in slow motion as if time comes to a halt, and time has halted.

An acquaintance delivers a candle on day six with a card inscribed, "Place this candle in your kitchen. Each night while you prepare the family meal know that the

By Author Lindsley Lowell, GalTime.com

Are you part of the smug-married-club? It's difficult to be tough while wearing crap-brown taffeta. Plus, being the only single bridesmaid at my friend's wedding was quickly chiseling away at my "Don't mess with me, I'm the honey badger!" thick exterior. So when an extremely obnoxious fellow bridesmaid gave me a speech on how tragic my single life must be and how she would "absolutely die" if she were ever single again and how she was "so incredibly happy" in her marriage, I wanted to crawl into bed and drink a bottle of wine (which I did, after the reception).

But rather than let her see me suffer, I pulled up my big-girl panties and said to her ,"I'm really glad you are happy and I really hope you are… (Here, I paused for dramatic effect while giving a suspicious look) because I think what would be even worse is to be in a terrible marriage and have to go around pretending to everyone that it was the most wonderful thing ever. Could you imagine?!"

Then, I turned on my