Blog Posts by GALTime.com

By Eric Metcalf for GalTime.com

10 Quotes to Soothe the Soul Inspirational words can serve as a guidepost to point you back in the right direction when the world has thrown obstacles all around you. They can be the instruction book that reminds you where to find your hope after you've lost it. And they can give you a new set of glasses to help you find the things in life that are truly important.

Here are a few passages that deep thinkers and enlightened wordsmiths have shared over the centuries that have the power to soothe your soul.

don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.

Robert Louis Stevenson, author, Treasure Island

thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. happiness never decreases by being shared.

Attributed to Buddha, spiritual teacher.

Related: 5 Ways to Sneak in Meditation

sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the

By Carissa Rogers for GalTime.com

School Carnivals Hate School Carnivals? Well, Hate No More!

Do fall school fundraisers get you down? The experts at VolunteerSpot are hearing a lot of naysayers out there.

"Carnivals are too chaotic to bring younger siblings."

"The fun-factor at festivals is offset by the cost-factor!"

At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old man, one blogger put it this way:

"Attempting to meander through throngs of people who are likely less clueless than I am about what they are doing, all while pushing a stroller for a few hours is what Dante should have named one of his Hell levels. Add to that, the bigger kids taking advantage of my five-year-old's passive nature relative to line-breaking etiquette, and I'm unimpressed. I'll eventually be chasing my two-year-old, who does his best to disappear in the crowd like an escaped convict, since we made the rookie mistake of releasing from the confines of the stroller. Meanwhile my husband is trying to give CPR to the

By Jessica Ashley, Sr Editor, GalTime.com

Jackie Morgan MacDougall as I am afraid of my breasts. I haven't always been and I don't want to be. But over time and by finding my way through several major life crises, anxiety has rooted in the center of my chest.

I am afraid of breast cancer. And worse, I am afraid, as a single mom, of dying of breast cancer and leaving my child to be raised by someone else. Feel free to judge: I am a therapist's dream with this issue.

I am quite sure my own therapist has taken several cruises on the co-pays for sessions I've spent breathing my way through this fear. You can also feel free to nod along: I know many of us who know we should be doing monthly breast exams or just consider an annual mammogram to be one of the things we have to do, but are scared to touch our bodies because a lump may already be there.

I do faithfully follow through with mammograms. I also have a deal with my gynecologist that she will perform more breast exams for me than normal throughout

By KyAnn Lewis, Sr Editor, GalTime.com

Popping a pimple properly...It's OK to pop a pimple. Once in awhile. If you really have to. It's OK.

We got permission from New York City Dermatologist Debra Jaliman, MD. Dr. Jaliman says, "Sometimes you have to pop a pimple. But you need to do it correctly."

Related: 6 Simple Skincare Tips For Fall

Here's her three step trick:

1. First, clean it with alcohol.

2. If there's pus at the surface, Dr. Jaliman says you should gently push on it with a comedone extractor using even pressure. A comedone extractor is a stainless steel tool which either has a loop or hole which fits around a blackhead or whitehead which is extracted by using pressure. They're sold at drugstores and beauty supply stores like Sephora.

Related: Adult Acne

3. After popping, apply an antibacterial product (like Neosporin, tea tree oil, bacitracin, etc) or some salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

Once in awhile is one thing, but Dr. Jaliman says popping pimples on a

By Tara Weng, GalTime.com

The Devine Family Terri Devine is a typical mother to three children in many ways. Hopeful, busy and full of worry and excitement for her brood.

Her eldest child, a son named Jack, was born with Down syndrome. She learned to adjust to a 'new normal' right after he was born.

"My initial reaction was that I couldn't possibly do this. It's too hard. I have no special training. I don't know how to be a mom, let alone a mom to a baby with a disability. There is nothing special about me that qualifies me for this gig. Since he was my first baby, I was constantly questioning whether things that would happen were typical baby stuff or baby with Down syndrome stuff," Devine says.

Devine not only had to figure out how she was going to do it, she had to grow accustomed to what friends and family would expect from her and her child.

Related: Autism and ADHD On The Rise

"I am constantly irked by the chronic well-meaning people who tell new parents such useless

By Terri Trespicio for GalTime.com

Am I overdressed?

Could you talk a little about what to wear on a date? How important is it to be comfortable? Also, if I'm dressing up to appeal to someone else, am I kind of not being myself? I tend to look somewhat casual, but if I dress up too much than perhaps I'm sending a false picture of myself.

--Jenna P., Boston, MA

Some people will say: Ah just be yourself. Be comfortable. The right person will love you for who you are, not what you look like.

Do not listen to these people.

How you present yourself has everything to do with how people perceive and treat you. Sure, I like to be home in a tank top and no bra. That's comfy. You better believe I'm not leaving the house like that. And it's pretty safe to say that unless they're on their way to a big board meeting or a black-tie affair, most people tend to be fairly casual. This is besides the point.

The only time you really want to factor in comfort is when you plan to walk 5 miles or are

By Jessica Ashley, Sr Editor, GalTime.com

Ease your mind during a busy day.We've hit the magical and all-too-brief lull between back-to-school and the landslide of holidays that begins at Halloween and ends sometime next April.

It's tempting to rev up the to-do list in these quiet(er) few weeks or zip off for the weekend, and if projects and road trips fuel you, then bon voyage!

But if your brain and schedule are calling for calm, then let this transitional time of year be an opportunity to infuse a few more breaks into your day. If you add in some meditation, prayer, or just a few designated silent moments to your days now, it will be habit by the time the holiday rush starts.

And think of how lovely it will be to greet the crowds, the credit card charges and the extended-family dinners with some more serenity than usual! Here's how to find time to meditate today.

On the SubwayOn the subway to work

Think how different a 20-minute ride on a crowded train, waiting for a bus or walking a mile to work could be

By Kathy Woodard for GalTime.com

The keys to a realistic design plan...OK, you're going to re-design a room (or maybe more) this year. I'm going to help you. The key: DON'T focus on the home you don't have..but instead, find inspiration to decorate YOUR space! Make your project --and your result-- your own, and before next year rolls around, and you will be living in digs to be proud of.

Inspiring thought 1- Love to Learn

Most people think you are either born with an innate sense of décor…or, you're not. And most of us feel we are not! But the truth is, decorating is a learned skill just like any skill, and it takes practice. Don't be afraid to break out of the "That's how my mother did it" mold and learn a few things you might not have taken in to consideration before. Books, magazines and online sites like GalTime and The Budget Decorator can help you with your decorating education.

Related: 5 Fabulous (And Easy) Fall Decorating Tips

Inspiring thought 2- Create a Game Plan

The biggest mistake most