Blog Posts by GALTime.com

by GALTime.com contributor elizabeth cassidy of Coaches on the Edge

One of the comics that I admire for her sharp observational humor is Carol Leifer. ( By the way, she's joining the cast of the latest Celebrity Apprentice on NBC starting in March.) Well, Carol published a very funny book in 2009 called, "When You Lie About Your Age, TheTerrorists Win." She writes about embracing her life and her age and her writing is insightful and hilarious. I had the great fortune to interview Carol about her life and her new book.

ec. We have things in common. We both grew up on Long Island (although we never had any play dates together) and our fathers were both naturally very funny. Were you influenced by your father's sense of humor or did you develop your own style?

CL. My father was a huge influence on me. He was an optometrist by trade (and how could he NOT go into that profession with a name like Seymour - SEE MORE? Get it?) but always dreamed of being a comedian. He was the king of

by GALTime.com
Joint or separate accounts? It's one of the touchiest issues couples have to answer when they put a ring on it. Are you in a mine, yours or ours relationship? What are the best ways to keep money matters from becoming a pain in the heart? GALTime.com Consumer Reporter Mary Schwager asked Gerri Detweiler, personal finance advisor for Credit.com , for some advice on how to co-mingle happily.



Q: Love is supposed to be forever, but just in case it isn't, what's important to remember going into a relationship when it comes to co-mingling finances, bank accounts and credit cards?

A: Gerri Detweiler, personal finance advisor for Credit.com

Keep at least some of your credit separate. If you want to have a joint credit card for joint household purchases, that's fine, but consider keeping at least one credit card in your own name. If you live in a community property state, remember that any debts incurred after you marry become community property. That's true whether you

Second-hand is no longer a dirty word, but do you know the difference between a 'consignment store' and a 'thrift store?' We turned to Elizabeth McGuirk of Frugally Blonde for a lesson that'll have you snagging a bargain worth bragging about:

I don't know about you, but I love digging for bargains at local consignment and thrift stores. However, these stores can be overwhelming and even off-putting if you're not familiar with this type of shopping. Never fear - these tips below should get you on your way to finding your own great deals!
First off, the vocabulary:

Consignment shops are stores to which people bring items they wish to sell, and the store sells them for a cut of the purchase prices. At a true consignment store, the seller (and store) don't get paid unless the item sells. However, some stores simplify the process by just buying the item from the seller outright and then selling it for a profit. Consignment stores tend to have fairly high-quality merchandise, since they

execsmilinginboardroomby GALTime.com

It looks like there's a major power shift going on in the workplace with many employees now working for bosses younger than them. A new CareerBuilder survey finds that 43% of workers aged 35 and older say they currently report to someone younger.

(Ever feel like you don't fit in at work? Eye-opening new survey shows, you're not alone! Click here.)

Breaking it down by age: More than half (53%) of workers ages 45 and up said they are older than their bosses. Perhaps, not surprisingly, the number climbs to 69% for workers ages 55 and up.

The situation isn't without challenges.

Sixteen percent of workers ages 25-34 said they find it difficult to report to someone younger but the number drops to 7% for those aged 45-54 and 5% for workers ages 55+.

There were several reasons reported as to why it can be tough working for someone younger, including:

1. They act like they know more than me when they don't
2. They act like they're entitled and didn't

By GALTime.com's Home Expert Tina Gleisner

Women are waiting longer to marry so it makes sense that single women represent more than 20% of new home buyers, and more than 40% of these women are first time home buyers. It's exciting to see women developing the skills, and more important, the confidence to make life changing decisions like buying a home. They include women of all ages, races and represent women living alone (more than half), single mothers (thirty percent), widows, divorcees and those living with other adults.

Moving Into HER New Home

The tips here show how women are succeeding in their quest to become home owners. The hope is that more women will learn from those who've gone before them, and you'll soon begin the journey towards home ownership. Good research is where it starts and if you like the summary here, you might want to read the full report in the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University,

by Dr. Michele Borba, Real Parenting Solutions
PARENT REALITY CHECK: Do you know the signs of cold and cough syrup medicine addiction? If not, it's time to get educated. If you need any motivation read these troubling stats: One out of every fourteen kids aged 12 to 17 (more than 2.4 million) admit using cold or cough medicine "fairly recently" to get high. Only 45 percent of teens believe that abusing cough medicine to get high is risky.

Every parent worries about drugs, but did you ever think that some of your biggest nightmares might be right there in your medicine cabinet? That over-the-counter red and orange stuff you buy to stop your child's cough is just one of the medicine today's teens are using and abusing. Although Dextromethorphan-or DXM-(the ingredient found in most popular nonprescription cold and cough medicines) can be safely taken in 15 to 30 milligram doses, but when taken in significant doses can produce euphoric highs and even hallucinations. Many kids are

Romance and food have been linked through the ages. With Valentine's Day on a Sunday this year, what better way to create an intimate moment than with a special brunch. So, we turned to 'The Fireplace'- voted one of the most romantic restaurants in the Boston area. Chef Jim Solomon shares a recipe that is sure to impress that someone special.

Lobster_Eggs_Benedict

Each component of this dish is fairly easy. For freshness and "price-sake" it is preferable to buy live lobsters and steam them yourself. This is, of course, not a requirement. Any good hollandaise recipe can be used. I turn to Julia Child.

The caviar that I use is from a small company out of Nantucket (that ships), Little Pearl www.littlepearl.com. For an English Muffin I can't resist the 'nooks and crannies' of good ol' Thomas's. Sometimes the contentment from harkening back to childhood memories makes it seem even tastier than home-made.

The Plan

Before

by GALTime.com
Your child is little, say kindergarten-age or younger....but she seems to lie all the time. Is it just a 'developmental thing' or an area of concern? We got that question from the mom of a 5-year-old. So, we turned to Dr. Maureen O'Brien, a developmental psychologist and author of 'Watch Me Grow: I'm One, Two, Three', for answers.

The truth is that all children lie. Sometimes kids lie to impress their peers or to fit in. Lies at this age are usually more impulsive than purely manipulative. So don't be too alarmed at the occasional mistruth, but you don't want it to become a pattern for your child. (Ask teachers if they've noticed a problem.) Motives matter. Ask yourself why he is lying. Some possibilities include:

* To get out of trouble ("I didn't do it").

* To exaggerate the truth ("I ate 100 cookies!")

* To feel in control of a scary situation ("I killed the monster under my bed.")

(Tired of always being the bad guy in your house? Click here.)