HOLIDAYS

By Kimberly James, MatchMaster, FindYourPlusOne.com  With the holidays here, it is easy to get swept away in the spirit of gift giving. But when it comes to a new relationship or someone you are casually dating, it can be unclear to gift or not to gift. There are no real rules or guidelines to follow but there are ways to ease the confusion.

There's so much going on between Thanksgiving and New Years that causes couples to forget about each other. Despite all the added obligations that come up with family, friends, children and just being involved all the time, single people still need their weekly dose of spicy sex, no matter the time of year.

Like Ram Dass says: You want to see how together you are, go spend some time with your family! This sentiment is particularly apt during the holidays, when emotions run high and painful memories are easily triggered. Especially if this holiday things are different than you would like them to be: i.e. you’re single (again), newly divorced, bringing someone home your family can’t stand, or maybe you simply dread the same old story your family dynamics dose on when you get together.

The holiday season has officially begun and soon calendars will be filled with holiday parties and family gatherings. For a single person, even one who’s happily single,  this season usually includes inquiries from well-meaning family and friends as to the nature of your relationship status. Does your single status have you dreading going home for the holidays? Don’t fret my pets! There are benefits that come along with being single during this time of year. The Perks of Being Single

By Amanda Fontaine, for GalTime.com Don’t deny it: Christmas is coming.  And so is Hanukkah. And secret classroom elves. And all the other holiday bustle and chaos. When decorations appear in shopping malls and department stores, we brush it off for a month or two, but that time has passed.I hate to say it, but it’s finally time to start scoping out toys and making a list.  If you have kids to buy for - either children of your own, or nieces, nephews, friends' children, or godchildren - how do you survive

By Nerd Chick, Andrea Eldridge, for GalTime.com Apps to keep you organized this holiday season Halloween’s over and you know what that means - it’s officially time for the holidays! Who doesn’t love this time of year? Trips to see relatives, parties with friends, gingerbread and eggnog…I could go on and on!

Christmas is for kids, right? Well, Christmas can be for couples, too.

We like to think that the holiday season is a blissful time for all, but for many couples, it can create extra stress to an already rocky marriag

Being single during the month of December can pose challenges that you don't have to think about at other times of the year. People who are newly single may struggle as they try to figure out what to do when there isn't a built-in place to go for the holidays.

'Tis the season for cups of piping hot chocolate, flurries of snow, and...extra stress? Don't let holiday obligations and winter chill put a damper on your relationship. You don't need a romantic island getaway or even a log cabin in the mountains to nab some alone time with your significant other. Warm up your dating routine with these six simple winter date ideas for you and your snow bunny.

Holiday gift giving doesn't have to be fancy or expensive to be romantic. Go that extra mile this season to give gifts that nourish romance and create greater connection as a couple.

Many singles are apprehensive about the holidays. First, they would really like to find love and not have to go through the holidays solo. They are not really looking forward to celebrating the holidays with their families and enduring their family members' inquisitions about their love lives. Besides, Aunt Jane has not been in the dating world for over 30 years!

According to the calendar, it's time for all of us to be of good cheer. According to the media (and peer pressure and our own internal pressure), it's also apparently time to have great sex, and plenty of it.

By GalTime Teen Parenting Expert, Barbara Greenberg, PhD, for GalTime.com Being a Step-Parent During the Holidays If you think being a parent of a teen is difficult-- try being a stepparent! This is a tricky role all year long, but it is particularly difficult during the holiday season. Not only are the kids leaving and re-entering homes, but the parents and stepparents are trading, missing, and re-uniting with stepchildren.

by Marina Sbrochi, for GalTime.com   Hey, guys: Do you feel pressured by all the engagement ring ads you see on TV, billboards, radio and magazines?  If you don’t cough up two months' salary are you less than a man?  Is someone putting the high pressure on you to get her a ring for the holidays?  Are her parents giving you the stink eye every time you come over and don’t ask her father for her hand?

The holiday season can be full of joy or full of stress, which is for you?  The difference between finding joy or feeling stressed during the holidays can come from the areas of emotion, physical activities, and diet.  How you deal with your emotions and how you emotionally deal with the holidays can determine whether you have joy or stress during that time.  For example, if you have relationship difficulties with family members or past hurtful memories, the holidays have a way of making you feel worse.  I remember a woman who felt generally happy through t