I did it ~ I survived Christina's bachelorette party! With 22 beautiful young girls ~ I was able to hang with the best of them. Patti (grooms mom) was a trouper also ~ after all, the Moms are always the most fun! With Kathy and MaryKay along side of me ~ there was non stop dancing, singing, laughing and wise cracking. Good Job girls.... who's next on the list to get married??!!

The wedding is less than 3 weeks away, you can visit the wedding website to see more of the Happy couple ~ www.ewedding.com/sites/callegro7

Bananas
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Cheese
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Green Peppers
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.

Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Hamburger
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

Eggs
To really make scrambled eggs or omelettes rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

Brownie Treat
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt chocolate mint patties in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Cooking with Garlic
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm.

This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and.. ta da!... static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup.

Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Foggy Windshield?

Hate foggy windshields?
Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth.

It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.)

He told us that he wanted to show us something else; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material... I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like.

Well ...the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit.

You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ..well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen.

This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.

He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long!

How about that!!

Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that.

So, I thought I'd share!

Gotta Skate
Linda

Dear Gurls

It is summer and I know I should be talking about the joys of gardening or sitting by the pool, but I feel a bit more like pulling the covers over my head and taking a nap in a cool, dark place.

And it turns out I am not alone, a lot of my friends seem to be plum worn out too. Everyone I talk to has been sharing the same sentiment—that 2009 been one of the bumpiest, challenging, and down right bizarre years thus far.

All of this chit chat about the trying twists and turns of 2009 and the deep longing to rest, relax or runaway got me thinking...there nothing better than the escape of a great movie — unless it is a great movie AND popcorn!

Gather the girls and have them over for a mini-movie-vacation. Pick all the chick flicks you want and make an afternoon, evening — or even a weekend out of it!

I'll share a few of my favorites, some you may have already seen, but they are worth repeating.

I loved Fried Green Tomatoes! We all have our own inner Towanda—remember her and call her out to play when you watch this movie. What's Love Got to Do With It, the story of Tina Turner's life is a powerful movie. You will be inspired by her strength. It will thrill you to watch Tina thrive and overcome the odds.

The Joy Luck Club is the story of four mothers and four daughters. Bring a box of tissue!

A few more favorites: On Golden Pond, Sophie's Choice, The Red Violin, Life is Beautiful, The English Patient, Terms of Endearment, Silkwood, War of the Roses, Beaches, Paradise Road, Boys on the Side, Dirty Dancing, Gorilla's in the Mist, How to Make an American Quilt, League of Their Own, Little Princess, The Piano, Steel Magnolias, and last but not least...Waiting to Exhale.

Even if your budget won't cover a week with the girls at your favorite spa, there is no need to miss out on the respite of a nice dark, cool place out of the heat and away from reality. The spirit of friendship doesn't require a big budget, just a big heart and a big bucket of popcorn!

Make the gathering even more memorable with an Allegroized popcorn bowl for each one of your girlfriends!

Dream Big!
Gotta Skate
Linda

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid, And bring so much happiness...just as they did. I want to pay back all the joy they've provided. Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues, And I'll bounce on the furniture...wearing my shoes. I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out. I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they're on the phone and just out of reach, I'll get into things like sugar and bleach. Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head, (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat, I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat, I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table, And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click, I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick. I'll take off my socks and throw one away, And play in the mud 'til the end of the day! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh, I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes. My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping, And say with a groan, 'She's so sweet when she's sleeping!'

God Bless All Moms and Grandmas everywhere!