E.V.O.O. saved dinner!

This morning I was washing up some chicken wings and preparing to season them up to cook for dinner. I still had to decide how I wanted to cook them. Do I want to broil, barbecue, bake or fry? After about 10 minutes I decided to fry them since I only fry 2-3 times per year. I just don't like what the house smells like when I fry so normally if we eat fried foods it is when we eat out. So I season these big wings to perfection and I pull out the old Fry Daddy and proceed to pour in the oil. This is where we run into a problem. I only had enough Canola oil to fill the deep fryer half way to the fill line. I became annoyed at this point. I glanced over on my counter and saw my bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. I have heard of people using olive oil for deep frying but never really considered doing it myself. My mind was so set on fried chicken so I grabbed the olive oil and poured it into the fryer. I lightly coated the wings with some flour and dropped the first few pieces in. I was so impressed with how they cooked up perfectly golden brown and crispy. The true test was the taste. They were perfect. Not greasy at all and quite frankly even better than if I used 100% Canola oil! I just had to snap a photo. Don't they look delicious?

Getting rid of stuff, maybe

I was perusing through the baby aisle today and was checking out all the neat gadgets and cool things they make for babies/toddlers today. There is something for everything, it's really amazing. I was looking at a few things that I have/had for William that technically we could have easily lived without...baby wipes warmer, bottle warmer with cooler attached, infant swing, crib toys and the list goes on. Funny thing is we barely even used that stuff or used them for a very short time! I am considering doing the EBay thing as I have seen a lot of parents do. I guess the idea of all the time it will take to gather, inventory, photograph and list it all makes me not want to do it. I have a whole storage closet under the stairs downstairs filled with baby stuff. Why do I keep it?? I feel like I am not quite ready to part with certain things.

**on another note...I wanted to welcome Tanyetta back to the blog world!

I love Fall

I am sitting in my office at the computer and feeling a subtle cool breeze sweep across my legs and the backs of my arms. I just love it. Fall. It is so nice to open up the windows and let some cool, fresh air in. It's so nice to drive down the road and have leaves come down over your windshield as if they were raindrops or snowflakes. This truly is my favorite time of year. Of course living in South Carolina means you are still subject to a few more Summer-like days before the true Autumn air settles in for a while. I put my Fall tablecloth on the dining table and I will go to the store to buy a scarecrow for my front yard. We will take William to the pumpkin patch of course and it is going to be an adventure this year. With all of his running and climbing he will really get to enjoy the experience this time around.

Flashback Friday

Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome! Giveaway

**Contest Closed**
Winner is Mochadad. Thanks to all for participating!

I recently wrote about the upcoming live show Yo Gabba Gabba! Live: There's a party in my city I wanted to share some exciting news with all you Gabba fans. There are new episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba premiering Monday, Oct. 12 – Friday, Oct. 16 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on *Nick Jr (*formerly named NOGGIN). If you are a big fan then I know you are excited about new episodes! Here's a sneak peek of Adam Samberg's dancey dance:


For more information on upcoming episodes you can go here

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY
is coming to the following cities:

Los Angeles, CA Shrine Expo Hall Saturday, November 14, 2009 11AM and 3PM
New York, NY Beacon Theatre Saturday, November 21, 2009 11AM and 2PM
Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre Saturday, December 5, 2009 11AM and 3PM
**New dates and times include the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 15 at 11am and 3pm and in New York, the Beacon Theatre on Saturday, November 21 at 5 pm. **
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster

Here's another great thing, fans have another reason to “get the sillies out” and “go crazy” in living rooms nationwide with the first Yo Gabba Gabba! MUSIC IS AWESOME! CD hits shelves nationwide on October 20, 2009.

Features the Yo Gabba Gabba! signature mix of eclectic musical genres that will keep parents, preschoolers and fans on their feet throughout the generous 21-song set. We are so excited about this CD since our whole family likes to get our dancey dance on~! Some songs on this CD are: -Party In My Tummy -Get The Sillies Out -Nice & Easy -Goodbye Song and many more! My daughters have already asked about MP3 downloads! MUSIC IS AWESOME! will be available on CD at Target, Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and independent music retailers nationwide. You can also pre-order here.

We want to share the gift of Gabba by giving away 1 of the Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome CD to one lucky reader! Here's how to enter:

Mandatory- Leave a comment telling us what your favorite Yo Gabba Gabba! song is or who your favorite character is on the show. Comments that say "thank you" or "count me in" will be deleted. Want an additional entry? (You must complete the above method to qualify for extra entries)

--You can Twitter this giveaway (one per day) and leave me a link to your Tweet. Example: Win a Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome! CD @momfiles http://bit.ly/1ljj0z

-- Facebook this giveaway, and please leave a separate comment/link for each entry to count. (one per day)

--Follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook (leave a comment with a link) If you already follow let me know.

--You can also place our button on your blog or follow us (please leave a blog link in your comment or specify if you are a new or current follower).

Be sure to have a visible email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger profile. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Deadline to enter is October 20, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST. Good luck! Special thanks to W!LDBRAIN for sponsoring this great giveaway!