a traveling Wife







The Best Ever Grill Rub

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

We grill year round in my house and there's one grill rub that I keep reaching for, time and time again. Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe to store in your spice cabinet because you will be using it on EVERYTHING. 
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I grew up in the midwest in a house where we grilled year round. In the midwest, you experience all four seasons and that never stopped us once. Grilling commenced in the rain or in the snow or on beautiful sunny days.

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A and I still follow this tradition. Mostly because it's easy to throw an entire meal on the grill AND because it makes cleanup a breeze - the sink doesn't pile up with tons of pots and pans.
I've tried my fair share of rubs and marinades over the years which led me to make my own dry rub. I tend to reach for dry rubs over marinades because marinades typically add more calories that are unnecessary and because they are something that you need to plan well in advance to dinnertime.

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Rubs on the other hand can just be rubbed on the meat minutes before heading out to the grill - just enough time for the grill to heat up. And this rub is perfect for all poultry and pork items! Make just enough of this rub for one meal (roughly 2 chicken breasts, 1.5 pound pork tenderloin, or a 4 pound roasting chicken) or double, triple, or quadruple the recipe to store in your spice cabinet.

The-Best-Ever-Grill-Rub | www.atravelingwife.com | a-traveling-wife


The Best Ever Grill Rub
Recipe by a traveling Wife

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly cracked
  • 1 teaspoon Roasted Garlic, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • **All herbs and spices are purchased from Penzeys. We don't live near a store but they offer great deals online such as free items and free shipping.
Cooking Directions
  1. Mix all together and rub generously on 2 chicken breasts, 1.5 pound pork tenderloin, 4 pound roasting chicken, etc.
  2. Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe and store in an airtight container.
I can't think of one week over the past few years that we haven't used our grill at least once. Heck, we even used the hotel's grill when we stayed for two months waiting to close on our house when we moved to Missouri. And remember when I said that grilling made cleanup super easy? Now's the time to stock up on some cleaning products. 

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Get your hands on some great, green cleaning concentrates by using this offer for new customers of Grove Collaborative;
    • Free Grove Collaborative Cleaning Concentrates Set (3 pack of all purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, tub & tile cleaner)
    • Free Grove Collaborative Glass Spray Bottle
    • Free Grove Collaborative Microfiber (3 pack)
    • Free Shipping & 60 Day VIP Trial
And if you are an existing customer, you can receive a free set of Grove Collaborative Walnut Scrubber Sponges. 
To receive this offer, your order needs to be a minimum of $20 - sign up here. This offer ends October 15, 6:00pm PST and supplies are limited. 
This is my first time using cleaning concentrates and I am impressed. Not only am I happy to ditch all the plastic and toxic cleaning products from my house since we have a mobile baby on our hands, but these feel so luxurious. And let's not forget the scent - AMAZING! You are not going to want to miss out on this deal. 

Are you a fan of grilling?
Do you grill year round?
Have you ever used cleaning concentrates before?
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Ten Items Used Daily With 6 Month Old

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

One thing I learned from having a newborn is to not get sucked into all the products that are marketed towards infants. Trial and error is the TRUE way to find products that will work for your little one. Here are a few of our favorites in our household. 

* This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Also, some products were sent to me for consideration. These products are included because I honestly USE the products not because they were sent to me. 
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Companies spend loads of money to market their products to new parents. I've have fallen victim to many of those marketing tactics and purchased many products that just don't work. Sure, they might work for other families but they just weren't a good fit for us.

I've shared with you some newborn essentials that were crucial to the first few weeks of LadyBug's life. I also took you along with us for a day-in-the-life style post at 3 months old. There you can find loads of other products that worked in our household for the younger days.


Now at six months, LadyBug is sitting on her own and truly exploring the world around her. Because of this, previous items she has either outgrown or is showing no interest in. For example, the Rock 'n Play sleeper has made its way to a friend's house for her to use with her newborn. And the swaddles are a thing of the past.

As for now, here are ten products that we HONESTLY use every. single. day.


1. Banana Toothbrush ($7.80)
LadyBug really started showing signs of teething around 4 months. We tried many items but having the banana toothbrush around has been amazing. When we are out of the house, I can attach a pacifier clip and not fear it being dropped on the floor. We haven't tried freezing it yet, but the packaging says the banana toothbrush is safe to freeze.

2. Stacking Cups ($3.46)
These are by far my favorite purchase I have ever made for LadyBug. And at under $4, I couldn't be happier with how much use we can get out of these plastic cups. They can be used for stacking, naming colors, there are animals on the bottoms of the cups to practice animal sounds, they can be used in the water or in the sand, they are easy to clean... They are just the best things ever.

3. e-cloth Chemical-free Nursery Cloth ($7.99)
Toys get super slobbery in our household. I love being able to quickly wipe down LadyBug's toys with a chemical-free cloth often. It gives me so much comfort that she is not sticking chemicals in her mouth right after I put the effort in to wipe them clean. Not only do I use the nursery cloth, but I use the highchair cloth daily.

4. Books (various prices)
Books are a big deal in our house. Even if LadyBug is simply chewing on them rather than reading them - I'd rather have my house filled with books vs. toys. One of LadyBug's favorite books has been Mrs. Wishy-Washy by Joy Cowley. I have it memorized, as most parents do after ready one book over and over again, but it leaves an opportunity to learn animal sounds, count, and so much more.

5. Wubbanub Pacifier ($13.95)
I followed all the 'rules' when it came to breastfeeding - waiting so many weeks before introducing a bottle or pacifier, feeding 8 or more times in a 24 hour period, feeding on demand, etc. Because of this, I believe LadyBug didn't have much interest in taking a pacifier which made some car rides miserable. Once we introduced the Avent Soothie pacifiers, it was something that would satisfy her instincts to suck. The only downside was that she would lose the pacifier while sleeping and that's when I bought a Wubbanub. The stuffed animal that is attached allows her to grab it much easier in the crib at night.
Click to tweet: Essentials needed for your 6 month old
6. Munchkin Silicone Feeder ($11.29)
I started introducing these to LadyBug when she was 4 months old and I would fill them with breastmilk then freeze them. We would use these outside during the summer when it was super hot and I believe it helped her with the beginning stages of teething. At 5 months, I started filling them with pureed fruits and veggies and freezing them. It allowed me to introduce her to new flavors all while letting her be in control (we are following Baby Led Weaning vs. Traditional Weaning for food introductions - let me know if you want to learn more). Now we use them filled with 'P' fruit purees to help keep her regular - if you know what I mean! :)

7. Milkies Milk-Saver ($29.95)
This is one of those products I have used since day one. The milk-saver has allowed me to create a freezer stash that I can use in the future for LadyBug. This has also saved me countless nursing pads because I collect about 0.5-2 oz on the opposite side I am nursing on. Read more about the product in my newborn essentials post.

8. 4Moms Infant Tub ($59)
This is another one of those products that we have been using since day one. We used it in the kitchen sink then placed it in the traditional tub when she got a little bigger. I love that the water will constantly circulate because little ones typically tend to relieve themselves when they are comfortable, or cold, or just whenever they feel like it!!

9. Milkies Milk Trays ($21.95)
I never used these for breastmilk because I had a hard time getting the frozen sticks out of the tray, but I love using these for homemade purees. Stick the purees into the mold, freeze, pop out and store in ziplock bags. I then would break off a quarter and place into the Munchkin silicone feeder - super simple.

10. Plastic Measuring Cup Set ($6.80)
These are not only great toys to play with but I like to allow LadyBug to explore them in her highchair while I am cooking. It allows me to be handsfree for just a moment and it's a fun household toy that it safe for her to handle.

Have you tried any of these products?
What products have worked for your little ones that I didn't share?
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