I, like most, love fall. I love the leaves changing, the cooler weather, the football, the feasts, the clothes and the smells. Unfortunately for most of us in the south east we don't get any of that until nearly Christmas. I still try and enjoy fall by making some small changes around the house. A fall table runner, a new wreath on the door, different music playing (because we all know different music fits different seasons) and usually a fall scented candle.
Personally I'm a huge fan of Bath and Body Works Slatkin & Co candles. They have a wonderful aroma but it isn't too strong. (I don't like to be knocked over by a scent when I walk into a room) The best part about the candles is that they are seasonal and the smell lasts as long as the candle. I find too many candles stop smelling after a short amount of time. The worst part about these candles, the price. $20 for a large candle. I don't know about you, but I think that's a lot of money for a candle. Luckily Bath and Body Works tends to have sells, buy one get one free. It seems worth it, when an extra candle could be saved for Christmas or a gift or something. Unfortunately this sell hasn't happened for quite a while around here and I've been really wanting a fall smell in our house. What to do?!?
Make my own fall smell! I have heard of many people "stewing" things on the stove for open houses and such. And let's be honest, our houses usually smell the best when we've been cooking something yummy. So, I thought, I'll "cook" something fall smelling.
First I thought about what fall smelled like to me. (I realize that all this fall smell talk is starting to sound ridiculous) Fall smells like pumpkins, cinnamon, pine and a few other wonderful things. So I started to gather. Here's my recipe
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 lemon wedges
1 tbs vanilla extract
(Honestly I didn't measure exactly, but this is my best guess)
I put all these ingredients in a pot and added enough water to cover everything. I placed the pot on the stove and am letting it sit on low. After it stews for a while you can turn the stove off and it will still smell nice. I'm sure a crock pot would work just as well. You might need to add water occasionally, but the house smells amazing! Now I realize this won't keep as long as a candle but it is certainly a cheap, quick fix for that fall smell until my next candle sell. I wish I could somehow post smell to the blog, but this picture will have to do.
Happy Fall Y'all!
Warning: Remember to be cautious when leaving the stove on. Don't go too far and keep it on low.
