Thursday, December 16, 2010

Simply Scentsational

This week's simple pleasure is really simple but a little bit Christmasy and crafty too.  You see, I'm one of those people who thinks that the Christmas season ought to appeal to all five senses.

I love to see the decorations,
and hear the carols, 
and feel the chill in the air, 
and (mostly) taste the cookies and cocoa.  

But it's that fifth sense, the sense of smell that is my husband's  favorite. For him, we buy a live Christmas tree even though they are more difficult to decorate and not exactly  the most cost effective in the long run.

For him, I stick little sprigs of tree trimmings in all my faux garlands and refill them as the season progresses.

 For him, I keep scented candles and potpourri throughout the house.  (OK, that one's for me too...)  

But the main thing that I do for him at Christmas is keep a simmering pot of his very favorite Christmas scent, citrus and cloves,  in the kitchen. I love to see the look on his face when he walks through door at after a long week of travel. He stops and sniffs the air. Then, he glances to the counter where the pot is simmering and tells me how good it is to be home. 

It probably won't surprise you that I just make my own simple solution. Basically, this is all I use.



Sometimes, I add cinnamon sticks,  but mostly I just slice a few slices of oranges in the morning and simmer them all day with some whole cloves in my simmer pot. The aroma permeates the entire house and  generally lingers for most of the day. If it weakens, I just add more.


The rest of the year, my simmer pot looks like this.
Bah Humbug.
 

Since I'm too cheap to buy a new one, I usually try to camouflage it behind some Christmas doodads. It doesn't really work. I finally made a little Christmas apron for it from some hoarded wrapping paper.

I just decoupaged (surprise...) the wrapping paper to a strip of card stock.


And wrapped it around the pot, 
being sure to keep it away from the bottom where the heat element is. 
The decoupage also makes it water resistant. 

Isn't that much cuter? 

Yeah, I thought so too. 
The husband just laughed and blamed it on blogland.


Smarty pants.

He calls it blame. I call it credit. Things are simply cuter around here since I ventured into blogland, and for that, I'm thankful.  Those citrus simmering snowmen are this week's  simple pleasure.


*****

I'm sharing them with Dayle at
for her simple pleasures party
because, well... 
I can't stand to be left out of a good party.

34 comments:

Denise said...

Me too. Me too. I adore the smell of all things Christmas. I was almost asleep the other night and woke up to ask my farmer husband if we had any cedar trees I could pilfer for greenery. (well, just the smell mostly). And those candles they make today are just wonderful. LOVE your crafty snowman reminders. So cute.

FrouFrouBritches said...

Okay, so I'm not so big on the tree smell, but I ADORE the smell of citrus, cinammon and cloves. Oh gracious! It's heaven! I'll have to try this. My mom used to make wassail (sp?) and it smelled soooo gooood!

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

Ah, Debbie ... another winner. I'm thinking of doing some simmering, now that you've put that idea out there.

Merry Christmas to you and yours! You're a bright spot in my day.

The Polka Dot Closet said...

What a great idea, I am shaving a party Sunday and I am going to simmer a pot, OOPP's I hope I remember to turn it off. Thanks for stopping and admitting you are a fellow decorating dork! LOL

Carol

Unknown said...

Debbie ~ What a clever idea & reminder with the paper ... I love simmering every day.

Have a lovely winter's day ~
TTFN ~ Hugs, Marydon

Karen said...

too cute (love the crock pot cover). I've got a "pot" I put on the stove & place the same ingredients in for simmering. (great minds think alike) Have a wonderful Christmas! Thank you Debbie for placing the button in your Blog of the Week. You humble me with your sweet comments.

Angel said...

Oh Debbie, I can't help but get tickled every time I read one of your posts! Your humor is infused throughout your writing and today it is filling the air of Blogland with the scent of oranges & cloves and Christmas trees. And I love it all :) Thanks for sharing your simple pleasure and I hope you and your hubby and the duchess and the coeds and the whole family have a wonderful Christmas!!!

The Charm of Home said...

Debbie,
Your so funny! I love coming over and reading your posts. You must be a lot of fun to hang out with! When you got to the picture frame of the snowmen I was seriously laughing, but it is very cute. What we won't do for blog land. Hey are you going to do a blooper post on Jan. 1, with Naps on the Porch? I think you could do a really awesome one. I'm thinking I will do it. We'll see how busy it is.
Sherry

Jane said...

I keep a spice pot running on the stove most of the time, along with the timer set on the microwave so I don't forget to check it!

Jane

Nikki (Sarah) said...

you are amazingly creative. Love all those things that you did with the paper.

Kelli said...

Smells are so nostalgic! Simple changes that are too cute! Don't forget to turn off the simmering pot. But I don't need to say that 'cause the cute snowmen will remind you!

http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

you just make me smile! i love this whole post, and boy can i relate to the sticky notes all over the house! i've even left notes that i totally ignore and forget what they were for!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

This sounds yummy. I have to give it a try. Hugs, Marty

Grace on the Narrow Path said...

You are so clever my friend. Everytime I smell a onange or tangerine I am a little girl again at Christmas.
Thanks for sharing.
Blessings,
Bren

Donna said...

What a great post, Debbie! I really enjoyed reading it. Your simmering pot camoflage idea was a great. It turned out really cute.
D

Unknown said...

I'm with your husband -- I Love the Christmas smells. I think it is so deeply sweet that you love him in all these ways.

Linda O'Connell said...

Debbie, I love your blog. Thanks for stopping by my blog http://lindaoconnell.blogspot.com/
How is the weather where you are?

Anonymous said...

Debbie, what a great idea. I love what you did with all the reminders. Cute. Your page feels so warm. I added you to my blogroll and I now have very few on there since I purged all the ones I didn't need. I like it here. ;) Don't you just love Simple Pleasures?

bj said...

ah, what an adorable post. I can see how much you love your man..:)
Love your cute paper ideas, too.
I make my own sweet simmering smells, too. Any citrus is good, along with the spices.
Thanks for all these Simple Pleasures. I enjoyed every one of them.

Trish said...

Absolutely brilliant, Debbie!!
I love it all :-) You are such a smart lady. And I think it's an awesome blessing for your hubby to come home to your love and care.
Have a wonderfully happy Christmas!
much joy and blessings in Christ..Trish

Francie...The Scented Cottage Studio said...

yup, gotta romance all the senses... I make my simmering potpourri with cinnamon sticks, orange peel, cloves, ginger etc. It smells sooo good !
Love how you dressed up your simmer pot too.
(())

Amy Kinser said...

How cool that your husband likes things that smell good. I don't think my hubby notices things like that.

Love all your decoupaging that you've been doing.

Ms.Daisy said...

Hey, I think I have some of that Christmas wrap with snowmen too! What great ideas you have that I will just have to copy! :) Also, I never thought of just putting citrus and cloves in a pot on the stove...duh! Anyway I love coming over here a finding out what you've been up to while I was away! It is always FUN! Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas with your family and friends!

Hugs,
Jean

Renée said...

I'm with ya Debbie! Dim the lights, light some candles and have something that smells great and it's a party. Love, love, love your creative writing.

Hugs from Idaho!

Unknown said...

You are absolutely magical with decoupage, my friend! Your reminders are so cute, I think I would forget they are reminders. Obviously, your brain works much better than mine!!!
I am attempting my own decoupage mania today on old t.v. trays. Wish me luck!
xo
lynn

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Debbie, You are just soooo clever! My husband has allergies, and most scents bother him - but not the good smells I simmer in my pot! I'm going to add orange slices to mine tonight. My simmering pot is not decorated for Christmas, but if I get time, it will be after tonight. Your little reminders are so cute too! I never would have thought of doing any of these cute, easy projects. Thank you for inspiring me. laurie

Kathleen said...

You are such a good wife and so creative too! My favourite Christmas fragrance is cinnamon spice. Your post made me think of a lovely poem I discoverd very recently on "My Five Men" blog, The Blue Bowl by Blanche Bane Kuder. Merry Christmas to you!

Patty H. said...

Just found your blog and I've enjoyed so much reading it! Alot of smells give me a bad headache so I have to be careful with the candles/potpourrie and such but I do love to put citrus and spices in a pot and simmer it. Smells so good!! I love your tablescape~~I love, love snowmen and you have some cute ones!.
I also like the candy cane candle sticks. That is such a neat idea. I'll be back.
Blessings
Patty H.

Leslie {Goodbye, house. Hello, home!} said...

What is SO extremely weird is that my beefcake and I were at Wal-Mart tonight smelling meltable candle wax stuff, and we both loved the citrus ands cloves scent!!!!!!!! NOT KIDDING! And I told him that I had oranges and cloves at home, and that I bet I could make something simmering with them, but had to find a recipe.
I haven't been around blogland much lately--been too busy to blog. But thought I would check up on a few of my girls (you being one of them) and I find your "recipe" for citrus and cloves! Too funny. I wonder what else I am missing this week!
I would love to have you to my fondue party tomorrow night!
Wanna come? :)
HUGS!
~me
P.S. Guess what I am going to treat my hubby's 5th sense with tomorrow?
P.P.S. The snowmen are adorable--you are too clever!

Chatty Crone said...

I can just close my eyes and think about the smell of your wonderful home this Christmas.

sandie

Mave said...

That is such a great idea. I appreciated your thoughtfulness for your husband, too.

Southern Gal said...

My husband's not big on scents. I guess the fact that he works in a paper mill makes him a bit tired of smells - good or bad- when he gets home. But I'm just going to have to try this and see how he takes it. When I was in elementary school we used to make the clove studded oranges every year. I miss that! I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for sharing.

xinex said...

I am imagining the smell, Debbie. I love citrus aroma. And all your decoupaging turned out so cute.....Christine

Jaybird said...

Try simmering a couple of cut up lemons, a sprig or two of rosemary and a glug of vanilla in your simmering pot with enough water to fill the pot!! Yummmmmmmm...it smells fresh and wonderful...even in the spring time. You can add water for two or three days and it still smells good!
Blessings to you,
J

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