Candy-Free Easter

This morning after picking up my chai I decided to head out to find some non-candy items to stuff into plastic eggs for my nephew's annual Easter Egg Hunt. Charlie is 6, and to say I adore him, well, that's an understatement. I hope he won't be too disappointed that his Aunt has decided to eliminate candy from the eggs this year... The more I read about proper nutrition and take on as much of an organic lifestyle as possible, the more I just can't purchase "crap" food for those I love.

I love Easter. I really do. It's my second favorite holiday after Christmas. The pastel colors, bunnies everywhere, Spring flowers, greener grass, the smell of Hyacinths. The idea that the Easter bunny leaves eggs and baskets brimming with little goodies.

So I headed out to 3 stores and came home with practically Nothing. All I saw was a bunch of plastic, overpriced, low quality crap (there's that word again). I picked up a little plastic ring with a mustache on top...now this is cute I thought, until I saw the price...$2? For a little plastic ring? 25 cents was all I was willing to spend. Then it dawned on me, duh, why was I shopping elsewhere when my own store has the best and cutest things for Easter baskets and stuffing eggs? And scented to boot. And non-toxic. Where was my brain this morning? Every time Charlie comes to work with me he is in heaven. He has so much fun in the kid department with all the scented stickers, erasers, markers, pencil sharpeners, books, pens, bookmarks, necklaces, stamps. He even likes to pretend he's shopping and puts things in a bag, and then has fun restocking them.

I know where I'm going to shop for Easter this year, at EverythingSmells. Charlie will not be disappointed!

Cheers,

Danielle
Owner/Scent Expert
www.EverythingSmells.com

A Christmas Story Party

I've always wanted to have a Christmas party...but this time of year is very busy for me, especially at work (no complaints!). But something happened to me last year that changed everything...most importantly, my perspective on life. I learned just how short it is and have decided to do most of the things I've always wanted to, but didn't make time for. So, this is the year I'm having that Christmas party, and decided it should have a Theme: A Christmas Story!

Being that it's my all-time favorite Christmas movie, I've been preparing this party for weeks. Yes, there is a leg lamp in my dining room window! I thought you might want some tips on how to create a warm inviting Christmas party atmosphere with fragrance.

In the kitchen I'll be serving up Randy's least favorite meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy. Now red cabbage is a big part of this meal, but I've opted to leave that out since let's face it, cooked cabbage doesn't smell very good! And, it can make people gassy. A no-no at a party. I'll be burning our Christmas Cookie Candle by Root in the kitchen as you always want the scents in this room to complement your food.

In the living room I chose Aunt Sadie's 1940s Santa candle because the movie takes place in 1939/1940. Plus the Santa scene is unforgettable. Ho! Ho! Hooooo!

I also added some unscented pillars around the room. I love the soft glow from a candle and think it adds a lot of cozy ambiance to a party. However lots of smells can conflict with each other, or you may have guests that are overwhelmed by too much scent. So, add some unscented candles into the mix.

In the powder room be sure to put Poo-Pourri on the back of the toilet! It is especially good for bathrooms without ventilation. You simply spray a few spritz's into the bowl before you do your business and no one will be able to tell what you did in there! It's great for guests, and really works! See it below in the photo. We also have gift sets available that come all packaged and ready to give - a roll of toilet paper with a poo-pourri spray.




Lastly I placed scented pine cones Outside my entryway door in a rustic container. Why outside you may ask? I did this so that before my guests even enter my home they will smell that Christmas Spirit! Also, the scented pine cones found in stores do not have ingredients listed. Since I am unsure what they are scenting them with, I personally feel it's safer to keep this item outside. You can find these at most craft stores.

 Some other things you can do is switch out your hand soap in your kitchen and powder room with Holiday scented ones. We have Holiday Greenery and Cranberry Cinnamon to name a few. You can also simmer your own home-made potpourri if you are not a candle fan. Fill a pot 1/4 full of water, add orange slices, cinnamon sticks, allspice, clove, cranberries, even clippings from your pine tree. Set the stovetop as low as it can go and make sure to add more water when it starts to evaporate.

May your holidays be bright and your home full of Christmas Spirit.

Cheers,

Danielle

Owner/Scent Expert

www.EverythingSmells.com

"I want My house to smell like Your house"

I hear this from a lot of my friends. "What is that smell when I enter your house?" "Your house always smells so good" - my response is always: "It has to!" I can't own a company like EverythingSmells and have a bad smelling house!

So, here's how you can get Your house to smell like My house.

First, as you enter thru the back door foyer, your nose is enriched with the smell of Currant. I like this fragrance because it's not seasonal - it can be enjoyed year-round. Plus men like this fragrance as well. A win-win. Simply place the WoodWick Currant Spill-Proof Diffuser in your entryway. I have mine up on a shelf where the coats and scarves are hung.

Next the downstairs powder room is simply scented by 2 adorable boot shaped soaps that I have sitting on the sink. These soaps are made by Scottish Fine Soaps and smell like Fresh Rain. I love seeing them perched by the faucet, with the added bonus of working as a room air freshener. They come in Blue, Green, Yellow, or Pink and will get your guests talking for sure.

Enter my living room and you will most always smell vanilla mixed with chocolate. I like to blend fragrances in this room by burning multiple candles at one time. My base is the Madagascar Vanilla Natural Candle by Root and the Chocolateness Natural Candle by Root. I then pick a third fragrance by season. Right now this would be the Pumpkin Spice Natural Root Candle alternating with the Mulled Cider.

I prefer not to have fragrance in the kitchen because I feel it would compete with the food smells. However there are plenty of fragrances that do complement food. I also do not have any fragrances in my bedroom. This is just a personal preference. My nose is hyper sensitive and is on overdrive most of the day at work (you can imagine). So the only time I spend in my bedroom is when I want to unwind and sleep. If I was sniffing things this would be much harder to do!

Last but not least the reason why my upstairs bathroom smells so good is plain and simple - SOAP! Whether it's the soap in the shower or the soap bars I have displayed in a mini ceramic tub on the counter...mmmmm. The best of which is Fairy Farts!

All of the products I listed above do come in assorted fragrances. So fine-tune them to what works for you and your personal favorites.

Cheers,

Danielle

Owner/Scent Expert

www.EverythingSmells.com

Let A Little Lavender Into Your Life

I value a good night's sleep. And I know that when I don't get one, it most definitely affects my mood the following day. Sometimes it's hard to unwind at night when our brain's are busy going over everything that happened that day, or, like mine, already planning for the next day.

Something simple and easy that you can do, is to let a little Lavender into your life. The smell of Lavender naturally calms us, soothes us, and can help us destress. And smelling Lavender before bed can actually help you fall asleep. Some people put dried sprigs of the Lavender plant inside their pillowcase just for this reason.

I personally like to put Lavender lotion on my hands before bed. Or you could put a Lavender air freshener in your bedroom. Or burn a Lavender candle as you sit in your living room after dinner. We have over 35 Lavender products at EverythingSmells. Add one or two to your next order for the aromatherapy benefits. Or maybe you know someone going through a stressful situation right now - treat them to the gift of Lavender.

Cheers,

Danielle Roska
Owner/Scent Expert
www.EverythingSmells.com

Halloween in August?

Does it bother you to see Halloween and Fall scented candles/products in stores in August?!? I seriously want to know.

While Fall is my absolute favorite time of year because I love to eat and breathe all things pumpkin, and inhale all Fall fragrances - falling leavings, pumpkin pie, cinnamon spices, nutmeg, hot apple cider, chai tea... I refrain from putting these new scented items up on EverythingSmell's web site until September because it just feels wrong to rush the summer along. I've actually had all the Fall scented products in stock since May, sitting there waiting patiently for the end of August. However, I often wonder if customers would prefer to be able to purchase them now, or in season? The same can be said for Christmas/Holiday scents. Would you believe I had to order them back in April or they would have been sold out by the time winter actually arrived? It's crazy to me. I learned that lesson the hard way the first year I opened the business back in 2003.

So here I am going against the grain and attempting to keep seasonal fragrances seasonal. Much like the glorious "Cadbury Egg." Now there's a perfect example. If you could eat a Cadbury Egg year-round, would you enjoy it as much? I think not. The sheer fact that you can only get a Cadbury Egg during Easter makes them all the more special. Now I did just see a horrid attempt at a Halloween Cadbury Egg with green colored filling. I hope that doesn't make it back next year...ha!

So enjoy the rest of your summer days and fill them with the fragrances of coconut, ocean waves, mango salsa, strawberry shortcake, grilled steaks, tomato vines, lemonade, watermelon, and jasmine. Fall will be here before we know it.

Cheers,

Danielle Roska
Owner/Scent Expert
www.EverythingSmells.com