The Smells of Winter.

Christmas has passed and away my tree went.  

We purchase a real Christmas tree each year. WE do this because my husband loves the smell of trees. I do too, but he really likes the smell of a real tree. He, well we both, think it smells like Christmas. But after this year I am kind of done. Having a real tree in your house is messy. And to be honest you have to be willing to water your tree or at least check your tree each day for it to stay healthy. There is way too much in this brain of mine to remember one more thing, watering the Christmas tree. I barely remember watering my house plants! (poor things) let alone remember what I am fixing for dinner! 

 So, this time of year, I welcome with open arms. We ardicate the Christmas tree from our house and I get to clean up the mess. Which means, things get a bit cleaner in our house. But the real reason I like this time of year is it gives me a chance to experiment with my oils to try and get that right smell that reminds us both of Christmas. This is all in hopes that someday we will ditch the real tree and own a lovely fake one that does not leave pine needles all over the floor and I have to try and remember to water the lovely thing before it dies. 

 Now I am sure there are some of you who love the real tree and will continue to go out, cut down the tree and put it in your house. More power to you! I am proud of you. Keep up the good work. But for me, personally, it is A LOT! With that said, my hope is that we can enjoy the smell of Christmas at any time, not just when we have a tree in our house. That we can sit by our woodstove and breathe in deep the smells of the season and not have to worry about another thing on the list.  

 There my rant is over. Now on to the recipes that I hope will bring the smells of the season into your home. 

 I want to share these recipes for winter season with you. I would love for you to try them and then let me know what you think. Some of them are tweaks of other recipes I have found and some of them are ones I have put together because of my personal likes. Here you go: 

  1. Winter breeze; 5 drops Northern Spruce, 5 drops Pine and 2 drops Peppermint.  

With this one I feel like Peppermint gives this blend a crisp smell to it. I feel like I am walking through the woods after a fresh snow fall, not like I would know what that means because of where I live. But I like the idea. 

  2.Fallen Tree; 4 drops Cedarwood, 4 drops Pine, and 4 drops Northern Spruce 

My husband does not like this one as much. He feels it is a bit to plan. For me it reminds me of a walk in the woods after a fresh rain. Now for me I do know what those smells like. It is woodsy and warm. A smell that warms your soul. 

3. Warm cup of hugs; 3 drops orange, 3 drops cinnamon, 2 drops nutmeg, 2 drops of ginger and 2 drops lemon 

This is a long one, but who does not love a good hot cup of tea at the end of the day!? This is one that will warm your house and your heart. It is definitely a warm smell, not as fresh as some. You might also think of it as a fresh baked pie smell. A smell you would have at grandma’s house. 

  4. Afternoon stroll; 3 drops of basil, 3 drops of sage, 3 drops of rosemary and 2 drops of lemon.  

This is one I love all year round. I enjoy the herbal scent. I feel like it brings warmth into my home. I know Micheal is not a big fan, but if I put it off to the side and it is a welcome aroma to the room especially in the afternoon. There are times it reminds me of walking through my garden in late summer or early fall. The earth tones renew my mind and comfort my heart. 

I hope you enjoy these blends like I have. Please let me know if you enjoy them as much as I have. I pray they are a wonderful addition to your collection.  

I would love to hear from you and some of your own blends that you have created. 

 A link to the recipe cards is here. Enjoy!