Celebrate a simply scent-sational Christmas and holiday season with savorable flavors and aromas of winter. Whether you’re sledding or making snow cream and snow angels in a winter wonderland outside, sitting cozy by the fireplace, by a fir tree, or in an oven-warmed kitchen with something yummy baking in the oven, you’ll be transported as you reminisce about these winter scents . . .
* Refreshing citrus, whether an orange covered in cloves and rolled in powdered spices, tart and tangy orange marmalade on a crunchy piece toast, or an optimistic swirl of orange zest garnishing a festive cocktail or mocktail.
*A steaming mug full of hot spiced apple cider, mulled wine, or hot cocoa that warms your tummy.
* Chai tea spices, their exotic scent rising in tendrils of steam from a mug that warms your hands as you sip and savor this nutritious and delicious black tea.
* Vanilla snow cream, a sweet treat after catching snowflakes on your nose, tongue and eyelashes and making snow angels in a white winter wonderland.
* The smoky, woodsy, earthy smell of wood fires keeping you warm and cozy by the hearthside of a candle-lit cabin in the woods.
* Invigorating and refreshing peppermint and spearmint candy canes you pluck from your Christmas tree, stir into hot cocoa, and mint-a-liciously awaken your senses.
* The aroma of apple and pecan pies, just pulled from the oven, wafting from the kitchen, served with scoops of ice cream and dollops of whipped cream.
* Sweetness and spiciness of gingerbread lattes, Moravian gingerbread, and Swedish gingerbread cookies (pepparkakor) linger in the air and on your palate.
* An evergreen forest, the fresh smell of pine or fir trees, and a Christmas tree, a splendid sight, lit up at night.
* Reminisce and joyously scratch and smell each imagined page in a now dogeared and dusty scratch-and-sniff book that ignites your imagination. Scents of hot cocoa, apple cider, and pine trigger welcome memories from childhood Christmases.
SIMPLE DIY TIPS TO CELEBRATE WINTER MAGIC
* String together cinnamon, dried orange slices, gingerbread.
* Add atmosphere by burning fragrance oils, diffusing essential oils, spritzing room spray (see recipe below), and adding a pot or bowl of potpourri.
* To make potpourri for sachets, assemble a collection of dried leaves, herbs, berries, and nuts, then add fragrance oil. To hang sachets in your closet, pantry, or tuck into drawers, wrap mixture in tulle and tie with raffia or ribbon. Spray with fragrance to freshen up and enhance scent.
* And, while you’re in the kitchen, boil some spiced apple cider or mulled wine and bake some sweet treats (remember to set the timer!).
DIY VERSATILE SCENTED, DEODORIZING POWDER – Detox and makes a great gift when mixed with Epsom salt and sea salt for the bath.
Ingredients & Supplies:
- 1 cup base powder(s) such as bentonite clay and kaolin clay which are ideal for facial masks and detoxifying baths, or choose arrowroot, tapioca, rice flour, oat flour, or garbanzo bean flour.
- ½-¾ cup deodorizing powder(s) such as baking soda, arrowroot, and/or cornstarch.
- 3 tablespoons herbs/flowers ground into a fine powder such as chamomile, lavender, calendula, chrysanthemums, jasmine, rose petals, and/or yarrow.
- 50 drops of essential oils such as pine needles, fir, frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, orange, peppermint, spearmint, rosemary, or cyprus.
- Glass mason jar.
- Raffia or ribbon.
- Sprig of rosemary, sprig of lavender, cinnamon stick, dried orange slice or another whole spice, herb, or flower to tie around the jar.
Instructions:
- Grind flowers or herbs into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle, food processor, or coffee grinder.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix base powders, deodorizing powders, flowers, spices, and/or herbs.
- Slowly and gradually add up to 50 drops of essential oils, mixing together and breaking up any clumps.
- Store in a jar with a shaker top.
- To use, sprinkle onto the body and lightly massage into your skin. Can also be sprinkled into shoes to deodorize and neutralize odor. Mix powder blend with water or apple cider vinegar and apply as a facial mask.
Recipe adapted from: https://naturallivingfamily.com/homemade-body-powder-recipe/
Smile and embrace the scents of a cozy winter Christmas and the holidays!
