It can be overwhelming to think of inviting people over. We look around our house and all of the reasons not to have someone over comes flooding into our minds. There are clothes spilling out of the laundry room, the floors are dirty, what is there to eat, my kids are too rambunctious, my house is too outdated and not stylish enough, etc… But we love our homes, right? Some of the time anyway.

I had to learn how to fall in love with my home again. I can get tired of the same things hanging on the walls and the pillows that we’ve had for years. I hate the vegetables that are painted on our kitchen tiles. I’m in a rut with my cooking and I can not for-the-life-of-me seem to keep my floors clean. If I don’t love, or even like, my home why would I invite anyone else in? But we want to love our homes and we should. So for the next 5 days I’m going to show you how you can love your home again through the five senses.

 

SMELL

Fall is one of the best seasons for smell. When you think of fall, you probably think of things associated with smell. Apple Pie, Pumpkin Spice, Toasted Marshmallows, Cinnamon. Scents can warm us as the chill in the air begins to set in.

Candles are an easy way to bring pleasing scents into your home, but if candles aren’t your thing you can create wonderful scents from your stove. I love when my husband walks into our home after a day of work and can immediately smell what I’ve been cooking. Hearing him say “It smells delicious” is such a compliment and confidence booster.   You can also boil ingredients in a pot to make your home smell like fall. I’ll give a recipe below, but also think of the mix of orange, cinnamon, and cloves drifting through your home. But let’s be real. We know one of the best smells is fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.

 

Great scents to have:

Anthropologie. I think like most people, I am a sucker for the smell of Anthropologie. While they’re candles are expensive, they burn well and last a long time. And you can actually smell the scent when it is lit. I believe Capri Blue is this notorious Anthro scent.

Reed Diffusers: These are great to have if you don’t like to have lit candles in your home. They are also great to have in your bathroom. A scent you can set and forget and the bathroom is the perfect place for this. I love the P.F. Candle Co. diffuser we have in our home. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies: If you want your home to smell like love, bake some chocolate chip cookies. I don’t know what it is about the combination of flour, sugar, butter and chocolate chips that makes people feel loved. My favorite recipe is from the Magnolia Table Cookbook. If you’re not a baker, grab the Tollhouse premade dough from the store and bake those. We all know those taste the best anyway.

Garlic and onions: My husbands grandma has been known to say “If you don’t know what to cook and your husband is coming home soon, just sautee some garlic and onions in olive oil. When he walks in he’ll think dinner is being made and it gives you time to think of something to cook.” And it makes the house smell divine!

Stovetop Potpourri:

• 1 small lemon cut into slices
• 2 sprigs of Rosemary
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 Cups of water (and more needed later)

Put all ingredients into a pot. Let simmer as long as you like.

IMPORTANT: Keep an eye on the water level, it will evaporate. Add water as you need to.

 

Don’t be afraid to open the windows every once in a while. Yes, even if it’s 30 degrees outside. Sometimes getting the old air out and letting the new air in refreshes us more than any candle will do.

 

What are some of your favorite scents to have in the house?

Check out the next post about TASTE.