Making Your House Smell Like the Holidays on a Budget

I don't think there is anything more inviting than a house filled with the smells of the holidays. There are all sorts of studies on the way smell influences our moods. I have to agree with most of them. When I smell cinnamon, cloves and orange simmering on my stove I am instantly transported to Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and friends.
The biggest problem with making a simmering potpourri is the cost. It can be quite prohibitive.
Never fear! The sale rack, grocery store bargain bin and garage sales (especially estate sales) are your friends!

Here is one of my great finds. I bought the spice rack and spices all for $3.00. The brand of spices is Spice Island. This is a premium brand of spices and jars can run $8.00 each! As you can see most of the jars are full or very near full. I consider it a win plus the rack and jars will go on to live life as another project at a later date.

Not all of the spices were of the holiday variety. Those I put into my mulch pile (why waste it when you can recycle it??) The holiday spices I put together in an old tin (There is that need to recycle again!)

I was exceptionally pleased that it almost filled the can! The jars I washed and am saving to use with my spice rack. I have some ideas but they are not yet fully formed.

I clearly labeled the container because I have a husband who does not look when he grabs something and I could just see him deciding to make himself a cup of coffee one night and instead of instant coffee he would wind up with a mouth full of spices........ewwwww!

I use the spices one of two ways. I either put them in a pot of water on the stove to simmer or I drag out the crock pot and cook up a house full of cheer!

If you want to really intensify the scents you can use apple juice instead of water. You can also cut up fresh fruit such as lemons, oranges or limes or use the peels and apple cores from a baking day. I troll the marked down fruit in the produce section because believe it or not bruised fruit smells just as good in the potpourri as fresh fruit!

The spice mixture and liquid will last for a few days all you have to do is add a bit more water when it gets low. Watch for tell tale mold to give you the hint to throw it out. 

Please note that this is not good for kitties so if you have fur babies that like to drink liquids that are left out you will need to cover the pot on the stove or the crock pot. Also PLEASE watch a pot on the stove. You don't want a fire!

Enjoy! : )