A Homey House at No Cost {Part 2}

 Let's just go ahead and make this a Saturday thing for the month of October shall we?This week I want to focus on smells.Yes, smells.  Like scents.  Good ones, not bad ones!What does that have to do with this month's theme?Well, I don't know about you, but I'm big on smells.  I have this keen nose that can pick out just about anything funky in the air (JUST like my mother).  I can walk into the house and know if something's gone awry in the kitchen.  It's a little irritating sometimes - no doubt for my husband, too!I've always felt that home should smell good.  I also get this from my mother.  Home feels good and it smells good.So what does it smell like?A fresh pot of coffee (if you're a coffee drinker) can instantly make a bad day good.  This smell is wonderful first thing in the morning, of course, but it's also great after a meal, in the middle of a lazy day, or on a  rainy afternoon.  Coming from a family that LOVES the stuff, the smell of coffee is a source of comfort for me.  You can have serious, wonderful, meaningful or fun conversations over a hot cup.  And you're home. I know you all have some kind of memory of the scent of freshly baked cookies, filling the air and wrapping you up in its sweet smelling arms.  For me, it's cake.  Man, I love the smell of cake!  It makes me feel like a kid and walking into a house that smells like something delicious has just been made instantly makes me love the place.  My problem: I'm not much of a baker.  So what to do?  I say grab a Pillsbury can and bake some of those pre-made cookies up!   Anyone walking into your house, be it your kids, your husband, your grandkids, or friends will love you for it, even if it's not home-made, right?  Right????   Does your house smell like Christmas for the entire month of December?  Mine always did.  Pine cones, cinnamon and natural greenery still makes my parents' house smell like an enchanted Christmas forest!  What about in the spring and Summer?  Fresh flowers, citrus, and everything fresh.  Want to make your house smell like Fall?  Apparently there's a way.  Check out these Five Simmer Pot Recipes from Apartment Therapy using things like cloves, oranges, nutmeg and cinnamon.  These can easily be used year round if you love these smells, too!  The Yummy Life has enough recipes to have your house smelling like every season!  Really great tips on making these and how to keep them in the fridge.  I figure this is just like lighting a candle, except all of the smells are completely natural, which is awesome! One of my favourites.  I LOVE the smell of clean.  What is that, you ask?  Not Febreeze or air fresheners.  I like the smell of furniture polish and countertop cleaner.  I love it when I walk into my house and I can feel that it's clean and fresh.  This, again, comes from my mother and grandmother whose cleaning habits are impeccable and whose homes are always fresh!  I tend to obsess about my house smelling like a dog and one day I asked my mom if it did.  I knew she wouldn't lie.  She said "No, it smells clean in here."  I was officially on a high for the rest of the day.  I'm such a freak! Last thing.  Nothing.  Open up some windows (if the weather permits) and let fresh air come in!  If you want to completely neutralize your home of any scents, clean with vinegar and baking soda.  Both are neutralizers and you're guaranteed to have a smell-free home - yes, even with the vinegar.  The smell goes away very quickly.  Your home can feel very fresh by having no particular scent at all, I think.  It instantly makes me think of Spring when the breeze is coming in through the windows and all the stuffiness of winter is gone from inside the house! So there you have it.  Some ways that you can affect the mood in your home just with the simplicity of how it smells (or doesn't).   Of course, candles and air fresheners work as well but I wanted to give you all natural ways of infusing your home with particular scents.  I know it's something many people have become aware of.  I have yet to try making my own air freshener with essential oils, but it's all over Pinterest if you ever really want to get rid of all those aerosol cans.  Hope you have found this helpful, and I know I'll feel right at home this weekend as we celebrate Thanksgiving with our families.  Does the smell of turkey qualify as a homey smell?  It does this weekend!

xo