Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 10: Breathe In Winter

I love that each season has its own set of different smells and fragrances. If you tried the 'Winter Senses' exercise on Day 4 you may already have given this some thought. The lovely thing is that by being aware of this you can notice which scents bring back positive memories and feelings and incorporate them into your life. The musty odour of leaf litter may recall happy walks through winter woodland. Woodsmoke can evoke cosy evenings snuggled by the wood-stove, or convivial evenings round a bonfire under the stars with friends. Kitchen spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg could call to mind previous years' preparation of delicious Yule feasts.

What are the winter scents that you love best? Which make you feel cosy, secure, happy? Personally, I love the smell of woodsmoke from our Rayburn... the aroma of a cinnamon and orange scented candle... the smell of snow on the wind... the odour of freshly split logs... the warm, comforting fragrance of mulled wine... the pine resin scent of a real Christmas tree... hot mince pies fresh from the oven... roasting chestnuts...

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 10

Breathe in Winter

Make a list if your favourite winter scents and make an effort to fragrance your life with them. 

• There are an amazing array of scented candles and wax melts available to suit every nose - you can even get ones that smell of wood smoke if you're unable to enjoy a real fire!
• Essential oils can be diffused from an oil burner - think pine, orange, cinnamon, cloves, vetiver, peppermint etc. Use them singly or concoct your own personal winter blend.
• Cook your favourite winter recipes and enjoy the delicious odours wafting through your home.
• Choose soaps, shower gels, lotions etc in scents that make you think of bright, frosty days and cosy winter nights.
• Bring in plants that smell of winter - decorate your home with evergreen sprays of spruce, cedar and pine, start growing a pot of fragrant narcissi on the kitchen windowsill, bring in posies of scented winter-flowering plants like mahonia, daphne, witchhazel and wintersweet.
• Create your own winter pot pourri and place it in bowls around the house, or try these 'stove-top simmering' pot pourri recipes.