We've gone off of most artificial scents in our house lately. Not because we don't like them, believe me, we do (my husband is mildly obsessed and drives us all crazy with it). The main reason is that a lot of scents give me a headache and I've come to find that if any scented sprays come in contact with my skin, it causes a reaction.
While this isn't something new, it's something I figured one of two things; that I should probably stop torturing myself for the sake of smell, and that if it caused a reaction of numerous kinds with me than it probably wasn't something I wanted to stuff my kid with so an alternative was necessary. So, the simmer pot trend became a thing in our home.
Simmer pots are actually ridiculously easy to create and provide a far better, longer lasting, and more authentic smell than any candle, air freshener, or air spray. The base is water and the scent is entirely of your choice. Simply decide on the scent (or best of all, combination of scents) you want and place said ingredients into your pot. Put your pot on the stove and turn the heat on high to bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn it to low to keep it "simmering" but not necessarily cooking or drying the mix out.
Eventually the water will get low and you'll have to add more here and there or the only thing you'll be smelling is the ingredients burning to the bottom of the pot. Simmer pots are usually some combination of fruits, spices, herbs or flavouring add-ins (example, vanilla extract). Below, I've included some of my favourite and go-tos in our household.
Spring Simmer
(the William Sonoma / Pottery Barn scent):
Sliced Lemon + Fresh, Whole Rosemary + Vanilla
Summer Simmer
(the bold and refreshing scent):
Sliced Citruses + Whole Leaf Mint + Rosemary
Autumn Simmer
(probably our most favourite scent):
Sliced Apple, Sliced Orange, Vanilla, Whole Cloves
Wintery Simmer
(the wintery, cozy holiday scent):
Sliced Apple + Cranberries + Cinnamon Sticks, Vanilla
* We make ours in a standard size pot (pictured 4th) but half the fun is making them aesthetic, so Rheo makes a mock one in his toy pot as to feel included, and we empty the ingredients into a sealable container for next time.
* We make ours in a standard size pot (pictured 4th) but half the fun is making them aesthetic, so Rheo makes a mock one in his toy pot as to feel included, and we empty the ingredients into a sealable container for next time.
