As we approach the holiday season, some of the things I look forward to most are the smells. As someone with a sensitive nose, smells have the potential to make or break my environment. We all know that it’s the little things that bring us happiness, and there’s nothing that fills me with warmth more than the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls floating around the house or the smell of fresh air in a forest. Here, I’ve thought about the things you can do to make your dwelling smell sweet and brighten your mood. 

1. Light a candle

This is the simplest but one of the most effective ways to make a room smell nice. The only problem is deciding which scent makes you feel the most joy. I recommend taking a self-care trip to the store to smell all the candles they have (with your mask on, of course). If you love the smells and spices of autumn, I would recommend a rose and cedar scented candle. This will guarantee a cozy smell and set the mood for what is sure to be a strange holiday season.  

2. Bake something sweet or something full of spices

You can always find an excuse to indulge your inner baker (or chef) and cook something up. Baking is therapy and self-care, but it’s also a tried and true method to engulf your entire home in an intoxicating scent. Make sure whatever you make is sweet or filled with lots of spices for the ultimate scent bath. I recommend cinnamon rolls, or if you don’t have time to bake a whole dish, add some vanilla extract or cinnamon sticks to a pot of water and boil it on the stove. Trust me, it will put a smile on your face. 

3. Go ham on your Sunday cleaning 

Cleaning your environment is a way to cleanse your suffering mind. Additionally, cleaning makes your home smell good, and the act itself makes you feel just as good. Make sure to use nontoxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products instead of the more mainstream brands you might be used to for maximum smell points. For example, Dr. Bronner’s castile soap works well for cleaning and the brand a lot of different, natural scents that won’t damage our planet when they get washed down the drain. 

4. Put your compost outside

We at the Clog are all for composting, but unfortunately, I learned the hard way that keeping your compost under the sink in an apartment will permanently stink up that cabinet and your entire kitchen. No scent device can reverse this stench, so don’t make my mistake! If you have a balcony, keep your compost there. Or perhaps you can put a lid on the container where you put your compost to conceal the stench. 

5. Get a cinnamon broom from Trader Joe’s

Simple but sweet, a cinnamon broom functions as both a decoration for the autumn season and a way to cleanse your house of funky smells. I can vouch for the power behind the scent of just one broom, as even though I placed my broom in the kitchen, its scent lingers by the front door days after opening it. This broom reeks of nostalgia. For you, that nostalgia could be memories of going to pumpkin patches with your family or picking apples and drinking apple cider. 

We all need some extra TLC this fall, Bears. Don’t forget to indulge your sense of smell with warmth and the spirit of togetherness this holiday season.