There’s something to be said about the phrase “home for the holidays.” This homemade potpourri (created by my step-mom, Julie – you may have met her here) is constantly brewing at my house during the holiday season. Actually, I like to have it going during all of the colder months, now that I think about it.
It’s spicy essence creates a warm feeling of sensory memory. You guys KNOW I’m all about the 5 senses. So ya, my house is oozing with the scent of cinnamon and oranges while Vince Guaraldi plays throughout the house and I stare at all my cute Christmas decor and keep things extra cozy. (Kids screaming and dogs barking aren’t involved in this little daydream).
Since moving to Austin, I’ve very purposefully made our home our sanctuary. That means candles lit, scents going, music playing and having it set up in a way that recharges us. It’s a place we all love to be in. One of the things that really makes my house a home, is having non-toxic products. It’s still a work in progress but we favor Branch Basics, glass instead of plastic, and non-toxic cookware.
One of the biggest factors of toxicity in the home is candles and scents. Artificial fragrance is one of the worst things you put into your home’s air (for more on why this is important, check out this HIM & HER Show episode with the co-foudner of Jaspr). Which is why I favor this homemade potpourri or our non-toxic candle.
Anyway, non-toxic tangent over – back to the potpourri.
This concoction immediately transforms the ambience to a Thanksgiving and Christmas, wintery vibe. The best part? No calories– the smell of festive spirit is enough to alleviate the temptation of baked goods. Seriously. It’s true.
Homemade Cinnamon Spice Potpourri:
+ 1.5 cups of spicy apple cider
+ 1 gala apple
+ 2 oranges
+ 2 handfuls of cranberries
+ 8 cinnamon sticks
+ 6 whole nutmegs
+ a few of cloves
+ 2 dashes of pumpkin spice
Put everything in to a small pot. When there are people at home, turn the stove on the lowest simmer. DO NOT forget to turn it off when no one is home.
HOT TIP: This glass pot is the chicest thing ever. It’s like decor for your stove. It’s lightweight, but sturdy and the best part, is you can see all the beautiful colors of the ingredients.
This concoction lasts for two weeks and it’s totally normal for the ingredients to shrivel up over the days. Just keep adding splashes of spicy apple cider every now and then.
And this recipe is just a base. Play around and see what you like best. You don’t have to add everything. Water, cinnamon sticks and orange works just fine too. As you can guess I like it strong and spicy.
Hope you guys love this little recipe. It’s such a tradition in my step-mom’s home, and now in mine. Like I said, there’s no need to only use this around the holidays. Use it in all the colder months for the coziest, best-smelling home on the block.
x, Lauryn
+ Shop all my pantry organization for the most streamlined home.
++ here are 5 ways to hack Thanksgiving if you don’t have your shit together.
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I love this! Ive heard that scented candles are actually really toxic for you to breathe in, so this is such a great idea for a healthy, natural way to make your home smell amazing. Thanks so much!
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