Blogmas 2013: It's Beginning to Smell A Lot Like Christmas

Winter in Tucson never feels very Christmas-y. The trees don't lose their leaves. Snow doesn't fall. Most days you could still wear a tank top for the majority of it. It's really hard for me to get in the Christmas spirit when it simply doesn't feel any different than any other time of the year.

This year, I'm trying so hard to get into the spirit, so I decided to make it feel more festive. Since I can't make it snow or make the landscape transform, I went much smaller scale. I'm going to make it smell like Christmas.

So, a few weeks ago, Dan and I spent way too much time in a Bath and Body Works, sniffing all the candles and trying to keep sneezing to a minimum. After some great debating and nearly $50 later, we went home with these four:

1. Spiced Hot Toddy
2. Mint Chocolate
3. Holiday
4. Peach Bellini

1. Spiced Hot Toddy. This one is my favorite. It smells of apples and cinnamon and cloves and warmth. Even when I'm not burning it, it just sits on my kitchen counter and the odor can reach all the way to my living room sofa. It's not overwhelmingly Christmasy so you could get away with burning it as early as October.

2. Mint Chocolate. Who doesn't love mint chocolate? Andes mints, mint chocolate chip ice cream, thin mints, mmm. In theory, this should be a great candle. It does smell quite yummy, but it misses the mint chocolate mark just a bit. The sugary notes in both the mint and chocolate overpower the crispness of the mint and the richness of the chocolate. Still burn it like crazy, though.

3. Holiday. If you are ever in need of a candle that smells like Hot Tamales candies, then I have a candle for you. It is a little intense, so I do only burn it for short periods of time and keep it covered when I'm not burning it.

4. Peach Bellini. Throughout middle school and high school, I had a weird obsession with peach. Finding peach candy was the best thing ever and all my body lotions and body sprays were peachy. It still holds a special place in my heart. All that being said, this candle wasn't peach enough for me. There are definitely peach notes, but the notes of berry and citrus overwhelm it a bit.