Happy Thanksgiving from Canada aka Pumpkin Pie Day!

Happy Thanksgiving from the pumpkin patch!

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving!! I know that 95% of you are in the US, but I figure any reason to celebrate family is universal and so I will celebrate a bit of my family with you!

Hooray for family! gobble gobble!

Our Canadian Thanksgiving is pretty much identical to the US version, just a month or so sooner. We celebrate on the second Monday in October which is Columbus Day in the US. Our meaning is the same in that we are giving thanks for the end of the harvest season and celebrating the unity of our family and the community.

Will the real pumpkins please stop smiling!lol 

Dinner is pretty standard at my house on Thanksgiving too, with Pumpkin Pie being the center of everyone's attention and the only reason that we don't over stuff ourselves with the turkey and trimmings that are our dinner. 

My grandbaby is growing in leaps and bounds! Bigger than a little pumpkin...

...but not quite as big as a BIG pumpkin!

That being said, and PUMPKIN being our thanksgiving feast focus, we have been enjoying the new Vanilla Pumpkin Cream fragrance to it's full extent! It has succeeded in putting us all a festive mood!

I can hardly wait to be a Grandma!! 

As part of the festivities, we headed out to our local Corn Maze last weekend and found ourselves a couple of pumpkins. My husband, nephew, daughters and son-in-law (or outlaw!) all enjoyed an afternoon of winding our way through the maze. 

Vanilla Pumpkin Spice smells significantly better than this pumpkin did! lol 

 And so, now it is off to my fabulous smelling Vanilla Pumpkin kitchen, to add a layer of actual pumpkin pie smell to the mix. Sadly, the pumpkin pie smell will only linger for a few hours. Hooray for ScentSationals that my celebrated scent of the day will continue to bring smiles to everyone throughout the weekend! 

xxoo
Heather

Fish For Dinner!

I admit it. 
I didn't know that it would negatively affect my whole family. 
It wasn't as obvious to me? 
How was I to know?
I thought it was a healthy choice. 

Sadly, no matter how I justify it or play it back in my mind, all that my family can focus on is the fact that I cooked fish for dinner and assaulted their noses! My daughter isn't a big fish fan to begin with and was instantly crunching up her face to avoid sensory overload, while my husband decided to just sort of 'grin and bear it'. It was my 18 year old son who really called me out.

The 18 year old, Kaed (formerly free but now slightly in the dog house), walked in the door after missing supper. He'd been at work which made me happy and is a much better use of his time than other typical 18 year old's evenings.

Within seconds of entering and before his shoes were off of his feet he yelled, "It stinks like fish in here!".

I grinned in defiance knowing that my healthy dinner choice would win me some 'parent of the year' points.

He continued, "How can you do this, our house smelt good when I left! This is disgusting."

Well, that was it. I didn't need to hear more and he didn't have anything more to say. I suggested that he could turn on a warmer which he did do, but I didn't see him for the rest of the night.

NO, he didn't eat any fish!

Yes, I realize that I was in the wrong. 

I see the error in my ways and know that as a Mom, it is my job to be consistent in making my house smell good all the time.

I will warm some of our new Cornucopia today and hope that I am forgiven.

xxoo
Heather

PS... do you think that warming up leftovers from last night will make the house stinky again!?? lol  

ScentSationals Recipes Part 4 - Download our Free Recipe Book!!

Hooray!! It's time for us all to mix some magic, and we are doing our best to make things super easy for everyone to try their hand at being a MixSationals artist!

This lovely recipe book is FREE for you to view and download! And I must sing it's praises, as not only is it free, but it's also ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY too. Gotta love it!

ScentSationals Recipes

Click to view PDF Recipe Book File!

The enclosed recipes were thought up by our Facebook Fans as well as the ScentSationals family. The fragrances are easy and very fun to mix up in your warmers at home and I hope that everyone tries at least one new mix!

I've adjusted a couple of the recipes to reflect the fragrances that are currently available on our website. You'll also find links within the book so that if you want to find a scent that's in a recipe, simply click on the written text or the picture of the fragrance and you will be directed to our website!

Have fun, and let me know how your mixing goes!

xxoo

Heather

ScentSationals Recipes Part 3

Well.... perhaps I never should have gotten started in experimenting with mixing ScentSationals fragrances as I seem to not be able to stop now! I have even considered adding another warmer to my household so that I have more 'mixing pots'!!

My latest recipe combines two of our newly released Halloween fragrances, Witches Cauldron and Candy Corn. The amazing licorice, anise and fennel that are brewing in Witches Cauldron combine PERFECTLY with the sweet sugary and caramelly (caramelly should be a word!) yumminess of Candy Corn. This combination absolutely reminds me of sorting through my kid's trick or treat bags every halloween and so the recipe name 'Treat Bag' seems pretty perfect.  

In addition to Treat Bag, I've also made a couple of other really yummy combinations...stay tuned later this week and I'll share them in the recipe book that I promised you! 

In the mean time, if you missed the prior Recipe Book blog posts, be sure to check them out! 

ScentSationals Recipes 

ScentSationals Recipes Part 2 

xxoo

Heather

ScentSationals Recipes!

Up until the other day, my household had been quite content to smell, debate and sample each of the amazing fragrances that ScentSationals created, but, we occasionally have a short attention span and the need to (literally) MIX THINGS UP!

My daughter suggested that we try creating a few recipes of our own by mixing more than one wax scent. I suggested that we cheat and check out our blog archive for the scents that our Facebook fans created last year!lol

My *ehem* research and diligence brought forth the following recipes from August last year:

"Fan"tastic "Mix"ationals Recipe Book

Pineapple Upside Down Cake = 1 Pineapple + 1 Cupcake

Mouth watering Apple Cobbler =1 Crispy Apples + 1/2 Oatmeal

Blackberry Tarts = 1 1/2 Black Raspberry Vanilla + 1 Key Lime Pie

Coffee Cake = 2 Cupcake + 1 1/2 Cinnamon Vanilla

Blueberry Cupcakes = 1 Blueberry Muffin + 1 Cupcake

Sweet Apple = 1 Cupcake + 1 Crispy Apples

Blossoming Garden = 2 Sweet Pea + 1 1/2 Spring Green + 1/2 Violets

Caribbean Cocktail = 1 Guava Berry + 1 Pineapple Cilantro + 1 Mandarin Mango Madness

Lemon Cupcake = 1 Lemon Chiffon + 1 Cupcake

Crisped Apples = 1 Crispy Apples + 1 Cinnamon Vanilla OR 1/2 Sizzlin' Cinnamon

Relaxation = 1 1/2 Zen + 1 Spa

Cleanliness = 1 Clean Cotton + 2 No Place Like Home

Hand-dipped Caramel Apple = 1 Caramel Popcorn + 1 Crispy Apples

Trip to the Beach = 1 Sea Salt + 1 Coconut Sun

Spunk = 1 Wild Thing + 1 Ginger Tangerine

Sweet Treats = 1 1/2 Lemon Chiffon + 1 Jelly Beans

Have any of you had the chance to experiment and create an amazing scent? With all of the new fragrances that have been introduced, I imagine that there are many more recipes just waiting to be created!

How about sharing? Are you willing to reply to this blog with a recipe of your own? I'll get busy with my fragrances and see if I can't come up with one of my own as well! If we can all come up with maybe 9 or 10 more recipes, I will happily create a nice little downloadable pdf recipe book for your mixing pleasure!! 

xxoo

Heather
Visit Part 2 of ScentSationals Recipes! 

Welcome to Friday!

Ah...deep sigh of relief that it is FRIDAY!!

I've managed to get through the first crazy week of school with my cheque book still intact and, having had five minutes to myself per day, my sanity is mildly restored!

I am now sitting in my office, sipping a hot cup of coffee and getting into the mood for a sunny weekend by warming Coconut Sun. I truly hate to think that summer is on it's way out the door, so I will keep my tropical fragrances within hands reach until the weather forces us all to shift to fall!

It's really quite amazing how a simple smell can relax, rejuvenate and generally do a whole make over on my moods! I wonder if I was warming Autumn Walk right now, instead of a summer fragrance, if I would be inclined to bake an apple pie?lol

My 'Garden Swirl' office warmer...

What are your plans for the weekend? I'll be working on spending a bit of time outdoors, and maybe even cleaning out the flower beds! 

xxoo

Heather

Visit the ScentSationals Outlet Store!

After an end of summer work-vacation, I am glad to be home again and ready to dust of my desk and get busy!! If I work really hard, I may even see the over-priced desk top that I had installed! lol

One of the sections of the warehouse... 

I am excited to report back to you all, that I had a chance to visit our ScentSationals facilities in Provo, Utah as well as the Outlet Store!!

The factory was in full gear, mixing and pouring waxes for the upcoming Christmas Season. It was really fun to walk through and recognize the wax scents. and even more fun to spot ones that haven't been released yet!

Holiday Sleigh Ride Fragrance...mmmm.....

The facility smelt amazing (of course) and it took most of my will power to restrain myself from opening every new scent and having a sniff!

Shortly after leaving the factory, I had the pleasure of visiting the outlet store. This is where I gave up on any will power and just let my senses loose as I shopped. For all those interested, you can visit the ScentSationals Factory Outlet at:

201 East Bay Blvd
Provo, UT 84606

The entrance is to the side of the building. If you live in the Utah area, or are on a road trip and passing through, I absolutely encourage you to drop in and check it out! For all of you who are not able to stop by, keep an eye on our Facebook Page and the ScentSationals homepage. When a sale comes up, it is pretty close to the same pricing that you might find at the outlet!

Check out my short video tour of the Outlet Store. My apologies in advance for filming with the camera on my phone ... but I REALLY wanted to share with you!

And, finally, here are all of my Outlet Store purchases, wrapped and ready to gift! Two of the warmers that I purchased didn't even make it home as my Aunt and Mother in law LOVED them as much as I do!! 

Ready to put into a gift bag and find a new home.

I'll be using a couple of the Plug-in warmers as the 'prizes' at my daughters baby shower later this year, and the rest... well.... I bet that you hope you are on my Christmas list!! 

6 fragrances... ScentSational for sure! 

Happy Day to you all!

xxoo Heather

August is almost over??!

I can't decide whether I want to cheer or cry, as I realize that it is almost the end of August!! Summer has literally flown by and while the days are still hot and I am still managing to do a minimal amount of everything, signs are starting to crop up that September is coming.

One of the most imminent signs that I am seeing are posts and comments from friends whose children are already back in school. I am SO not prepared for this! I have a Step-Daughter finishing her last year of college, a son entering his first year of college and a 13 year old who is about to enter 8th grade. My strategy overall, will be trying to win the 'last parent to buy school supplies' award! lol There's not actually anything I have to get ready or do is there??!

In all honesty, I will definitely enjoy some quiet days at home, but I will also miss the mellow, sleep-in, lazy summer days that we all love :)

And so, as we all say good-bye to another beautiful summer, I vote we sit outside, enjoy a nice scoop of fruity ice cream and start dreaming of snuggly winter days with a sweet cinnamon smells drifting through the house.... oh wait... I was warming No Place Like Home yesterday and already have sweet cinnamon smells! My new vote is to CANCEL WINTER!

xxoo
Heather

And the WINNER is......(insert drumroll please!)

The drum is beating rapidly... I can hear it's rumpa pum pum (silly drum sound effects by my daughter Quin!) resounding through my house... the drum noise is actually shaking my warmers and encouraging me to change one of my fragrances to one of our lovely prize options!!

For those of you just tuning in, (note the musical reference there, ie: drums and such!) This is our grand announcement of the contest winner for 4 of our beautiful new fragrances and a fabulous Plug-in warmer!

This prize is pretty sweet, especially seeing that all that our entrants had to do was 'like' us on Facebook, or follow our blog or tweet us etc... so many easy ways to enter! It's not like anyone had to swim laps or hold their breath or actually learn how to use a drum! I guess that is why we had soooo many entries! Thanks to all of you for participating, and even if you are not the winner, be sure to stay tuned as we have regular contests and opportunities for you to win some great products!

The contest officially ended on Aug 18th at 11:59 MST and I chose the winner via random.org (lucky number 55). Please note that our winner has 48 hours to reply before I have to choose a new one... which would be a shame!

And so.... without further delay, check your emails! Our winner's name is Carrie and I just emailed her! CONGRATULATIONS and happy smells!!

Heather

  

What's in a ScentSationals Name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

Could it smell less sweet?

Do you recognize this famous quote?! Of course it is William Shakespeare, taken from Romeo and Juliet! As I had the pleasure of naming each of my babies (4!), this quote became one of my favorites. It has found a place in my heart as well as my scrapbooks! 

The meaning behind this quote, if I can simplify and sum it up, is that What matters is what something is, not what it is called.


And, how might you ask, am I relating this to our ScentSationals wickless candles? It's all in the names of the FRAGRANCES! 


I fully realize that the name is just a name and it's really all about the smell, but I still find myself drawn to a fragrance by it's name. Sorry William, but I guess there is an exception to every rule?! If I don't like the name of a fragrance, would I still like the smell? It's sort of hard for me to answer this question, as I am hard pressed to find a fragrance name that I don't like!


These are my top five favorite NAMES of fragrances, and the reason why! 

1. Phenomenon - for obvious, phenomenal reasons! 
2. Fireworks - I can hardly wait to SMELL this one! The anticipation is definitely part of the fun!
3. Holiday Cake - Because CAKE is GOOD. Mmmm. Once you know me better you'll recognize cake as am important part of my world!lol
4. Gingerbread Man - Sort of along the same reason as CAKE! mmmmmmm.....
5. Coconut Sun - This one can easily take me to a sunny daydream with just it's name! 

So, what are some of your favorite fragrance names in the ScentSationals line? Comment below before August 18th at 11:59 pm MST and I will put your name in an extra two times for our contest draw!! 

xo

Heather

Pop, Sizzle, Fizz!

Growing up, I have wonderful memories of my Grandmother making homemade Rootbeer! We would go to visit her with our fingers crossed that a 'batch' would be ready and that our Aunts and Uncles would be in a sharing spirit!

Then, as we got older, my eldest brother made many attempts to recreate my Grandmother's concoction. Unfortunately, he wasn't always successful! I remember MANY exploding bottles, huge messes and not quite so yummy drinks, if of course HE was willing to share, which wasn't often the case!

And so, when this new Homemade Rootbeer Fragrance made it's debut last week AND I watched the video, I was instantly thrown back to my youth and in love with the pop sizzle and fizz all over again! 

To quote Genevieve, one of the ScentSationals team members, 'you can almost smell the carbonation!!'

Check out the video on YouTube, and while you're there, be sure to subscribe to the ScentSationals YouTube channel so you can see other fun videos from the past, and the many more to come!!  

 

Happy Memories & fizzy smells!

Heather

Play our ScentSationals game!

I must admit that I am in Scent heaven right now as with my recent induction into the ScentSationals family, I received a HUGE selection of beautiful fragrances! My 13 year old daughter (Quin) and I have enjoyed selecting our daily scents and love surprising our nose with all of the gorgeous fragrances!

Just a few of my ScentSationals fragrances!

We've really loved the names of the different scents as well, especially with some being so classic and others so exotic. The beautiful fragrances, combined with my daughter's flare for creativity made an immediate collision and so Quin developed a 'What's that Fragrance' nose and name skill testing game! Check out the 'rules' below to see what your ScentSationals skill level is! 

'What's that Fragrance' 

2. Line up the fragrances in front of one player.

Game Procedure for two or more players:

1. Select 4 or more fragrances from your ScentSationals collection. The more fragrances that you select, the more difficult the game is! 
2. Line up the fragrances in front of both players. 
3. Player 1 then blindfolds Player 2 and holds one fragrance up for Player 2 to smell. Player 2 can sniff to their hearts content, but must leave the blindfold on until Player 1 gives them the go ahead to take it off. 
4. When sniffing is complete, Player 1 replaces the scent into the 'lineup' and then allows Player 2 to remove the blindfold. 
5. Without 're-smelling' any fragrances, Player 2 must identify which fragrance they were sniffing! We allowed two guesses per scent. 
6. If guessed correctly, flip the scent upside down. 
7. If guessed incorrectly, the scent stays right side up. Player one continues to hold up scents until each one has been sniffed. 
8. Keep count of how many fragrances are correctly identified.
9. Switch players and allow Player 1 to sniff the same fragrances and see if their sniffing and identifying skills are better than the other Player(s). 
10. The winner gets to pick which scent is warmed for the day! 

Quin after her win, choosing a new scent!

And that's it, a really fun way to pick your daily fragrance! Quin played throughout the day with her neighborhood friends and decided that her favorite way to play is with 8 scents at a time. This way, the game was challenging, but fast enough that the 'second smeller' wasn't becoming over anxious while waiting to play.  

Quin and I were fairly matched against each other, how did you do? 

Check out your 'ScentSationals Skill Level'!

Matched 0-2 fragrances - You need more practice! We highly recommend daily seclusion and relaxation in a warm bathtub, with frequent fragrance changes until your scent matching skills improve!

Matched 3-5 fragrances - Not bad! You're sure to become a ScentSationals pro in no time! To improve your skills, allow a family member to pick a new scent to warm each day and then see if you can identify it! 

Matched 6-8 fragrances - Give yourself a pat on the back and treat yourself to a new fragrance! You have reached professional sniffing status and are hereby qualified to recommend your favorite scents to all of your family and friends! 

Matched more than 8 fragrances - Congratulations, you are a ScentSationals guru! It's quite likely that your professional sniffing skills will save homes from bad odors for years to come! Your Scentsationals collection is brimming with fabulous fragrance selections and it's likely that you have more than one warmer tingling your senses each day!

Best!

Heather