I've always been amazed at the ability of smell to transport you to a different place and time.
Cut open a lemon, and I'm instantly taken back to the Aeolian Islands off of Sicily, where lemons the size of footballs grew outside the house. We'd climb the trees to retrieve them en masse, and brought them home where they sat in a fragrant mountain on the kitchen table, waiting to be squeezed over fish or grilled vegetables.
Freshly cut garden roses remind me of my grandmother, who was a devotee of those saintly flowers, and how they symbolized life and growth.
And, a bundle of lavender transports me home, where my mother bought the dried herb in bulk, stuffing them in simple muslin bags and tucking them in our drawers, closets and laundry baskets.
So, it should be of little surprise that one of my favorite ways to elevate mood is with scent.
In our home, we've been diffusing essential oils using a Stadler Form diffuser. Essential oils are amazingly effective at both purifying the air and delivering relaxing notes, and there are a few concoctions in particular that I love for clean and calming tones.
Cleaning Blend
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil
3 drops lemon essential oil
2 drops sweet orange essential oil
Calming Blend
10 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops bergamot essential oil
For each blend, mix together in a dark glass bottle, keeping these proportions constant even if increased. When ready to use, fill your diffuser to the fill line with water, and add in 3-7 drops of the essential oil blend.