With the coming of fall, the smell of vanilla fills the air.  Summer time is perfect for those light citrus scents like orange or mango, but the cold air of fall and winter demand something deeper and richer and vanilla fills that role perfectly!  Did you know that vanilla is the most common scent around?  From beauty products to household air fresheners, the fragrance of vanilla is everywhere!

I, for one, am quite happy to be surrounded by vanilla.  Just looking around my apartment, I know that I am pushing the vanilla agenda!  I have a great Yankee candle (almost burnt out now) on the kitchen counter which emanates a great vanilla scent throughout my apartment. Then there’s my Crest Vanilla toothpaste in my bathroom!

With the holidays approaching though, my mind has shifted to thinking of gifts for my friends and family.  Luckily, I know I can’t be the only vanilla lover and it seems like the safest and best scent to give.  Besides  the great Rodelle vanilla gifts available from Cost Plus World Market, I’ve been keeping my eyes open and I’ve seen some wonderful products you might want to check out for your closest afficionados!  There is a beautiful Black Vanilla Leave-In Conditioner from Carol’s Daughter (a natural company) and Graham Webb has a Vanilla Plum Fortifying Conditioner.  For skincare, there are vanilla lotions and vanilla lip balm.

Somehow, though, even though I know these are great products made by good companies, it doesn’t feel like enough.  I also want to do a green Christmas this year and add a homemade touch.  A few years ago, my best friend made a series of bath salts with different scents.  I loved mine and quickly used that up and I think that was a really neat idea.  That’s why I was so excited to find out that there are a ton of easy recipes for homemade making vanilla candles, vanilla perfume, vanilla bath salts, vanilla lotion, vanilla shampoo and conditioners and even vanilla lip balm!  I’ll be making some of these over the next few weeks and I’ll let you know how they work out!

Vanilla: A scent made for giving! What are some ways you all are personalizing your holiday gifts this year?

Thanks to AngelSK and kendiala for the pictures!

Laura