Think about what fall and the holiday season smell like to you. Warm. Spicy. Maybe some pine, maybe some peppermint, maybe some cinnamon. Apple pie, pumpkin pie, all things warm and cozy.

Even if you don’t have pies constantly baking in the oven (spoiler alert: I don’t…but pie is good!), it’s still nice to have your home smell like the season. There’s always the option of using scented candles. However, many people are sensitive to the scents in candles specifically. Additionally, candles made out of paraffin wax can release toxic chemicals into the air. Even if you’re using wax alternatives, candle wicks often also have toxins like lead in them. All these things are substances you likely do not want your family around. As a RI family photographer, I know all of my families are very aware of what they are consuming and breathing!

So what to do? One option is to use essential oils to make your home smell yummy. I’ve got lots of different ones that I diffuse throughout the year. During the fall and into the holidays, there are a few combinations that smell really good! Put my favorite blends below in your diffuser, or if you have a blend that you love, let me know in the comments! NOTE: I use doTerra oils, but you can obviously use any brand for these scents.

WILD ORANGE, GINGER, AND CLOVE

Did your mom ever simmer orange peels and cloves or cinnamon in a pan on the stove in cool weather? Or maybe grandma had one of those oranges stuck with cloves? Both smell really good! This blend is reminiscent of both of those, or maybe some warm spiced tea. Put two drops of each in your diffuser. If you don’t have ginger, cinnamon oil also makes a nice addition to this blend. Put on some cozy socks and watch the leaves fly off the trees outdoors!

WHITE FIR AND PEPPERMINT

Do you turn on the Christmas tunes as soon as it’s November 1? Do you want the smell of a Christmas tree to go along with your Christmas Pandora station before you actually get your tree? This blend is for you! It smells like a pine tree with a side of candy canes. Any pine-scented oil will do, depending on which one your brand uses. Add three drops of white fir/pine and one drop of peppermint to your diffuser, close your eyes, and inhale. It’s like you’re in the middle of a pine forest! Was that a reindeer that just walked by?!

HOLIDAY JOY (OR YOUR PREFERRED BRAND’S HOLIDAY BLEND)

Do you like someone else to be the mixologist for you? Then look into your preferred oil brand’s holiday blend…most have them. These blends are similar to the first blend on this list but with even more of that “special something”. If you want your house to smell homey, warm, and like you just baked your buns off all through fall and into December (hey, use it all year round if you want!)…this type of oil is for you. The only downside is telling houseguests that you actually don’t have two dozen warm cookies sitting on a cooling rack ready to eat.

Want more info on a session? Get the client guide!