Fall Feel-Good Tips!

Finally, the days of fall are here...crisp, cool evenings, leaves turning beautiful colors, looking ahead to the holidays. Here are a few tips for making you feel good this fall- naturally, of course!

• Cinnamon has been shown to make you alert and ambitious by stimulating the goal-reaching part of the brain. Sprinkle some in your morning oatmeal, on top of the cream cheese on your bagel or use a cinnamon stick to stir your hot morning beverage. The taste and aroma will jump start your day!


• One of fall's fruit, the green apple, can do more than just keep the doctor away: research shows that the aroma of green apple is very calming and can even relieve migraine headaches. To add apples to your day, try hot apple cider, which will fill your home with its soothing scent while keeping you healthy with antioxidants. To use this season's fruit for decorating, fill a tall glass vase with green apples or a lovely brown basket with red apples.


• To ease your physical and mental fatigue this holiday season, use the scent of oranges to stave away that sluggish feeling. For decorating, hollow out orange halves and arrange on a tray. Place tea light candles in the orange halves and light; the heat from the flames will spread the citrus aroma throughout your room! For an a.m. boost, try bathing with a citrus bath and shower gel and reap the rewards!


• What may be the most used herb in the holiday season, sage, isn't just for Thanksgiving dressing anymore- studies show that it boosts memory and helps transmit messages in the brain. To enjoy the scent every day, keep sage plants in a bright kitchen window; the smell will help diffuse odors and keep indoor air fresh. Use it to season vegetables, pasta and beef as well as holiday poultry.


• If you're concerned about keeping your cool this stressful of all seasons, consider vanilla- it helps reduce anger, melt shyness and encourages calm. A favorite of cooks and bakers alike, this sweet fragrance is easy to spread through the house by simply making something and adding a little vanilla. It works on kitchen burns as well to soothe the skin. For an easy, constant scent, try a vanilla diffuser and vanilla hand soap.

Sometimes all we need to make a long day better is a happy smell. Fill your holiday home with warm frangrance and relish in the benefits!

"Fish and visitors smell in three days." -Benjamin Franklin