Christmas scent

I am very into "smells." I like the smell of "Christmas," whether it's pine- or cinnamon-scented candles (cranberry is good too!). Unfortunately a lot of the "seasonal" candles irritate Mike's allergies, so I have had to find an alternative. Lots of people do some sort of variation of a stove-top potpourri, but I started doing this particular "recipe" last year and really enjoy it, so I thought I would share.

In a saucepan, combine the following:

• 1 quart water
• 5-6 cinnamon sticks (break some if you want)
• 3-4 bay leaves
• tablespoon of whole cloves
• 1/2 an orange, cut into quarters (you can squeeze some juice out into the water if you want)
  
• 1/2 a lemon, cut into quarters (again, squeeze some juice if you want)

Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer. You can store the mixture in the fridge (covered) for a few days, just add some water when you put it back on the stove. Some of the ingredients (cinnamon and cloves) can be expensive, so just buy the cheapest available. You're not going to be eating it, so the quality doesn't really matter. I got one of those "restaurant" size containers of cinnamon sticks at the store because they were priced 2/$7, as opposed to the McCormick brand, which would have cost $4.99.

W is doing some fun new things. To name a few:

1. Identifying (pointing, etc) certain body parts, namely arms, hands, nose, tummy and mouth
2. Says "ga" for "cat" and "ba" for "ball"
   
3. Says "da" for Dad and "ma" for Mom
4. Points at kitchen cabinet when he wants food (this isn't necessarily a positive development)
5. Follows some two-step directions (today I asked him to "Go get the ball and bring it to Mama", which he did)
6. Gently pets his kitties and doggie

He's a busy boy!