Forget fancy candles or packaged potpourri, I've got a great tip to keep your house smelling great with items you already have. For the sake of the photos, I used pretty lemons and oranges, but this idea works with old, shriveled citrus or even just the peels from used lemons, oranges, grapefruits and limes. The rinds contain super-smelling oils that get broken down and diffused into the air as they simmer on the stove top. Toss in some other great-smelling items like evergreen boughs, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, bay leaves, and fresh herbs that are ready to be discarded, and you've got million-dollar smells coming from a simmering saucepan of otherwise discardable items. Here are a few of my favorite concoctions:
Lemon Evergreen Potpourri
lemon slices or peels 1 small evergreen bough
Orange Spice Potpourri
orange slices or peels 2 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon whole cloves 1 bay leaf
Cranberry Apple Spice Potpourri
1 cup cranberries 1 apple core 2 cinnamon sticks
Lemon Rosemary Potpourri
lemon slices or peels sprigs of rosemary bay leaf
Directions Fill a medium saucepan 3/4 full of water and set it on low heat. Toss in the ingredients and allow to simmer for up to 6 hours. Check water level at least every hour and refill as needed to avoid scorching.