Well, hello there, lovely friends! It feels so good to be back after what feels like forever. At 6:09 pm last night, I answered the final question for my Diploma in Early Childhood Education. Hooray! While I still need to go over a few things before I hit that submit button, I can happily say that I’m pretty much done. I’ve missed blogging and this friendly blogging community (as well as so many social things). But I knew I needed to step away for a while to focus entirely on my diploma. Spreading myself too thin was leaving me frazzled (and trust me, I was very frazzled). But now that the shackles are off, I can finally say yes to fun things again! For the past few months, and especially the last four weeks, it’s been all work and not much play. From the moment I woke up, through lunch breaks at work, and right into my evenings, all I’ve done is work on those assignments. But now that’s all behind me, and it feels so good to be here, joining Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne, and Sarah for the final Share Our Lives link-up of 2024. It’s great to be back, and what better way to return than by talking about something that always lifts my spirits–my favourite smells! My sense of smell is my superpower. Sometimes, I’ll be talking to someone, and I’ll say, “Hey, can you smell that?” and they’re all like, “No, what smell?” Maybe my heightened sense of smell has something to do with being born in the year of the dog. Who knows? But anyway, here’s a list of my top 10 favourite smells. Top 10 Favourite Smells Coffee Number one on the list of my top 10 favourite smells is coffee. I especially love the smell of ground coffee beans. Whenever I open my jar of coffee, I usually stand there inhaling it first before I scoop it out for the plunger. But do you know what I love even more than smelling ground coffee beans? Percolated coffee! It just about sends me into a trance. Freshly Washed Laundry Yep, I sure do love the smell of fabric softener lingering on freshly washed clothes. Many years ago, one of my little students used to come to preschool with the most gorgeous-smelling clothes. She would often cry when her mum left, and I’d hold her on my lap, comforting her, and take in great big whiffs of her clothes that smelled divine. Haha, she came back for a visit about a year after she left preschool, and the first thing she said to me was, “Miss Ruth, I always remember how you always liked to smell me.” How embarrassing. Oops, I didn’t realise I was so obvious! New Cars Brand-new cars always smell amazing. Just the other day, I stepped into my cousin’s new car, and the smell of the leather seats and whatever else they make cars out of smelled so good. Apple Pie Baking in the Oven There’s nothing like the smell of apple pie baking in the oven. The mix of apples, cinnamon, and vanilla is just heavenly. Aftershave or Perfume I’m not a fan of super strong aftershave or perfume, but just enough to catch a whiff when someone walks by—now that’s the sweet spot. Right now, I’m still loving Coco Mademoiselle, and Steve occasionally wears Ralph Lauren. Though, I have to say—he never wears enough. I think he and I might need to have a little chat about that. Hotel Air Freshener A couple of years ago, when we stayed at The Parkroyal Hotel in Parramatta for a wedding, they had the most amazing air freshener I’ve ever smelled. You could catch the scent as soon as you walked into the lobby, but it wasn’t overpowering—just a subtle fragrance. I can still remember it vividly. Other hotels have great air fresheners, too, but none have topped the one from the Parkroyal. Leather Especially leather handbags– they smell so luxurious! Garlic Sizzling in Olive Oil Yum! Garlic sizzling in olive oil takes me back to when we would go to a Spanish restaurant in the city. They served the best garlic prawns, which came out in clay pots with the garlic sizzling right under my happy nose. Jasmine Flowers They smell so sweet! My neighbour has jasmine growing in her front garden, and when it blooms in the spring, I love being greeted by its scent as I walk up to my front steps after work. I’ve been meaning to plant jasmine in my own garden for years—it’s been on my to-do list forever! Spices Some of my favourites are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. So it’s no surprise that I love Glogg, which is a warm, spiced Swedish mulled wine. All those spices with red wine and dried fruit are such a heavenly combo! With the Christmas season in full swing, it means that I will be enjoying some Glogg very soon! I love talking about all things scents and smells and am always on the lookout for ways to make my home smell good. If you’re interested, check out my stove-top potpourri recipes for some deliciously fragrant ideas. I’m sure I’ll remember more of my favourite smells later on, but for now, that wraps up my top 10 favourite smells. What are yours? I’m about to jump off the computer and create some more of my favourite smells in the kitchen—it’s time for chicken schnitzel tonight! Maybe I should’ve included that on my list! Thanks so much for stopping by. I’m excited to be back on my old posting schedule of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Who knows, I might even have time for a few extra posts in between. Happy Monday!
