Just as a good book with vivid words can elicit memories, images, and tastes, certain scents can evoke a particular memory. How many times have you walked by a store exuding fragrant aromas and your mind takes you back? Have you been sitting outside on a cold winters evening and the smell of mesquite burning reminds you of a childhood campout? The scents of rain, lemon, and vanilla bean all bring me back to times in my childhood.
There is nothing like the smell of a fresh summer rain in the desert. The smell of damp soil and soaked creosote bushes make me want to lounge in a chair on the back porch breathing in the bouquet of a wet summer afternoon. It reminds me of childhood when we would splash in puddles and run soaking wet around the neighborhood. New memories are built every year around this pungent smell. I now associate it with the sound of tires treding long the glassy asphalt as the car plunges and creates a chime as water sprays everywhere.
The sweet smell of vanilla bean reminds me of a childhood friends home. I spent a lot of time playing and running around there. Too many memories to hash. The one thing I remember though is the smell of candles burning throughout the home. Most often they were vanilla or a harvest apple. Whenever I return there or smell a vanilla candle burning my thoughts race back to those times.
Lastly, lemon is a scent I will forever hold dear. I remember the lemony scent of a bubble filled sink as I climbed up the step stool to help my grandma with dishes. A chore I surely do not treasure today. But, I will always enjoy washing dishes at my grandmas and forever associate the smell of fresh cut lemons with good conversation and a clean dish.
Seventh Generation is celebrating the sweet smells of nature too with the Nature Makes Perfect Scents sweepstakes. Enter for your chance to win a trip for two to the regions of lemons, clementines and lavender, including France and Italy. Enter for your chance at www.seventhgeneration.com/scents. Win and choose your favorite region including Vermont, Seventh Generation’s home and the inspiration behind its Free & Clear line.
You can find Seventh Generation Here:http://www.seventhgeneration.com/
I wrote this blog post while participating in a SocialMoms and Seventh Generation blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information about how you can participate click here.
