I have a serious thing for candles.  No, not birthday candles, and as an aside I have to say I’ve always thought those trick candles you can’t blow out are just a little bit cruel.  I mean, the whole point of birthday candles is getting to blow them out and make a wish.  Plus the cake.  Everyone wants to get to the cake.  But there you are, puffing away, and the damn things just keep relighting in front of you while everyone stares…but I digress.

No, my love affair is with those large jar candles, the ones with names like Red Raspberry and French Vanilla.  (I’m a purist when it comes to fragrance.)  Enveloping a room in a comforting smell changes everything.  Work may be stressful, life might seem overwhelming, but it’s really hard to freak out with the smell of Coconut & Vanilla Bean wafting up from the coffee table.  Just saying.

Sometimes people ask me what things are like now that the kids are older, and I have to admit this has its perks.  I can sleep in without thinking they might stumble out into the street because a dog walks by.  They can feed themselves, which is great ’cause they’re hungry, like, a lot.  They’re fun to hang around (okay, sometimes they’re fun to hang around), but they also crave time with their friends so I get my alone time, too.

And now that I know they won’t grab the pretty fire, I can light my precious candles.