Tip: Freshen a Room with Vanilla

I can't count how many times I've shelled out $60 for air fresheners from Bath & Body Works. I LOVE that store, and their Wallflowers are my favorite air fresheners. However, paying that much hurts my wallet so much that I feel it in my heart. 

Leaving my air unfreshened however, is not an option. Not only do I have a toddler who's constantly leaving snacks sitting out, I have a cat (kitty litter box - ewww) and a rabbit in the house. 

Rather than splurge on my beloved Wallflower plugins, I typically use the Renuzit fresheners. They're great at eliminating odors, and they only cost around $1 apiece, lower if you catch them at Walmart right before season changes when the new fragrances come out.

While flipping through my "Who Knew?" books, I found this tip for freshening your rooms that costs about $.05 and takes 2 minutes. I tried it out on a day when it was rainy and muggy and the house had that stale funky smell, and it worked! It freshened it right up and left a crisp bright scent. 

Take a couple of q-tips and a bottle of vanilla extract. (I used imitation, but I hear if you use the real thing it will smell like vanilla.) Dip the q-tip in the extract and wipe the top of a cool lamp bulb. Then turn the lamp on. Within 10 minutes, your house will smell like new!