Seasons Greetings from the staff at Motherlove! 
First row beginning at left: Kathryn,Elycia, Sue, Amelia. Back row beginning at left: Aimee, Donna, Claudia and Debbie.
Fall in Colorado
The land is transformed with hillsides of glowing color and snow-capped mountains. The holiday season is here and we are spending more time with friends and family, thankful for all our blessings. It's a time of warm fires, hot tea and more time indoors.
A simple way to freshen and enliven the air inside your home is with potpourris. A potpourri can be dry or steamed. I like to keep a handful of herbs slowly steaming in a pot of water on our wood stove in the living room - it's a great and natural room freshener.
My favorite winter combination includes pine and juniper (which I gather from the trees in the yard), rosemary, cinnamon sticks, orange peel, allspice berries, and whole cloves. Slowly steam the herbs in a pan on the kitchen stove under gentle heat. Use 1/4 C. herb in 1 qt. water.
You can make a colorful dry potpourri in a open jar for the holidays using the above green pine and woodsy spices by adding red rosehips and white yarrow. Other herbs that add scent and color are purple lavender, blue juniper berries, orange calendula, red or pink rose petals, chamomile, scented geraniums of all flavors, thyme, sage, mints, lemon balm or cut up vanilla beans.
Another way to use potpourris is in a hot pad. Cut material squares (quilted material works well), sew them together, leaving one side open and fill with a favorite combination of spices. Then sew up the remaining side. Place under a hot teapot or casserole to fill the room with an aromatic scent.
Remember to take time out and enjoy yourself, family and friends this holiday season! | 
