Look a Squirrel ! - Holiday Gift Giving

With Christmas coming up there's often a package on the porch when I get home as I do almost all of my shopping online.

I wasn't sure what the one box was - maybe it's the toy I got for Abby.

It's the Outward Hound squirrel puzzle tree with squeaky squirrels.  Abby's going to go BONKERS when this arrives.

It wasn't that today though. It was a collection of little travel size (1/2 ounce each) fragrances from Demeter which are fun little stocking stuffers.  They have some UNIQUE scents, is all I can say.  Many are really lovely, some are just odd (if your boyfriend wants you to smell like Paint, Turpentine or  Lobster, I don't want to get invited to the wedding).  Of course, there are some that make me laugh AND smell good.

I got Cinnamon Bark roll-on skin oil, an old standby that is spicy but not sickeningly sweet.  It's my best friend's favorite.  I also added some others.  The RHIB was just like the cocktail it's named after, very strawberry scented.  I like my Victoria's Secret Strawberry and Champagne spray better but it smelled nice. The Marshmallow was a light sweet fragrance, one I think my daughter. would like.  The Honey was sweet and pretty but I pictured swarms of Africanized Bees (Beebonics! Oh No!) swarming after me.  I may pass on that one.  The Gin and Tonic -  nice, subtle lime undertone and very crisp. This is going in my husbands stocking as that will make a very nice man's fragrance.  The Butterscotch - OK, I was caught huffing my wrist.  I'm going to keep that one for myself for date night.

Riding crop smelled like worn leather but my cousin who has horses may get a smile out of it. The only one I did NOT like was the Thunderstorm, which I expected to.  I was waiting for a crisp rain smell with perhaps some pepper added to the oils to make it sharper.  Nope, it smelled like something electrical burning from behind the dash.  I've smelled that smell in a Sherpa transport aircraft, late it night over a hostile landscape, and, trust me, that is NOT a good smell.  Thunderstorm isn't the right name.  They really should have named this one Lucas. (Any of you who have a British car in your garage - ever notice that Lucas and Lucifer start with the same three letters? Just saying).

What to do with it?  Hmmmmm. (insert evil laugh here)  I think I will make little air fresheners out of cardboard, cut them in the shape of a fuse, douse them well with Thunderstorm perfume, then stuff them in the vents in the current Triumph project and see how long it takes my husband to start looking around for the Lucas Replacement Wiring Harness Smoke Kit. :-)

For now, I can come up with something that smells much nicer than any of this. 

• Vanilla Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

Vanilla cupcakes with chocolate hazelnut frosting, topped with crumbled Cadbury Flake candy. I made up a batch of these for a friend with a black lab that needed a little holiday cheer.

The cake has extra vanilla and the tiniest hint of almond and the creamy chocolate hazelnut frosting recipe has been a big hit with those I've shared it with on the blog before.

It must smell good - doggie photobomb!

Now what's that burning smell?