I was so much better about getting bulk gift ideas out on here last year. I wish I had done better this year but I feel like I’m juggling a little more now than back then so thanks for bearing with me.

While growing up, my mom often had a simmer pot going on the stove during the winter months. I have them going some here as well, especially since I’ve stopped using heavily scented candles, but I never thought to give them as gifts until last year. They are so easy to assemble, look beautiful in a jar, loved by giftees, and are compostable when they have been used. Everything I’m looking for to give as a gift.

All I did was throw in a bunch of aromatics. That’s literally it. Technically, I guess I did dry the orange slices in the oven for a bunch of hours on 175 degrees but that was it. Next time I would probably do a tangerine instead of a navel so it fits better in the jar. The navel slices were just a little wide for the jar so I had to break a couple of them to fit them in. Still beautiful, though!! For this jar I threw in some allspice berries, star anise, whole cloves, a cinnamon stick, a cutting from our Christmas tree, and a dried orange slice. Now all my friends or family will need to do is dump it in a small pot, add some water and set it on low to have their house smelling like a winter’s dream in no time. And the nice thing about simmer pots is you just keep adding water as it simmers down and you can easily get a handful of days out of it. (Just don’t let it simmer down to nothing or you will be scrubbing that burnt crust off the pot for days. Trust me.)

I’ve got another gift coming your way in the next few days but if you need more ideas, scroll back through to last year as there’s a bunch back there (sorry, I don’t know how to link 😬).