centsy christmas

i in love with christmas again. i am over my 'bah humbug' mood and going full throttle. the girls have watched a slew of animated classics and we've worn out the ipod battery listening to johnny mathis and nat king cole. and to top it all off ty's ralphie bobble head is adorning our armoire.

but my kitchen, oh, it smells delicious.

all i use are three cinnamon sticks and 3 cups of water.

yup, that's it. turn your stove on low and get ready to be impressed. my mom did this at home growing up, so maybe it's the nostalgia that makes it so pleasing to me.  but it is so very cheap. and when i found these large bottles of cinnamon sticks at costco this year i almost peed my pants with excitement. yes, i was that excited. usually i'll search out big lots or the dollar store for cheapo cinnamon sticks, but these ones this year are excellent quality and inexpensive. and so very festive. if you are feeling especially MORE festive, throw in some cloves too.

and be prepared to add water every hour or so as it burns down quickly. i keep my pot on the stove every day and wash it out every few days. enjoy!

as you can see i keep adding cinnamon sticks to the mix when i feel it's lost some oomph.

and i'm too lazy to take out the old ones
and don't think my table is always this clean, i wipe it down to give the illusion of cleanliness.
did it work?
*added some orange peel today. wow. what a difference. thanks for the tips ladies.