We currently have our house on the market. What a grueling affair it is - trying to maintain some semblance of tidyness with three kids and life just going on as normal. I have long given up being tempted to get a paint brush out and touch up some of the signs of wear and tear on the hall walls - however we still religiously plump up the cushions and frenetically hoover whenever another wary viewer is wheeled out. Of course being in the trade I have gone into overdrive on creating the right atmosphere with lovely blends of oils. Actually I think overkill is the word I am looking for - in my enthusiasm, I splashed a new concoction I had worked on, all over the place just before leaving the house sparkling and pristine for the agents to show around. When we all traipsed back, many hours later, we nearly fell back out the door when thestrong smells of lemon and lavender hit us full on! We are used to having lots of wonderful aromas around, but frankly this was a bit much - I wonder if the agents managed to get the viewers all the way around the house or if they had to leave early due to severe lacrimation? Must remember next time, less is more….

When I picked up my 6 year old from school today a funny thing happened! She was not wearing her school sweater which resulted in a trip to the ‘lost and found’ bin in her classroom. As we plodded past the neatly assembled chairs on tables and through into the depths of the warm classroom, I was struck by the smell – a classroom smell that has not altered since I was a child in a different country – a mixture of pencils, paint and cabbage – something musky but unthreatening. Anyway we had reached the bin and there was Holly pulling out handfuls of sweaters and … sniffing them ….’I will know which is mine by its smell’ she informed me, and within a few seconds she had detected her very own blue sweater out of a mountain of blue sweaters. She confirmed her choice by looking at the name tag and off we went – our sense of smell… what a wonderful useful thing it is I thought!

It is so lovely and warm for April – not only do I find this thrilling (I should be living closer to the equator!!) but I have noticed how all my senses are wakening up. The light is sharper, brighter and the colours are becoming more vivid, the air feels silkier during the day and crisp as soon as the sun goes down. And all those wonderful smells, ignited by the warmer temperatures! Subtle scents that resonate with the whole of nature coming out of hibernation. If we could bottle nature without making any changes it would smell of sun-dried Egyptian cotton sheets, I am sure of that!!