The choices  in scents are wonderful – vanilla tonka includes hints of coconut and cherries, pineapple cilantro adds touches of grapefruit and ginger, while coconut plantain mixes in some jasmine and bergamot too.

Adding a second wick to the candle helps to release extra fragrance from the soy-based wax.  It also makes it easier to melt in a more uniformed pattern, which can help the candle to last longer.

Fortunately there’s a large assortment of sizes and styles available, so whether you like pillars, jar candles or tea lights, you can find a twin light soy candle to match your style.  Some of the fragrances even come in scented potpourri.

If you’re ready to start shopping for Christmas candles, the Twin Light line includes both Cinnamon Holly and Christmas Tree scented candles.  Even though one of my best friends has allergies, she can still enjoy scented candles if they are made of soy-based wax, so I’ve started my Christmas gift shopping early.

The variety here is pretty good – full size floating red apples, half apples complete with tiny seeds, and an assortment of red and green mini-apples.  There are so many ways to use this color in your home.  I have a beautiful wooden bowl we received as a wedding gift – it’s perfect to fill with a collection of apple candles, and I’ll never have to worry about this fruit going bad.

Of course if you prefer floating candles, just put these floating apple candles in a clear bowl and enjoy the result. 

Though these floating apple candles are not scented, they will be great seasonal decorating candles from now through Halloween, and would even work nicely on the table at Thanksgiving.

Removing nicks from candles – Improve the look of dusty or nicked candles with an old pair of pantyhose.  Using the hose like a glove, simply rub out the problem. 

Removing white coating from candles – This coating, known as “bloom”, can develop on candles stored in cold temperatures.  Put your hair dryer setting on low, and gently apply low heat to your candle.  Usually the bloom will disappear within 15 seconds.

Getting wax out of votive candle holders – place ¼” of water at the bottom of the glass votive holder when lighting the candle.  This will prevent the hot wax from sticking to the glass, and will also ensure that you won’t burn the candle too low as well (stop burning all candles when they are less than ¼” tall).

How to remove wax from carpet – Begin by scraping up the excess wax with a butter knife or other dull edge.  Put a paper bag over the remaining wax, then press gently on the bag with a warm iron.  The wax should transfer to the paper bag.  You may need to test several settings on the iron to determine the sufficient level of heat to melt the wax Keep using clean parts of the bag so you don’t accidentally put any wax back in the carpet.  Repeat the process until your rug is wax free.  One note, however – if the wax has artificial color, you may not be able to get the color out of your carpet.

Some people have also suggested using an old towel or even white paper towels instead of the paper bag.

Make sure that whatever you use doesn’t contain any color or dye so that you’ll avoid dye transfer into the rug. 

Removing candle wax from tablecloths or cloth napkins – Start by placing an ice cube or ice pack on the wax to harden it.  Once the wax becomes brittle, use a dull edge to scrape away as much wax as possible.  Some people like using a credit card for this purpose; just make sure if you use a knife that the edge is not serrated, which could damage the cloth.

Next, follow similar directions as removing wax from carpets; place one paper bag underneath the cloth, another paper bag on top of the wax, and apply heat through a warm iron.  Again, test various heat settings to find one sufficient to transfer the wax to the top paper bag; you should be safe starting with a medium setting.

If colored wax left a stain, pre-treat the stain and launder the soiled fabric as soon as possible.  Toss in a color-absorbing laundry sheet (Shout makes these) to prevent color transfer to any other items in the wash load.

Glass cylinders give you the chance to bring a vision to life, especially if you’re trying to match a specific décor or color scheme.  Fill the bottom of the cylinder with something colorful that compliments your room color, like glass marbles, or compliments your theme, like seashells or sand, then place a candle securely on top.  Personally I like to use a short scented pillar, usually a 3” size, so we can enjoy both color and fragrance.

One of the most aromatic ways to use a glass cylinder is by filling the base with coffee beans, then placing a white or ivory candle on top.  The fragrance of the beans will gently fill the room, and will become even stronger when the candle is lit.  The result is absolutely irresistible!  By the way, this makes a great gift for coffee-loving friends.

I like to decorate for the holidays by filling the glass cylinder base with things like red hearts at Valentine’s Day, orange marbles for Halloween, and shiny little ornaments at Christmas.  It’s colorful, inexpensive, and I can change it every year so I never get bored.

Make sure to keep a few glass cylinder candle holders in assorted sizes around your house, and let your imagination run wild!

For example, I know my friend Jackie has a stressful business trip coming up.  The perfect choice for her is a combination of lavender and tangerine called “Relaxation” or bergamot and lime for “Insight” to help her relax after a long day.
Bob and Beth are going to Las Vegas next weekend – without kids – to celebrate his birthday.  We’re sending along a romance inspiring ylang ylang candle to help them enjoy the trip.

Right now, our good neighbors Gail and Bill are packing to move to New York.  To help them with the process, we gave them an early going-away present, a “Vitality” aromatherapy candle containing peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils to help give them the energy they need to complete the move.  Gail said it’s helping, and she can’t believe that Bill will actually spend some time each night relaxing by candlelight.

So if you want to give a friend the gift of peace, romance, energy or something else special and lovely, just get a travel tin aromatherapy candle and you’ll be their best friend ever!

With its open design, this candle holder would work perfectly inside or outdoors, since it is very easy to light the candles through the bars comprising the ball.   For speed, I would definitely recommend using your favorite style of candle lighter. 

It’s pretty hard sometimes to find something that works outside, but the since the votive candles in this one are protected by their votive holders, chances are that unless it’s really windy, your candles should remain lit. 

I like the fact that you can adapt this to any décor or theme just by changing the color of the votives.  It’s also open enough to adorn it with flowers or green sprigs to add color and perhaps even a gentle fragrance if you like.   

Using one inside gives the same options – changing the candles to match the holiday or season – like green votives for Christmas, red votives for Valentine’s Day, pretty pastels for the spring or summer,  autumn gold, orange, and brown for the fall.

I’m sure forgetting to extinguish a candle happens ten thousand times each day, and maybe there’s only one fire, but it still breaks my heart that something as beautiful as a candle can cause something bad to happen.

Some people are more prone to forgetting than others, and I wish someone would tell them about battery operated candles.  Technology is catching up to the desire for something beautiful and now you wouldn’t believe some of the choices available in this style. 

100Candles.com now carries a battery operated candle that not only has an authentic flickering flame, but is vanilla scented too.  The outside of the candle even looks like its got wax drippings on it.  It operates on 4 AA batteries, which last about 180 hours and can be replaced.

Is it as good as a traditional scented candle?  Nothing’s as good as a real scented candle, but this one does a darn good job, and I’d rather trade safety for reality for anyone with a tendency to forget a burning candle.

Please, please, if you know someone who “forgets” about a candle on a regular basis, tell them about battery operated candles so we never have another bad headline involving candles.

One such gift is the great Koala Bear candle, one of the wonderful shaped candles from Discount Candle Shop.  One of the things that make these animals so appealing is their peaceful faces with sleepy eyes encircling those endearing noses only a mother could love.  Through a special process of multi-stage pouring and hand painting, the artist has truly captured their soft, cuddly appeal in wax.  As the mother climbs the tree, baby clinging to her back, you almost want to pet them. 

I know that when I get a special candle I want to keep it just as it is, and thus never actually light it.  The great part about this candle is that it’s wide enough to hold a tealight candle – once you’ve burned it for a few hours, just place a tealight into the burn hole, then you can enjoy it as a truly special candle holder forever.

If you have a koala bear lover – or just an animal lover – on your Valentine’s Day gift list, this candle will make you a hero.  It’s adorable, affordable, and easy to order online.   What are you waiting for?

I know that all I have to do is light a hyacinth votive or jar candle and in minutes I feel like springtime is just around the corner.  The delicate floral scent instantly takes me back to playing in the backyard at my grandmother’s house.  She was an incredible gardener and always had hyacinths in her flower bed.  So now, just by lighting this richly scented candle, memories of hot summer days spent bike riding, playing hopscotch and swimming with my best friend Janie, flood my soul.  Can you think of an easier way to turn winter into spring?

So what candle scent reminds you of spring?  Whether its roses or ocean breeze, honeydew or apple, always remember this simple trick to make springtime instantly come alive in your home.

All my favorites are on sale now, including the adorable Frosted Candyland Pillar Candles and their matching Ceramic Gingerbread Candle Holder.  (I’ve put all these items in our Christmas Candle Shop so they’re easy for you to find!)  These peppermint stripped candles have a Christmas tree surrounding the wick, and offer a peppermint fragrance highlight with a hint of berries.  They are so cute, and you get the benefit of a scented candle in as well as a terrific decoration.

The Gingerbread Gumdrop House makes a fantastic centerpiece or decoration on any table.  Since it’s made of wax instead of actual gingerbread, this decoration can last for years too.  The kids will have to look closely to make sure that this is really a candle, since the gumdrops, icing on the rooftop and smiling gingerbread people flanking the door.  If you regularly participate in $10 gift exchanges, this gift would be a huge hit – everyone will realize it actually is worth more, but you’ll be telling the truth about staying within the agreed budget.  I love doing that.