Candles are the Best Gifts + Best Practices

One of my favorite things to gift & receive as a gift is a classic candle. I LOOOVE them. My mom had a no flame rule growing up in our home so we never had candles in the house. It's like she thought we were going to burn the place down or something. So naturally when I moved out at 18 the first thing I stocked up on was candles!! I went to Bath & Body Works to spent my whole paycheck on those yummy candles. So nostalgic right?? 

Candles are the best gifts because they are perfect for everyone. Here are just a few scenarios of when I would gift a candle, to help you spark some ideas....

• The perfect house warming gift for a friend moving into a new home, apartment or a friend that is moving away from you.
• A thoughtful "thinking of you" gift. Like if someone showed up on your doorstep with your favorite candle you would be so obsessed, right??
• The perfect shower present. Go one step further & get a candle that has a personalized touch.
• A fan favorite birthday gift. Especially if their birthday is seasonal! Floral scents in the spring, pumpkin spice in the fall, & the perfect pine scent in the winter. Thoughtful & functional!
• Don't forget about the men in your life. Gift a masculine scent for a wedding gift, graduation presents, or his first bachelor pad house warming gift.

Now let's talk about my favorite brands of candles. This is important!! Like I said earlier, I used to live for a BOGO Bath & Body Works candle sale until I learned about the harmful effects of paraffin wax. What I learned through the book Cleanse to Heal by the Medical Medium is that when we inhale the scents from air fresheners & candles, it leaves an oily, waxy film on our lungs. So basically, you have wax in your lungs, YUCK!!! You could opt for essential oils & a diffuser but candles just feel so luxe & elevated, so I choose to burn soy candles instead. Here are a few of my favorites:

My first love & forever classic is the Volcano candle from Capri Blue. It smells like magic & is my favorite scent of all time. I love having one in my home & light it when I am feeling fancy or when we have guests coming over. I love giving this gift to important people in my life. 

Another favorite soy candle brand that is local to Utah is BlueLily Candles. I have met the owner Sarah. She is so sweet & kind. If you're looking for a small business to support, I highly recommend this one!!

Target has an affordable & accessible soy candle line by Opalhouse that I love to keep in my home & in my gift closet. They have so many fun colors & scents. The candle is a great volume for the killer price of $9.99!

Want to reuse your beautiful glass candle jars? A small business called Hive & Home has soy candle refill kits & guess what?? They have a volcano scent!!

Okay! So you've found your all time favorite scent & spent your hard earned money on a non-toxic soy candle that won't fill your lungs with wax LOL!! Now what?? Here are some tricks I have picked up over the years to keep my candles lasting long & in tip top shape!

• On the very first burn & every session after that, be sure to let the top layer of your candle liquify before blowing it out. This will avoid "tunneling."
• Keep your candle on a sturdy, even surface & away from moving air (like a vent or window.)
• Trim your candle wicks to be 1/4" before burning. You can do this with a nasty rat pair of scissors that you keep in a drawer or you can get a gorgeous candle trimmer & display it with your beautiful candles. Also, using scissors is an awkward angle so the candle trimmer is easier on the wrist. If you want to get real fancy you can get a whole candle trimmer set that comes with a snuffer. 
• Get the most out of that last 1/2" of wax with a candle warmer.
• Refill your gorgeous candle jar or repurpose it to be a little succulent planter, storage container, or little jewelry box.

There it is! I've spilled all I know about candles & I hope you caught a bit of my candle obsession! Now it's time for a little giveaway!! Leave a comment telling me your favorite candle, or your favorite tip you learned from this post to be entered to win a Capri Blue volcano candle along with other goodies! 
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Other posts to elevate your home:
++ Why you need a white noise machine!!
++ 4 Amazing Kitchen Hacks!!

xoxo, Lexie