A Fresh and Floral Citrus Summer Kitchen - Southern State of Mind Blog by Heather

Hi friends! How are you holding up these days? We are still doing our best around here and trying to keep things feeling as normal as possible. We have enjoyed the slower pace of the summer and believe it or not- even with the slower pace it still feels like summer is flying! But this is my 6th summer as a stay-at-home-mom and I am not going to sugar coat it- I already feel like I normally do after a long summer…

Burnt out.

There always seems to come a time at the end of the summer when I am just sick of the mess and sick of the chaos! Unfortunately since our time together started much sooner, I am already feeling the burn out symptoms and it is only June! I decided it was time to take a breather and do a few things to keep things fresh around the house, and I focused on the spot I spend most of my day. The kitchen. It was nice to do a few things to freshen up the kitchen with a pretty summer island flower arrangement and some fresh citrus scented goodies. With so much extra wear and tear on the house lately, these new citrus elements were such a sweet relief.

The past few summers I have created a flower arrangement using citrus and hydrangeas from our yard and they are so cheerful and fresh. So I decided to “treat” myself and create something similar this summer. When our blue hydrangeas bloom, I am always giddy and love creating some summery-citrusy arrangements. This year- I used lemons and oranges and I just love the way it turned out!

To see the 2018 lime and lemon version- click here.
To see the 2019 orange version- click here.

To make this- I simply grabbed my large glass vase and picked up a bag of lemons and oranges from the grocery store and layered them into the vase. Then I clipped three large blue hydrangeas from our yard. For the finishing touch- I added a few magnolia stems to add an extra layer of greenery. I love that the only cost of this entire look is just the citrus by using items from our yard.

Such a cheerful addition to the kitchen!

In addition to this cheerful flower arrangement- a few new Thymes citrus scented items were also helpful in making the kitchen feel fresh. Let’s face it- cleaning the kitchen daily (or multiple times a day!) and unloading the dishwasher is not exactly glamorous. So to use this great smelling Thymes was such a treat and I just love this lemon scent.

LEMON LEAF COLLECTION- SHOP ALL ITEMS HERE

Sunny and sparkling, this uplifting fragrance creates a green, citrus-filled escape for the home. A blend of:

Dewy Leaves

A fragrance accord that conveys the freshness and dew on tender green leaves in the morning mist or after rainfall. The aroma is delicate, green, fresh and watery.

” data-tooltip=””>Dewy Leaves. Crisp White Wood Accord. Creamy

Lily of the Valley

Also known as muguet, lily of the valley blooms in spring in dense thickets across the forest floor. Its bell-shaped white flowers emit an intense, elegant fragrance that blends floral with hints of greenness and fresh lemon.

” data-tooltip=””>Lily of the Valley. Effervescent

Lemon Verbena

A perennial bush celebrated for its citrus-scented leaves. Extracted through steam distillation, its fragrance is extremely fresh, sweet and fruity with a bright touch of lemon.

” data-tooltip=””>Lemon Verbena.

Bergamot

Named for Bergamo, the Southern Italy city in which it flourishes, this citrus is a cross between pear, lemon and Seville orange. Expressed from the ripe peel, its essential oil imparts a fruity sweetness in fragrances and flavorings, including that of Earl Grey tea.

” data-tooltip=””>Bergamot Oil. Geranium Blooms.

SHOWN BELOW:

Lemon Leaf Counter Spray
Lemon Leaf Candle

In addition to the lemon goodies, I was thrilled to test out this awesome orange scent. I really love this rich and fresh scent the reed diffuser puts out SUCH an amazing citrus scent in our entire living room.

MANDARIN CORIANDER || SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE

This one-of-a-kind herbal and citrus blend is like a breath of fresh air. Lively mandarin oil, robust coriander and vibrant grapefruit meld with calming lemon balm, green rosemary leaf, and warm cedarwood.

SHOWN BELOW:

Mandarin Coriander Reed Diffuser
Mandarin Coriander Poured Candle

Of course, I couldn’t ignore the sink and these beautiful bottles really take the boring dish duty up a notch. It helps that they smell amazing too.

FRESH CUT BASIL || SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE

Clean and invigorating, this scent cultivates a backyard herb garden indoors in any season. The greenness of fresh basil, tomato leaf, and delicate sage is touched with sweet notes of black currant, blood orange, and petitgrain.

Fresh Cut Basil Dishwasher Liquid
Fresh Cut Basil Large Handwash

Aren’t all of these bottles so pretty? Not only does everything smell DIVINE,but the bottles and packaging are sophisticated and a beautiful addition to our kitchen or bathroom. Thymes chooses to use natural, plant-based products whenever possible and all products are free of Parabens and Phthalates.

If you are also feeling “burnt out” I hope you are inspired to take a few minutes to treat yourself to something special today. Sometimes even just flowers and a little special while cleaning in the kitchen can do wonders!