How To Make Your Apartment Smell Like The Holidays

The best thing about the holidays (other than the food, of course) is the smell. Evergreen trees, slow-roasted meats, fried deliciousness, and the most important smell of all — cookies! The problem is, when you're living in a tiny apartment and don't exactly have the funds or the time to constantly re-create that freshly baked cookie effect, it can be a little hard to summon that beloved holiday magic. But we've got just the thing to easily bring the smell of the holidays anywhere you go, no expensive candles required. Simmer pots. Not familiar? A simmer pot is a mix of edible ingredients (usually fruits and spices) that you can keep on your stove on a simmer for hours and simply replenish the water as it cooks down. Not only will they make your apartment smell absolutely amazing, but sometimes they double as a festive holiday punch, too. Ahead, find three easy (but totally impressive looking!) options that anyone can pull off.

Cranberry Orange Spice Simmer Pot
*not meant for consumption Ingredients
1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 orange, sliced thinly
10 whole cloves
5 allspice berries

Instructions
Place the ingredients in a pot with 4-6 cups of water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer very gently, adding more water as needed.

Pomegranate Cider Simmer Pot
*You can drink this one, too! Ingredients
2 cups pomegranate juice
3 cups apple cider
1 apple, sliced with seeds removed
1 tangerine, sliced
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves, optional Instructions
Place the ingredients in a pot and simmer gently; serve in mugs or punch glasses.

Ingredients
1 large lemon, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger (no need to peel)
4 whole bay leaves
3 star anise pods
4-6 cups of water Instructions
Place the ingredients in a pot with 4-6 cups of water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer very gently, adding more water as needed.