A Look Back, and a Thoughtful Step Forward
The start of a new year naturally invites reflection. It’s a time when many of us pause—thinking about what worked, what surprised us, and what we’d like to carry forward as we step into something new.
At Pea Pod Country, this January feels especially meaningful. This winter marks our first anniversary as a registered business, and with it, a chance to reflect on what this past year has taught us about scent, home, and the quiet ways we shape everyday life.
(Psst>>>> Keep reading below or, if you prefer, check out my year in review video with an introduction to Citrus & Herbs - a limited small batch pour just for the New Year.)
Celebrating One Year of Candle Making
When I started pouring candles, I didn’t set out with a rigid plan or a long list of expectations. I was looking for a new business adventure and wanted to create candles that felt honest—candles made for real homes, real routines, and the everyday moments that matter most.
This first year has been a season of learning, listening, and experimenting. I’ve learned which scents people return to, which ones surprise me, and which ones seem to find their way into homes far beyond my own kitchen.
Our Best-Selling Scents
Over the past year, three scents clearly rose to the top:
Each of these candles revealed something important.
Kitchen Spice (a customer request) reminded me how deeply people are drawn to warmth and familiarity—the heart-of-the-home scents that feel comforting without being flashy. Fresh Brewed Coffee showed me that everyday rituals matter, and that scent can quietly anchor a morning or an afternoon without needing a special occasion.
But it was Piñon Campfire that surprised me the most.
The Story Behind Piñon Campfire
Piñon Campfire was never designed to be a bestseller Or even part of our collection. It was created for my husband and me.
We met in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and when we later moved to Kentucky, we found ourselves missing the smell of piñon wood and the crisp, high desert air that had been part of our daily lives. Piñon Campfire was my way of capturing that memory—smoky, grounding, and unmistakably tied to place.
What I didn’t expect was how widely that scent would resonate.
Over the past year, Piñon Campfire has been shipped to homes across the country, including New Mexico, Texas, and even Oregon. One customer shared that she purchased Piñon Campfire for her husband, who has fond memories of growing up near Red River, New Mexico. That connection—between scent and memory, between home and place—is exactly why I make candles.
Piñon Campfire is also something else: it’s a proprietary blend of fragrance oils, carefully combined to achieve a very specific mood. It isn’t poured straight from a bottle. It’s designed.
And its success taught me something important.
What This Means for 2026
Seeing how strongly people connected with Piñon Campfire clarified the direction I want our Pea Pod Country candle line to take moving forward.
In 2026, you’ll begin to see more unique-to-us scent blends—candles that are thoughtfully formulated, rooted in experience, and created to evoke a particular feeling rather than follow a trend. Blending allows me to create balance, depth, and originality, and it’s a process I’m excited to lean into more intentionally.
Introducing Our First Featured Candle of the Year: Citrus & Herbs
Our first blended scent of 2026 is also our featured candle for January: Citrus & Herbs.
Throughout the year, I’ll be experimenting with a handful of featured scents—poured in very small batches of just twelve candles and three wax melts. This approach allows room to explore new blends, listen closely to feedback, and see which scents truly resonate.
Citrus & Herbs is designed to feel fresh and grounded at the same time. Bright citrus notes bring clarity and lift, while calming herbs soften the blend and make it easy to live with. It’s the kind of scent that works beautifully in kitchens and living rooms—the heart of the home—especially during a season when we’re craving freshness without harshness.
In the Citrus & Herbs sniff video, I walk through exactly what Citrus & Herbs smells like (since we don’t have smell-o-vision on the internet just yet).
Looking Ahead, One Day at a Time
As I step into this new year, I’m carrying forward what this first year has taught me: that scent has the power to connect us to places we’ve been, the homes we love, and the moments we want to hold onto a little longer.
Thank you for being part of this first year of Pea Pod Country. I’m excited to continue creating thoughtfully blended candles that help set the mood for everyday living—one season, and one day, at a time.