Christmas time is here. We're officially one week away from Christmas Eve and the City Candle shop is buzzing. We're getting orders out to everyone (shipped or local pickup!), and we're working on a few upcoming releases - keep an eye out! Our January Small Batch will be released January 1st and we hope you all like it as much as you did the December Small Batch, Bûche de Noël, which sold out in all sizes in just 12 days! Amazing! In addition to the January release, we're earnestly testing Spring 2022 releases and I'm certain those will be a hit. We'll have a few new permanent additions to the City Candle lineup, as well as a few seasonals that are going to be awesome.
Before I get into this week's blog post, I wanted to clue you all into a brand new discount we're offering. From now until the end of 2021, we're offering 20% off ALL WAX MELTS. The discount will be automatically applied to your cart, so no code required! For the uninitiated, Wax Melts are a great alternative to traditional candles. They require extra hardware in the form of a wax warmer (Here is a link to a common warmer on Amazon) but they have many, many benefits. For starters, they require no flame, which is a major positive for many parents of small children, owners of pets, or general worriers. Additionally, the are simple in nature. The only ingredients are Soy Wax and Fragrance Oils. No jar, no wick. Low stress. They fill your home with the same great City Candle scents but with very little maintenance. They also last a long time. I usually toss two cubes (they come in packs of 6 cubes) into my wax warmer and the scent will stay strong for 2+ days. Lastly, they are cheap! We charge $7. With this automatically applied 20% discount, you'll be paying a little over $5.50. A true bargain. Head to the site and get yours today in all City Candle Co. scents and fragrances. You won't be disappointed.
What I'm reading - The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday. I've had this book for a few years and I've returned to it time and time again. Its a brilliant format - short, digestable daily readings that are only meant to be consumed on those specific days. Obviously, you can read as many as you like at any given time and get the same out of it. Nevertheless, its an incredibly approachable take on classic Stoicism. Life is hard. We often face situations or decisions that appear difficult and cause unwanted stress in our lives. The message of Stoicism, and in turn many of the passages in this book, is that much of life is outside of our control and the sooner we realize AND accept that, the better off we'll be. Moreover, we should concentrate our energy on consistently bettering ourselves and mastering our emotions to insulate our thoughts from outside stressors. The more we can do that, the more we'll be impervious to superfluous stress.
What I'm watching - Tourist Sauce: Michigan by No Laying Up. For anyone that doesn't know me very well, I really enjoy playing golf. I don't get to get out there and swing the sticks as much as I used to, but when I do, I do so with great relish. But I consume great amounts of golf media in the form of podcasts, books, journals, and video. There's no better content creators than the fine guys over at No Laying Up. Their Tourist Sauce series explores various bucket-list locales across the globe. Michigan is a sneaky-awesome golf hotbed. Can't wait to go after watching these unfathomably well done videos ::chefs kiss::
What I'm burning - Something special and new ::eyes wide open emoji:: As I said above, we're hard at work creating new fragrances for future releases. But the January Small Batch is developed. Its done. Fully baked. We simply need to pour more candles for the full release. One clue I'll leave you with - My wife, Kathryn, and I are expecting our 3rd child very, very soon. Expect a tie-in to this monumental and seismic life event.
What I'm listening to - Circling Back podcast from Washed Media. I've been listening to these guys for years and they are the best small-to-midsize podcast going. True backers will get the inside joke. Can't recommend this one enough. Its hilarious and relatable and just awesome. Explicit content warning. It can get off the rails pretty fast. But I enjoy it nonetheless. Or maybe because it can go off the rails with regularity. Either way. Give it a listen.
What I'm thinking about - The aforementioned birth of our 3rd child. When I say we are imminently expecting his or her arrival, I'm not joking. Could be any day. Will almost certainly be in the next 2-3 weeks. Similarly to how we approached our first two kids, we have not found out if we are having a boy or a girl. It makes it so exciting! I can't wait to meet the little boy or girl and add a new face to our growing family.
I hope everyone has had a great December thus far. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at burncitycandles@gmail.com, or via any of our social media channels. Also, for any local Birmingham folks, we offer local pickup in Crestwood so we can meet all of your candle needs right up to and through the holidays. Hit us up!
-Seth, City Candle Co.