Baking Soda Air Freshener + DIY Mason Jar Diffuser

So the other day I was kind of being a dud and it took me a little while to figure it out. GRANTED I did figure it out on my own which I’m saying is pretty major given my slight funk!

You see I was feeling antsy and weird and so was Rob and he suggested we take the afternoon off to go to the zoo. Now I didn’t really want to go and I said as much but I agreed because we have a zoo pass making it free and you can’t beat free. I also added the caveat that he had to buy me an Icee once we got there. If you’ve read any past posts where Rob wants me to do something (like go to the gym when I don’t want to) you probably know that I am very easily bribed.

So we get there and I’m happy because I’m wearing one of my favorite new summer dresses I got from Old Navy but I still don’t really want to be there. It’s hot and it looks like it’s going to rain which means it’s only going to feel even hotter if it does.

As we go through looking at animals I lament how the bears look too hot and how the sun bear must be sad because he has such an ugly face. He’s not like a teddy bear at all. And then we see this fat toad in the reptile house and I’m all saying how I don’t even think it’s real because it hasn’t moved since we started looking at it. And then when it blinks and Rob points out as much victoriously I respond with “well, I bet he wishes he was dead” and I serve it completely deadpan because I wasn’t trying to be funny at all. I was just in a funk. Then a few habitats down and I’m upset because a lady baboon is drawing with her poo on the wall “can’t they get the poor girl some finger paints?” And then it happens… I finally say “Dude, I’m such a Debbie Downer today!”

And Rob, being sweet and kind says “yeah, but that’s okay”. And then we laugh because I’ve been at one of my favorite places (the zoo) doing one of my favorite things (seeing animals) and I have only said these weird, depressing things like I was in a skit or something. At the end of it all it was a good time BUT Rob forgot his end of the bargain and I bought my own friggin’ Icee AND popcorn for us to share PLUS a water for him. What a gyp! Dude owes me a dang ICEE.

Getting to our animals at home we decided that we are FINALLY moving the freaking cat litter box OUT OF THE MASTER CLOSET. Huzzah! JouJou was too afraid of Marla to go across the house to the existing litter area so we accommodated him for a time. But now he’s a brave little man about the house so he can cross that living room to do his duty, if you know what I mean.

Rob gets things going and tells me “I cleaned out the box and moved it an inch.” Me: “An inch?” I guess he doesn’t realize that thing isn’t getting out of the master closet for about 42 days at an inch a day. What the heck! So I take that sucker and put it in the master bedroom on my side. GROSS. But the vet says it needs to move kind of gradually so I figure a few days on my side of the room, a few days or Rob’s side and then we’ll get it to a few places out in the great room and over to the unused half bath and… Bing, bang, boom! Dunzo.

But until then I’m not digging having the box 3 feet from my bed and I swear I can smell it even if I clean it compulsively. I can’t sleep with the wax burner going to town so I decided to make some baking soda air fresher to keep my space smelling better even if it’s only for the benefit of my mind. And if there are nasty smells the baking soda will help soak them up. In the end I had everything on hand so it cost me literally nothing to do this so I went after it with gusto! And guess what? At night I’m dreaming of the jasmine I used to have growing on my back porch in Oklahoma. Pretty sweet :)

For this project you will need:

• Mason jar with lid and seal
• Aluminum metal sheet – I got a Union Jack pattern
• Metal nippers
• Baking soda
• Essential oils

I had some weird scraps of decorative aluminum metal sheet from when I made some triangle shelves over at iLoveToCreate recently.

Take a marker and draw around the edge of the seal from your jar.

Very carefully cut within that circle using metal snips. I got these at Hobby Lobby and they work really, really well. Oh, and don’t be a dummy… use gloves because this metal can and will cut you as I can personally vouch for.

Your piece should be about the same size as the metal seal from the jar. Nip a little here and there if necessary.

Fill your jar partway with baking soda.

And bust out one of your favorite scents. I LOVE this floral essential oils set and use it for lots of my smell good projects with EOs.

For about a cup of baking soda I used around 30-40 drops (I lost count). You can always add more if you find the scent too faint so go with less and add more if necessary.

Add your fancy new diffuser lid and this project is a wrap. And now that the kitty box is on Rob’s side of the bedroom I have even less chance of catching nasty scents in my sleep :)