McIntosh Apple on Sale

Why this is the best time of year!
Ahhhh, the scensation of walking through the bright foliage on a bright, sunny, fall day. Picture it - you're wearing your favorite sweatshirt, your skinny jeans, walking with your favorite person without a worry in the world.
You've picked the pumkins you want for your front porch, you got the perfect giant mums, and the farm stand has fresh baked apple pies - you don't have to peel, slice, bake or clean a darn thing!
On the way home, stop by Soyfire Candle for 20% off the cleanest, most natural scented McIntosh Apple you've ever smelled.

Now when you get back home, you light your Beanpod soy candle from Soyfire Candle in North Conway, put on some soft music, pour a glass of hot apple cider... maybe you earned a hard cider? The rest is up to you!

Beanpod Soy Candle Recipe of the Day: Sizzling Summer!

There's something about Summer which just makes me want to burn citrus scents all season. Is smelling Lemon Citrus as refreshing as drinking a tall glass of lemonade? Perhaps psychologically. At least for me. So whenever that mercury starts to rise, I abandon all the sweet and flowery scents and devote my fragrance selection exclusively to citrus. At the moment, I am enjoying a blend of Pink Grapefruit, Lemon Citrus and Fruit Slices. Now since, Beanpod doesn't manufacture Pink Grapefruit in soy beads, you can do one of two things: Either start with a Pink Grapefruit jar candle and "Season" it with a blend of Lemon Citrus and Fruit Slices soy beads - OR - burn one jar candle of each scent in the same space. Either way you will get all three scents mingling together creating a blissfully fresh citrus blend. Enjoy!

Beanpod Soy Candle Recipe of the Day: Mid-Summer's Night

I don't know about the rest of you folks, but it is SWELTERING here in the East. Temps have been between 88 and 100 degrees with high humidity for well over a week now. So what is a person to do? You might not think that this kind of weather lends itself to burning candles - and you'd be right - but what I've noticed in my un-air conditioned arrangement, with all this humidity, our house gets very stuffy and stagnant smelling, especially after being closed up for the day to keep the heat out. Electric bead melters to the rescue!

Electric melters have gained popularity lately for those who don't want to worry about open flames. They're great for people with pets, or young children, or college students whose dorms don't allow flames. "Plug In" melters, which fit directly into an outlet are very much the rage nowadays, too. Bottom line: electric melters are not difficult to find, but can be just the thing to fragrance your house without adding even half a degree of heat on a hot day!

So what's my recommendation for a nice scent for a stuffy house? Stick with citrus! Blend equal parts Raspberry Lemonade, Lime Citrus, and Fruit Slices soy beads and click that electric melter on. Then draw those blinds, turn on a fan and grab a chilled glass of white wine sangria! Ooh la la!

And don't worry... January will be here before we know it!

This Just In: Beanpod Candle changing their jar design!

Coming soon to Soyfire, look for Beanpod's new, sleek design!

The Best Ways to Burn

Lighting a candle seems like a pretty straight forward activity, but what you may not know about burning candles might be preventing you from getting the longest, cleanest, most effective burn for your money. Here's just a few tips everyone should know before lighting their next candle:

Jar Candles:

*The first time you light up your soy candle, you should be prepared to let it burn for a while. The preferred time is to allow a soy candle to burn one hour for each inch in diameter of the candle. For many soy jar candles that would equate to 3-4 hours of burning, as they are 3-4 inches wide. The reason for this is to get the best burn pool going. As it burns you will notice there is a slow spread of the melted oil from the center towards the edge of the jar. You don't want to extinguish you candle until the pool has reached the edges of the jar each and every time you light it. If you plan on going to bed an hour after you light your candle, start burning smaller-sized candles.

*We frequently say, "Candles have a memory and they love to carry a grudge!" Candles 'remember' how wide their oil pool was in the past, and they will grow to that size in the future. That means if you only burn them a little while the first time around, they will stick to that size burn pool and burn down through the candle, instead of making use of the wax around the edges. This is the primary source of candles "tunneling" or leaving excess wax stuck to the sides of the jar.

*Your scent comes from this burn pool. The larger it is, the better the scent. You will get more fragrance from a larger candle than a smaller one and you will get more fragrance from your candles if you burn them for long periods of time before extinguishing them.


Pillar Candles:

To prevent dripping, when candle burns down to the point that you can no longer see the flame, allow to cool completely then slice off the top of the outer wall of the pillar to allow proper burning to continue. If you choose, you can throw the excess wax into the top of a melter to get the most from it!

Taper Candles:
Our palm wax tapers are dripless, but to ensure this: avoid drafts, excessive vibrations or nearby heat sources and be sure tapers are straight and set firmly in their holders. (We sell Taper "huggers" in our store to help achieve a straight, wobble-free taper.)

Votives:
Votives are made to liquefy; burn them only in appropriate holders, never burn a votive without a container that reaches up to the top of the candle.

Avoiding soot:

Although soy wax burns much cleaner, the all cotton wick may cause some soot. Also, if you light your soy candle with matches or a typical lighter (even a budget candle lighter) the flame usually paints the jar black. Use a candle lighter with an adjustable flame that can be kept only large enough to light the wick, not blacken the jar.

*Keep your wick trimmed only when it's too long and has a mushroom top on it. Avoid burning candles in drafts (ie. outdoors, near a fan or heater/ AC unit).

*When putting your soy candles out, pinch the wick with your fingers or a Candle Quencher. This will virtually eliminate smoldering and soot residue caused from blowing or snuffing out wicks.

If you follow these simple tricks of the trade, you will be able to get much more burn time for your money, as well as an optimal candle-burning experience!

Beanpod Soy Candle Recipe of the Day: Relaxing Retreat

We all need a little retreat once in a while. Maybe we can't always arrange for that long-spa weekend that we feel we deserve, but maybe just a mini-vacation in your own bathroom will be enough to rejuvenate your spirit until you can make that trip a reality! To create your own Relaxing Retreat you will need:

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1 quiet hour
1 large bathtub
1 bottle of bubble bath
1 fluffy towel
Assorted glass holders
(2) boxes of Beanpod Candle Solitude tealights


Mix it up a little and grab a book, or beverage if you'd like. Maybe pop in a relaxing CD to listen to - whatever is going to help you relax. Everyone is entitled to a little "me" time, you're no exception! Make your own retreat today!

Weddings and Candles

June is a very popular time for weddings. If you are helping to decorate for one of these weddings, you may be looking for a unique way to 'say Spring' in the decor. Instead of traditional centerpieces, why not use candles appropriate to the season? Every season has it's themes, colors and scents to match.
In the early planning stages of your wedding it is important to choose the theme, and within that theme are the flowers. Your choice of flowers also produces a scent and you can add to that theme by adding specially scented candles to augment the desired aroma of your flowers. Even the Unity Candles, if selected as part of your ceremony, can be scented! Using candles in your wedding adds the aroma of your selected scent to the witnessing of your union. Together they will make your day one to remember.

Favors:

Weddings are a special time for the Bride and Groom. The unity of two becoming one through marriage is a special celebration that you want your guest to remember long after it is over. Wedding favors are traditionally given to remind your guests of your happy moment of unity. What better gift than candles as a wedding favor? That candle you gave as a thank you may be far more than a memento of your wedding. The sight and aroma of the special scent you chose, surrounded by the romantic moments of a wedding may rekindle the romance in married couples, or stimulate those seeking a romantic relationship. What a way to say thanks and be remembered at the same time!

The ceremony:

Selecting a candle for use in your wedding ceremony doesn’t have to be white. If you choose to use the Unity Ceremony, you will need three candles. Two candles are lit in the ceremony area with one larger or taller candle remaining unlit between the smaller candles. Traditionally the Unity candles are white tapered candles. Our palm wax tapers burn for over 10 hours and are unscented and dripless, so they make a wonderful addition to any ceremony, but don't feel compelled to stick with white. Feel free to use whatever color you'd like!

Normally the unlit and larger candle is placed higher than the others. This is traditionally a pillar candle, but could also be a jar candle if you prefer. You could even decorate the jar or pillar with a pretty ribbon or other ornaments to personalize the unity candle that much more. As the Ceremony begins and the two are joined as one, a predetermined point is chosen when the Bride and Groom together light the middle or larger candle from the two smaller candles as a sign they have joined together.

Again, in choosing candles it is best to coordinate the scent you desire with the flowers you have decided upon. Secondly you want the colors of the candles also to blend with the flower colors of your choice. The idea is to fill the room or chapel with your desired sight and aroma to help your guests to remember your wedding. Also, remember to have someone save your Unity Ceremony Candles. Two you can light just to remember your day, and one to be your Anniversary Candle!

The Reception:

Small crystal bowls, or even large mouthed crystal goblets can be filled with water and glass tealight floaters for a romantic effect and pleasing scent. Traditional candles arrangements are very nice, but using the glass tealight floaters can transform an event. Beanpod Candle brand tealights burn for 8-10 hours a piece, so they are extremely useful in illuminated wedding receptions - no need to worry about re-lighting! Plus, using glass floaters, you don't have to worry about the troubles that come along with wax floating candles: melting, burning out, capsizing, etc.

When the glass candle floaters are placed in a larger container, bringing out the optimum mix of colors, shapes and sizes, they can create a gorgeous centerpiece. Goblets, or martini glasses can be displayed down the center of banquet tables, or along gift tables, or even the cakes table to provide illumination and atmosphere.

Food coloring can even be added to the water to re-enforce your wedding colors or themes. Stones, marbles, shells or other ornaments can be added into the bottom of your containers to further personalize things. With floating tealight holders, you can be as creative as you like and make a truly memorable event.

There are endless ways you can use candles in your wedding. Explore them. Combining sights, sounds, and aroma will make your reception very memorable for everyone, and mostly for you. It’s your wedding. Fill it with the senses you will remember all your life.