The candle lady is the new cat lady, and I’ve always been proud to flaunt my pathetic obsession.

I like candles for so many reasons. They set the mood when you want to impress someone, or just make your house look and smell homey for guests. They can cover up the stench of a fresh urine stain on the carpet from your new puppy. They can adorn your porch with a pretty glow when the sun goes down and they can make you believe it is any season, even when it’s not. 

Autumn in Florida makes me reminisce about my pre-southern life in New Jersey when I didn’t have to fake the smell of crunchy orange leaves or evergreen needles. Thankfully, lighting up a few candles, make it feel like the holidays are beginning. 

Twice a year, I get very excited when my Yankee Candle coupon comes in the mail. Since these candles are ridiculously expensive, I only purchase them when I get this coupon. In the meantime, I settle for the $5 ones at Walmart that aren’t as inventive, but aren’t horrible. This coupon presents a buy one, get one free offer for any large candle, medium candle, and small candle. You’re getting six candles for the price of three. Pretty awesome. I have smelled every single candle in the store (it is half the fun), so you can trust my credibility on this article.

Put yourself on the mailing list, or email list, the next time you shop at Yankee Candle, and you’ll start receiving these coupons. Here are my top picks for this year, including many suggestions on guy candles -- what I like to call candles that have guy-friendly scents that make an apartment smell fresh and a little like cologne, but not foo foo flowery and candylicious. Between the stale laundry, bathroom odors, and old trash in the house, guys need some candle lovin’ too. How else do you think they lure the girls in?

Fall

1. Apple pumpkin: pretty good, a little strong.

2. Autumn leaves: a purchase from my past.

3. Autumn wreath: just lovely.

4. Pumpkin ginger bark: one of my purchases, the ginger adds a nice touch.

Unfortunately, I did not like any of the Halloween scents, which smelled like plastic pumpkins and cheap candy from stingy neighbors. You’re not missing out on anything. Walk past the front display of the store, it’s all smoke and mirrors. More fall scents can be found under guy-friendly, below.  

Winter

1. Apple cider: one of my purchases, works great for Halloween and Christmas.

2. Balsam & cedar: very strong, so get the small one; I purchased the small tumbler.

3. Home for the holidays: a purchase from my past, one of my absolute favorites, smells exactly like Christmas.

4. North Pole: awesome, very Christmas-like.

5. Sugared apple: a gift from a friend, one of my absolute favorites, could work for Halloween and Christmas.

Guy-friendly

1. Over the river: subtle and fresh.

2. November rain: cologne-like, no connection at all to November.

3. Lake sunset: soothing, a little more girly, but still acceptable.

4. Mountain lodge: rustic, woodsy, maybe for a snowboarder.

5. Silver birch: like nature and clean.

6. Treehouse memories: a past purchase, great outdoor smell, feels just like fort-building back in the day.

7. Turquoise sky: strong, perhaps for the metro men.