How about a bowl of hedge apples?

On a recent window shopping excusion to my local Crate and Barrel I saw a crystal bowl filled with these babies (albeit, theirs were the artificial variety) and I might say they looked tres chic. Here in the midwest hedge apples, or osage oranges as they're sometimes known, are qute a nuisance in the fall when they drop and litter the roads and landscape. But taken out of their normal natural environment, these crinkly chartruese spheres can look very modern, and the color is so au currant. You could add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, though they have a citrusy scent already. They're also a natual insect repellent -- a scattering around the home supposedly keeps cockroaches and spiders at bay, though there is no scientific proof. Available through mail order, local farmer's stands, or even better from your own backyard -- or maybe your's neighbor's, they probably won't mind.

You can try getting those little rings that go on regular light bulbs, and you put a few drops of essential oil on them. You can get all kinds of natural essential oils at any natural foods store. You can also get a candle warmer at WalMart or any craft store I think, and you put one of those big jar candles on it. That way it doesn't have to be lit. There are lots of different ceramic tchochkes that you can put over the jar to dress it up. You can also buy a pot-pourri warmer, it looks like a wee tiny crockpot. You can put any kind of pot-pourri you like in it, and the heat makes the scent go all over- or, you can try water and adding different essential oils. I haven't done the last idea myself, though. Also, a pie tin with some baking spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc) and set in a warm oven smells up the house nicely. 

I hear you on the allergy thing. I can't handle all those sprays and plug-ins & whatnot either, I can't even wear perfume :-(  Yankee Candles are pretty natural, I'm rather sensitive to chemicals and they are o.k. for me. I don't like their little plug-in oil scents though, that didn't work for me at all, I couldn't stand those for long. The candles were o.k., and they have like ten billion different scents. With the warmers they last longer that way, and you don't have to light them.

Please let us know what you find works for you, I'd be interested to know different things I could try, too.