You must have noticed that on almost any network that has commercials you will see constant ads for multiple air scent products. There are sprays, plug-ins, solids, automatic motion sensing, oils, diffusers, and an endless array of candles.

We seem to be a society obsessed with our air smelling like anything but air. Now, I get the need for a bit of air freshener in the kitchen after you've cooked certain foods and well, not to be indelicate, in the bathroom. However, do we really need a Glade Plug-In or Febreeze Flameless Luminary in every room of the house?

I enjoy the scent of a nice candle as much as anyone. Hey, I live in the land of Yankee Candle! But that's something for once in a while. It's something to treat yourself to, to luxuriate it. If you have it going in every corner of the house every waking moment... ugh! I'd have a headache.

What the heck is wrong with just a nice clean house and open windows with fresh clean air? Ok, so maybe some of you are unfortunate enough to live in close proximity to the local dump, or certain industrial plants that make open windows and fresh air an impossibility, but for most of us, that is a viable option.

I have to laugh watching the commercials where the people walk past the air freshener product and raise their nose in the air like a dog walking by a table full of food. They sniff, inhale deeply and they smile contentedly. Yeah, nice job Madison Ave. That's all we need to be happy at home. The scent of tropical flowers and vanilla. Oh! If only our parents' generation could have realized this! What a blissfully different home-life we would have had. Our parents wouldn't have been as stressed or grouchy. A puff of jasmine laced air would have instantly soothed away all the difficulties of the day. Are you ready to gag yet?

And in the meantime, we spend tons of money every year on this crap - and not just for ourselves, but for others! We give them as gifts! We impose our obsession with scented air onto others! They really have us hooked.

Now, before you go posting replies yelling at me because you love your Febreeze or Glade candles or whatever, let me restate, I do like candles etc - sometimes. I'm just saying these companies and their advertising have made a lot of people feel like we've got to have the air around us scented 24/7. All I'm saying is, what's wrong with just plain old fresh air? If your home is clean and there are no outside forces keeping you from opening your windows, why not just enjoy clean, fresh air? Save the scented stuff for when you need it and when you feel like treating yourself. Make it something special.

Oh - one last thought. Am I the only one that hated those stupid commercials where the dumb woman would try and pass off the Glade candles as designer candles and they'd call them Gla-de. Really? Who honestly cares if someone's candles are designer? Designer candles? Sorry, I think I'd have to slap somebody if they got all worked up over whether a candle was designer or came from the grocery store. And don't even get me started on the Febreeze ads with the morons who put their faces into places they know smell bad and inhale!