How to Maximize Joy During the Holidays

Eight experts tell how to squeeze every drop of deliciousness out of life's little treats.

By Jancee Dunn
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the December 2005 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

Photo: Thinkstock

A Bath

For this one, we went to Dee Patel, a bath concierge. (It's a relatively new service, offered at only a handful of hotels.) Patel oversees a staff of four who draw 300 baths a year-at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville. She says filling the tub is only the beginning of the perfect soak:

The ideal temperature for a bath is between 95 and 100 degrees. The best way to test the water is not with your hand but with your wrist, one of the most sensitive parts of your body.

We use aromatherapy baths at the hotel—lavender is a good scent to soothe and relax if you've had a long week; eucalyptus is great after a workout or for respiratory relief.

Shut the door, dim the lights, and take out the good towels. A 15- to 30-minute soak is ideal. After that, your skin starts wrinkling and the bath gets cold.