I get frustrated reading magazine articles that tell me to take long baths to relax after a stressful day. Who has time for that? So I am constantly looking for shortcuts that make me feel like I’ve just had a min-spa hour, but in five minutes.

I read once that the smell of lavender helps to reduce stress and when I smelled the Pacifica French Lavender Candle, I realized that stress-reduction can smell really great. I have a few in my bathroom and I light them when I brush my teeth and get ready for bed. Not the same as a bath, but it does make those few minutes a bit more relaxing. I call it aromatherapy for the overworked mom.

From $7-14, pacificacandles.com .