Tis the season of giving… and giving back.

To celebrate all the love and generosity in the air with thousands of people giving the gift of SPA to their friends, family and coworkers, Spa Week Daily is giving back to charity AND giving you the chance to win a SPA gift card for yourself. We’ve partnered with one of our favorite new charity organizations, Glamour Gone Good, which encourages and supports beauty, fashion and spa businesses in giving back to women’s causes. Here’s how this Give, Give Back and Tweet to WIN giveaway works:

GIVE

We’d first like to thank everyone who chooses to give the gift of SPA this holiday season. With the mission of spreading health, beauty and wellness lifestyle to the next generation, Spa Week‘s Holiday Gift Card Sale offers $100 SPA Gift Cards for just $79.99. All other denominations are 20% off – you won’t find this deal anywhere else! SPA Cards are redeemable 52 weeks a year at thousands of day spas, medical spas, salons and wellness centers nationwide for massages, facials, scrubs, pedicures, acupuncture and more, and they never expire. Click here to buy Spa Gift Cards.

GIVE BACK

For every new @SPAWEEK Twitter follower we get from now until the end of 2010, Spa Week will donate 10 cents to Glamour Gone Good. Right now we’re at: 8,799.

We chose this organization because we absolutely love their concept, as well as the 3 women’s causes they support — scroll down for all the details. GGG encourages beauty, fashion, salon and spa businesses to integrate charity into their everyday business by giving them fun and easy ways to give back to women in need, even if they don’t have much to give.

WIN

Follow @SPAWEEK and @GlamourGoneGood on Twitter.

TWEET: SPA-liday Gift Card Sale from @SPAWEEK! Follow them to #GiveBack to women in need, and Tweet to Win a $100 SPA Gift Card. http://ow.ly/3gSns

Extra Entry: Comment below with the women’s charity that is most important to you, and include your @Twitter name.

Every Tweet will count as one entry to win a $100 SPA Gift Card from SpaWeek, redeemable all year around for massages, facials and so much more. Contest Ends December 31st at 11:59 EST. Winner drawn and announced on this blog post on January 3rd.

1/3/11 UPDATE: Congratulations Joanna Smith @joannaonthelake – you are the winner of the $100 SPA Gift Card! Thank you all for the support in raising money and awareness for Glamour Gone Good’s beneficiaries. We are now at 9,209 followers… thank you and welcome to our 410 new Tweeps.

About Glamour Gone Good and the 3 women’s charities they support:

Committed to women’s and girls’ empowerment, Glamour Gone Good is engaging America’s glamour-makers in charitable activities to raise funds for the Glamour Gone Good grants program, which funds America’s leading women’s and girls’ charities. Glamour Gone Good will award grants of up to $100,000 from the funds raised by professionals in fashion, beauty, salon and spa industries to the following three organizations:

Dress for Success Worldwide is an international not-for-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Since starting operations in 1997, Dress for Success has expanded to more than 100 cities in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, the UK and the West Indies. To date, Dress for Success has helped more than 500,000 women work towards self-sufficiency.

Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) serves girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. GEMS was founded in 1999 by Rachel Lloyd, a young woman who had been sexually exploited as a teenager. GEMS helps young women and girls, ages 12-21, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and to develop to their full potential.

Sister to Sister: The Women’s Heart Health Foundation is dedicated to preventing heart disease in women. It accomplishes this by increasing awareness that heart disease is the number one killer of women, offering free cardiac screenings for early detection and treatment, and by educating that healthy lifestyle changes can reduce heart disease risk dramatically.

Official Rules

We’d normally encourage wearing SPF 30 and advise fervently against baking in the heat for hours on end… but you’re not a turkey.

Add an extra dose of laughter to your festive meal of gratitude with these 5 simple steps, and have a sexy turkey time!

1. Size up your bird and become a swim wear designer. Using a scissor, cut aluminum foil in the shape of a bikini. Channel Rosa Cha for a couture-key.

2. “Dress” your turkey by smoothing the aluminum foil on flat.

3. Season with your favorite Thanksgiving herbs and spices and be heavy on this one ingredient: paprika. That’s the tanning oil. Pat on the “oil” and all the herbs, and make sure none gets under the bikini.

4. Bake in the oven as usual until half-done. Take her out, strip her down like a Greek in Saint Tropez, and shove her back in the oven nude for the rest of the cooking time.

5. Don’t tell your guests a thing! Watch their faces as you unveil your masterpiece, and ask the question every host and hostess across America will ask at that very same moment: “So… who wants a breast?”

Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you’re spending it with a large family, a few friends, or you’re grabbing a turkey sandwich at the deli in between work shifts, always remember to appreciate what you’ve got, know that the best is yet to come… and laugh as much as possible.

CONFESSION: I’ve done burlesque.

It’s a long story, but with Burlesque coming out in theaters today starring Cher and Christina Aguilera and so many bloggers doing interviews with “real burlesque stars,” I figured now would be a shameful time to deprive you of the story of how your little spa blogger once had a little stint in burlesque. Totally SFW, don’t worry!

The story goes like this.

Last summer (’09), before I found my place at Spa Week, I started a blog called The NYC Game. The game worked as such: I interviewed prominent New Yorkers on all their favorite things to do in NYC, and then I went out and did everything on their list—in exactly one week—tweeting, photographing and blogging every checkpoint. I discovered amazing restaurants, cocktails, spas, parties, people, art, zoos, activities and secrets to shape my love for the city. At the end of each “round,” the “NYC insider” would judge my performance, and if they believed I completed my goal of becoming a better New Yorker and having as much fun as possible, they’d award me a “prize” such as dinner at their restaurant (John DeLucie at the Waverly Inn before his Lion days), tickets to their fashion show (Erin Fetherston), etc.

During the fifth round, The NYC Game took a twist. My NYC Insider was media guru and Purple Lab NYC beauty brand founder Karen Robinovitz, and she doled out one serious girly, glittery ride. If you know Karen at all… you’ll know she sent me pole dancing, motorcycling in Louboutins, taking runway lessons with Trew, mixing Lychee Martinis with Colin, and getting my hair curled at Devachan. Now, Karen also once wrote a book called “How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less.” So when I met with Karen to get my list of sexy, glamorous rules, I “accidentally” thought that part of MY mission was to, indeed, become famous in two weeks or less. Whoops!

Burlesque Star Veronica Varlow

This is where the fun really got started. Rule #4 from Karen was to see a performance by Veronica Varlow, the world famous “Danger Dame” burlesque dancer based in New York City. When I got in touch with Veronica by phone (which was another whole crazy ironic story unto itself), I told her about The NYC Game, and how I also had to become famous in 2 weeks or less. “Well,” she said, “I’m performing at The Slipper Room on Friday night. I will call up the owner and tell them I have a world famous Burlesque dancer in town from the Czech Republic, one night only, and you shall perform.”

Two nights later I had booked a private dance studio and was learning my routine from the gorgeous, inspiring, Veronica Varlow in a one-on-one session. Burlesque dancing is rooted in confidence with a sexual exterior, and although I had always thought it to be just a bawdy form of stripping, I came to embrace it as a very beautiful form of art. Dramatic movements of the body, coordination of body parts and eye contact into a strategically seductive routine, a lot of humorous undertones, with a dash of feathers, leather and lace.

Burlesque photographer Taryn Longo captured it all (how I met her was another long story) and then afterwards I was thrown a huge Burlesque “coming out” party at Citrine nightclub on “gay night” (an even longer story). Burlesque stars of NYC and the gay male populace of Chelsea came to celebrate my upcoming performance. The next day I got written up online as all sorts of questionable things… it wasn’t taking me two weeks to become famous. It was more like two days.

Before I knew it, it was Friday night and I was backstage at the Slipper Room. My “famous-in-two-weeks” stylist Jillian Halouska was finishing up hair and makeup, I’d practiced my routine 100 times, and there I was, backstage with a dozen or so very naked, world famous burlesque stars, each one more sparkly than the last.

Glenda Glitterati The Burlesque Barbie (my burlesque name) was listed 2nd on the set list. Second! No time to freak out, no time to pee! I hadn’t eaten solid foods in a week (starring in a burlesque show is a stupendous diet, by the way), my mouth was dry, no water backstage to be found, my 8 feather boas were getting everywhere, now sticking to my sweaty neck, my hair wasn’t sitting right, and suddenly the red velvet curtain opened and I was in the spotlight.

Exactly what happened during my 2 minute performance, I have no idea. It was an absolute blur. Good thing I had Taryn to get a few photos.

Afterwards, Veronica Varlow told me I was perfect. My friends said I totally rocked it. I have no idea if any of this is true, but in the end, burlesque is truly all about uninhibited confidence, so that is really all that mattered. Burlesque the movie only got a half a star, but as they felt good about it, right?!

Conclusion? I feel very lucky to have had this experience and that I am able to spread to the world a newfound respect and appreciation for the art of burlesque. The industry is filled with vibrant positivity and a contagious lust for beauty and life itself. This is your moment, this is self-expression, and this is passion dressed in corsets, tassels and high heels.

This was probably the first and last time you will ever see Glenda Glitterati the Burlesque Barbie perform… I think I’d much rather be a “spa-lebrity,” famous for getting way too many massages and putting out YouTube videos about getting naked in the spa.

Needless to say, I can’t wait to see the movie! If you see it, let me know what you think. And, also, I’m wondering… if you were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform burlesque, would you?

To read more about my stint in burlesque and The NYC Game, HERE YOU GO.

Most of us have fantasized about our extravagant wedding since the days of playing in the sandbox. At the age of 9 you probably had all the details laid out, from the toppings on the cake, venue, and even that your bridesmaids would be wearing pink, frilly dresses to coordinate your long pink train. Now as an adult you realize Barbie Pink is less than appeasing, and you seek a color scheme that is expressive of your style, modern and unique. Another interesting fact about women is that our taste changes just as often as the weather, so making a definitive decision on your wedding colors can be almost impossible. Things are no longer easy as 1-2-3 and getting the color scheme right can be frustrating. In order to avoid being the annoying “order, switch, change, and cancel bride”  here are 5 tips to help you get it right the first time.

1. Choose One Dominant Color

What is your favorite color? It should be whichever color that can instantly perk up your mood. As a traditional bride you may want to choose this color to surround you to make you feel good on your special day.

2. Consult The Color Wheel

The world’s biggest problems are easy to solve by going back to the basics. After you choose your favorite color select choose two opposites to compliment.

3. Get Swatches

Before you order anything take the time to visit your local Home Depot or Lowe’s to check out the colors for free. Go on a late afternoon and spend as much time that you like.

4. Be Season Friendly

Keeping the season in mind when choosing your colors can be very helpful. For a Winter wedding choose colors like soft blues and silvers.

5. Do Your Research

Soak up inspiration from design magazines, visit art galleries and museums and have fun going window shopping. Inspiration is all around us.

Image Courtesy of thoughtfullysimple.com

Guest Contributor: Miss Cozy

Holiday weight gain seems guaranteed, but the fact is – the holiday season doesn’t mean your scale will become your worst enemy! Some easy ways to prevent holiday weight gain include:

• Practicing portion control – All things in moderation. Keep your serving sizes in check at all times and you really can enjoy your favorite holiday treats without gaining weight

• Stay active during the holidays and those extra pounds won’t creep up on you. A 30-minute brisk walk most days of the week can do wonders for maintaining your waistline. Get outside if the weather permits or hit the mall before it opens for a workout while window-shopping

• Try some new ways to make your holiday meals healthier. Small changes can add up to a big difference. This can be as simple as serving steamed vegetables instead of casseroles or removing skin from the turkey. Just choosing fruit instead of a desserts can save hundreds of calories

• Food cravings are a part of life, but they can be especially daunting during the holidays. You seem to smell or see tempting food nearly everywhere you go. If you can’t avoid food cravings, the best way to fight back is to be prepared with a plan for an alternative activity to eating

(Check out CozyWallet.com for more swank ways to save money, and look good doing it.)

If you have the chance, try to stop by one of these great events this weekend:

Los Angeles, CA – Give thanks by giving back – Volunteer to help out before or during the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium’s community Thanksgiving celebration. The Celebration relies entirely on donations from the local community. On Thanksgiving morning, volunteer chefs line up outside the Santa Monica Civic Center to deliver up to 300 piping hot roasted turkeys between 8 am and 10 am – Click here for more info.

Washington, DC – Reston Town Center hosts many holiday activities including a holiday parade, visits with Santa, a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony and much more. The Reston community kicks off the holiday season with a full day celebration on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 26, 2010. Click here for more info.

Chicago, IL – The Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade has been an annual tradition for Chicago residents, and this year is no different. The parade, which celebrates its 77th year and is sponsored by McDonald’s, will once again march down State Street on Thanksgiving (November 25). Click here for more info.

Lousiville, Kentucky – Stop by Jefferson Square Park to Light Up Louisville from 3pm – 10pm. This day-long celebration draws more than 75,000 attendees and features music, a parade, and a market, ending with the lighting of Jefferson Square and the Louisville Christmas tree. Located at Jefferson Square Park, 6th & Jefferson street, enjoy the Holiday Market, Run Run Rudolph 5K Run/Walk, Winter Wonderland Parade, and the lighting of Jefferson Square and Metro Louisville Christmas tree. Click here for more info.

Long Island, NY – Stop by the Fourth Annual Miracle on Main Street – and Holiday Parade in Sayville, NY this Saturday, November 27th 2010 – starting at 9 a.m. Come see the floats, classics cars, bands and an early-in-the-season appearance by Santa Claus. Miracle on Main Street, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., features a gingerbread house competition, favorite classic movies playing in the streets, a tree lighting, live music and other performances, FREE carousel rides for kids all night and more. Click here for more info.