Whoah, 2011, where have you gone!? It’s been quite the exciting year here at Spa Week. Our gift cards just launched in over 17,000 retail stores, the company is expanding quickly, our Facebookers and Tweethearts have doubled (and are better than ever – we love you!), and Spa Week Daily has taken on a real life of its own.

Kick back and let’s reminisce: After analyzing all the blog stats from 2011 along with social media impressions, we’ve compiled the most popular blog posts, memories, and moments of this incredible year. THANK YOU times a million to every single one of you who reads Spa Week Daily. You know – on those days it seem like we’re blogging into oblivion (fellow bloggers, you know what I’m talking about), it’s YOU, our wonderful readers, who keep us going. Thanks for the memories, the likes, the tweets, the comments, the suggestions and the LOVIN’ – we can’t wait to do it all over again in 2012!

11. YOU DITCHED SODA

Joy Bauer challenged Spa Week Daily readers to quit drinking soda for two weeks, and look how much healthier you are now! Yes, one of the major blog features we launched in 2011 were our Health Challenges hosted by industry experts – little lifestyle changes to try out for two weeks to make you feel your best. Out of all seven thus far, ditching soda remains #1 in terms of traffic and participation. Click through our growing Panel of Experts to your right, my left, to see each expert’s priceless life tips along with their challenge. Stay tuned for more fun in 2012!

10. FEATHERS IN YOUR HAIR

Did you fly away with the hottest hippie hair trend of 2011? Pheasant Feathers, those long, skinny pops of color that began infiltrating everyone’s hair last winter and spring, were featured right here on Spa Week Daily before they hit the bigtime. Stacey Gersten, who was later featured in the New York Times for her red-hot feather business out of her studio apartment, gave you the Pheasant Feathers How-To right here first. This beauty phenom was certainly not one for the birds!

9. THE NO POO MOVEMENT

Speaking of hippie hair trends… women from all walks of life joined together for the No Poo Movement in 2011, ditching their trusty, but often too harsh, shampoos in the name of healthier, smoother and more lustrous locks. The theory is: that annoying “grease” that builds up is actually good for your tresses, and if you can hold off from cleaning it for a bit, it’ll do you good. Some managed for two whole months, while others, like Michelle, experimented for just a week. See how she fared for 7 days with the help of hair tools, products and accessories, and YES it was totally worth it!

8. SPA WEEK JOINS FORCES WITH THE BIGGEST NAMES IN WELLNESS

First came our Get Fit For Summer sweeps with America’s toughest trainer, Jillian Michaels, then Today Show nutritionist Joy Bauer co-hosted our Fast Track to Health giveaway. Then we gave away spiritual leader Deepak Chopra‘s brand new Leela video game along with an Xbox + Kinect. Now, we’ve partnered with nutrition expert and author Keri Glassman to give away a grandiose nutrition package and a lavish trip to… WAIT, you didn’t see it yet!? It’s time to change that.

7. THE HOT MOM SPA SQUAD GOT HOTTER

Although born in 2010, 2011 was really the year our Hot Mom Spa Squad caught fire. In an effort to encourage moms everywhere to trade in Pampers for pampering, our squad is filled with mommy blogging influencers, blogging about spa and spreading the wellness word.  We’ve got nearly 100 (VERY HOT) moms involved so far, and our squad is expanding all the time. We also hosted our first ever big Hot Mom Spa Night NYC. There were much-deserved massages, mini-facials and perfect eyebrow waxes for all, and check out the video… your kid did WHAT!?

6. AND YOU THOUGHT VAJAZZLING WAS DEAD…

“Vajazzle.” “Vajazzling pics.” ”Vajazzling during sex.” ”Vagazzle” spelled wrong, although it does admittedly make more sense that way. Although in 2011 we’ve hardly let out a peep about that infamous break-out beauty trend of yesteryear (landing #1 on our 2010 roundup), we still get a significant number of curious folks Googling their way to Spa Week Daily to get the lowdown on putting sparkly crystals on their lady parts. If our organic blog traffic is any indicator, vajazzling is not dead, my friends! (Even though vajazzling trendsetter Cindy Barshop’s reality TV career is.) On a more 2011-y note, the boys have hopped on the bandwagon too. Our Pejazzling photo shoot is where it’s at.

5. TWEETING YOUR LITTLE HEARTS OUT

In July we launched our first ever “Tweet-a-thon,” a fun, fast-paced product-a-day giveaway called #WinDailyWinItAll, where the grand prize winner literally won it ALL. The theme was “summer fun,” so graphic yoga mats, sunglasses and popchips all made the hot list. To close out the year, we twisted the tweet-a-thon and wrapped it in tinsel for the holidays – have you checked out #12DaysOfWellness yet? It’s gotten thousands of twitterbirds singing, come join in the fun!

4. A 9/11 NOD TO FREEDOM

This year we held hands and held our heads high as the ten-year anniversary of the saddest day in recent American history came and went. We were thrilled to be able to feature an exclusive look behind the rebuilding of Ground Zero, from the point of view of one of the construction workers on the job. Check out Stephanie’s exclusive interview and close-up photos from One World Trade Center, proudly one of our post trafficked posts of the year.

3. HERE COMES THE BRIDE, THERE SHE GOES VIRAL

Whether you’re getting married soon or not, our Wedding Wednesday column has proven to be fun for all. We’ve posted a handful of wedding diddies this year that got quite the resounding I DO. Take a walk back down the aisle with the top wedding posts of 2011: The most epic wedding video ever (Dirty Bit!), that phat throwback 90s wedding music video invitation (saved $1000, yeah don’t be jealous!), 12 adventurous cake concepts, and how to be super creative about announcing your engagement on Facebook.

2. EATING FOR BEAUTY

Amazing, healthy skin is something we all strive for, and understandably one of the main reasons many of you visit Spa Week Daily in the first place. Well, one of THE most popular blog posts of 2011 was Michelle’s triumphant skincare diet experiment: Dr. Perricone’s 3-day “Eat for Beauty” Skincare Diet. In 3 days this strict diet made her skin glow like no other, and made us all believe that salmon, eggs, greens, olive oil and a handful of other specific natural foods could trump any serum or scrub in your beauty cabinet. In fact, Dr. Perricone made this diet his Spa Week Daily Health Challenge. If you haven’t yet, try it for your next big event!

1. ALL YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW: WHEN IS SPA WEEK!?

In the ranks of our most trafficked posts, it makes us smile that the Official Announcement of the Spa Week 2011 Dates came out in the top of the top! Those $50 spa treatments are the core of our company, indeed. Between social sharers and Googlers, it’s a fact: Everybody wants to know when Spa Week is. So, what are the Spring and Fall dates for 2012, you ask? You’ll just have to wait for the official blog post to come in the New Year! Blog traffic aside, we can’t wait to spread word about Spa Week’s flagship event; to pamper North America once again in $50 relaxation, beauty, health and wellness.

Here’s to another great year – see you in 2012!

In honor of Spa Week’s 15th installment of The National Spa Week Event taking place this October 10-16, we want to give you a sneak peek at 15 of the decadent spa treatments being offered for just $50 each. Booking begins Monday, September 12; that’s only 5 days away (Join the event on Facebook)! From fascinating massages to body slimming advancements, our spas are high-tech, ever-evolving and always on trend. Is your mouth watering yet?

No? Let’s fix that… sometimes reading treatments out loud helps you get into the moment. Here’s a glimpse of 15 of the many thousands of Spa Week Treatments you’ll be able to book, from 15 different spas all across the country.

(Sorry, we can’t tell you where each one is yet! You’ll have to check the directory on Monday to see if it’s at a spa near you.)

• 75 Min Tuscan Wine Hot Stone Massage
• 60 Min Package: Includes Resurfacing Fire and Ice Facial Peel with Retinol, Rosemary and Grape Seed Extract to Increase Cell Renewal Plus Skin Consultation
• Brazilian Wax with Vajazzle
• 55 Min Sticks and Stones Massage
• A $495 photofacial
• 120 Min Slimming Package: Arasys & Sudatonic Wrap
• Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture Facelift
• 45 Min Power Plate Personal Training Session
• Cactus Glow n’ Tone Facial with CoffeeBerry Enzymes (100% organic)
• Aromatic European Facial with Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil
• 50 Min Swedish Massage with Eucalyptus Steam Shower
• Youthful Radiance Quince and Ice Wine Facial
• 60 Min Microcurrent Non-Surgical Facelift Treatment
• Caramel Apple Body Scrub
• 50 Min October Harvest Swedish Massage with Choice of Cinnamon-Ginger Essential Oils or Cranberry Body Butter
• Tri-Active Massage and Tummy Patch Treatment to Tighten and Shrink Belly Fat

Was that the sound of your jaw hitting the floor? We think so! We can’t wait either! Don’t forget to sign-up to get instant access to the Spa Week Directory, going live September 12!

I’m sorry to have missed this one last month.

Actually, no I’m not. I’m very thankful to have missed this one last month. I’m sorry that it has now popped up in my radar, and I’m even sorrier to post it on the blog.

Long live Vajazzle, but this infomercial for a 3-step system to “Put Some Bling in Your Fling,” turns the cute and classy spa trend into an awkward, cheesy marketing attempt for women who want cotton candy scented vaginas. Top it off with a cast of painfully bad actors, borrowed from, um, a different film industry, and there you have it: Tajazzle.

Far too dramatic, dear Baywatch bikini runner, and weightlifting girl who says, and I quote: “Ever since I found Tajazzle, I’ve transformed from just another pretty woman into a glamorous goddess. I smell good, and taste good, and wearing those beautiful crystals as my special secret makes my confidence soar.” OH, really? Tajazzle did ALL that? You think looking like a Victoria’s Secret model helped at all?

Have a lovely weekend, starting by not watching this absurd advertorial.

Part One:

Can’t get enough? Part Two:

Real Housewives of New York - Cindy Barshop, Jill Zarin and Alex McCord

We know you probably wondered why on earth the Real Housewives of New York showed up to the launch party for the Vajwel At-Home Bikini Waxing Kit. Today the cat was let out of the bag when Bravo TV announced their replacement for Bethenney Frankel on the new season of the Real Housewives New York. The newest member of the cast is none other than our vajazzled, vajeweled, vatooed spa queen and owner of the Completely Bare Spa, Cindy Barshop. According to the New York Post, Bravo VP of programming Christian Barcellos says Barshop adds a distinct flavor to the ensemble. “This show is about self-actualized women — and I think viewers will enjoy getting to know and see [Barshop]. Barshop joins returning “Housewives” Bensimon, Singer, LuAnn de Lesseps, Alex McCord, Sonja Morgan and Jill Zarin.

Image Courtesy of the New York Post

Wow, what a year it’s been! We laughed, we cried, we got massaged… and here are the ultimate highlights. After analyzing our page views, stats, and your collective social media reactions, here are Spa Week Daily’s top 10 most popular blog posts, moments, contests and phenomenons from 2010.

Thank you all for reading Spa Week Daily and being part of the Spa Week community—you have no idea how much each of your comments, likes, @replies and support means to us! It makes us smile every single time, and you truly make it all worthwhile. We hope you enjoy this little trip down SWD memory lane. It was fun to write, and we can’t wait to do it all over again in 2011!

10. FACT: YOU LOVE YOUR PETS

Anything that barks, meows and shows up on Spa Week Daily turns to gold. Coming in at #10 is the domestic animal kingdom, from the growing phenom of Doggy Spas, the holistic healing of Reiki for Pets, to some Kitty on Kitty massage action. Pamper your pets right, and they’ll give you all the lovin’ in the world.

9. SPA-RRIVIDERCI! ADVENTURES IN ROME & TUSCANY

Yes, I spa’d and ate my way through Rome and Tuscany, but believe it or not, the euro massages were not the best part.  What I loved more than anything was being able to share and communicate with you all through social media along the way. WIN ITALIA was the #1 most trafficked Italy post, but collectively the entire Spa-rrividerci series takes the Panna Cotta.

8. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

On many Mondays, as you know, we celebrate the joy that music brings to our lives with various playlists, created in part by you. Your favorite of all the playlists? Best of the 60s: Your Flower Power Playlist. That decade of music gets some serious R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

7. CELEBRITY SPA ARREST: 50 CENT

You know we love sending real people to the spa for real, AND that we  love sending celebrities to the spa for fake. You were all pretty jazzed/grossed out about Hilary Swank’s hairy pits, but Fitty’s dramatic weightloss was your favorite draw-dropping spa arrest of the year.

6. SWAG ALERT!

Sure, we’re crowdpleasers. We give away so much stuff on a monthly basis that it’s astonishing we have anything left. You love all the free  beauty and spa giveaways on our SWAG page, making it consistently one of our top trafficked pages, so we’ll keep it coming, baby.

5. FIJI and BORA BORA and iPHONES, OH MY

Even more than swag, you loved our 10 iPhone giveaway to celebrate our new app, our collaboration with People Magazine to give away a $20,000 trip to Fiji, and our Wed Like a Celeb sweeps that sent this happy new couple to Bora Bora as part of the ultimate A-list bridal package. We also gave away luxurious spa days to 28 lucky winners our National Wellness Giveaway back in February, along with a ton of other amazing giveaways. It’s been a year of wins all around!

4. BELOW THE BELT

Not even mentioning the #1 item on this list (wait for it…), a slew of new below-the-belt preening and pampering has caught your attention in a big way this year. One might even say that 2010 is the Year of The Vagina, but the Chinese Zodiac and Tiger might get wildly offended. You loved completely bare‘s introduction of the Vatoo, the Live Spa TV segment of my Bikini/Bum Facial, and this week’s newsflash that women are steaming out their vaginas with herbs for $75 and up.

3. 12 HOTTEST SPA TREATMENT TRENDS

Botox On The Go, Reiki, Acupuncture and Instant Inch Loss treatments such as 7E all made the hottest spa treatments list for Fall 2010. When we released the list, it immediately got picked up by a ton of blogs and websites, and we were excited to hear about all the experimental spa-going that took place as a result. Massages are great, but the spa has so much more to offer. Keep it going, you spa star!

2. I GET NAKED AT THE SPA (But not everyone does…)

In an industry relatively free from drama, we were surprised to have stirred up a bit of controversy with our release of I Get Naked At The Spa, the first ever spa music video. The goal was to not only entertain people while sharing important spa etiquette rules, but also to help introduce the spa lifestyle to the next generation of consumers. With over 8,500 views, we hope we’ve made a dent!

And now… without further ado… the #1 spa craze of 2010:

1. WHEN VAJAZZLING TOOK OVER THE WORLD

Back in February when I casually emailed Bryce Gruber to see if she’d like to get her vagina bedazzled for Spa Madness, I had no idea what I was in for. Although you may think the Vajazzling trend is passe, our blog traffic speaks wildly otherwise. To this day, people all over the world are still landing on Spa Week Daily from Google searches on “vajazzle” “vajazzling spas” and “crystals on your vagina” by the jillions. From information on “First Lady” Bryce Gruber to VAJAZZLING: The Feature Film which now has nearly 1.5 million YouTube views, we couldn’t be prouder to deliver all the hottest news about the sparkliest thing to happen since the age of disco.

Now… what do you think 2011 will bring? More below the belt beauty rituals? Bigger vacations to win? Another music video? We can’t wait to find out either!