NaBloPoMo Day 5 - Weekend Getaway Kelowna BC

Weekend Getaway Kelowna BC and Quails Gate Winery Restaurant

NaBloPoMo 2017 Day 5

Every year I have an annual girls weekend where we choose a place for Vancity Girlfriends to enjoy a weekend away from Vancity and to relax without any duties of home.  This year we planned a year in advance and saved up enough Air Miles so we could fly to Kelowna for a weekend in October.  

We stayed at the Sandman Hotel which has a beautiful indoor swimming pool and hot tub (we were too busy drinking, eating and shopping to use it) but it was still calming to walk by the pools everyday and see the serenity of the pool.  We stayed on the business floor and the room had all the amenities such as a shower and bathtub, mini-fridge, coffee maker, TV, and two queen sized beds.  It is conveniently located across the street from Orchard Park Shopping Centre, a BC Liquor Store and close to several restaurants such as The Keg, Milestones and Moxies.  

The first night we made reservations at the Quails Gate Winery Restaurant called The Old Vines Restaurant to get the weekend started right.  I would highly recommend The Old Vines restaurant for any special occasion.  We started with a wine flight and then ordered our main meals.  I had the bison and Vancity Girlfriend Carolyn had the salmon which was served with popcorn.  That may seem like an unusual pairing but it was absolutely amazing.  Dessert is a must.  The names on the menu does not describe the unity of flavors on the dessert plate.  It's a subtle dance on the tastebuds for each bite.  The desserts that are featured below are the Iced Peanut Butter Parfait and the Milk Delice.  I'll never forget the experience of dining at the Old Vines Restaurant at the Quails Gate Winery.  They were unforgettable culinary journey in Kelowna BC.   

Old Vines Restaurant at Quails Gate Winery

Red Wine Flight at Quails Gate Winery

Free Range Bison at Quails Gate Winery

Dessert Plates at the Quails Gate Winery

Salmon at the Quails Gate Winery

Self Care Sunday - Kiehl's Skin Care Routine

With the fall weather and humidity, it seems like my skin has become more dry.  So I decided to go to Kiehl's so I could get a skincare consultation.  To my surprise, my friend was working there and it was a fabulous reunion.  She tested my pH of my skin and determined that I had combination skin.  All I could feel was my dry cheeks and was sure that I had dry skin.  But as with others the T zone was oily so that combination is combination skin.  

She brought out a few different products for me to take a look at and try.  And she explained the purpose of serums which really gave me education about all skincare products.  Before I went to Kiehls I knew that I wanted a skin moisturizer and I had used the one at Kiehls before.  What I didn't know is that I would come away with enough samples and products to have my new Kiehl's Skincare Routine.  

Purifying Foaming Cleanser
Cucumber Herbal Alcohol Free Toner 
Calendula and Aloe Soothing Hydration Mask
Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate

Ultra Facial Cream

I've thrown out my drugstore skin care and have adopted the new Keihls's Skincare routine to see if my skin can start to mend and not be dry anymore.  The full sized products that I bought to help save my skin was the Hydro-Plumping Serum $67 and the Ultra Facial Cream $36.  This was more than I expected to spend but after using it a few weeks my skin is no longer dry and cakey at the end of the day and I'm loving trying a whole skincare routine from the same line.   

Self Care Sunday - Afternoon Tea at La Petite Cuillère

It's been almost a year since the last time I went out for Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont YVR for Spring Afternoon Tea in April 2016.  So I was delighted when a friend wanted to treat me for afternoon tea.  

After a bit of research and knowing that someone else was treating me, I chose La Petite Cuillère at 55 Kingsway near Main Street and Broadway.  It is a quaint little shop with cupboards of traditional English tea cups and saucers and that display is everywhere.  That's the fun part is to pretend to walk into an English tea room to have a cup of tea.  La Petite Cuillère is small and that is what makes it attractive because you can comfortably have conversations with your girlfriends and catch up.  The service was friendly and excellent.  When our afternoon tea arrived and the pretty tiers of finger sandwiches, scones, and desserts, the server even offered to take our pictures.  And he knew exactly where to seat us for the best lighting.  They refilled our tea pots with water and we felt right at home.  There was no rush to leave and it was a window view of our afternoon tea treat.  It made me fall in love with afternoon tea.    

I loved their scones with homemade devonshire cream and jam.  The savory sandwichese were creative and one was even warmed - which is a first.  Of course the macaron was the highlight of the sweet tier for me.  Best of all the afternoon tea is reasonably priced at $25 each which is a sweet treat!  

Take care of yourself on #SelfCareSunday and remember what you like to do and what makes you happy!  It took this visit to remind me that I truly enjoy afternoon tea and need to include this on my self care plan even if it may seem extravagant.  It is worth it if it helps me step into a different world even for an afternoon.

If you're curious about afternoon tea, check out their website:  La Petite Cuillère.  For more about Vancouver afternoon tea, check out my previous blog reviews.  

Patissiere Fur Elise Afternoon Tea

Fairmont Vancouver Airport Afternoon Tea

Adonia Afternoon Tea

Neverland Afternoon Tea

Vancouver Afternoon Tea Reviews