Hi! I’m Heather, a local Calgary Blogger and I recently spent the day at Willow Park Village. I wanted to share my day with you because I had such a great time shopping, eating and meeting friends. I live just outside the city in the west and so, Willow Park Village is quite far from me. I had been to the area before on a quick stop to pick something up on the way to a friends house (okay, yes, I was shopping for wine) and so I knew where the village was, but I had no idea how many shops and boutiques were hidden here!
This time, I planned to spend the day and really see what there was to see and to pamper myself a little. I was surprised with the amount of parking. I had no trouble finding a space and even later in the afternoon when the center was quite busy, there was still lots of parking available.
My first stop was at Skoah for what they call their double dose treatment. For under $100 you get a 45 min facial AND foot scrub. They massage your shoulders and scalp, rub the dry skin off your feet then massage them with moisturizer and provide a multipurpose facial too. I walked out of there relaxed and pampered with gleaming fresh skin. They even applied foundation and lip gloss afterwards so I was ready to meet my friends for lunch at Broken Plate.
If you’ve never tried Greek food before, or if you’re not sure whether or not you’ll like it then do stop in at Broken Plate. Greek dishes are fresh and flavorful with lemon, oregano, and garlic flavors peeking through. It’s upscale but not pretentious and all about family dining as celebration. Boy, did my beautiful friends and I celebrate the day!
We started with their saganaki which is simpler than the name sounds. It’s basically flambéed cheese and they light it table side for high drama. I was so excited to get at it that I didn’t catch a photo of it on fire! It was amazing and we all shared – it disappeared quickly. Next I had a golden beet salad with figs and goat cheese and spanakopita (spinach and cheese wrapped in phyllo pastry) and both were really, really good. I mean. Look. Food this beautiful can’t be bad.
After lunch I said goodbye to my friends and I wandered around the village to see what I could see. I browsed through Home Treasures and More and admired all the pretty they had on display. I drooled over the kitchenware at The Compleat Cook and then I found myself at Fashion Addition 14+. What a fun store that is! They had an extensive selection of plus size clothing and it was all different than what you’d normally find in the other shopping centers.
I found a lovely Jones NY Dress on sale for only $80 so I snagged it and I will be back again as the seasons change for more. I also bought this pretty linen tunic that’s perfect for summer and will even work going into fall.
As a mom, it’s not often that I take a day to pamper myself. It is rare that I focus on my own needs for hours at a time – that I visit friends, sit in a quiet spa or shop for clothing without kids hanging off of me. But I’m so glad I took the time to explore Willow Park Village and indulge. Next time, I would love to check out some of the other restaurants and, I hope to bring something home for dinner too. I love that there were so many specialty food shops from meat to cheese to beautiful olive oils – I could really put out a spread from just things I picked up in the village. I’m glad I saved something to do another day because I can’t wait to go back!