I’m not a fancy person.
I can’t remember the last time I wore high heels, and my favourite daily outfit is jeans and a t shirt (preferably with large numbers on it). That’s not to say I’m not secretly envious of women in Toronto, New York, London, and LA, because great clothes, good hair, and an editorial job at a fun magazine seem to come with the territory. But when you live out in the valley near Vancouver, you’re a freelance writer, and your youngest child likes to sprint away from you every chance he gets, Converse and a pair of jeans seems like a good idea. There also doesn’t seem to be a lot of opportunity to dress up.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to feel just a little bit glamorous every once in awhile, and who knew that it would be as easy as going to the mall?
No, I’m not talking about the spa or the salon – I’m talking about my visit to the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique at Coquitlam Centre. From start to finish, even wearing jeans and a pair of boots, I felt pretty darn special while I was there.
Let me explain.
So I’m going to the mall and I’m taking 2 of my 4 kids along. I happened to have both my oldest and my youngest with me, and as I mentioned before, he’s a bit of a runner. Because of that, any trip into the mall is met with tension and no shortage of stress, so I’m a little angst ridden when I pull into the parking lot.
I don’t know if people are getting a head start on shopping this year or what, but wow, the mall parking lot is a zoo at 3:30 pm on a Saturday. It’s OK though, because I have a mission today. I’m at Coquitlam Centre to take a shopping break at the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique, and one of the things I’m most looking forward to is Valet Parking! I pull up at the RBC Avion Valet parking booth, flash my Avion card, remove my children from the vehicle, and hand them my car keys.
I don’t know about you, but I’m usually the chauffeur on a daily basis, so this little perk definitely made my day. And it’s good that I saved the time walking through the parking lot, because from the moment we walked into the mall I had to run to keep up with my son.
Half way through the trip, with 2 gifts crossed off my list, I followed the sounds of piano music straight into the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique. Checking in with my Avion Visa at the door, I walked in and instantly felt calm.
There’s a gift wrap center in the middle of the room. To the left is a piano player, and to the right is a display case full of prizes you can win via the #AvionVIP Twitter contest. A little further back into the room are couches, TVs, a snack bar with coffee, water, hot chocolate, and cookies, and my favourite, a coat check!
Handing off my coats, I grab a cookie or two, get some hot chocolate, and settle back onto one of the white couches. It’s comfortable, cozy, and completely soothing. I’m in heaven.
For 15 minutes my little guy reads books with my big girl, and I just spend the time people watching out the glass windows. It’s not very often I get to just space out in the middle of the mall like that, and I have to say, I feel quite fancy doing it.
It doesn’t matter that I’m dressed down for a crazy shopping trip to the mall during the holidays. I’m positive that if I looked in the mirror my hair would be sticking up from static or something, but it doesn’t matter. I’m calm, relaxed, and enjoying some me-time, all thanks to a stop at the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique. Who needs high heels to feel special?
My husband and I have been RBC Avion cardholders for 5 years now, and I’ve always been grateful for the level of service and support we get from RBC. That card has taken us on some great trips and we’ve received some amazing perks because of it, not the least of which is valet parking and entrance into a little slice of nirvana in the middle of a busy mall.
If you have an RBC Avion Holiday Boutique at your local mall, make sure you get over there and visit during the holidays. Dressed up or dressed down, you’ll feel comfortable and relaxed when you’re there. I definitely did.
Check out this quick Vine video I made of our trip to the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique!
Disclosure: I am part of the RBC Avion Holiday Boutique Blogger Campaign with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
