Hi smart shoppers! All of your Mom’s have to shop, so why not give them the tool to save money all year round? There is no reason to waste time shopping for price when the job has already been done by me in my book, Smart Shopping Montreal, now in its 14th edition.

Shopping local is what the book is all about – so stay green and help a Montreal family business at the same time. Those with less time for shopping will enjoy sitting in a comfy chair with the book,  calling stores to ask questions in advance.

Save time by planning instead of  cruising expensive malls or wasting earths’ resources by having online orders shipped here. By saving a minimum of 20% on most purchases, you are in effect gaining a pay raise – as you will have more disposable income.

http://www.smartshoppingmontreal.com/index.php?p=buy

When you need a bit of hand-holding to get you through a room make-over, a move or a down-sizing, Kathryn Osborne Design is an interior designer who has the resources and 20-year background to make it all feel stress-less. When re-upholstering (or making slipcovers), she can sell you the high-end fabric from her atelier (Brunschwig & Fils, Robert Allen, Waverly, Kravet, Colefax & Fowler, Designers Guild).

She can design a whole new floor plan or suggest ideas for designing bed or window treatments, wallpaper or selecting furniture (custom-made sofas too).

Beyond the norm, she can arrange a move, then place the furniture, hang the pictures and even offers a lending library of 200 decorating books for you to peruse.

Location: 1357 Greene Ave, 2nd floor, Westmount
corner: Sherbrooke
Phone: 514-931-1357
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30-5:30, Sat by appt.
www.kathrynosbornedesign.com

Q: Do you know of a place that provides hot nutritous meals delivered for lunch?

A: There are 8 in my Smart Shopping Montreal book, on pages 233-234. Here’s one: Plats Cusinees BVM, Tel: 514-725-1670 .Open more than 19 years, there are over 45 meals to choose from here ($4.95+ for 350g), from pepper steak on rice to chicken with pineapple, roast beef, fish cake, chicken pie, sausages in tomato sauce, veal meatballs, shepherd’s pie, and canelloni with meat or cheese.

For delivery ($6.25 fee), you must order a minimum of 10 meals (11th is free) 2 days in advance, and there are set days for areas: Wed for Outremont, VSL, New Bordeaux and Ahuntsic, Thurs is Montreal Nord, Laval and Ville d’Anjou area, Fri is the center of town, Rosemont and South Shore (here and Laval you must order 15 meals). Desserts are available (mixed berry Baladin, tiramisu).

You can go to the store in person and buy just a couple to try them out whenever you want. There are in-store deals plus fair trade coffee, olives, balsamic vinegars and more.     www.platsbvm.ca

Health Support Products focuses on providing a wide selection of specialty home health care products and medical supplies. Expect quality and competitive prices for mobility aids, bathroom aids, disposable gloves and incontinence products.

The founder has learned what patients need while working as a home health care provider for a number of years. Noticing directly the tremendous need for this type of service, he uses his expertise to offer first-hand knowledge of what products work best.

Whether you are in recovery from a bout of illness or you are just aging at home, they aim to help you live at home comfortably. When you are faced with the task of acquiring home health care and/or medical supplies in order to attain a better quality of life for yourself or a loved one, give them a call and their knowledgeable staff will be happy to provide you with the best possible service at the lowest possible price.

Health Support Products’ large inventory of miscellaneous health care products enables them to meet a variety of home care needs. They offer a commitment to their clients to protect their privacy. As such, all the shipping and/or deliveries are handled discreetly.

You can select items in all these areas: antiseptics, bathroom aids,  cleansers, disinfectants,  medical equipment (monitors, stethoscopes, thermometers), general nursing (shampooer, basins, bed pans), housekeeping, incontinence (Attends or Prevail), lifts and slings, mattresses, mobility aids, personal protection (gloves), safety products (belts, patient positioning), stockings and wound care.

They take the stress out of acquiring the best health care for you or your loved ones, offering efficient service enabling health recovery and/or continued maintenance. For more information regarding their products and services, please feel free to contact them.

There is currently a promotion of a 20% discount to all customers with a first time purchase of minimum of $50.00 order on any product. Take advantage of their free samples of incontinence products available for all.

Tel: Toll Free 1-855-239-3559 (bewell9)
www.healthsupportproducts.com

Q: I am looking after the linens in my church for communion services. Do you know anywhere where I can have the LARGE white tablecloths and napkins cleaned and starched?  I am in the Montreal area.

A: On my web site under Repairmen, you will find Bellingham Cleaners http://www.smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=167. They have been around since 1940 are specialists in all kinds of dry cleaning. Their prices are not bargain basement but the quality of their work and service are excellent.

Q: Do you know of a place where I could have a necklace restrung?

A: Look at my web site under Specialists, Jewellers, you will find a write up about Bijouterie Guru, 7500 boul Les Galerie D’Anjou, Ville D’Anjou corner: Jean Talon E Tel: 514-353-4666

He can do hollow gold jewelry welding; eye-wear frames welding; restringing of pearls; engraving of medical alert bracelets and pendants.

Engraving can be done on pens, inside rings, signet rings, baby bracelets, commemorative gifts and even your iPhone, and iPad.

They repair windup clocks and can change the movements to one that works with a battery.

Are you worried about the condition of your diamond ring prongs? Afraid of losing your diamond or gem? They do verification of your prongs “free of charge”. Prong repair and re-tipping is done, if need be.

Have you lost your diamond or gemstone from your ring? They will replace, diamonds, gemstones and pearls. They even do custom-made jewelry and can produce a model from a photo or a sketch.

Since 1940, Bellingham Cleaners and Tailors has been well-known for their expert cleaning, especially of the more challenging suedes, leathers, wedding gowns, silk, feather pillows and duvets.

- Their Deluxe Service handles delicate garments individually:
* garments individually cleaned in virgin solvent
* buttons are removed to prevent damage
* items are hand-pressed,
* double inspection procedure
* garments are stuffed with tissue paper to preserve their form

- For busy people, they offer a wash and fold service for $1.50 lb ($3.30 kg). Whites and coloured items are washed separately – and – independently of other peoples’ clothes. There’s free pick up and delivery. The minimum order is for 10 lbs.

- Would you sleep on the same sheets for 6 months? So why haven’t you ever had your pillow cleaned? They will sanitize, deodorize, clean, and fluff you pillow – and – replace the cover.

- Too difficult to remove and rehang your drapes and window coverings? They’ll send someone to do it for you so you can send them in for a cleaning along with the bedding and decorative cushions.

- For garment repairs (even suede and leather), every day there are seamstresses and a changing room, so quick fixes can be sewn while you wait.

- Their Bates Rd. location has Quebec’s first drive-thru service and a 24-hour night deposit box using VIP bags.

- Home or office pick-up service is available over most of the island.

- Bellingham Cleaners are the only cleaners in the province of Quebec who are certified by the worldwide Association of Wedding Gown Specialists.

Locations: 2655 Bates Rd corner: Wilderton Tel: 514-733-4444
1 Westmount Square, Westmount Tel: 514-934-3353
Hours Bates Rd: Mon-Fri 7:30-6, Sat 9-5

This is just what we need as the population ages. Acacia Retirement Services is available to assist seniors to maintain or increase their independence, enabling them to live safely in the comfort of their own home. Acacia’s experienced personnel are dedicated, compassionate and caring.

Their services include:
- Companionship
- Helping with everyday activities
- Transportation
- Monitoring of diet and preparation of nutritious meals
- Assisting clients with self-administration of medications
- Providing respite for a family member
- Assistance with mobility
- Managing administrative health-related activities
- Ongoing close communication with the client and family

It takes a special kind of person to care for seniors. Acacia takes a heartfelt approach to caring – which makes all the difference.

e-mail:  info@acaciaservices.ca
Phone:  514-426-9201
www.acaciaservices.ca

Garage Outfitters, founded in 2005, can help you transform your garage from chaos into the most useful and organized area in your home. They take you in a whole new direction of storage and organization – can you imagine everything at your finger tips, all items easily accessible, organized, and off the floor?

Their re-engineered slatwall is versatile, waterproof, beautiful and recyclable; The hooks, baskets, brackets and shelves are engineered to industrial standards. The StoreWALL HeavyDuty is available for demanding applications. The slats are available in: weathered grey, brite white, dover white, global pine, and rustic cedar.

Overhead storage allows you to store large, bulky items up off of the floor, while still providing easy access. Forget rented storage space. HyLoft ceiling storage units are ideal for storing holiday decorations, luggage, coolers and other large bulky items. The tire racking keeps tires sitting properly so that they will last longer.

The room will look great when they seal the garage floor utilizing a technique of sand, crack repair, paint flake and seal. The garage flooring systems using polyaspartic, polyurea and epoxy floor solutions becomes visually appealing. It is easy to maintain, stain resistant, durable and more comfortable.

Their renovation team sets up the plans and can include painting, electrical work, lighting, heating and plumbing. All estimates are FREE.

When you re-do your garage, it helps increase the overall value of your home. And imagine, you’ll now be able to park your vehicles in the garage where they were intended to be.

Location: 7467 Rte Transcanada
corner: Cote Vertu
Tel: 514-779-6696
www.garage-outfitters.ca, Facebook http://on.fb.me/NO2MVR
info@garage-outfitters.ca

Real estate agents quiver when they hear that Mr. Charney is doing the house inspection, because they’re afraid he’s too thorough. His findings have lost some sales, but some vendors are willing to negotiate about the necessary repairs.

This Harvard graduate is an architect with 42 yrs experience, and can work across N.A. He provides an estimate of what it would cost to put the house into a good state of repair, including  photos of the defects and how to fix them.

At $200 per hour, a typical inspection runs $2,500 for 15+ hours, including a well illustrated narrative report. It’s money very well spent for one of the largest investments most people will ever make.

Tel: 514-937-5100
www.morrischarney.com