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

The newest site I’ve heard about to find many of your favorite store’s weekly flyers is www.flyercity.ca. The emphasis is on stores across Canada but there are some here in Montreal.

They advertised that they have: Toys r Us, President’s Choice, Rona, Dell, Home Depot, the Brick, Giant Tiger, de Serres, Sears and Mark’s (L’Equippeur) but I couldn’t find all those when I looked. Across the country, there’s Black’s, Sportchek, Henry’s, Napa Auto Parks, PetSmart and Vistek.

There’s a cute feature where you can shop by discount amount. If you only want to buy stuff that is, let’s say, 50% off, it will highlight only those items.

The best monthly sales of linens, etc. is the one held on Louvain St. in the Chabanel area. For bedding, curtains, comforters, pillows,  shower curtains, bath towels, mats, dishcloths, oven mitts, mattress covers, etc.

They offer great deals like cushions for $5,  curtains for $5 and comforters starting at $15.

Location: 120 Louvain
Dates and times: Fri Mar 30: 11-6;  Sat Mar 31: 8-1
www.liquideco.com

At the International Startup Festival this week, Ondi Timoner whose next documentary will be about Internet startups will be filming away. She is the only director to win the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival - twice!

With Montreal a high tech hub,  it is not surprising that the festival expects to have more than 700 participants and that she would be here to make this part of her film. Timoner will be following around several of the high profile speakers who have been invited to the festival as they are the gurus of the industry.

So if you’ve had this internet business idea germinating in your brain  or you have a business that could go electronic, and you want to rub elbows with these idols, this is the moment for you to join them. Or – if you want to get caught in the background scenes and be “appearing in”  the next Sundance Festival, head down to the Alexander pier at the Old Port this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

www.startupfestiva.com

Q:1 – What is the cost of re-upholstering a sofa, let’s say compared to buying a new one?

Re-upholstering your furniture is not that much less expensive than buying a new sofa. Cost only 15% to 20%  less, however price is not always the answer when shopping smartly for this.

Q:2 – If it’s almost the same price, then why shouldn’t I just buy new?

Simply put, newly made sofas or chairs are not constructed as well. In older models, the skeleton,  literally what it all hangs on, is made out of good “old-fashioned” hardwoods (maple birch, etc.) which last forever.  Newer ones, perhaps the same price as having your  re-upholstered are probably made out of a manufactured pressed wood and could even be just stapled together, which will start wiggling and jiggling and sagging in a few short years.

Q:3 – And I guess if you really like the shape and comfort level, you should think about keep the old one.

Yes. Also current styles of sofas are designed for sprawling – they are built very deep. Older or shorter people find them difficult to sit on – their feet might not even reach floor putting pressure on their back – and they can be backbreaking to get out of.

If you love the way your sofa fits your butt, your taste buds or your room but the comfort level now disagrees with your body, that can be corrected by filling cushions to make them softer or harder with foam, dacron or feathers.  Re-doing beats buying new since you can make the choice of what goes inside your cushions. New ones might flatten out in months.

If it’s color no longer suits your tastes or decor, the sky’s limit with re-upholstering. You can pick any kind color or fabric your heart desires. When purchasing from store, you are stuck with whatever fabrics that manufacturer chose for this season.

Q:4 – How do slip covers fit in to this discussion?

If it’s just the look you want to change, you can have slip covers made – and you can even change the colors of your room for each season. Those of you with pets might like the ability to remove covers and have them cleaned – some slip cover fabrics are even machine washable.

Q5: Can you make some suggestions of who can make these magic transformations for us?

Four Season Slip Covers specializes in making – yep – slip covers. They have done furniture for Debbie Travis’s Facelift TV shows and decorators like Scott Yetman. This is a shop-at-home service. An arm chair takes about 5 – 6 yds. of fabric, a 2-seat loveseat needs 10 – 12 yds., 3-seat sofa 13 -15 yds. Dining room chairs take 2 1/2 yds. and can have pleats, bows, etc.

Phone: 450-465-0650.

Opened in 1903 Farrar – Daoust is still going strong in the third generation. Free quotes are given. They give couches a complet overhaul – stripping  pieces down wood, changing springs, checking glue, re-staining scratches. They offer about 3,000 fabric samples and can get drapes made. It all comes with a five year written guarantee.

Phone: (514) 768-6785 or or 450-671-6660

In the Elmaleh family, seven children (out of 10) learned the re-upholstery trade from their Dad and opened in a few places in Montreal. Specializing in custom-made sofas, chairs and chaise lounges, they are also furniture magicians and can cut up a sofa into three arm chairs or slice to downsize into a condo.

David, at this location, can re-cover your furniture and other siblings can add drapes, bedspreads and wall coverings to match. The showroom has imported chair frames in Chippendale, Louis XV, XVI, etc. for you to choose from. Antique furniture restoration and French polishing can be handled here as well.

Location: 1001 Lenoir St, Suite A408
orner: St-antoine 514-935-5944
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8-5, Fri 7:30-2
Location for Albert and other siblings: 685 Brunet (514-332-0516).

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), you have to buy 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

If you have a small job, like a dining room chair, wing-back chair or occasional chair, Creations And Stuff By Me is an option. The main function of this company is to re-purpose furniture (turn it shabby chic, make a chest into a baby changing table, pad your headboard). You can look at her website to get an idea of the amazing transformations possible and what she has for sale.

You can also find her creations at Vie de Campagne in Westmount, Buk & Nola and Gilgamash Decor.  She can help you with: furniture painting and refinishing; light fixture rewiring (custom lampshades), and redesigning as well as custom furniture searching for the piece you want. It’s also possible to visit her workshop to buy directly from her.

Location: 705 Laporte Ave.
corner: St- Jacques
Phone:  514-707-2365
Hours : Tue-Sat 10-3, Please call ahead
www.creationsandstuffbyme.com

You can catch me on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show for the full hour on Thurs Dec 8 at 11-12. These are the items I talked about on the show and where I found them:

Le Panier, 300 Bord de Lac, Pointe Claire Tel: 514-695-7038

Shelf Guard-Oven Protect $8.99
If you’re tired of burning yourself when you reach for something in the oven, this shelf guard fits on any shelf rack and will protect your hands from the heat.

Timer-Electronic Egg/Chick $19.99
When you use a timer for cooking, one has arrived wrapped up in a adorable idea. A baby chick pops out of the egg, when the timer goes off.

Water-Bottle 18.5oz $12.99
Get better tasting, healthy water at the fraction of the price of bottled water, when you use it with a  filter.  Filter replacement is $8.99

Cell Phone Holder $6.99
The holder hangs between your battery charger and the wall socket. It provides a support for your cell phone and convenient storage for your charging cord.

Key Ring Alcohol Tester $19.99
Protect yourself and others, when you breathe into the tester before getting behind the wheel.

Apron-Cooking Guide $29.99
This is the perfect idea for any foodie. The apron is printed with quantity conversion tables, defrosting times, and portion guides. All at your fingertips as they are printed upside down for you to pull up and read.

Tip Alert Toilet Seat Alarm Hubby $9.99
Are you tired of telling your hubby to remember to put the seat down? This alarm will take care of any excuses.

Singing Puppet-Dog $14.99
Any fan of animals will fall in love with this singing puppet as he crones ‘Close To You’.

Body Zinger-Body Massager $7.99
The ‘Body Zinger’ massages the acupressure points while stimulating millions of nerve endings.

Musical Santa Hat $29.99
With this hat, you will be the hit of your Christmas party, when the music starts playing.

‘Small’ Book Box $17.99
Do you need to store something in secret? No one would suspect that it’s inside a book on your shelf!

Jeanz Legging $39.99
Try out the newest trend and still get the comfort of jeans in these pair of pants.

Bracelet (Recycled Poptop Refashioned) $19.99
This fashionable bracelet is made from recycled poptops. It’s a great way to show off your style and protect the earth at the same time.

Christmas Box of Questions Game $24.99
Gather around the Christmas tree and play a thoughtful and provoking game that will bring family and friends closer.

PooPourri 4oz Org Spray $16.99
Spray this before you go to the bathroom, and the room will smell like a rose.

‘Smart Sponges’ 5pk $9.99
These sponges spell out exactly what they are used for, so there’s no confusion when cleaning: sink, toilet, floor, etc.

3X Medicine Bottle Magnifier $12.99
This is the perfect gift for anyone who has trouble reading the labels in their cabinet.

JRC Toys , 5589 Royalmount 514-342-6979

‘Fashion Angels’ Bandit-O’s Stretch Bands 216 for $5.99
Stretch these bands into anything you want and they’ll bounce back to their original shape. Age 6+

Littlest Pet Shop‘Deco Pets’ $9.99  (reg price $14.99)
Decorate your own pet with the included markers and stickers. Age 6+

Disney Storybooks $1.99  (reg price $2.99)
Read some wonderful stories  about new and exciting adventures, as well as some classic fairy tales.

‘Read Along’ 6 stories on CDs (Cinderella, Finding Nemo…)  $5.99   (reg $30.00)
Stories that will help your child learn to read as they follow along with the CD.

Disney’ Dress Up Princesses 21 pieces $19.99   (reg$29.99)
The perfect gift for the little ‘princess’ in your life. Watch as she transforms into Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, or Cinderella.
Age 3+

Crayola’ Explosion $5.99  (reg $8.99)
Trace the images and then watch as surprising colors appear. Finish your masterpiece off with the included stencils shapes and stickers.
Age: 6+

Hockey Cap $9.99  (reg$29.99)
Cheer on the Habs when you proudly wear this cap.

Sticky Mosaics Argyle Purse
Decorate your own designer purse by following the color by numbers. The set includes a purse and 1400+ sticky foam and jewel pieces Age 4+

WordWorld Moon Sand
Wordsand lets your child Wordbuild with play sand that molds like dough. Age 3+

Toys r Us
Glow Crazy (Price:  $14.99)

Children can draw and write on a jumbo wall using a light wand.  Age:  6 – 7 years

Kid Link 5604 Monkland 514-482-4188

Paper Jamz Guitar ($34.99)
Lets you play guitar and sing along to the three included hits. You can create your own songs or jam out just by touching the guitar. Age: 8+

Paper Jamz Speaker ($20.99)
Real working speaker which lets you amplify your ‘Paper Jamz’ products and more. Age: 8 +

Paper Jamz Drums ($34.99)
You can tap along to three hits songs: Rock & Rool All Nite, Louie Louie, and School’s Out. Age 8+

Glam Her: Alex Doll ($31.99)
Become  a fashion designer and create endless looks. Includes pieces of clothing to decorate.
Add the ribbons, gems, and bottons that are included. Age: 6+

My Design: Paintable Boots ($26.99)
Paint-Erase-Repaint. Includes 32 magical erasing pads, 6 waterproof colors, 2 paint brushes, 1 pallete.
Size: EU 27-28, US 9.5-10 Not suitable for children under 3.

Q-Ball-Maze: Amaze with cubes ($19.99)
Construction with rolling balls. 50 pieces. Interlocking structures for rolling balls. Open-ended creative play.
Durable polycarbonate for kids and adults. Age: 5+

Mark-My-Time: The Digital Bookmark Award Winning. ($10.99)
Bookmark and digital time all in one. Lets each child record reading minutes at the touch of a button. Includes a digital clock that can be programmed. A countdown timer that can be programmed. Cumulative timer for multi sessions. 60 second fluency timer. Age 5+

Mark-My-Time; The Digital Booklight ($15.99)
Bookmark, timer, and book light all in one. Includes 3 LED book light. Countdown timer with alarm. Cumulative timer that stores up to 100 hours. Integrated page clip. 60 second fluency timer. Age: 5+

Buckyballs: 216 Powerful Rare Earth Magnets ($34.99)
Each Buckyball has two poles…one side repels, the other attracts. Unlimited forms, structures, stress relief & more.
Age: Teen

Scattergories: The Card Game ($15.99)
Players must start with a category card and a letter card that contains a letter. Players must then shout out different things that begin with that letter that can be found in or at the category. The player who has gained the most cards wins. 2 or more players Time: 15-30 min. Age 8+

Replogle: Intelliglobe ($125)
Games, history, geography, ecology, and more. Thousands of facts in four languages: English, Spanish, French and German. Includes discovery book to your world and beyond. Wireless Intelli-Pen. Touch multiple times to receive more facts and information. Current Updatable Information. Age: 5+

From Local Entrepreneurs:

Adults:

G-Couch ($9.99) A mini couch shape tissue cover which fits any standard tissue box. Available in different designs
Kiosk at Carrefour Carnaval, 7475, boul.Newman Tel: 514-761-055

Wrap-N-Mat: Wrap Mini Snack Pouch ($8.50 & 11.50)
Re-usable sandwich wrap or snack pouch and placement in one. by Envirobottles. Different designs available. www.envirobottles.ca 450-627-4467 or 514-923-4467

Animalerie Bailey Blu ($52.95-56.95)
Dog tee shirt: Habs jersey. 6152 Sherbrooke W. Tel: 516-507-4256

The Wish Pearl: Love Pearl ($19.99)
Crack open the real shell and find a pearl inside. Take it out and place it in the holder on the included necklace. Voila a lovely piece of jewlery. www.thewishpearl.com Tel: 514 813-1514 or 1-877-501-9474

Q1: With the Spring season upon us, the females out there are itching to get their hands on some new clothes, what kinds of styles are cool this Spring?

Look for soft comfortable, feminine, flowing fabrics, lots of prints – faces and flowery and bling: embellishments on clothes. Tunics with leggings are back and they hide a multitude of sins.

Q2: It sounds like, to be in fashion, you need to throw out everything and go for all the new stuff?

It’s always confusing as fashion shifts, but there is a way to get around this. There are women who run fashion businesses where the emphasis is one-on-one shopping. They know you, know what you like and what you look good in and even keep track of your wardrobe. So they may say, you can wear the long top from last year but buy jeggings to go with them.

Q3: What are jeggings?

Leggings made out of jeans fabric.

Q4: Let’s go through a couple of these shops to see what they have to offer:

You might have heard of  Fashionwear as a fashion service which held sales in the Ruby Foo’s Hotel during the Fall and again in the Spring. Now they have a permanent location at the Centre d’Achats Hudson. They stock a unique collection of about 2 dozen lines of women’s trendy clothes (even Lindsay Phillips’ switch flops ) and giftware and gadgets.
As you try on outfits, you are aided by Lisa or one of the consultants, who help you coordinate a wardrobe. They keep a computer database of what you buy each time and try to update your look based on what you already have at home. To find out dates of their Ruby Foo sales, get on their calling or e-mail list.

Location: Centre d’Achats Hudson at Exit 26 of the Transcanadienne.
Hours: Regular
Phone450 218-1955
www.fashionwearcanada.com

Another local Canadian company which used to be called Optionelle, now named EVEology clothing collection, is less about following trends and more about creating one’s own personal style rather than just jumping onto “what’s hot”.  You can view the clothing at www.eveology.com and then go in locally to try them on and buy (sizes mostly 4-2XL). Their clothing focuses on everyday glam looks which combine fashion, function and the attention to detail. Most interestingly, it is designed and sorted by body type so you can easily choose which pieces will make you look the best.
If you have no time to go out and shop, home presentations are possible; Gather some friends together and have a private fashion show and you can earn fashion dollars as a percentage of the sales. If you don’t have time or energy to clean your house and clear out your hubby and kids, Elisabeth will just host the party at her place. She’s been been selling this way for years and is great at helping you select a wardrobe to suit you.  Shopping here is like having your own personal dresser.

Tel: 514 684-0370
Hours: By appointment
fashionista@acn.net
www.eveology.com

Q5: What about the full-figured woman, how does she fit in to this, literally and figuratively?

Women with larger needs (sizes 14-24) can shop at Oppen’s where  they are lucky to get Beverly’s personal service with wardrobe coordination. The racks offer lots of mix and match possibilities in washable fabrics, and even jewelry to finish off the look. Well known labels such as Linda Lundstrom, Simon Chang, Conrad C, NYDJ – Tummy Tuck Jeans, Kokomarina, Tara Vao  Franck Anna, Alain Weiz, Spanner are there for you. They also carry Spanx to smooth you out, slinky knits and their own Beverly shirts and opera coats.

Location: 4828 boul. St-Laurent
Corner: Villeneuve
Phone: 514-844-9159
Hours: Tues-Fri 10:30-5, Sat 10:30-5

I get calls during the year from people needing help getting rid of their household items due to a move, a senior transition or for a an estate situation. They just don’t know what to do with it all.

I just got an e-mail from a gentleman who calls his company, Money for Clutter. What he does is help people sell furniture, antiques, china, books, artwork, clothing, tools, appliances, jewelry, collectibles, pianos, garden equipment and almost any household items.

He goes  into a home and photographs the items they want to sell. Then he prices them at market value and advertises in local Montreal web sites, on his site and to his own e-mail list of regular buyers. He negotiates the price before the potential buyer goes to the seller’s home so there are no surprises. If there is a lot involved or if they are elderly, he will accompany the  buyer to the seller’s residence.

He works on a commission basis and takes a percentage of the  final sale. If needed, he can set them up with a mover. For seniors, he offers a packing service, the sale of unwanted belongings or can hold an estate sale.  He likes to say that he make  a hard time a lot easier.

Mark Hodess
http://moneyforclutter.com

For my appearance on CBC, I will be enlightening the audience Valentine ideas beyond the usual chocolates and flowers.

Here are the stores mentioned:

For Monogramming:

Monogrammes Plus (514-695-8647) for teddy bears, bathrobes, boxer shorts, t-shirts, cosmetic bags, aprons, etc.

Creations Personelles (Fairview Pte-Claire, Tel: 514-695-3636) for ID bracelets, wine glasses, albums, hip flasks and much more.

For a Tea Party:

Bramble House (57 Donegani, Pointe Claire, Tel: 514-695-3636) has  Price of Wales’ Duchy Originals organic cookies, shortbread cookies, Gardner’s of Scotland coffee fudge, heather honey fudge and of course, teas from England:  PG Tips, Taylor’s of Harrogate, Brodies and Typho to Bewley’s from Ireland and the tea pots and tea cozies to make that perfect cup. www.bramblehouse.net

Clarence & Cripps (71 Cameron, Hudson  450-458-4073) also has your teas and snacks are there too: Walker’s chips (steak & onion, prawn cocktail), Maynard’s wine gums, Galaxy minstrels, McVities digestives and Marks & Spencer ginger snaps. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to scoop up some real Devonshire table cream for your scones. Delivery is available, even to downtown. www.clarenceandcripps.com

Le Spa Book www.lespabook.com 450-424-8716, 877-537-7201 and at Jean Coutu, Pharmaprix, Uniprix, Multimags, Chapters (Pointe-Claire and Ste-Catherine) is a discount coupon book for 150 promotions in 106 spas in Montreal and surrounding areas, West Island, Laval, Laurentians, Eastern Townships, the region of Quebec.

For racy chocolate ideas and yummy chocolate:

Divine Chocolatier (2158 Crescent Tel: 514-282-0829).  Take Callebaut dark chocolate and wrap it around orange or ginger slices, blueberries, orange peel or praline and you have divine confections (100 gr/$9.95). Sure there’s healthy 72% dark with orange and ginger but look for the fun items: the chocolate shot glasses, body oil, caramel or chocolate hazelnut spread, and molded shapes like a computer, tennis racket or kama sutra poses. Seasonally you might get cinnamon or allspice in your chocolate or flavored hot chocolates.  wwww.divinechocolatier.com

For green gifts:

Coccinelle Jaune, 4236 Ste-Catherine e Tel: 514-259-9038
Boutique Artistri, 5319 ave. du Parc

Les artisans du meuble Quebecois, 88 St-Paul est, Tel: 514-866-1836
L’Empreinte Cooperataive 272 St-Paul est Tel: 514-861-4427

Heck this is a lot more lucrative than a Tupperware party.  You receive money instead of spending money. Get your friends to gather up broken bracelets, tangled chains, orphan earrings and that gaudy necklace from the 80s. With gold trading at a 30-year-high, now is a good time to change all that sparkle into hard cash. Gold Party Canada, a Montreal based company will buy all of their unwanted gold jewelry on the spot after quickly and expertly appraising it.

Hostesses (besides buying your unused gold jewelry for top dollar) will receive $25 for every guest who sells a minimum of $200 of gold. If that wasn’t good enough, they even give you money to host the party in style. You are give a $100 credit toward food and drinks (no receipts necessary). Invite 10 people, earn $350.

Guests go home with an average of $750.

www.goldpartycanada.com