Pourquoi Pas is a popular gift shop right in the heart of downtown in  Place du Cathedrale. The shop is quite colorful with it’s fun ideas for parties, the kitchen, kids, girls and guys and whatever.

1– Sparrow Hook $18.95 www.dcigift.com is the cutest thing I’ve seen for hanging clothes in your hall, bathroom or bedroom. It looks like a sparrow sitting on a tree branch and you just hang your clothes on the branch end.

2 – Nature Calls Animal Sound Clock $25   It’s way calmer to transition from sleep to the day when hearing the sound of a rooster, cat, dog, monkey, owl, etc.

3 – Beer Bands $9.50 www.silocollection.com Just in time for the H1N1 scare. You can slip these over your beer bottle and it identifies whose is whose so no one drinks out of the wrong bottle.

4 – USB Hubman $25 www.kikkerland.com Use this human-like hub for speakers, cameras, mice, keyboards, drives.

5 – Ouch $12.95 www.worldwidefred.com is a voodoo doll toothpick holder. It sure is weird to pull toothpicks out of him for your hors d’ouevres but even weirder putting them in.

6 – Sniff $2 www.sniff.tv are multi colored tissues packs with designs of  hula girls, animals, wild patterns designs. Sure makes you smile a bit if you have the sniffles

7 – Steady Eddie Person Pizza Cutter $9.95 www.antevanilla.com Koziol started the  craze of turning kitchen gadgets into cute colorful designs. This company does it too.

8 – Banana Guard $6.95 www. bananaguard.com No more mushy bananas or ones with with black spots from bumping on the way to work. This is made in Canada

9 – Cheeky Children’s Cutlery $19.95 www.maxwellandwilliams.com For little hands, and fun meals, there is a person sitting on each piece of cutlery and these same people can  stand on the table for entertainment,  or removed and played with while you eat. Cutlery can be used without them as the kids get older.

10 – Magic top ‘n shorts $24.95 www.magictopnshorts.com Perfect for a traveling gift or stocking stuffer. Just drop in water and the outfit grows to your size

11 – Purse Caddy $9.95 Don’t lose your holiday money with your purse over the back of your chair or on the foor. Hang your purse on restaurant table in front of you. This one folds up to the size of a toony.

12 – Reindeer Shower Cap $$9.95 www.npw.co.uk You always need one ridiculous item that says Christmas and this is it.

13 – Shopper Stopper pills $4.50 www.crazycures.com These colorful bottles are made to cure all sorts of imagined illnesses. This one is perfect for the holidays as it cures shopaholism It’s made in Canada.

Pourquoi Pas
Location: Place du Cathedrale
625 Ste-Catherine St ouest
Tel: 514-524-2124

Kidlink is a fabulous store kids’ stuff as they concentrate on award winning toys and games, music and video, arts and crafts. There are gifts for newborns, journals and toys with long term value, and it all comes with free gift wrapping and excellent customer service. The owners know everything in the joint and know exactly how to help you select the right toy for the right kid.

(Photos on bottom)

1- Hex Bugs $14 www.hexbug.com by Innovations First. It’s mini 2X2″ robotix creatures which reacts to sound & light. It has sensory antennas and is sensitive to touch. It walks and crawls on its 6 legs. As soon as it touches something, it reverses. You can control it by whistling, clapping or aiming a flashlight   Ages 5 & up

2- Kiss Naturals $20-$25 www.kissnaturals.com This is a local NDG mom and dad company and the product is made locally as well. It’s a line of kits with natural ingredients: make your own lip balm, bath fizzies, natural soap or solid perfume. $1 goes to St Justine Hospital or MontrealChildren’s Hospital  Ages 6 & up

3- Gobblet Gobblers $24.99 www.blueorangegames.com For 2 players, this is a quick 4 min. game like tic tac toe. However, you use pieces of 3 different sizes which are. You can gobble up a bigger one that is on a space you need. It’s fast to learn and fast to play. Won tons of awards. Ages 5-10

4- Smart Ass Game $33 www.areyougame.com Family trivia game for 2-12 players. Each player guesses 1) who am I 2)what am I 3) where am I 4) Hard Ass by a series of clues. Anyone can jump in as you all solve it at the same time. If you blurt out the wrong answer,  you are out. Ages 12 & up

5 -Zipfy $39.99 www.Zipfy.com A freestyle mini luge for snow that is Canadian engineered but made in the US. It comes in 6 colors. First luge for little kids.  Safe, easy, feet first, there’s a lever to control directions with leaning. It’s light to carry and won lots of awards. Ages:  5-adult up to 250 lbs

6- Jishaku $24.99 www.playjishaku.com. It’s the Japanese word for magnet and was invented by an engineer. This is a strategy board game which uses brain power, not luck. It works on magnetic interaction.Each player places a magnetic stone on a bumpy board. It is important how it is placed as each is trying to get rid of their stones. The magnets are repelled and attracted by force fields so you may wind up with other player’s pieces if you do it wrong. Ages: 8 to adult. 2 players & up.

7- Hugg- a-planet world globe $31 www.huggaplanet.com Round pillow made out of stuffed cotton. On it is the political world map. Point is to care about mother earth.

Kidlink
Location:5604 Monkland at Oxford
Tel: 514-482-4188
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5

With the cutesy name of Mortimer Snodgrass, this gift shop has cutesy – and practical- gifts. There are 2 locations, one in Old Montreal and one on the South Shore in St. Lambert (easier if you need parking).

I’ve selected some fun things for him for her, for the kids for the house or for anyone on your gift list.

1 – Salad Servers Plant $29 www.black-blum.com This one is my favorite from this store and one I would happily bring as a gift to anyone for the holidays, for a visit, for an engagement, etc.

2 – Montreal Melon Starter Kit $21 www.seraconcandles.com The Montreal Melon was hugely popular here in the last century and then disappeared from stores. Heritage seeds were found and now you can taste the taste that people loved. It is of course, made in Canada

3 – Walrus Puppet $30  www.cateandlevi.com This is a green toy handmade in Canada from recycled fabrics. Puppets are fun for kids of all ages and these come in many animal forms

4 – Star Wars mini USB key 4GB  $40 www.mimobot.com. Star Wars lovers will love to keep this with them at all times.

5 – Party Glass Markers $8 www.vacuvin.com sticks to sides of glasses (sticks around longer than most guests)  . Especially good in these H1N1 days, it’s nice to know which glass is your so no one drinks from the wrong glass

6 – Electro Man Extension cord $28 www.kikkerland.com is useful for creating multi outlets and looks alot better than that long bar.

7 – Bike Bell $24 is created right here in Montreal. Save the planet and get on your bike.

8 – Lunch Bag $28 Gourmet Getaway www.builtny.com www.frenchbull.com is made out of neoprene which is the same fabric used for underwater diving suit s0 it is very insulating for keeping foods cold or hot.

9 – Tea Set $36 www.greentoys.com is made out of recycled milk jugs, no BPA, no phthalates, no lead paint and fun for years. It includes a teapot, cups, saucers, sugar bowl and creamer

10 – Humungastache fetch toy $16 www.moodypet.com looks like your dog has a moustache when he grabs the ball in his mouth.

11 – Monkeys i $6 www.worldwidefred.com These plastic toppers fit on your keys so you can tell them apart easily. They come in call kinds of shapes.

Mortimer Snodgrass
Location: 457 Victoria Ave. St-Lambert
Tel: 454-465-5252
209 St-Paul O.
Tel: 514-499-2851 (moving nearby)
www.mortimersnodgrass.com

Q1: There comes a time in every gift shopping list when you hit the wall. It’s either because you  realize you have run out of time or because you really cannot think of anything to get that person.

Call up one of the gift basket companies. Gift baskets have come a long way since someone wrapped up some fruit and nuts in a wicker basket and covered it with plastic wrap.

Q2: How will I know if it’s right for the person on my list my list, what are the kinds of things you find in gift baskets?

These companies listed have learned how to take the likes, interests or taste buds of your gift recipients and turn them into a gift basket. Sure, they still fill them with chocolate, cookies and toiletries, but you might also find ones with: soup, pedicure supplies, martinis, anti-oxidant food, movies, gardening tools or sugar-free delights, all beautifully and precariously piled into a basket, a fry pan, a car, a vase or an Adirondack chair, for example.
Go to their web sites and see what they have, go in person and pick out things.

Q3: It’s good to keep the shopping local, so can you tell us some of the places we can order baskets?

La Premiere Compagnie de Paniers is a basket company which lives in a huge gift store. The shop is chock full of gourmet food items, kitchenware and gifts. Baskets are easily assembled from the jams, hot sauces, condiments, Rogers chocolates, scented items, toys, gifts, housewares and much, much more. Look for the little tasting bowls and crackers to try out new products, the candy corner or feast on their own 5 year old cheddar, sausages made by the Mennonites, and their homemade fudge.

Location: 300 Bord du Lac at St. Joachim St., Pointe Claire.
Phone: 514-695-7038.
Hours: Mon- Wed 9-6, Thurs & Fri 9-8, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-6
www.thepanier.com

Cornucopia, the oldest gift basket company in town (since 1977) is located in a warehouse. Most ordering is done from their online catelogue but you can come here and select your items too. This company offers baskets ($29.95 to $300) in a kid’s riding toy, a wicker chest or lunch bag. Send a cinema lovers, an anti-oxidant, wine and cheese, a martini one, an organic or gluten-free choice, a low-fat one in a salad bowl, a personal care kit, some fresh fruit, the chocoholic or one just for the kids.

Location: 85 de Castelnau St. West at St. Urbain St.
Phone: 514-276-4712 or 800-977-4712.
Hours: Mon-Friday 9-5 and by appointment.
www.cornucopia.ca
Procrastinators: lst date to be sent in Montreal area: Tues Dec 22, up til the 24th you can pick up things in person at the warehouse.

Q 4: Are there any other kinds of baskets we can send?

Why not send a healthy delicious cheese basket from La Fromagerie Hamel at the Jean Talon market? This cheese shop with 600 cheeses on view, open since 1961, is always bustling. Baskets ($40 & up) should be ordered at least 2 days ahead, and can have other items added, such as wine, bread dippers, herb teas, dried fruit, chocolates, oil and vinegar, jam or terrines.

220 Jean-Talon est at Casgrain
Phone: 514-272-1161
Other locations: 2117 Mont-Royal e. (514-521-3333); 9196 Sherbrooke e. (514-355-6657); Repentigny, 622 Notre-Dame (450-654-3578);138 Atwater (514-932-5532).
www.fromageriehamel.com
Procrastinators: Montreal area: 2 days ahead. Out of town: a week ahead

For over 25 years, Cine Maison Royale has specialized in close-outs of movies, music and video games. Their current in-store holiday deals include  Lord of the Rings – Return of the King DVD for $1, DVD box sets and TV series like CSI Miami, Magnum PI and The Office (reg 49.99) $14.99. DVD’s (French too) start at $3.49.

Children’s titles like Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, Barney and Dora the Explorer are $7.99. On the  wall of used DVDs (starting at $3.49) you’ll discover little treasures, hard to find titles, along with some newer DVD releases.

In music, you might find 3-disc gift tins by  Tom Jones or James Brown at $6.96 and music CDs at a mere $1.96. New generation games for the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 start as low as $9.93 oldie games as low as $2 (like NHL 07 and Spiderman for the Xbox). PC games run $4.97-$9.97 and  right now they have overflowing bins with PC games for $1.

Location: 3737 Cote Vertu
corner: Begin
Phone: 514-956-7482 x132
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-4:30, Sat 10-4:30

On Saturday,  Dec 5th,  I will be on the radio with Beta Wayne on CINQ-FM Radio Centreville Consumer. We will be discussing holiday shopping. The show will be podcast and available for a week on their website.

Location: 102.3 FM
Date and time: Dec 5th: 12:30-1 pm
www.radiocentreville.com

Maria Loggia, the well known West Island chef of Tavola Mia cooking school will be appearing at gourmet emporium Le Fouvrac Ahunsic to sign her book, At Home with Maria Loggia ($34.95), and to offer you tastings of her line of Italian olive oils, Tavola Mia and S. Margherita

At any time if you want a well stocked gourmet pantry, you can head over to this store. The walls are layered with olive spreads, grainy crackers, steel-cut oatmeal, balsamic vinegars and jams. One whole side of the store covers teas and tisanes (including tea towels and linens): Romon Nature, Keiko, Betjeman and Barton (only ones in Canada that have this), Mighty Leaf, and has tons of teapots. Way beyond your basic grains might be: spelt, quinoa, gluten-free ones, ground flax with blueberries and cranberries, multiple colors and shapes of Italian pasta, and special rices like Bomba for paellas, Carnaroli, for risotto and venere, a rare black rice. Head here on the weekend for tea tastings. Other location: 1451 Laurier e. (514-522-9993).

Location: 1404A Fleury Est
corner: Christophe Colomb
Phone: 514-381-8871
Date and Time of signing: Dec 5: 2-5
Hours: Mon-Wed 8-7, Thurs & Fri 8-9, Sat & Sun 8-6
http://www.tavolamia.com

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

Location: 120 Louvain
Dates and times: Fri Dec 4: 11-6;  Sat Dec 5: 8-1
www.liquideco.com

Manhattan Industries is having weekend sample clearance sales for men’s and women’s clothing and shoes at 50% to 70% off. If these are the names you like, head over here: Industry (edgy streetwear for men and women sizes XS-L), Industry shoe company (mens’ casual and dressy leather shoes sizes 38-44), Pure & Simple (women casual basics, some for men), Debbie Schuchat (designer 2-piece outfits, blouses, dresses, outerwear), Brown Sound, and Me(el) (ladies feminine tops, dresses sizes XS-L).

Location: 6150 Transcanadienne
Corner of Isabey, Ville St. Laurent
Dates: Fri Dec 4:5-9, Sat Dec 5: 9-1, Fri Dec 11: 5-9, Sat Dec 12: 9-1
www.manhattaninc.com
www.meelclothing.com
www.industryclothing.com
www.pureandsimple.com
www.debbieshuchat.co

Q: Though buying online seems the quicker and easier way to shop for the holidays, this may not be true. Do you have any “buyer beware” advice?

– Who are you doing business with? Look for the full street address, (no PO boxes), Phone #
– Should accept all major credit cards
– Is there a customer complaint area? Is there a phone # or only e-mail. Phone number is important to be able to reach a live person.

Q: What kind of information should you have in hand for the people on your gift list before you start clicking away?

– For each product, you need detailed info on size, colors, options
– Warranty, or return policy: should be 100% money back guarantee for 30 days
– Beware restocking fees 10-15%
– Is there enough time for the delivery to recipient or to you?

Q: Okay, you still have to shell out the money, what should we know about that part of it?

– Use Visa or Mastercard which currently insure you for 100% of your purchase if you don’t receive merchandise
– Get a Pay Pal account so you don’t have to use your card
– Get a separate card just for online shopping
– Make sure they offer Secure Electronic Transactions which means there are encryption standards on a secure server. Look for little lock icon
– Explorer and Firefox show a padlock that is open or closed depending if it’s a secure site

Q: Is there anything we should know once we’ve clicked the buy button and ordered?

You might think you are finished here but the work just begins. After you order:
– Download photos off internet to show what you ordered and keep for your records
– Keep good records. Become an accountant to keep track of what ordered, received and sent
– Can you track shipping order, i.e. link to courrier’s web page so you can watch it’s progress?
– Be aware that the gift may not get there on time due to botched orders and late deliveries
– There can be delays at border and customs charges for clearing fees

Q: What if we are really not comfortable with this online method, how can we use the net to our advantage for holiday shopping?

Combine the two:
– You can still do your browsing on the Web and use a 1-800 phone # on the site to ask questions and to do the ordering
– Some brick and mortar retailers let you order online and pick up at store. This saves shopping time but still allows for you to see the items in person. Checking retailers on line first, lets you see if there are better online pricing deals