JRC opens to the public every year before Christmas, between October and December. Prices can be up to 70% off. They do a quick sale again in April or May. Name brands from Step 2, Melissa & Doug, Barbie, Crayola, Fisher-Price, Hasbro, Hot Wheels, Little Tikes, Mattel, Mega Bloks, Hegstrom, Spinmaster, Alex, and VTech have been found, as well as books from $1 & up and even the kitchen sink. Corporations, day cares or anyone holding Christmas events can buy in bulk and have them wrapped.
Monster High dolls for girls (reg. $29.99 for $17.99)
Franklin Outdoor soccer net ($39.99)
CraZLoom $17.99 (Little loom which makes bracelets out of rubberbands)
Melissa & Doug – huge section of all their products
Step 2 Wagon for 2 kids $69.99
Marble Mania $39.99 for one size or glow-in-the dark $59.99
Crayola Cat Walk (reg $21.99 for 9.99) and other arts and crafts projects
Puppets, Fisher Price
Puzzles, books and sticker books $1
Location: 5589 Royalmount
corner: Devonshire
Tel: 514-342-6979
Dates: closes Dec 24, 3pm
Times: Dec: Sun-Sat 10-8
www.jrctoys.com
Metro: Station Namur, Station de la Savanne
KIDLINK has an excellent reputation for having the uncanny ability of being able to choose just the right toy for a child and the right book for an adult. For the kids’ stuff they sell, they concentrate on award winning toys and games, music CDs and arts and crafts. They choose products and toys with long term value in mind, and it all comes with free gift wrapping and excellent customer service.
Gelarti www.gelartistickers.com – Ages 5+ Color in and make your own re-movable, reusable stickers $12.99-25.99
Bunny Boo – Ages 2-5 One player has 60 challenges to learn concepts like above and below, left and right, in and out. They stack wooden pieces with an adorable bunny to match the picture on the card
www.imaginetoys.com/bunny-boo?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=nov%2013%20games#.UrIO-fRDu-Y
Laser Maze www.thinkfun.com Ages 8-adult. Make your way through a maze using a laser beam. 4 levels of difficulty $37.99 w batteries.
Tagamoto www.tagamoto.com Ages: 4-8 yrs old. A little car rides on a track and reacts to coded stickers placed on the track – makes them stop, blow a horn, gas up. $18.99 – $39.99
Hex bug Nano V-2 Watch Tower www.hexbug.com Ages 3-9. One nano bug climbs up, down and around in a transparent tube structure. $8.99 (bugs) – $40.99 ( tube towers).
Buddha Board www.buddhaboard.com Ages: 8 & up to adult all ages. Painting in the zen idea of living in moment. As you paint on surface with water, the paint comes to life. and then disappears. Comes in large and small $11.95 or $34.95.
Rainbow Loom www.rainbowloom.com – hottest toy. Using a loom, you pull rubberbands into patterns to create bracelets. Comes with 600 rubberbands to make 24 bracelets. $19.99 Extra bags of bands $3.99-$5.99 (even glow-in-the-dark
Location: 5604 Monkland Ave.
corner: Oxford
Tel: 514-482-4188
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5
LE PANIER won the title of best gift store in Canada so this store worth a trip from anywhere. The huge shop is chock full of gourmet food items, kitchenware and gifts. You will not walk out empty-handed when you can choose amongst the jams, hot sauces, Rogers chocolates, toys, jewelry, gadgets 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 and their homemade fudge. If you can’t decide, there are 50 ready-made gift baskets or custom-made ones too.
Flip through the pages of their catalogue online http://thepanier.com/catalogue/ to see the gifts I liked. Then go to the store and buy many many more things.
Brownie Brittle: brownie taste with cookie crunch $5.50
McCrea’s Caramels: sea salt, single malt $12.99
Stillwells Humbugs: now caramel, butterscotch, licorice, cinammon too $7.50
Shoecolate: chocolate high heeled shoe: $24.99
Maple syrup in a hockey player shaped bottle $10.99
Elf on a Shelf $34.99
Propane gas gauge: know when it’s getting low $29.99
Chill & Pour: freeze tube, put in white wine bottle to keep chilled
LED flashing dog leash $19.99
Maple bacon lollipops $14.99
Snoozles: sequined house slippers
Koppers: malt balls in flavors, maple, lemon $16.99
274-E Bord du Lac, Pointe Claire
corner: de Lourdes
Tel: 514-695-7038
www.thepanier.com