If you just must have a Claxton fruitcake for the holidays, there is a way to buy them and give money to charity at the same time. The Lakeshore Civitan club is selling them at the entrance to new section of the Pointe Claire Shopping Plaza. Also, many of the merchants in the Plaza sell them too. Proceeds will be donated to many West Island organizations.

Location: Pointe Claire Shopping Plaza, boul. St-Jean and Highway 20 (Remembrance Highway)
Phone: 514-626-6431
Dates and times: Nov 12 & 13: 10-8, Nov 14: 10-5

Today, the Canadian Tire Gas Bar on the West Island at the corner of boul. St-Jean and boul. Pierrefonds, is having a one-day-only gas sale. It’s 5 cents off for 12 hours straight. There are no coupons required, no minimum purchase but you cannot fill gas containers. Someone who went to the sale, said that on Thursdays, they offer 3-cent off days.

Location: 4951 bou. St-Jean, Pierrefonds
corner: boul. Pierrefonds
Date and time: Fri Nov 13 from 7-7

H&M is not only a sweet store to grab the latest looks off the runway for a lot  less but they have a knack of attracting famous fashion designers (i.e. Roberto Cavalli, Lagerfled, Stella McCartney) to do a little line for them at prices the masses can afford.

Mark your calendars for this Saturday if you need to have Jimmy Choo’s famous high high heels. This line though sporting his name, is actually part of Tamara Mellon (his ex-partner)’s collection and also includes jewelry, accessories and clothing in prices from $30-$300.

The sale will be ONLY at the downtown store. If you miss the sale you can still fly to London and get a hand-made pair by Jimmy himself, however the price is a bit steeper, they start at $1,150.

Location: 450 Ste. Catherine W.
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5 (doors open at 10am)
www.hm.com

Next Monday, on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to  me and my husband, Stan Posner on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. This is a call-in show for an entire hour. For the first half hour, we will be talking about our Drive I-95:Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and Trivia book and answering questions about driving South to Florida. In the 2nd half of the hour, those of you with those important shopping questions, this is your chance to have me answer them.  I will be on Tommy’s show at least once a month. If you miss  the show, you can always write to me here at my website.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11-12 noon
Date: Mon Nov 9th
www.drivei95.com

Unfortunately for them, Cramer Centres Jardin is closing their DDO location. Fortunately for you, this gives you an opportunity to buy a lot of greenery and tools at rock bottom prices. Select trees will sell for $50 (reg $200-$300), globe – cedars $5 (reg. $20 & up), shrubs are 50% off, tropicals 50-70% off, pots 40% off and bulbs 30% off.

This is the time of year to buy patio items anywhere and theirs are going at 40-50% off while garden tools are 30% off and exterior and interior fountains 50% off.

Location: 3000 rue de Marche, D.D.O.
corner: de Salaberry
Phone: 514-421-6665
Hours: Mon-Wed 8-5, Th & Fri 8-6, Sat & Sun 9-5

Halloween takes a new twist on the West Island. For those entrepreneurial kids out there, Moms who can’t stand the mounds of candy going into their kids’ systems, or people who like to make a buck, dentist Dr. Farnaz Lari will pay you a toonie for every kilo of Halloween candy that you bring in today. If that wasn’t incentive enough, Dr. Lari will also give out free light-sabre toothbrushes.

She’s not a grinch after all, she does hope the kids will eat some of their favorites and turn in the rest. In her daily practice she gets to see the ongoing deterioration on kids’ teeth caused by candy so she’s spearheading this anti-decay movement.

The candy will get weighed in and the kids will get a toonie for each kilo – plus the toothbrush. The candy must not be opened (no bites!). The candy will be donated to the West Island Assistance Fund for their Christmas Basket Program.

Location: Clinique Dentaire D.D.O., 4520 boul. des Sources
Tel: 514-421-3368
Date: Monday Nov 2
Time: 9-6
www.drlari.com

Doug Anakin Sports  has been open 46 years and was known as a great place to rent sporting equipment to try out a sport (alpine skis, cross country skis, boots, snowboards, snowshoes, bikes) or you can to buy second-hand goods and save a bundle. They also sold new equipment for all of the above. However, it saddens me to write that this is all coming to an end next weekend.

Location: 454 boul. Beaconsfield, Beaconsfield
corner: Woodland Ave.
Phone: 514-695-0785.
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5

It’s been 62 years of renting tuxedos and selling menswear for Pat Formal Wear Rental and now the brothers have decided to retire. Everything is going for 50%-75% off till the stock runs out (maybe til December).

Tuxedos are selling for $125, pants $35, vest and hankie combos $40, and cummerbunds for only $5. Short sleeve dress shirts are down to $15,  t-shirts $7, polos $12.95, shorts $19.95 (regularly $55), silk ties 2/$35.

Come to this haberdashery and see what it’s like to shop where attentive owners serve you. I’m saddened to see them go. Say good-bye, grab a deal and wish them well.

Location: 5425 Ave., Verdun
Corner: Woodland
Phone: 514-768-9332
Hours: Mon-Wed 9:30-5:30, Thurs-Fri 9:30-8:30, Sat 9:30-4:30

Road trips are back again, because by traveling in the security of your own car and visiting friendly small town America, it brings back the way life used to be and the way we would like it to be again.

To help those who travel up and down the East coast, my book, Drive I-95: Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and Trivia is a new style of guidebook. It combines colorful easy-to-follow pictorial maps and fun stories, eliminating the trepidation of a road trip down America’s busiest highway.

Travelers can look ahead exit-by-exit to see which motels and gas stations are coming up, where the radar traps are or where to stop for a good homemade meal. The drive from Boston to Miami or any section in-between will become more pleasant and less stressful by knowing where to find: 24 hour gas stations (and which ones have a mechanic!) and pharmacies, 800 numbers for motel chains, camp grounds, golf courses, places that allow pets, shopping malls, supermarkets, internet availability and even which radio stations to tune to.

My husband, Stan Posner and I share stories of the road: history that happened on it, quirky museums worth a visit, Americana trivia, homey towns to explore, or places to run with the kids and pets. These can be read for entertainment during the drive and may entice motorists to stop, stretch their legs and discover someplace new.

The maps and the fun stories of the road are useful for family travelers (Christmas, Spring break or summer), seniors, salesmen, truckers, campers and RVers, University students and their parents, military personnel and people who live and work near I-95

www.drivei95.com

I will be appearing on French TV on Oct 26, talking about the best times of year to buy things: BBQ’s at the end of the summer, skis in August, etc. A segment from my Annual Calendar found at the back of my book will appear each time the show airs.

Date, time, station: October 26: 7pm on Télé-Québec.

It’s will also be possible to see the entire show, or just my report, on their web site following broadcast (7:30pm)
http://legitimedepense.telequebec.tv/

After that, the show will be stay available on the site