Now that it’s getting cold and you’re staying inside more, it would be a good time to start a needle work project. You even have time to get it ready to gift it for the holidays so head to Jeannettes Needlecraft  Shoppe to start.

A gift done by hand is one that shows that you truly care as your personal effort is displayed in each hand sewn stitch .

A quick gift idea: Try a  “stitch n’ zip” kit; These are ready to use eye glass cases, iPad cases, Kindle cases and tallis bags. The kits come pre-assembled. All you have to do is the needlepoint and then just zip it up and give it as a gift. You can have a tallis bag personalized with an embroidered Hebrew name too.

They also carry scarf yarns (Canadiana and Decor by Patons), to make the latest fashion accessory item as well as other low cost items that will tempt you to start those projects that you have being putting off.

If you want to start on a needlework project, here you can buy yarn and canvases. They can also upholster with needlepoint (especially chairs), finish cushions and mount tapestries.

Head to Jeannettes Needlecraft  Shoppe, a friendly family business and they will frame your special hand-made project, or a painting, lithograph, photograph or diploma at 15% off.

Happily helping you with your project has been the #1 reason people keep coming back to this shop for years and years. Call for a time to accommodate your schedule.

Location: 5015 Coolbrook Ave., Montreal H3X 2K8 / Google Maps: http://bit.ly/24l8jon
corner:  Queen Mary Rd.
Tel: 514-486-2800
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30-5, Sat 9:30-4
Metro: Station Snowdon
http://www.jeannettes.com/
e-mail: jeannettes@videotron.ca

If your kids are coming home from sleep away camp with loads of dirty clothing and you don’t have time to get to all that work, why not try Bellingham Cleaners’ wash and fold service? They even offer you home or office pick up.

It’s time to take a look around the house to freshen things up now that summer is coming to and end and you will be spending inside. So if you would like to clean your drapes, window coverings , pillows or duvets –  think Bellingham Cleaners and Tailors.

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. Is it 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

No time for laundry? For busy people, they offer a wash and fold service. 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. Their Bates Rd. location even has Quebec’s first drive-thru service and a 24-hour night deposit box using VIP bags.

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

TMR Location: 2655 Bates Rd, Montreal , plus pickup/delivery service
corner: Wilderton
Tel: 514-733-4444
Hours: Mon-Wed 7:30-6:30, Thurs & Fri 7:30-7, Sat 8-5, Sun 11-5
www.smartshoppingmontreal.com/store.php?s=167

Empire Auctions will pay you on the spot for any silver or gold you bring in to sell to them. Look in your jewelry box for broken bracelets, tangled chains, orphan earrings and that gaudy necklace from the 80s. Now is a good time to change all that sparkle into hard cash.

Rummage through all the drawers in the bedroom, dining room and kitchen for tea sets, flatware, serving pieces, gold coins, cigarette cases, silver bars or even gold teeth.

For silver, look for a stamp which says 800 or 925 which indicates that it is real silver.

Empire will weigh everything and make you an offer per gram. They list their prices daily on their website. When I wrote this, these were the prices per ounce:  gold: $1435.64,  silver: $ 17.79 and platinum: $ 967.50

Don’t forgewhileWhile you are going there, don’t forget they also buy: antiques, diamonds, paintings and sculpture, rare wristwatches and pocket watches, Persian rugs, furniture, crystal, memorabilia, rare automobiles, porcelains, rare coins, stamps, vintage toys and model trains, and much more.

Location: 5500 Pare, Ville Mont-Royal
corner: boul. Decarie
Tel: 514-737-6586 or 514-737-5343
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5
www.empireauctions.com

The Automobile Protection Association has given the thumbs up sign to The Car Inspector –  a gentleman who does mobile car inspections.

Wherever the car is that you are thinking of buying, in a driveway or on a lot, he comes to you and does a complete inspection, including an ultrasound of the body.

You might want to use this service to verify a car before warranty expiration, after a repair job (to make sure it was done properly), before purchasing a used car, before selling (either to reassure potential buyers or to see if it’s worthwhile changing cars), as a pre-trip checkup or just to reassure yourself that it’s free of safety or mechanical problems.

This mobile vehicle inspection is quite complete and here are some of the things that are verified:

– An electronic body verification, to determine if the vehicle has been repainted, involved in an accident or rebuilt covering the the body panels, windows, floor, frame and structure.
– The motor and transmission, steering, brake, air conditioning, and electrical systems
– The brake wear, tire wear, drive-shafts and differentials, as well as suspension and steering components
– Everything inside including all electrical and manual controls, switches, gauges and indicators as well as the odometer, to see if the indicated mileage corresponds with the condition and wear
– Finally a road test is done to check the handling, braking, transmission and instrument operation
– The inspection is done on site in about an hour, Monday to Friday and costs $120 (base price plus traveling)

Tel: 514-890-5000

Morris Charney building inspections are so thorough, that he scares real estate brokers. Charney is good at finding defects. He does all kinds of buildings from single-family homesor or condos as well as commercial and industrial buildings.

Most inspectors when they find a defect will refer the matter to an expert. Mr. Charney is an expert, a member of two Québec Orders – ­ professional (practicing) architect and city planner.  He is a member of IHINA (Independent Home Inspectors of North America) based in Boston ­ and he happens to be a Harvard graduate.

Typical pre-purchase inspections run about $1500 + tax for a verbal report or you can buy a written one. Reference is made to current and past building codes. All reports are customized narratives, not computer-generated checklists -­ just the defects, clearly explained. The information provided in both the verbal and written reports are the same. His practice has included renovating many homes, offices and stores so he has a good idea of what things cost. You can check out his LinkedIn site which contains numerous up to date posts regarding typical defects that have been discovered.

Most consumers don’t realize that the “new” Civil Code of Québec [1994] deregulated building inspections so that anyone has a right to do them – even the purchasers themselves. The only stipulations are that it be done in a “prudent and diligent” manner, “without the need of expert assistance”.

Charney believes that a purchaser has the right to be properly informed of what it is they are buying.

Tel: 514-937-5100
Hours: by appointment
www.morrischarneyinspections.com, www.morrischarneyinspectionsfr.com
mcharney@videotron.ca

Now that the warmer months are on our doorstep, it would be prudent to make sure that your home, both indoors and outdoors, adjusts to the change of seasons. Inspectopro’s Allan White says “Being pro-active is the goal in protecting your home and its contents against the most common invader – water.”

Some easy things to look for:
1. Make sure that runoff from melting ice and snow has somewhere to go; ideally a catch basin or storm drain
2. If you can, shovel salt-laden snow left by your snow-clearing contractor or the city off your front lawn, since the salt will upset the pH balance of the soil and make it difficult for grass to grow.
3. Be sure that your home’s drainage system is functioning. If you have a flat roof, be sure that meltwater can reach the roof drain. If the perimeter of the drain is blocked with leaves (or any other vegetable matter) from last fall, clean away a small portion so that the water can gently flow into the drain. Never unblock it all at once, otherwise the pressure of all that inflowing water could cause it to spew up from the basement
4. If you have a shingled roof, be sure that ice and snow does not accumulate excessively at the eaves and valleys. Back-ups of ice and snow can cause water to penetrate the roof and leak into the attic
5. Check the eavestroughs (“gutters”) for physical damage which might have been caused by winter ice dam and icicle formation
6. Watch for water infiltration in the basement from window wells which may be blocked, or from a failed or poorly functioning foundation drain (also known as a French drain), or from cracks.
7. If your home is equipped with backwater traps for the wastewater and drainage system, verify that they are functional.
8. Now is a good time to check the condition of your roof. Once the snow is gone, there is a demand for roofer sand you wouldn’t want to be caught waiting for months.
9. Remember that at areas where water penetrates and stagnates, mold can grow.
10. If the outdoor temperature is above 10ºc (50ºF), you can check the functionality of your air conditioning system. Better to find out now it is faulty than during the heat of summer
11. Check that your window screens are in a state of good repair and ready for re-installation
12. If you have an air exchanger, it can soon be turned off (remember that such systems draw outdoor air into the home in order to reduce the home’s humidity level; in the heat of summer, you will be drawing warm, humid air rather than cool, dry air into the home if the system is still in use)
13. Keep an eye out for burrowing animals which may have hibernated through the winter beneath your front porch, rear sun deck, garden shed, etc.

If you want to make sure your house is in tip top shape (not just when you are buying or selling), here’s my advice, call Inspectopro .

Tel: 514-696-6685
http://www.inspectopro.com

Even if you have a washer and dryer at home, there are still times you might need Lavoir Patricia or Lavoir Victoria – for spring cleaning, putting winter clothes away, when the kids come back from camp, getting ready for big holidays or if your machine at home suddenly breaks down. They are the only laundromat in the city with 4 77 lb capacity dryers.

Montreal is lucky to have a friendly, helpful, long-serving laundromat family in our midst. With two of the largest (the most washers and dryers) locations in the city, Lavoir Patricia and Lavoir Victoria have had the same owner for 39 years, so there is a continuity and long-time understanding of the best machines and knowledge of how to get your items clean.

Unlike most facilities, they have full time staff in both locations to advise and assist you, or else the staff will do your complete laundry (wash and fold) for an additional fee). The Patricia location in Montreal West has 6 different sizes of washers, from 10 lbs to 65 lbs. When you walk all the way to the back, you will find the 4 giant washers at the 65 lb capacity (and 4 giant dryers), so you can do big loads quickly and efficiently. Also, the less expensive machines with double capacity are at the Patricia location.

The business is very customer friendly. Yes, you should be bringing in your own preferred soap, softeners and bleach, but if you are stuck they will sell you a cup. They have carts, washroom facilities, customer seating, bill changers and counters on which to fold your clothes.

Here are some ideas of when you might need the cleaning facilities of this laundromat:

– Camping equipment: blankets, comforters, sleeping bags
– Washable curtains
– Winter clothing: heavy parkas, ski pants, long coats
– Large comforters, blankets or washable duvets and duvet covers
– Refreshing pillows
– Slipcovers for couches

They use Maytag top-load washers along with Wascomat front-load washers, which are considered some of the best in the world. A regular cycle in these professional machines comprises 2 washes and 3 rinses, which means five complete water changes to ensure the cleanest wash possible. These are available in 20 lb., 30 lb., 40 lb. and in the 55 lb. size which is great for giant loads – could be used for sleeping bags, couch covers, comforters and other large items.

Look for their coupon on the web site www.MontrealLaundromat.com which changes every few weeks. Lavoir Patricia and Lavoir Victoria aim to take the stress out of laundry day.

Locations: Patricia Location – 5320 Patricia Ave., Montréal  QC H4V 1Z2
Lavoir Victoria – 5950 ave Victoria Montreal QC H3W 2R8
Hours: Patricia – Mon-Fri 7-8:30, Sat & Sun 7-7 / Victoria – Sun-Fri 7-7, Sat 5-7
www.montreallaundromat.com

You are stuck in the house and have time to assess all those niggling things that need fixing. But where do you go to get them repaired?   Fix R Us is a handy and friendly West Island neighborhood fix-it shop with 30 years of experience under their belt.

They offer free estimates and here’s an idea of some of the magic these guys with golden hands can perform: