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

Everything you need to mash and cook those tomatoes for canning your own pasta sauce can be found at Lingerie Pina & Carmelo Sacco – including a 100 litre pot (big enough to take a soak in)!  If you have tons of zucchini, eggplant or peppers and you want to preserve them, this is THE place to find everything you may need – and it has been for generations.

The store has it all. It’s one that I love to browse through.  You can find so many hard to find things here.  Do you know where else to buy  housecoats or cotton handkerchiefs? They have bedroom slippers too; If your size isn’t here, they will order them for you.

If you have a wedding planned this year, the Mother of the Bride could find an outfit, the bridal party too and you can even get bonbonnieres made-to-order and wrapped.  They offer a Bridal Registry and there are gifts galore.

The name  clearly does not define this family business as you’ll find and housewares: silverware, china, espresso makers and meat slicers. If you are looking for ecological cookware, they sell Cool Kitchen which has no PTFE, no PFOA and can be used for induction cooking. The Italian community knows to come here for Pizzel machines for cookies and Cavetelli machines for gnocchi, Those who like collectibles will find: Precious Moments, Walt Disney Collection and Disney Traditions by Jim Shore.

Designers are here to help you with curtains (free installation), and they have the exclusive Hunter Douglas Alustra line with copper and chrome headers. If you need them, there’s carpet runners by the yard  – and also hard to find plasticized fabric by the yard.

I can’t believe I even scored a warm hood which I’ll have my dressmaker “zipper on” to my new travel jacket.

Location: 8365 boul. Viau, St-Leonard QC H1R 2T6
corner: boul. Robert
Tel: 514-323-0427

Hours: Mon-Wed 9-6, Thurs & Fri 9-7:30, Sat 9-5. Open Sunday 10-5 from Labor Day – June 1st

Even if you are not setting up a college dorm, you can take advantage of Liquideco‘s fab sale where you can save 80% off the necessities to spruce up your home.

Free parking available. All taxes are included in the prices. Cash only.

I bet you didn’t know that Maison Corbeil had a clearance center. It’s up in Laval and they are having a warehouse sale until the 19th of the month.

It was 36 years ago when Raymond and Colette Corbeil opened their modern avant-garde home furniture store. Now the second generation is in charge.

If you love the look of their high-end furniture but cannot afford the price tags, you can head to this warehouse store and save 35% to 70% off.  It has some end-of-line items, stock changes and slightly damaged pieces at clearance prices.

Location: 2750 Francis-Hugues, Laval
corner: Autoroute 440
Tel: 450-978-4847
Hours: daily, opens at 11 am
Dates: until August 19
www.maisoncorbeil.com

Iegor is holding an auction for jewelry, International Art, Antiques, Canadian Art and colletibles. Even if you can’t make it there, the auction will be held simultaneously on location and LIVE on www.iegor.net

If you have something to sell, their experts can  assess your property in the following departments:  Canadian and International art , antiques, fine vintage wines, fashion and jewelry, 20th century design, art of Asia, India, Africa, Oceania and South America, rare books, scrolls and collectibles.

For important collections you may schedule an evaluation on site or at your residence by calling for an appointment.

Location: Hotel, des Encans, 870, rue du Couvent H4C 2R6
Tel: 514- 344-4081
Date and time: Aug 14: 7:30 pm
Preview: Aug 10, 11, 13, 14: 12-5
info@iegor.net
www.iegor.net

This store was one of my first OMG moments when writing my Smart Shopping Montreal book. Sim Centre de Liquidation is a “secret” clearance center for a huge un-nameable low “Cost” warehouse store. Here the prices go even lower as they discount 30% or more off on the already low prices from that chain – and all prices include the taxes, Wow! Who doesn’t like a good deal? At  that’s exactly what you get here.

There is no membership required at this liquidation center, therefore saving you even more money.

Returned items or items that just needed to be cleared out to make room for new merchandise (electronics, toys, clothing, auto, housewares, etc.) are sent to this store every week. All items are checked to make sure they work.

The friendly proprietors even keep a reservation book and will call you if an item you are looking for shows up.

You will be amazed at your finds and will keep going back to check out the new arrivals and great savings.

Locations: 341 ave. Ranger, Vaudreuil – Dorion J7V 2X3 (450-424-0998)
corner: rue Chicoine
Times: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
simcentredeliquidation.ca/

The South Shore University Women’s Club will be holding their 44th Annual Book Sale. All funds from this sale will provide scholarships for women pursuing higher education.

This is a good moment to clear your shelves and cupboards of unwanted books and give them to a good cause. It’s also a great time to start a library or find inexpensive summer reading. There are thousands of books to choose from in English and French. They’re nearly new and used.

Location: St. Barnabas Church, 95 Lorne Ave, Saint Lambert J4P 2G7
Phone: 450- 672-9315
Dates and Times: Wed-Fri Aug 15 -Aug 17: 5-9, Sat Aug 18: 9-3
www.ssuwc.ca

Who doesn’t love a freshly baked bagel spread with cream cheese?  However you can get very creative with putting almost anything on a bagel and zuzzing up lunches for everyone. How about smoked meat or pb&j or tuna salad or hummus?

Experience one for yourself at any one of St. Viateur’s bakeries or cafés; When you enter, the flavorful aroma will consume you. St Viateur’s world-famous bagels have been enjoyed by millions of people all over the planet.

You can send them to anyone who misses Montreal or someone who you would like to share a taste of Montreal. You can now order bagels across Canada and the US through their web site www.stviateurbagel.com

St Viateur Bagel has 60 years of tradition and one wholesome family recipe throughout the years,  and still churning out a constant stream of white (sesame seed) and black (poppy seed) bagels.

You can also buy multigrain, cinnamon raisin, flax, rosemary and sea salt or whole wheat bagels, matzoh boards, lox, cream cheese, challah and rye bread and more. Once you bite into a hot one straight from the oven; you won’t be able to eat any other bagel again.

Their bagels have absolutely no preservatives  and are made with 100% natural ingredients.  Each bagel is hand-rolled, boiled in honey water, and cooked in a wood fired oven that was designed to both cook and flavor the bagel. what comes out of this process is a chewy, slightly sweet bagel, that bagel aficionados’ will agree, is incomparable to any other bagel being made today.

Original location: 263 St-Viateur Ouest, H2V 1Y1 (514-276-8044)
Other locations:  5629 Monkland, NDG H4A 1E2 (514-487-8051): 340 boul. Marcel Laurin, (in Marché Esposito), V.S.L.: 7030 St-Michel (in Marché Esposito) Montréal, H2A 2Z4  (514) 722-2224: 821 boul Tecumseh, DDO H9R 4X8 (514-542-3344); 1127 Mont-Royal Est, H2J 1X9 (514-528-6361); 1585 Dagenais O., Laval, H7L 5A3 (450-625-5552).
Hours: Original location is open 24 hours. Others vary by location
www.stviateurbagel.com

My favorite flea market is in Montreal North, called Marche aux Puces St-Michel. The building has two floors filled with stalls showcasing second-hand items and collectibles like housewares, lamps, toys, guitars & amps, kitchenware, vintage radios/sound equipment, records, jewelry and furniture.

Location: 7707 Shelley
corner: boul. St-Michel, side entrance of 3250 boul. Cremazie
Phone: 514-721-7701
Hours: Open all year, Fri to Sun 9-5