As Spring pokes its head into our lives, we happily embrace it. One of the rituals of this season is to refresh things in our home. Since we spend so much time in the kitchen, take a look around yours, and then head to Warshaw Maison to take a look around. You will definitely find items to refresh your kitchen and make you a happier cook.

Warshaw Maison, faces the Atwater market, and concentrates on really well-priced kitchen and household items.  The store is chock full of serving dishes, gadgets, baking dishes, table linens, placemats, shower curtains, bathroom accessories, area rugs and runners, plants, and a big espresso section.

Whether you’re in the Montreal or Ottawa area, I bet you didn’t know that you are only 1 1/2 hours away from an exciting safari adventure. Parc Omega is the perfect day outing for kids (and folks) of all ages. It’s an 800 hectare park where the animals roam free and you are “caged” in your car. It’s such an easy drive to be able to come face to face with Canadian wildlife: reindeer, elk, arctic wolf and fox, bison, musk ox, turkey, boar, coyote, black bear, and many kinds of deer.

Along a 12-kilometere safari nature route which takes you past lakes, meadows, small valleys, forests and rocky hills, you meander at your own pace. You can pick up bag of carrots at the visitor center (or bring your own), and as you slowly make your way through, you are allowed to open the windows to feed the wildlife. Kids are thrilled that they do not have to be in their car seats here and can flit from side to side of the vehicle to say hello to the animals.

You tune your radio to a station which fills you in on all sorts of information about the species you will be seeing.

• We learned which males are good daddies and stay around to raise the youngsters and which ones only show up for mating season.
• I never knew that the musk oxen’s heads are strong as hammers and they butt and knock everything down. Their quarters are specially built to withstand their strength.
•  You pass by low slung “condos” for boars designed to keep the big predators out.
• Coming here in winter gives you the opportunity to see how the arctic fox blends into the snowscape.

About 2/3 through, there’s a place to stop,  get out to stretch legs and visit some wooden buildings for bathrooms, gifts, food and hot cocoa. Friendly deer are in the parking area to get a snack too – those carrots – buy lots.

This is one experience that all Canadian families should take advantage of. It’s not only educational and fun, but will bring lasting memories for the whole family.

Location: Parc Omega is a safari park in Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, Quebec, Canada
Address: 399 Route 323 North, Montebello, QC J0V 1L0 Click for map 

Phone: (819) 423-5487
www.parcomega.ca

Warshaw Maison, facing the Atwater market, concentrates on really well-priced kitchen and household items.  The store is chock full of serving dishes, gadgets, baking dishes, table linens, placemats, shower curtains, bathroom accessories, area rugs and runners, plants, and a big espresso section.

Using the Sodastream, you can  make your own soda with water and a carbonator. One carbonator adds fizz to  60 litres of water to become seltzer or flavored soda (cola, lemon, lime, ginger ale, tonic, root beer, cranberry, raspberry and diet flavors.).  It’s all natural, there’s no aspartame in the diet sodas and no high fructose corn syrup in the flavors .

It’s a green way to save our planet, no cans, bottles, no batteries, no clean-up. You simply exchange empty carbonators  for full ones and save money on bottles and cans.  The reusable BPA bottles makes soda for pennies a serving – about .25 per litre. The price is $99.99 (fancier designs can be $129.99 or $179.99).

You can buy your Sodastream at Warshaw; Uprooted from the Main, it planted itself facing the Atwater market. Warshaw concentrates on kitchen and household items. Prices are kept low, since they buy liquidation deals and pass the savings on to you.

The store is chock full of serving dishes, gadgets, baking dishes, table linens, curtain panels ($6.99 & up), placemats, shower curtains, bathroom accessories, area rugs and runners, plants, and a big espresso section.

Expect to find:
– a big selection of bar stools
– gardening pots, soil, vitamins, planters
– shopping carts from France with fun designs and words
– Klip-It lunch containers in all sizes: some have cutlery, salad dressing containers, room for an ice pack. They’re made of virgin materials which are BPA-free and lead-free
– silicone baking molds in all colors and sizes
– a huge display of Trudeau products. Their salt & pepper shakers are guaranteed for life
– aprons for adults and kids
– cushions, chair pads, throws, pillows, towels, placemats, napkins, tablecloths
– knapsacks that convert to towels, reversible beach blankets (in a carry bag) which are waterproof on one side.
– baskets and storage containers
– bamboo rugs, synthetic Persian rugs, bath mats
– novelty throws called Safari with animals and throws which reverse to sherpa
– specialists in espresso machines: Saeco, Caffitaly, Breville, Keurig with and without pods
– blenders, toaster ovens, grills, kettles, juicers, toasters, oven mitts
– hampers, picnic baskets, umbrellas
– a plant section in the store with oddities like lucky bamboo, money tree and ginkgo biloba.
– And the Sodastream machine to make your own soda

This is definitely the store where there is something for everyone.

Location: 145 Atwater
corner: St-Ambroise
Tel: 514-933-2250
Hours: Regular plus Sun 9-5