Q 1:  Sandra you say you’ve come across stores that people don’t normally think of shopping in but would be very helpful to a lot of them.

The boomer generation who are getting older and more worn out are not accepting it lightly. Every other facet that generation’s needs has the  retail industry  scratching their heads to come up with products that make their lives more comfortable and productive. However these same designs are for people of all ages

Q2: Okay so give me an idea of one of them.

Boutique Tout pour la Dos located right now at St.Laurent Blvd at Cremazie Blvd (but moving soon) sells products for aching backs. Injuries are not age related - anyone can hurt themselves sports accident wind up with a painful back.  They offer comfy desk chairs, adjustable keyboards, massaging lounge chairs, memory foam mattresses, belts for lifting heavy objects, portable pocket size footrests or seats and exercise devices. It’s a family business who have lots of advice of how to rid you of your aches and pains.

Location: 8780 St.Laurent Blvd
Corner: Cremazie Blvd.
Phone: 514-383-1582 or 800-268-1582
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri 10-9, Sat 10-4
www.toutpourledos.com

Q 3:  Well I can understand that but you also have one for electrical beds - most people would think of those only for bedridden individuals..

Electric beds are no longer being bought for bed-ridden patients. Everyone who reads or watches TV in bed would enjoy one that can, with a push of a button, sit up. Sommeil Davantage has 40 models (widths 30″, 39″, 54″or 60″) include some that give massages, others that can go back down if there is a loss of electricity. The showroom also features lifting chairs and massage chairs by Human Touch, Panasonic, iJoy, Tao and inada.

Location: 8777 boul. Langelier,  St Leonard
Phone: 514-355-5333
Hours: Regular
www.sommeildavantage.com

Q: 4 - Any other medical supply stores that would surprise us?

Maybe Ultravision, a store specializing in low vision and hearing impaired products doesn’t sound like a place you might want to browse through, but some of the gadgets are truly cool. How about a phone that announces the name of the caller or one that calls 6 numbers in an emergency situation, a talking clock or watch, computer keyboard with larger letters, a TV screen enlarger or TV ears for personal amplifying, a vibrating clock, wearable binoculars, magnifying makeup mirror, a personal listening system for people who are unable or hesitant  to wear a hearing aid, lens to cut computer glare and video magnifiers (CCTV). Here’s something we all could use: a bed, lazy-boy or armchair table that can be set to hold books, for games, crosswords, laptops or meals and a push button automatic jar opener.

Location: 5645 Cote des Neiges Rd.
Corner:  Cote Ste. Catherine Rd.
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5
www.ultravisionmontreal.com

Lieberman Tranchemontagne is a hotel linen supplier who will sell you some durable lines. Flat sheets in white are available by the dozen. Look for Futurelle and Wonder fleece blankets (queen $22.95) and other blankets, bed bug-free mattress covers, facecloths, towels (usually white), Dolche and Bianca combo feather/polyester pillows and duvets and white terry bathrobes (around $50).

They manufacture the Lieberspun line of tablecloths, so you buy leftovers or can have one made-to-measure in polyester blue, green, ivory and perhaps other colors. There are cloth napkins to match, chef coats, restaurant uniform clearance items or shower curtains.

Location: 653 Hodge, Ville St. Laurent
Corner: Montpellier
Tel: 514-259-3500
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-5,
www.liebermantranche.com

If you think of bamboo as food that panda bears eat, you better think again.  Bamboo is going to be huge, because it is a renewable resource. Whereas hardwood trees take 50 to 100 years to develop for use in furniture, a bamboo forest regenerates every 5 years, and some species of the trees can grow up to one foot per day. Also, bamboo is naturally anti-bacterial, less affected by temperature and extremely durable.

In Montreal we have a Bamboo Entrepot and when you walk in, you will be blown away by the bamboo flooring and kitchen cupboards. There is fabulous furniture (couch, tables, wine bar, bathtub!) and a section of clothing (t-shirts, robes, yoga pants, men’s sweats, hoodies) and linens which are hypoallergenic.

Location: 7675  boul. St-Laurent
Corner: Villeray
Phone: 514-789-0055
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5
www.entrepotdubambou.ca

Q: 1 We know that one of the concepts of staying healthy is to walk thirty minutes a day. In order to walk properly, we need a good pair of athletic shoes. Where do we start?

You should be buying in a specialty running shoe store. The easiest way to get correct shoe is to bring the old ones with you when you shop. The sales people are trained to evaluate the wear and know what you should be buying.

Q:2 When trying them out, what would the most important thing to look for?

Most important thing is to make sure your foot stays stable. Stability is important  to avoid injuries. If your foot is not stable, it can eventually lead to knee and hip problems.

Q:3 Why is it better to shop in the specialty athletic shoe stores?

They understand the bio-mechanics of gait. Does  your foot pronate, stay neutral or supronate? Are you wearing the right width? Did you buy larger size in order to make your foot more comfortable instead of buying the correct width?

Q:4 With so many kinds of athletic shoes, how do we know which one to buy?

Only buy one.  Cross trainers popular for people who may do all kinds of athletics like: take aerobics, do leg presses and squats, play tennis and perhaps also do weight-lifting. They cove a  little bit of this and a little bit of that. A running shoe is lighter, has more cushioning, more support and is quite breathable. Awalking shoe is heavier, but it lasts longer and is sturdier. It looks more like shoe so works well if you need wear it to work.

Q5: Okay - so where are these miracle stores?

Buying an athletic shoe in which your feet will have to endure undue stresses on it should be more than just popping into a mall and finding one on sale. If you want to save your feet for your old age, shop at  Boutique Endurance where the sales reps have been trained in fitting. What is the shape of your foot? Will you be running or walking? Do your feet turn in or out? Are you a beginner?

After they assess your gait on the indoor track, you will be helped in choosing from the Asics, Adidas, Saucony, Mizuno, New Balance and Brooks shoes (sizes 5-12 for women and 7-15 for men in widths AA to 4E).  Running and cross country ski clothes are sold, and orthotics  inserted.

Location: 6579 St. Denis St.
Corner: at Beaubien St.
Phone: 514-272-9267
Hours: Regular plus Sun 12-5
www.boutiqueendurance.ca

Running Room is a chain offers service along with running shoes (Nike, New Balance, Saucony, Asics, Mizuno, Adidas, Brooks) and clothing. It is for those of you who want to learn how to run or walk and don’t know where to begin or what you need to wear.

There are 10-week clinics that start at learn-to-run right up to running marathons, and a running or walking club for those who already know how to put 1 foot in front of the other.

Locations: 4873 Sherbrooke St. West at Victoria Ave. (514-483-4495); 950 boul St-Jean (514-695-8744); Brossard, Quartier Dix-Trente, 10 boul Lepage (450-678-7070); Laval, 800 boul.Corbusier (450-680-1115). 5044 ave du Parc (514-274-5888) www.runningroom.ca

My favorite running shoes brand, New Balance, has finally opened a store in Montreal. The owner, Jonathan Benoit is a second generation shoe salesman having learned the trade from his father Daniel at Le Depot in Verdun. New Balance models sold here are more technical athletic shoes; When you buy in general shoe shops, running shoes are sold more for fashion.

Also they know for a good fit, size and width are most important, so they have a huge variety from 7-18 narrow to 6E for men and for females 5-13 AA to 4E. In New Balance you can tell the degree of technicality of the shoe by the model number - the higher the number, the more details  have been included. They also sell regular shoes in the New Balance family - Aravon for men and women and Dunham for men.

Location: 677 Ste-Catherine St. West
Phone: 514- 844-2777
Hours: Mon & Tues 10-6, Wed-Fri 10-9, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-5

Carl Andersen, who used to own Distance Sports, summed it up for us, “We who have no time for our health today will have no health for our time tomorrow”.

Males and females who oogle the hot brands of  Energie, Mink Pink,  Firetrap, Bench, Scotch and
Soda, English Laundry, Full Circle, Karl Lagerfeld, Kaporal 5, Miss Sixty, Killah will love the 60%-90% off prices at the Premium Retail Group sales.

At this one there is a bankruptcy liquidation of Les Cuirs Akoury where you can scoop up deals on leather and sheepskin jackets, motorcycle and snowmobile clothes, boots and gloves. And yes there’s denim of course but also jackets, tops, dresses, hoodies, handbags and footwear.

Location: 4454 Garand corner of Pomba, VSL
Hours: Wed, Sat, Sun 11-5, Thurs & Fri 11-9
Dates:  Mar 4th - Mar 28th
www.premiumretailgroup.com

The best monthly sales of linens, etc. is the one held on Louvain St. in the Chabanel area. For bedding, curtains, carpets, comforters, pillows,  shower curtains, carpets, bath towels, mats, dishcloths, oven mitts, etc.

Location: 120 Louvain
Dates and times: Fri Feb 26: 11-6;  Sat Feb 27: 8-1
www.liquideco.com

This Wednesday February 24th, I will be appearing at the Ville St-Laurent Library in Ville St-Laurent to enlighten the audience on how to save money when shopping. The talk will cover all the areas in my “Smart Shopping Montreal” book: Clothing, Household, Leisure, Second-Hand, Repairmen, Specialty Stores and Services and International Food.

I hope to see some of you there!

Location: 1300 de l’Eglise
Phone: 514-855-6130
Date and Time: Feb 24th at noon

Q1: When something old breaks, you might wonder “where do I go with this?”. First of all, should we get it repaired, rather than buy a new one?

Older items were made better. Craftsmanship was so far superior. There was beauty in that hand work. An old lamp would have had real brass covering the socket instead of being painted or plated. Insides of clocks were as beautifully made as the outside. Workmanship was meant to last and be passed down from generation to generation. We are losing contact with our past when we don’t keep things from our parents and grandparents.

Q2: What if we have an object that is cherished, valuable, or memorable and it breaks, is there any one around that can still fix expensive items?

Well unfortunately as I rewrite my Smart Shopping Montreal book each year,  most of the master craftsman in the repair section are dying out and there aren’t many the younger generation taking over. When you find them, expect to pay a decent price for the years of training, time involved, and the artistic nature of this service.

Q3:  Can you recommend some of these craftsmen?

Whenever something old breaks and you’re wondering “where do I go with this?”, Mr. Fixit was always the place to head to. Repairs and restoration to china, crystal, antiques, lamps, paintings, clocks, carved soapstone, porcelain, ivory, alabaster, marble and objets d’art are cheerfully taken care of. They still might be able to fix older small electrical appliances and antique radios. For the last 56 years they’ve been fighting obsolescence and winning!

Location: 4652 boul. Decarie, Snowdon
Corner: ch. Cote St-Luc
Phone: 514-484-8332
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5
www.themrfixit.com

Minas Studio d’Art is a repair depot which handles everything from crystal, china, glass and porcelain repairs to antique lamps and oil paintings. Some of the other reparable items they do are: Inuit art, wood carvings, metal art, ivory, gold leaf and even papier-mâché. Expect to pay a fair price for the years of training, time involved and the artistic nature of this service. Evaluations of antiques is available.

Location: 7364 ch. Cote St-Luc, Cote St-Luc
Corner: Robert Burns  514-485-9222
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8-6, Fri 8-5, Sat 11-2
www.minasart.com

A T Art Restoration is two craftsman who are used by antique dealers in the city. The husband and wife  team can repair all sorts of things at their workshop at home: china, figurines, paintings, frames, marble, statues, bronze, vases, porcelain, ivory, woodwork and more.

Phone: 514-521-9561
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-6

Q4: Any final comments?
Anyone out there who love to fix things. We need talented people to keep up these trades. Call these businesses.

The EVEology clothing collection is less about following trends and more about creating one’s own personal style rather than just jumping onto “what’s hot”.  The clothing focuses on everyday glam looks which combine fashion, function and the attention to detail.

Most interestingly, it is designed and sorted by body type so you can easily choose which pieces will make you look the best.

You can view the clothing at www.eveology.com and then go in locally to try them on and buy (sizes mostly 6-18 but some come in 4 or 20). This week there will be an open house and you do need to RSVP. Otherwise, please call for appointment time. If you bring a friend, you can receive a 10% discount. Early birds might be able to reserve sample pieces at 30% discount.

Elisabeth Hamacher has been selling this way for years and is great at helping you select a wardrobe to suit you.  Shopping here is like having your own personal dresser.

Tel: 514 684-0370
fashionista@acn.net
www.eveology.com

I get calls during the year from people needing help getting rid of their household items due to a move, a senior transition or for a an estate situation. They just don’t know what to do with it all.

I just got an e-mail from a gentleman who calls his company, Money for Clutter. What he does is help people sell furniture, antiques, china, books, artwork, clothing, tools, appliances, jewelry, collectibles, pianos, garden equipment and almost any household items.

He goes  into a home and photographs the items they want to sell. Then he prices them at market value and advertises in local Montreal web sites, on his site and to his own e-mail list of regular buyers. He negotiates the price before the potential buyer goes to the seller’s home so there are no surprises. If there is a lot involved or if they are elderly, he will accompany the  buyer to the seller’s residence.

He works on a commission basis and takes a percentage of the  final sale. If needed, he can set them up with a mover. For seniors, he offers a packing service, the sale of unwanted belongings or can hold an estate sale.  He likes to say that he make  a hard time a lot easier.

Mark Hodess
http://moneyforclutter.com