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- January 22, 2021
- Five Ways to Beat the Winter Blues
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Five weeks of winter in the books and seven more to go. Longer nights, cold temperatures, and gray days all figure into a general feeling of sadness and depression. But, there are steps you can take to reduce its effects. Here are five ways to escape the winter blues.
- January 11, 2021
- It's Not Selfish to Take Care of Yourself
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The New Year is here. Are you still keeping your New Year's Resolutions? If you're like most of us, probably not. But, let's think about something that is important for your family, your friends, and your co-workers. It's self-care. You did read that correctly; self-care is important to others. Let's take a look.
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- December 29, 2020
- Cooking to Welcome the New Year
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Here we are about to put another year in the books. How can 365 days pass by so quickly? Wait, we're referring to 2020; it couldn't pass fast enough! With the New Year just hours away, it's time to take steps toward a year filled with good luck.
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- December 18, 2020
- Christmas Cheer Then and Now in Winston-Salem
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When Mast Store’s newest old location opened its doors in Winston-Salem in May of 2015, we had the pleasure of meeting a woman with close ties to 516 North Trade Street. Her father worked in the building that boasted one of the largest retail and wholesale companies in the South: Brown-Rogers-Dixson (B-R-D). Originally posted 12/2/2015
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- November 16, 2020
- 7 Ways to Make Your Socially-Distanced Thanksgiving Notable
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It’s plain to see. This year’s Thanksgiving is going to be very different. Family gatherings are being discouraged, and if you are getting together, it is recommended that meals be enjoyed outside. With resolve and creativity, we can find small things to be thankful for and make this Thanksgiving memorable.
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- June 10, 2020
- Summer Camp at Home
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You've mastered being a teacher. Now it's time to pick up a different mantle – camp counselor. Whether you're “hosting” a day camp, overnight camp, or just a weekend experience camp, this blog has ideas for “programming” to keep your campers engaged and happy.
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- April 30, 2020
- We Arrived on April 30, 1980
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On a cool spring day in 1980, April 30 to be exact, a young family arrived in the mountains of North Carolina. After a long drive from Florida in a UHaul and a pickup truck, they were about to begin their lives' work in an old general store. In this short video blog, you'll hear what their first impressions in Faye's own words.
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- April 22, 2020
- Boredom Buster #3
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Who's ready for another diversion or two? By now, our new routines are, well, routine. Get up, make coffee, fix breakfast, send the students to school in one corner of the living room, and set up the office on the kitchen table. This week's Boredom Busters will revisit a skill that many of us have let slip in the days of GPS, offer up a few podcasts, and send a jigsaw puzzle or two your way.
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- April 14, 2020
- Grab a Bite at the Store
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Back 40 years ago, you couldn't grab a bite to eat in the Valle. It meant a drive to Boone or to Banner Elk or to Mountain City over in Tennessee. That is until John and Faye Cooper decided to open the Mast Store Deli. Sandwiches and soups were served in the back of the store. Here's a little of that story, including a bit of it in Faye's own words.
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- April 9, 2020
- Mast Store Memories: A Look Back at 1980
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What were you doing 40 years ago? The year was 1980, and the country was in the middle of the hostage crisis in Iran, facing a recession, and trying to solve the mystery of who shot J. R. Ewing. That’s the big picture, but what was happening in Valle Crucis, NC? Maybe it was a little magic. We’re stepping into our time machine and turning back the clock for a look at the rebirth of the Mast General Store.
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- April 8, 2020
- Boredom Buster #2
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We hope everyone enjoyed a little yoga, fixed a nice extra special meal one night, and then threw down at a big dance party. We are all wearing lots of hats these days – from small business CEO and the school's head master to the top chef and building custodian. That means its even more challenging to get everything done and to have a little spare time for fun. This week we have a few more suggestions to shake up your stay-at-home routine with activities and a movie night.
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- April 1, 2020
- Boredom Buster #1
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If the situation was different, we would all be excited to spend time at home. We are all in this together, and we’ll make it through it with creativity and grace. We’ll be offering a few ideas to break up the boredom and routine while you’re spending more time at home for the next few weeks. Let’s get started!
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- March 26, 2020
- Gift Cards for Good
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One of the traditions John and Faye Cooper established as soon as they could afford to after re-opening the Original Mast Store in Valle Crucis was giving back to the community. Over the years, that tradition has grown and now includes organizations and causes in three major categories – human needs, arts and education, and conservation across all our home communities. That tradition is continuing, but this year, we need your help. That's where Gift Cards for Good comes in.
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- March 20, 2020
- We're In This Together
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General stores have always been there for their communities. Now, we need everyone to be there for all.
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- February 19, 2020
- Grandma's Must Have Beauty Products
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Do you remember visiting your grandma's house and getting a cut or a scrape? She knew just what to do to help. If you looked in grandma's pocketbook, we bet you'd find a whole arsenal of beauty and health supplies to keep her looking great from sun up to sundown. And they had other uses above and beyond outward health and beauty. It just so happens that many of grandma's go-tos are popular today, too!
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- January 29, 2020
- Be a Sweetheart at Mast Store February 8 & 9
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This year’s Be a Sweetheart campaign runs February 8th and 9th. For 17 years, sweethearts have doubled their gift giving by embracing the greater community in their expression of love. For each pound of candy purchased on these two days, Mast Store will donate $1 to a food security partner.
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- January 22, 2020
- 9 Valentine's Day Gifts They'll Love
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Warning, warning … Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. Now’s the time to make your gift selections to surprise your Valentine. We’ve scoured our stores to come up with nine gifts – some traditional and some you may never have considered for Valentine’s Day. We think they’ll connect with what’s important to your loved one and, by extension, to you, too. Let’s get started.
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- December 26, 2019
- Therefore Be It Resolved, the New Year is Here
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Have you ever wondered where the practice of making New Year’s Resolutions started? According to History.com, it’s a practice that’s at least 4,000 years old. The Babylonians made promises to the gods to pay their debts and to return items they had borrowed to curry favor. The Romans changed the calendar to start the New Year in January, named for the god Janus, who had two faces – one looking into the past and the other focused on the future.
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- December 4, 2019
- 2019's Top 13 Gift Ideas
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The holidays – it’s a time when lots of questions are asked. How do reindeer fly? How does Santa visit everybody’s house all on one night? And what would be a good thing to get John, Susan, and Beth? While the answers to the first two questions will require a lot of research and debate, Mast Store has the answers to the last question. Here are our top 13 gift ideas for 2019.
- November 6, 2019
- Fall Foliage Primer - November 6, 2019
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This is the final Fall Foliage Primer of the year. It looks like Knoxville, Greenville, and Hendersonville still have some locations of high color. Other reporting spots - Boone/Valle Crucis, Asheville, and Waynesville - have some spotty color (particularly Oaks, which are in their glory right now, and some Maples). There are still lots of activities to get out and enjoy, too. Check out what our reporters have to suggest as well bid you a fond farewell until next year.