Every year, TV news, newspapers, and even the Internet remind you to check your treats. That reminder goes all the way back to my days of trick-or-treating. But while you’re checking your children’s candy, take a look at the wrappers first. You may notice some changes there, too. Many chocolate makers have changed their formula,…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
The onset of Christmas advertising is hitting earlier and earlier. Over the weekend, I saw Christmas commercials for both Walmart and Home Depot. And literally as I’m writing this description for The Mason Minute, a Macy’s holiday commercial is playing on the TV. Many would prefer these commercials start after Thanksgiving or, perhaps, next week…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
One of the joys of being a kid is when a carnival shows up in the parking lot of a nearby shopping center. The rides, the games, the noise, for youngsters. It’s a lot of fun, and you usually never know when it’s coming. But often, in the spring or the summer, a small carnival…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
We’re less than a week away from Halloween, and that’s a big night for both children and adults. The kids go for the candy, and the adults go for the party with the wild costumes. I’ve never been a big fan of Halloween, and that goes back to my younger days when we all wore…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
When I was younger, Halloween was a celebration that lasted a few hours. If lucky, we might have a party at school and then a few hours of trick-or-treating. Over the years, many have added a weekend party or two. But now, Halloween has turned into an extended holiday. But is it really a holiday?…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
As a child, my parents never went down the candy aisle at the grocery store. They didn’t want to tempt me. But like nearly every kid, I loved candy. Today, I still try to avoid the candy aisles at the grocery store or big box store. Even though it’s been decades since I went door-to-door…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
If you’ve watched prime-time television over the last few weeks, you may have felt the need to check the calendar once or twice. Some shows aired their Halloween episodes. Because of the writer’s strike, most prime-time TV shows didn’t start in September like they usually do. Most TV shows came back in January, so some…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
I realize that economics has caused many products to change throughout the years. To keep consumer costs down, manufacturers sometimes change the size of a product so they don’t have to raise the price. This year, for Halloween, we got little goodie bags of candy at my office. And the first thing I noticed was…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
This year, I heard a lot of chatter about changing the date we celebrate Halloween. Many want to make it the last Saturday of October rather than always fall on the 31st. It would become a holiday like Thanksgiving that is day-specific rather than date-specific. While I understand the desire to make celebrating easier for…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
If you’ve walked through a Home Depot or a Lowe’s, you’ve likely seen one of those giant skeletons. They’ve become a sensation over the last few years. Here in Nashville, a few homes keep their on display year-round. They’ve been the hot Halloween decoration, but that may change thanks to TikTok. A new oversized character…
Read MorePodcast: Play in new window | Download
