Allowing Others to Make an Impact on Your Life

This morning was a great day at church. I boxed up the wreath that I made for the Sunflower Gala, and popped it into the trunk of my car to give it to Rita at church. The Sunflower Gala is a fundraiser for a Christian-based school in our county. Oh what a surprise when I found out that the owner of Miss Hollys House and the creator of the Sunflower Gala was at our church to speak today. Her name was Holly of course and she gave a short presentation to tell us about her life story. She was a beautiful tall, blonde haired lady.

Holly started out by telling us how her life changed drastically when her mother suddenly passed at only 58 years old. She said it was an awakening that tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. She also told us that she had had a dream since she was a small child that she would someday start a school. So when her mother passed she felt as if she needed to act now, on this constant dream that she was called to own a school. Her story went on to say that she told her entire family that she felt called to open this Christian school and although they were surprised, they all were very supportive, so she set off to make this happen.

Holly stated she had six children but one of the children struggled with public school more so than the other children. She said he became an inspiration for how she would run her school because of how he felt so misunderstood in public school. This child helped her enormously in seeing her dream begin. Through tears she stated that unfortunately his help ended abruptly as he died in a farming grain bin accident at 19 years old. Just one year after she lost her young mother, she lost her young son too.

So this year‘s gala will also be in honor of what would’ve been her son’s 20th birthday. It will be held March 20, 2020 to celebrate his 20th birthday and to fund raise for the Christian-based school in his honor. How precious her story was to me. And how special it was to give her the box with the beautiful wreath that I made as a donation to her fundraising auction.

I was told that the wreath I donated last year brought in $150 at auction so I’m hoping this year’s wreath will bring a similar amount. This year‘s wreath is the largest grapevine wreath available to purchase, and has a rambling rose, wildflower look to it. Very messy if I may describe it in my own words. I spray-painted curly twigs with a white color, tucked in a variety of pastel spring flowers of pinks and purples, along with viney greenery for that perfect spring look. I think it turned out truly worthy of a special event to honor her son and to raise money for a terrific cause. And whether you do the same or end up engaging in other hobbies, like recycling your own packaging supplies (or that of others), all that matters is keeping that kindness in your heart.

 May you enjoy this first day of spring with remembrance that warmer weather on its way very soon. May the birds sing to you louder than they have this past winter. May the sun light shine brighter than you remembered. And may your spring cleaning be a joy, as you box up all of winter (a much needed venture of boxes, storage, and all things packaging supplies for most). Happy spring!

Stretch Wrap, the Smart Way to Ship

A multitude of packaging supplies can be used to transport materials across the country, however one reigns supreme when used in bulk shipping. This packaging supply is stretch wrap, which is commonly used to transport a wide variety of products. Often used to transport multiple products at the same time, stretch wrapping offers a safe, economic solution to many companies shipping problems. The five most commonly stretch wrapped products are boxes, bottles and cans, barrels, wood, and furniture.

The most commonly stretch wrapped product are groups of boxes. Typically stretch wrapped and placed on top of a pallet, boxes can carry nearly anything a company desires. A commonly used stretch wrap is made of a high-performance resin. This high-performance resin allows companies to wrap boxes in a thinner stretch wrap, allowing more room for transportation. A pre-stretched film is often used, as it is easy to wrap boxes in and requires very little stretching to apply.

Another commonly stretch wrapped product is bottles and cans. Bottles and cans full of liquids and foods often weigh up to 2800 pounds when stacked on a pallet. This requires the use of a stronger, high-performance resin based stretch wrap in order to ensure the safety of the contents of the bottles and cans. Especially with a susceptible product, such as bottles of water, a high-grade stretch wrap is needed in order to assure their safety in transport.

Barrels are often placed on a pallet and stretch wrapped to ensure their safety. One of the heaviest products commonly shipped, barrels usually require a thick stretch wrap in order to assure safety. The most used width of stretch wrap is 80 gauge. However, fifty-five-gallon barrels often require a much thicker stretch wrap, up to 150 gauge thickness. While the increased thickness often comes at an increased cost, the price is worth it as thinner stretch wrap will often be ripped in transport, potentially costing companies thousands.

Wood is commonly stretch wrapped for transportation. Vented stretch wrap is often used in order to allow the wood to breathe and cure during shipping. It takes a few months before the wood is ready to burn after being cut, and the vented stretch wrap allows the wood to cure during transportation. Wood is often stored outside before being wrapped and placed on pallets for transportation.

One of the least known stretch wrapped products is furniture. Often dressers and desks are wrapped in order to protect their finish during transportation. These products are usually shipped individually, as they are large enough that they do not fit together. Unlike many other products, the stretch wrap is often removed from furniture as soon as shipping is completed. This is to allow the products to shown in retail stores and sold commercially.

There are many other products which can, and are transported after being stretch wrapped. Using the right gauge and type of stretch wrap is important when transporting products, as the incorrect packaging supplies will cause unnecessary expenditures and cost companies money. As a result, it is often important to double check before you order in order to be certain the right stretch wrap is being used to increase profits and ensure product safety.