Chances are you have some cardboard lying around your house. Chances are, you’ve ordered a product online within the last week, or so that will arrive at your door in a cardboard box in a few days. The reality is that the world runs on cardboard. We use cardboard for so many different things on a daily business, and I don’t think there are enough people aware of this fact. We love cardboard because it is cheap and easy to make, easy to shape and form with, and relatively strong, and can hold up well in a variety of conditions. Making cardboard is no doubt a laborious process that involves great manufacturing at every step of the way, but I think it is important to know how things are made and what they are made from in order to get a better grasp on the reality we live in and the things we spend our money on. 

Have you ever thought about what cardboard is? Or how it’s made? I’m sure you think you do. You probably think you know all about cardboard. But in reality, you don’t. You are blind and ignorant to the ways of cardboard, and I will tell you why in this brief overview of one of the most versatile materials, along with the benefits that it brings to our lives.

In the first days of cardboard, developed by German Chemist Carl. F Dahl, simply involved pulping wood that was later used in the paper-making process. This advanced method of paper-making at the time was revolutionary in turning wood chips into paper strong enough not to split or tear. As we all know, cardboard is produced and manufactured by using fibers from trees and plants. The pulping process aims to break down the structure of the tree or plant fibers so that they are ready to be made into market pulp.

The next step in the cardboard-making process is to make the pulp into paper/board. First, the pulp is beaten, squeezed, and pounded in a large tube to make it easier to work with. Sometimes there are other materials added in at this step. Materials like chalks or clays are sometimes added to the pulp to change the opacity of the final product cardboard. The pulp is then fed into a large machine and squeezed through rollers to drain the water and then pressed between wool felt rollers and heated cylinders to be absolutely certain all of the water has been removed. Then the paper is made into what are called flutes, which are typically that liner filling stuff in between the plates of cardboard that you would find in your everyday run-of-the-mill cardboard box. 

Cardboard is great because it can be made into all sorts of different products and has limitless possibilities for shipping and production. Manufacturers love it, and so do consumers. Another benefit of cardboard is that it can be recycled and used again. There is still new wood used in the production of cardboard, but the pulp can contain recycled materials, which is extremely important for keeping cardboard out of landfills. Since we go through so much cardboard in our lifetime, make sure you are breaking down your boxes and recycling them whenever possible so that we can keep our earth clean for the next generation.

Ever since I was little, baking has always been a huge passion of mine. My mother would always treat my sisters and me to amazing baked goods. From cookies, cakes, pastries, pies, and other delectable treats, my mom could do it all. Consequently, I picked up baking really naturally during the later part of my childhood. The first things I started baking were mainly cookies because they are the easiest. Then I moved onto more complicated things like cakes and pies. Cakes and pies are a bit harder to bake because they involve a lot of accurate timing during the bake. In addition, it also requires a steady hand to meticulously measure ingredients and make sure the measurements are correct. 

One of the best parts about baking is being involved with family and friends. Not only is it nice to be able to share an activity with loved ones, but giving away baked goods as gifts for others is so rewarding. I frequently would head down to my neighbors’ house after a long afternoon of baking and give them various types of cookies that I had made. They really loved what I made! 

Getting the right ingredients for your baking is just as important as the actual baking itself. I remember going to the store with my mom to pick out different ingredients for a certain recipe. For cookies, we loved to buy different types of chocolates and candies to put together. Oatmeal raisin cookies with chocolate chips are particularly delectable. Walking down the grocery store’s isles and taking in all the different types of ingredients can be overwhelming; the different colored candy boxes and smells of chocolate and brown sugar can attack your senses. However, if you make sure you know what the recipe calls for, you can be in and out of the store very quickly! As you are checking out, be sure to use paper bags instead of plastic ones. Plastic bags are harmful to the environment and will sit much longer in landfills than paper ones. Paper bags are also very reusable for trash cans, picnics, and any other case in which you may need a bag! Now it is time to head home. Don’tDon’t forget anything at the store as you leave! Maybe even stop at Starbucks for a coffee on the way home – you deserve it!

Once you have your ingredients back at home, it’s time to start baking. Like I said earlier, baking cookies is relatively simple and does not involve too much complicated or strenuous baking procedures. Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, butterscotch, m&m, and monster cookies are all great options! I personally love oatmeal cookies without the raisins. Adding in some candy never hurts. Make sure to gather your ingredients, including all your candy boxes, and start baking as soon as you get home. That way, your cookies will be ready to treat your friends and family as quickly as possible!

Baking truly does bring you closer together with your loved ones. As I stated earlier, baking is something that my mom and I can do together to remain close and stay in contact with each other. However, baking is always a great activity to take part in with friends or romantic partners! In high school, I very much enjoyed baking with my friends after school and bringing cookies to share with my classmates the next day. As far as hobbies go, baking is easy to get into, inexpensive, and something you can do with the people you love!

Recently I moved back from Florida, and in order to do so, I needed a lot of cardboard boxes in order to keep all my items together and in one place. There were a few challenges that I faced along the way, but I was sure to overcome them. I am not one to let an obstacle stop me from moving forward. I am glad to be back home and around my family and friends, but I do miss the Florida heat. I do not like the cold. I have been told it is because I have thin blood. I also think it is because I got used to the heat and just prefer that now. It was hard to find the best boxes for my move, but eventually, I found some. I was lucky enough to get some for cheap and was set. 

Finding out I was going to be moving back home was not an easy decision for me. I loved being down there. I moved down with one of my best friends and a friend of his. I found out when the roommate said he was not going to be living with us next year because I played video games. I wish I were joking when I said that, but it is true. My friend and I were planning on moving into a two bedroom apartment until he found out he had to move back home with his family because of money issues. I understood that, and I decided I would move back home with my family until I got a bit more on my feet. He moved back in with his family down in Florida, and I moved back up to Indiana to live with my family. 

After deciding, I was going to move back to Indiana. I had to find some boxes so I could put all my items in there for safe travel. I did some research to see if I could find a moving company before having to do it myself. Unfortunately, I was not able to find one that could fit my budget and time frame. I decided to move myself, and for that, I needed to get some boxes. I first checked out some stores nearby me and was able to get the Super Target by me to give me some boxes they were going to throw away. 

When I was able to get some free boxes, I was so ecstatic. I went home to pack up, and a few days later, I had to pack up the box truck with all my items and furniture. I had a bed and a desk as well as a lot of clothes and other things. I did not have all that much in comparison to others, but it was still a good amount of items. Luckily I had some very big boxes. 

Moving on your own is not that bad, but it is not the most fun as it is very time consuming and tasking. I was happy that I could get some free cardboard boxes and mainly because they were the size I needed but bigger. It is always recommended that you try and get some boxes for free before you try and buy them. Prices at this time are getting more expensive for cardboard. 

There are many different types of candy boxes. Some boxes are just plain boxes, some are over-decorated, and some are just right. I believe that Lindor Truffles, the chocolate company, has some of the best kinds of packaging and chocolates. The few flavors that they provide each have their own particular type of box with unique decorations. I like this candy packaging because it is not too much but also not too little; it is just right, like the Goldilocks story. I love these chocolates. They are delicious and made of high quality materials. 

The red chocolate gets a red packaging. I enjoy how they did this because it makes it more easy to spot the kind of chocolate that you want. The packaging they use is unique as well. I say this because the packaging almost looks like an isosceles triangle. It opens up at the top after you unroll the top of the packaging. The color of the box is also a marketing ploy. They have an open window that allows for you to look in and see all the delicious chocolates gleaming back at you. The color of the box, as mentioned, is a marketing ploy. They use the color so the consumer can quickly identify the truffles they want easily without having to spend much time looking. The easier it is for someone to identify something the consumer likes, the easier it becomes to buy it. 

I personally love these chocolates. There is a variety pack that is gold. The gold, I believe, is done to pop out. As people, we don’t see the color of gold all that much in our day to day lives because it generally represents something expensive. The gold pack of these truffles is their variety pack. This means they have all their different kinds of truffles they have all in one box. I believe that the gold is a good representation of this because you are more or less rich in chocolates. It is a funny way to look at it, but I believe that they are trying to get that across. My favorite truffle they have is the red one or the white one. The red is a milk chocolate, and the white is a white milk chocolate. 

The form of this candy packaging is very unique. It is more or less an isosceles triangle. This shape has been done for a specific reason. It’s not only unique and not like any other candy packaging, but it also makes it more easy to grab the chocolates at the bottom of the packaging. The shape also draws attention to it because of its odd shape. Not many candy packaging are triangles. Thus, it can draw attention to it. 

I like the packaging of Lindor truffles because it is unique. The coloring also helps identify the kind of candy you want more quickly. This can be a good thing for the company as it will make them money. I say this because the candy box packaging is easily identifiable; thus, a consumer will grab it on a whim because it is something they had gotten before and recognized it. The window also is a good feature because the consumer can look into the packaging and see the yummy chocolates looking back at you.