Holiday Traditions

Every time fall holiday season comes around, I’m forced to see an abundance of candy everywhere. At the store. In decorative baskets at my family and friends’ places. In the media. And, unfortunately, on my desk in front of me at work when I need a midday pick me up.

The thing is, candy never used to define this time of year. Rather, vegetables and the harvest season dominated the minds of people in the western world when October would be near. That’s why you still see remnants of the harvest in decorations and props at holiday parties and house art. To be honest, my favorite sort of decor around this time of year are those that focus more on the harvest aspect than anything “spooky” or candy related.

I get it, though. Especially in America, capitalism drives more than just the economy. It affects culture as we know it, to the point that everything is up for sale and everything needs advertised. No wonder candy boxes are pushed in our faces during holidays. Heck, they’re around during Valentine’s and Easter, too. It seems candy companies and marketers know how much Americans will shell out for candy boxes and other sweet treats when holidays come around, as if people will want to treat themselves for the sake of eating sugary snacks around the holidays.

I’m not one to buy into the hype of it all since I like to look at holidays for their historical significance and how they intertwine with our culture and the culture of others. With that said, it’s a bit hard to celebrate it as such when such a vast majority have their own ideas of how it “should be” celebrated in America: typically with lots of candy to give to kids when they ring your doorbell and costumes that resemble monsters or pop culture references.

No matter what, though, no one should give up on how they prefer to celebrate a holiday or time of year. If you stick to what makes sense to you and what makes you happy, that’s all that should matter. And rather than try to coax friends or family into celebrating how you do, it’s best to find a community or group of friends who see eye to eye with you. You’ll always be surprised to the types of communities that are out there, especially when frequenting forums on the internet. Just because you may be a marginalized or minority group doesn’t mean you have to be alone. There’s solidarity in all corners of the world. It just takes a little looking to find your people that like to take part in the things you like.

Designing A Candy Buffet

Perhaps, you are trying to find a theme for your next birthday party, graduation, anniversary, kids party, or even a retirement party. One popular type of party theme that is still going strong today is the candy buffet party. The fact is that you do not have to hire a professional party planner to design a candy buffet party. All it takes is a little bit of knowledge and a lot of planning. Here is more to consider.

Select A Color Scheme

To get started with your candy buffet, set up a color scheme. This will make the entire process go smoothly. If you are planning a party for kids, you might decide to select their favorite color. For example, a young teen girl that loves pink, lavender, and lots of pastel colors. Candies in pastel colors would fit perfectly. A more sophisticated older adult might prefer monotone or dark chocolate with white themed party. Supply the party with plenty of dark chocolates, milk chocolates, and white chocolate. Of course, a rainbow theme would be perfect for a kids party. Supply candies in every color that is imaginable.

Select Candy To Fit The Theme

The next step in setting up the candy buffet is to select the right type of candy to fit the theme. Don't forget to purchase candy boxes to fill up and let your party guest take them home. Make your candy display look dazzling and delicious by selecting a wide variety of candies in different sizes, colors, shapes, and textures. This will make the sweet treats very memorable to the guests. Make sure to purchase about 1/2 pound of candy for each guest. Purchase the candy in bulk for extra savings. Here are a few types of candy to consider for your candy buffet.

• Lollipops
• Gummy Candy
• Chocolates
• Taffy
• Gumballs
• Marshmallows
• Malt Bals

The Setup

Displaying your candy is part of the fun. Use your own creativity and imagination to set up the candy display. Display the candy in jars, bowls, dishes, trays, glasses, straw baskets. Make sure that the candy is displayed at various heights to add interest. For example, you might wish to use pedestals, candy boxes, cake boxes, trays, or jars in various heights. Place the candy on a display table that is covered in a neutral toned table cloth. Keep the backdrop simple and let the candy be the main focus. However, it's also advisable to get creative and add streamers, balloons, garland, paper lanterns, and other glittery displays to jazz it up a bit.

Adding Extras

Party guests are going to be dazzled by the candy. Adding a few extras will really make the candy display pop. For example, for a kids party, add stuffed animals, confetti, streamers, garland, toys. If the party is for a birthday, add the name of the person celebrating the birthday in big foam letters, add their picture, ribbons, balloons, cards, and party ornaments.

Designing a candy buffet is fun. All it takes is a little bit of patience and creativity to get the party started. The information used here is to inspire you to get started by employing your own creativity and imagination to bring about a real grand celebration for all.

Why Custom Tape is the ultimate Branding Weapon for Shipping

A lot of branding is common in packaging, specially with boxes, labels, and the like. But, did you know that you can use this with you tape? Tape is not just an item used to seal packaging, it’s a brand billboard that you can use with every package that you have. Some have taken full advantage of custom tape, and it’s become a very popular, useful tool to enhance the customer’s experience, and make it shine. 

Types of Customized Tape 

There's a lot of custom tape that’s out there, waiting to be used. Printed paper tape is one of them. with printed tape, you’re putting forth the item, showing off what’s in there, and of course, the printed branding and logo. 

Some also may use  custom water-activated tape. This is tape that’s naturally activated when water is put on it, which again, is a good way to not only seal the item well, but also to show off the brand’s presence with this item. 

Finally, you’ve got security tapes, which is tape used to provide better, more useful security. Again, this is great for companies that are worried about pilferers, making it something that shines. 

Creative Ideas 

With custom tape, it can be something more than just brands and logos. Though it might be good for that, you can also add other neat features to them. 

Seasonal themes are one of them. Adding a seasonal look to your tape might not seem like the best idea, but it does work.

Another one, is utilizing and integration of QR codes. Lots of QR codes will tell you about the item, and also other branding features. You can link it to the social media pages you have for an enhanced experience. 

Finally, you got teaser messages. Again, this is good for packaging where you want to build excitement, and it sees the trick if you’re a company looking to stand out with your packaging. 

The Costs Vs. Impact 

Now, let’s talk about the costs aspect of this. A big reason why some people are hesitant on using this is because well, it can cost a ton of money for them. lots of brands may wonder if they can afford it. 

The truth is that you can. It's a minimal investment. An investment, sure, but if you’re already buying tape and whatnot, it’s again another investment that you need to be mindful of. 

It also is good for maximum branding ROI, making it show off the features, and again, enhance the overall ROI of such items. 

The mistakes that you needed to Avoid 

While it is minimal investment and great for the ROI and branding, there are some pitfalls you can run into. Such pitfalls will create a problem later on, and it can end up costing you money you might not have at the start. 

The biggest thing is designs. Make sure you don’t pick something that’s low-contrast in terms of designs. Pick an item or design that’s got significant contrast to it, and makes it really shine and stand out. Being able to make it so that your designs enhance and pop, improving the experience, is always something good. 

Another thing to be mindful of is the adhesive quality. Try to go for items with a good adhesive quality, and see for yourself just what happens if you do this. 

Again, customized tape is a good weapon for shipping. In fact, it’s a wonderful way to improve your shipping process. Being mindful of just how it might affect the business allows you to make good decisions too.