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Copyright (c) 2010 Albert Street LLC

Why is soy candle making popular? More and more people are choosing them over paraffin candles as they don’t emit Carbon Dioxide and is generally safe for the environment. Soy candles are the healthiest types of candles you can make — they burn smoke-free, they are hypoallergenic, and best of all they are great for the planet! Needless to say, soy wax is a cheaper and all-natural alternative, which is said to be easier to work with than paraffin.

Soy Wax – its key component – is a recent discovery. In the early 1990s, a man named Michael Richards was on a quest for a cost-effective alternative for beeswax. This prompted him to create soy wax. During the early 90’s there was a big inflow of demand for natural wax candles, but beeswax was significantly more expensive (10x more) than paraffin. Michael began testing different natural waxes from plants and finally ended up with a vegetable type which had partially hydrogenated soy oil, coconut oil and palm oil as key components. Finally, Michael became successful in replacing beeswax and paraffin with soy in 1996. Ideally, these kinds of candles are created by mixing wax with fragrance and dye. These candles have certain advantages over Paraffin Candles

Here are the 3 main reasons why you should go for soy candle making supplies:

1. Soy wax candles are inexpensive

It’s a natural wax – Soy have a longer lifespan – Wax spills are easy to remove with soap and water – It gives out less soot – Scented soy gives out more flavor

2. Making soy candles can be a very fulfilling hobby.

As you establish your own candle making business, you will soon discover how simple it is to create candles using soy wax. Soy candle making supplies are readily available online or in the hobby shops in your area. We will explore the step – by – step process in making this type of candles.

3. They make awesome gifts.

Let your creative side go wild! You can choose to pair some soy candles along with other candle making supplies, wrap it with a few soaps and towels placed in a basket — and you have a fantastic-looking gift!

For the materials, the following listed below are what you will need:

1. A pound of soy wax 2. 1 mason jar 3. An ounce of fragrance oil 4. Wax dye 5. 1 Cotton wick (e.g. HTP – 105) 6. Candle Thermometer

Here are the Top 5 Tips in Making Soy Candles

1. Choosing your soy wax – This wax generally comes in two varieties: Block and flake form. Choose the flake form.

2. Get to know soy candle fragrances better – The secret to making a good soy candle is to use your own special batch/mix of fragrances. The fragrance of your choice needs to be compatible with soy wax. On an estimated scale, you will need an ounce of fragrance oil per 16 ounces of soy wax.

3. Understanding Wax – Dyes Dyes come in various types. You can choose to use dye blocks which will easily blend with soy. The other ones are concentrated liquids and dye chips.

4. Choosing the appropriate soy wax candle wicks – Of course, your wick must be thicker as the candle’s diameter increases.

5. Choosing the right soy wax candle containers – The container to be used for making these candles depends on the appearance/look one wants to achieve. If you want country look, you can choose/use a Jason jar. Use dry, germ free containers for your soy candles, and place it at room temperature.

The process:

In a pan put the soy wax and slowly heat on medium temperature until completely melted. Remove from heat. – Add the fragrance oil and mix it thoroughly until such time everything settles in with the soy wax. As a good option, you can choose to blend in wax dye – Put in the melted wax inside the container and place the wick at the center. A clothespin or pencil is ideal in making sure that your wick stays in the center. – Upon turning solid you can trim the wick by or to 1/2 inch – Enjoy your soy candle!

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Source by bigalclub

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Diaper cakes are a perfect gift idea because they provide mom and baby with much needed supplies while still allowing you to add a little originality and creativity. Combine your imagination with the party theme or nursery color scheme, add in a few extra special accessories, and you will have a gift that will thrill the mom or mom-to-be, and be remembered for years to come. In fact, pictures of these stunning creations are guaranteed an honored place in the pages of every family’s memory scrapbook.

Choosing a Diaper Cake Color Scheme:

In addition to diapers, your cake will likely include other items for the new baby’s room such as blankets, stuffed animals, or picture frames. Choosing a color scheme or theme that matches the nursery will ensure that your thoughtful gifts are both useful and complementary to the décor.

You may also choose the color based on the new baby’s gender or select a neutral tone that is appropriate for either a boy or girl and will fit well with any decorating style.

Cover your cake in a blanket of icing using a bath towel, quilt, or crib sheet that matches your chosen color scheme. Add complementary ribbon such as pink for a girl, blue for a boy, yellow for a Winnie-the-Pooh nursery, or green for a jungle themed room. Complete your creation with matching flowers or accessories.

Choosing the Perfect Shape for Your Diaper Cake:

Although it requires a little extra time, you can make your cake truly unique by designing creative shapes that will have guests begging for your ‘recipe’. Elegant tiered cakes, stacked atop one another or separated by pedestals add class and sophistication to a very practical gift. Ice with receiving blankets and colorful sprinkles of pacifiers, baby socks, rattles, and stuffed animals.

Make a bassinet pattern from cardboard, use a ribbon to securely cover the outside with diapers, and fill the inside with baby items such as oil, powder, face cloths, and onesies. A baby blanket makes a great hood, and you can even transform your creation into a carriage by rolling additional diapers into wheels and adding a handle made from wire covered with washcloths or towels.

Cover the outside of a bushel basket with rolled diapers, line the bottom with baby blankets or crib sheets, and set a pair of large stuffed animals, rag dolls, or plush superheros inside. Make a boat pattern using diapers for the base and a washcloth for a sail. Of course, a stuffed teddy will make a great captain. Or, turn your boat into a Noah’s ark, adding in a twig ladder and pairs of animals. If you have the time and inclination you can even make Noah’s creatures yourself using baby washcloths and socks.

For a winter baby, use diapers to make a snowman from three different sized diaper rolls stacked on top of each other. Cover with white towels, add a scarf and hat, attach eyes and even a carrot nose – made from an orange wash cloth, of course! Wrap ribbon between each layer or glue buttons down the front to complete your personalized “Frosty”.

Are you expecting a little princess. Design a pink diaper castle. Welcoming a rambunctious little boy? Why not create a diaper tricycle? Or, make a platter of mini-cakes using individual diapers rolled and placed in cupcake containers.

Choosing Your Diaper Cake Accessories:

While diapers provide the base of your creation, it is the accessories that add the unique and personal touches. Welcome a little girl with a princess cake topped with a magic wand and bejeweled crown. Or, introduce the new addition to the excitement of tea parties by attaching mini cups, saucers, and teapots.

Follow a Winnie-the-Pooh theme by choosing Pooh covered items such as pacifiers, rattles, and socks. You could even have a plush Pooh climbing the side of your cake in an attempt to reach a bouncy Tigger perched at the top.

Are you welcoming a Christmas baby? Wrap your diaper cake in holly, top with a Santa hat, and include a special baby’s first Christmas ornament. Create a jungle themed cake by accessorizing with zebra print ribbon, jungle grasses, palm trees, and jungle animals. As an added touch, include a swinging monkey or a tree house.

By making diaper cakes you can give a unique and useful gift that can be customized to any theme and will receive top marks for presentation and creativity. And, for an eco-friendly option, you can even substitute cloth diapers for disposable ones and please the environmentally conscious mother-to-be.

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Source by Nisha Williams

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What to export ? What sells well in international market ? How to select products for export ? These are questions uppermost in the mind of every budding exporter. Let us examine various options and a practical way of selecting a product basket.

There are products that sell more than others in international market and it’s not very difficult to find them from various market research tools.

However, such products will invariably have more sellers and consequently more competition and less margin. On the other hand – a niche product may have less competition and higher margin – but there will be far less buyers.

A Practical Approach in Product Selection:

Fact of the matter is – all products sell, though in varying degrees and there are positive as well as flip sides in whatever decision you take – popular or niche product.

So, instead of approaching the product selection process from demand side – it is far more practical to look at supply side. Ask yourself what can you supply. What are your strengths ? How close are you to supply sources. Once you take a stock of your capabilities – evaluate and prioritize available options.

Key Factors in Product Selection:

The product should be manufactured or sourced with consistent standard quality, comparable to your competitors. ISO or equivalent certification helps.

It should be available in sufficient quantity. If possible, avoid products which are monopoly of one or few suppliers. If you are the manufacturer – make sure sufficient capacity is available in-house or you have the wherewithal to outsource it at short notice. Timely supply is a key success factor in export business.

It is competitively priced. The price should not fluctuate often – threatening profitability of your export venture.

Regulatory aspect of export. Check Govt policy – if there is any restriction in its export. Here’s a good source for export import policy and hand book of procedure for indian exporters.

Status of various Govt incentives – such as duty drawback, tax incentives, DEPB etc.

Import regulation in overseas markets, specially tariff and non-tariff barriers.Though some major non-tariff barriers such as textile quota has been abolished – quite a few tariff and non-tariff barriers exist in European Union and other regions. If your product attracts higher duty in target country – demand obviously falls.

Registration/Special provision for your products in importing country. This is specially applicable for processed food and beverages, drugs and chemicals. For example – one needs FDA approval for exporting drugs and pharmaceuticals to North American market.

Seasonal vagaries of selected products. Some products sell in Summer, others in Winter. Some products may sell only during Christmas. Keep in mind seasonal aspect of your product, if there is any, and lead time required to reach target market.

After Sales Service. If exported product needs after-sales service, you should open service center beforehand or arrange distributor/agent who can provide servicing facility. It is not advisable to export a product that requires after sales service, in case you lack the technical and financial ability to provide it.

Packaging and labeling requirements. Keep in mind special requirements of perishable products like processed food

Mode of transport, logistics requirements. Special care is required for certain products which may be bulky or fragile or hazardous or perishable or of some such feature.

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Source by Dr.Amit Kumar Chatterjee

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There are so many new Network marketing companies launching their business in the past 6 months worldwide.

It has become more difficult for opportunity seekers to decide which company that they should join. It is disheartening that 95% of company fail within 24 months. In order not be to a part of this statistics, the best way is to look at the reasons why they fail.

These are the four major reasons why a company fail

1) Management team

a) The management team is very crucial to ensure the success of any companies. In the network marketing industry, it is very important to have someone with network marketing experience in the team. This person must have proven track records of running successful companies.

b) A strong company should consist of a team from various expertises. The whole team must consist of expert from management, marketing, financial and research team.

2) Product

a) The product must satisfy a market demand. It should be in front of the market trend. If you have a product that solves people financial challenge during the recession time, then you found a hot selling product.

b) In order for the company to remain in the business, it should have more than one product to market. Company with only one product is like putting all the egg in one basket and eventually it will reach saturation.

c) A very important consideration is: Does the company produce their own products or they are just another distributor for other company? The benefit of manufacturing their own product is to ensure highest quality and constant supply to the market.

d) The market that company products served should not be seasonal in nature. If the company is selling Christmas decoration products, then they are going to have sales during the year end and it will have difficulties to survive throughout the year.

e) The company’s product must be able to pass the following screen test “Would people buy these products if an income opportunity were not attached to them?” Are the products or services fairly priced? This is an acid test that the products are in demand and that is vital to any network marketing companies to remain in business.

So these are few key factors about product that you must take into consideration

3) System for effective training and support

a) A proven training system is crucial for any network marketing companies to stay in business. It must consist of marketing and products training. Most companies focus too much in product training but neglect marketing training. This is fatal as product does not move until it is market to right audience.

b) A support system to help distributors to sell products and recruit members must be in place. There must be seminar or webinar where distributor can lead the prospects to find out more information.

It is important to find a company with a support system that helps network marketing reps to grow their business.

4) Change in compensation plan too often

A new company in order to attract more distributors to join would do so by paying them a higher commission up front. This is perfectly fine if the company’s sale volume increased and the running cost can be averaged down.

Problem started when the sales volume does not match the company expectation. The company is not making enough profit to sustain their operation. The obvious thing for the company to do is lower their payout commission.

No distributor likes to make less money than they used to be. So a lot of distributors started to switch to another company. As a result, especially in the case of newly started network marketing companies, the resultant drop in sales volume is hurting them so badly. They may eventually have to shut down their operation.

So any companies offer you a high payout plan especially they are new, please be very cautious as they may eventually has to face the issue of sustainability.

These are few of the important consideration before you decide to become the distributors for that company. If you have been careful with your selection and with your commitment to grow this business, you will be successful in a very short time.

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Source by Ngoh Kwong Meng

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Pregnancy and the time before a baby adoption often bring family and friends together. Baby and adoption showers may allow those close to the parents to have the opportunity to give gifts for the new baby. Baby thank you cards are a necessity during the pregnancy, after the baby is born, and pre and post the adoption date. If parents start a theme for the birth cards and adoption cards by using a themed baby thank you card, parents can be ahead of the game. The theme can be the image or just the colors used on the thank you cards,or birth announcement cards. As the pregnancy progresses, parents will likely think about the décor for their baby (or twin babies) nursery. A color may start to become prominent and unique to the new baby and is usually great for incorporating in with the birth announcements and the baby thank you card design.

One birth announcement theme that is fun and unique, but not conducive to having a continuous theme for thank you cards, pregnancy and birth announcements is the holiday theme. If parents are expecting a baby around the holidays, holiday birth announcements are a great option. Pregnancy announcements with a holiday theme are also really cute. Holidays like Halloween and Christmas are great for dressing up twins, babies or an adopted child. Baby thank you cards can also be holiday themed. Using holiday thank you cards or birth announcements can eliminate the need to send general holiday or Christmas cards. Most parents like this idea since it allows them to spend more time with their baby!

Twins, triplets and multiples bring their own set of challenges and joys to a family. Life needs to be simplified if parents are expecting multiples, including twins and triplets, so parents should think simple about their and twin thank you cards. There are all sorts of great options for twins baby announcements that can be personalized for the new family. The modern trend in baby birth announcements with simple, clean pink or blue and brown, is a nice trend for identical twin birth announcements.

Whether parents choose a simple design with a photo of their new baby or a whimsical cartoon or a beautiful drawing for their baby announcements, it can say a lot about the new family. If a saying on a birth announcement is the perfect one for that family but the image is not, look for customizable birth cards. Thank you cards for the baby can also be customized to match the baby cards.

Regardless of the new family’s style, the array of , adoption cards, pregnancy announcements and baby announcements will allow them to find the perfect cards to spread the joyous occasion! And, don’t forget to select your unique birth announcements wording ideas, pregnancy announcements wording verses and sayings for photo baby announcements cards.

About the Author: Sarah Porter is Author of several baby articles including All About Birth Announcements, Birth Announcements Cards, Announcements for New Baby, Baby Announcements Cards, Expecting Mom-to-Be Pregnancy Announcements and more.

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Source by Sharon

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Copyright (c) 2010 Kaye Dennan

Ripe cherry tomatoes growing in hanging pots are really a delightful sight. I bought my first one from a garden center. The set up of the cherry tomatoes looking so delightful in a hanging basket container was something that I have not forgotten and am planning to grow myself another one this week. They just make you want to rush inside and make a beautiful, healthy salad.

I made a mistake with the one I purchased because I hung it where I could see it but it did not get full sunlight, just dappled light. This caused the plant not to grow as well as it should have but I won’t fall for that again. The green tomatoes that were on it did ripen, but the plant didn’t really grow that well after that.

Setting Up A Hanging Basket With Cherry Tomatoes:

– Purchase a wire basket, not too small. I am going to aim for one 14 inches across the top. I will put a coco liner in to hold the soil

– The soil will be prepared with organic compost and 8-8-8 fertilizer

– I am going to use the container watering method so I am going to ‘plant’ 2 small plastic containers either side of the plant and will be filling those with water so that they drip feed the water, rather than the once or twice a day watering of the whole pot

– Find a spot to hang the basket where it receives at least 6 hours full sunlight every day

This time I am going to hang the basket from the side of the patio roof where it will get the sun nearly all day long. That is why I have chosen this particular watering method because I know the plant will receive water slowly throughout the day.

What Tomato Plants Will I Grow?

I am going to plant a bright red cherry tomato and then in about 5 weeks I will plant another hanger and this time will choose a yellow grape tomato and this way I will be spreading out the picking time. I am so looking forward to getting them set up. I am so excited.

Since the time when I bought the first set up we have moved and where we live now we have wild parrots visit morning and night for a feed. It will be interesting to find out who wins the fight over these beautiful cherry tomatoes! The parrots or me!

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Source by Kaye Dennan

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If you love lobster, then you know it is the star of the show on your plate. So, what do you serve with this main star? What side dishes for lobster are the best?

To keep the lobster as the main event, you need to have very simple side dishes. Very colorful vegetables in the yellow, reds and greens work very well with Lobster dishes.

Here is one example:

Cucumber and tomato salad. This makes a great side dish for lobster. It is simple to make and very colorful.

Here is what you will need:

cucumbers (as many as you think you will need for your guests, you will have to gauge this yourself)

nice red ripe tomatoes

Greek style bottled dressing

Peel your cucumber and then slice in 1/2 lengthwise, and then again, and then slice the wedges about 1/2 inch think.

Wash and cut the tomatoes into pieces a similar size to the cucumber chunks.

Put these in a bowl, and then pour some dressing (I found the Kraft Greek style dressing with feta worked the best for me)

Then let it sit for about 15 minutes before you serve it, to absorb the Greek dressing. Then sprinkle with the crumbled feta cheese.

Put on the table with a large spoon, and let your guests help themselves to this delicious side dish for the lobster.

Add a basket of crusty rolls, and lots of whipped butter, and you will have a fine lobster lunch or dinner.

You don’t need to spend too long on the side dishes for lobster, they should be simple, colorful and delicious. Your guests will be more interested in the lobster than anything else really anyways. Potato dishes may be a bit heavy a side dish for lobster, so stick to lighter fare, such as fresh vegetables and fresh bread or rolls.

Don’t forget the napkins or maybe bibs!

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Source by Diane Palmer

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Copyright (c) 2010 Kaye Dennan

Ripe cherry tomatoes growing in hanging pots are really a delightful sight. I bought my first one from a garden center. The set up of the cherry tomatoes looking so delightful in a hanging basket container was something that I have not forgotten and am planning to grow myself another one this week. They just make you want to rush inside and make a beautiful, healthy salad.

I made a mistake with the one I purchased because I hung it where I could see it but it did not get full sunlight, just dappled light. This caused the plant not to grow as well as it should have but I won’t fall for that again. The green tomatoes that were on it did ripen, but the plant didn’t really grow that well after that.

Setting Up A Hanging Basket With Cherry Tomatoes:

– Purchase a wire basket, not too small. I am going to aim for one 14 inches across the top. I will put a coco liner in to hold the soil

– The soil will be prepared with organic compost and 8-8-8 fertilizer

– I am going to use the container watering method so I am going to ‘plant’ 2 small plastic containers either side of the plant and will be filling those with water so that they drip feed the water, rather than the once or twice a day watering of the whole pot

– Find a spot to hang the basket where it receives at least 6 hours full sunlight every day

This time I am going to hang the basket from the side of the patio roof where it will get the sun nearly all day long. That is why I have chosen this particular watering method because I know the plant will receive water slowly throughout the day.

What Tomato Plants Will I Grow?

I am going to plant a bright red cherry tomato and then in about 5 weeks I will plant another hanger and this time will choose a yellow grape tomato and this way I will be spreading out the picking time. I am so looking forward to getting them set up. I am so excited.

Since the time when I bought the first set up we have moved and where we live now we have wild parrots visit morning and night for a feed. It will be interesting to find out who wins the fight over these beautiful cherry tomatoes! The parrots or me!

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Source by Kaye Dennan

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One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to pack a basket with delicious types of food, grab a blanket and head out for a relaxed summer picnic. Picnics are perfect for bonding with friends and family over foods that shout “summer is here!” There is something about the simplicity of a picnic that makes it very appealing.

Unfortunately, there are several ways for an enjoyable picnic to be ruined, and not all of these can be blamed on the weather. If you are careless in your planning, you may end up dropping or smashing your food, spending excessive amounts of time assembling the food onsite, or worst of all, ending up with spoiled food that smells terrible and tastes worse. These tips will help you plan for a perfect picnic so that you avoid the aforementioned tragedies.

Packing

There are several essential items that you will not want to be without when you have your picnic. These include the following:

-Picnic basket (or better yet, a cooler to keep everything fresh)
-Frozen bottles of water. Put them in the freezer the night before the picnic. When they melt, you’ll have icy cold water!
-Tablecloth or picnic blanket
-Outdoor dinnerware or paper plates
-Plastic utensils
-Hand Sanitizer
-Napkins
-Trash bags

Keep It Simple

This doesn’t mean that you need to eat bread and water, but if you plan foods that are easy to prepare and serve, you’ll be doing yourself a huge favor. The last thing you need when you arrive at your picnic spot is the hassle of preparing a complicated meal. Also, if you are packing a picnic basket instead of a cooler, you will want more perishable foods that last longer without refrigeration. Stick with easy foods like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, veggies, cookies, crackers, and so on.

Use Unique Picnic Recipes for Variety

If you want to pack a simple picnic lunch but are tired of the peanut butter sandwich routine, consider trying out a new recipe for a meal or dessert that can be made ahead of time and is easy to prepare once you arrive at your picnic location. Remember that whatever you make needs to be perishable. One great option that is quick, easy and tasty is to use a cake mix product to make your dessert before your picnic. This will give even the most inexperienced cook a variety of dessert options!

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Source by chelsi woolz

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The decorative boxes have always been integral parts of the Christmas tradition. These can be gifted to relatives of all age groups – starting from 8 to 80. These decorative boxes serve a number of purposes. These are used for purposes of storing important things like collectibles and stamps for examples.

The decorative boxes are mostly made out of either metal or wood, even though steel is mostly used. They are very vibrant and feature excellent arrangement of colors and graphics, which are done tastefully. Since these decorative boxes are colorful they are huge hits with the children and people who are outgoing.

Most of the decorative boxes that are available nowadays are lunch boxes. However, there are other variations available as well. There are certain jewelry boxes that can be used to keep away important family jewelry or other accessories that one might have received from their near and dear ones.

There are certain decorative boxes that serve as treasure boxes. The treasure boxes can be used for keeping some important documents at one place. These are normally thought of as classier alternatives to files and folders where documents are kept more often than not.

There are certain decorative boxes that are used only for the purpose of gifting. These are available at reasonably economic prices and can be gifted on every occasion like birthday or Valentine’s Day for example.

There is a special category of decorative box that is used for keeping bottles. These are primarily handmade and are carved out of wood. These boxes incorporate classy designs that give them a separate appeal. These are capable of accommodating a bottle. These can be used for giving gifts as well.

Some of the new decorative boxes that have occupied leading position in the market are Sterilite 90-qt. Ultra Latch Wheeled Box – White, WONDER WOMAN Comic Book Metal LUNCH BOX, Whitney Design ML-5664 Woven-Straw Rectangular-Shaped Basket with Lid, Wizard Of Oz Dome Tin Lunch Box, Prince and Princess Treasure Box, Fairy Princess Music Jewelry box, Whitney Design ML-6161 Bamboo Rectangular-Shaped Storage Chest with Hinged Lid, Carved Wooden Box, Holiday Print Shirt Boxes, Egypt Ancient Egyptian Isis Treasure Box, Celestial Treasure Box, Peanuts Snoopy Its Hero Time Snoopy Flying Ace Dome Tin Lunch Box, Japanese Yosegi Puzzle Box 4 Sun 14 Moves, Padded White Gift Boxes, Belleek Nadine Trinket Box and Wooden Hand Made Calico Art Wine Gift Box. Get more details about decorative boxes at

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Source by Timmyandreuje