Tag: Jigsaw Puzzling

What Do I Do With These Puzzles Now?

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling10 Comments
Marketplace 2
So we’ve done all of these, what do I do with them?

So you and your family have purchased puzzles to assemble during the quarantine, well done! Jigsaw puzzles are a great choice to help keep hands busy, minds active, and thoughts occupied. But now that you’ve assembled them all, what do you do with them?

Please, I beg of you, DO NOT THROW THEM AWAY! 

There are so many things you could do to spread the puzzle love around. I’ll give you some examples – but use your imagination, look at your community, and see where you might do some good by the simple act of donating your gently used puzzles. Staying home and assembling puzzles can help keep us all safe. And happier. And distracted. 🧩💖

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*If you have a senior living facility near you, consider donating to them. In most places in the U.S. there is no visiting allowed right now, and having puzzles to work on could be a such blessing to them. Large piece puzzles are usually best for aging eyes and hands.

*If there is a VA hospital, health facility, or veteran’s home near you, perhaps they would welcome a donation of puzzles to keep hands busy and minds active.

*Cancer treatment centers might also welcome puzzles to keep in their waiting rooms.

*If you have children’s puzzles that you no longer need, perhaps a local foster home might be glad of a donation of puzzles for the children.

*Do you have an elderly neighbor or relative nearby that might enjoy a puzzle? Why not put together a small care package with a puzzle or two, with a note to let them know you’re thinking about them. I know that I’d love to find such a thoughtful gift on my doorstep.

*Looking to make a quick buck or two to boost your income? Why not post them for sale on Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, or other online resale site? Ask a reasonable price and you may be surprised at how quickly they will sell. With Paypal you should be able to conduct a contact-free transaction. You’ve got some extra money in the bank and the puzzles are re-homed with someone else who will enjoy them.

*If you haven’t already, consider joining a Facebook group of jigsaw puzzlers, there are many to choose from. I think you’ll find lots of people willing to swap with you or buy your puzzles.

*Did your coworkers or friends miss out on stocking up before they were told to stay at home? Why not give them a call or send a text to check up on them, see how they’re doing, and ask if they’d like a few puzzles. You never know how much a kind gesture like that can brighten someone’s day.

Or if you have the room you can store them until the crisis winds down – when libraries, schools, thrift stores, and senior centers reopen they would most likely love to have some donated puzzles. According to the CDC, the coronavirus can only live on cardboard for 24 hours at the most, so airing puzzles out for a day is all that’s really needed to make them safe.

If you’re looking to donate your puzzles, a call to whatever recipient you choose should let you know if they’re accepting donations; if they’re not you can choose another. I think it’s worth spending a few moments on the phone to perhaps brighten someone’s day with a caring donation.

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These are just a few suggestions, but again, look at your community and see if there a need that you might be able to help fill. Please keep yourself safe, first and foremost. If you are under a stay-at-home or shelter-in-place order, please do not put yourself at risk by making extra trips out for any reason. But if you can donate the puzzles safely, then by all means, please do so.

For hardcore jigsaw puzzle addicts like me, the thought of millions of puzzles being assembled once and disposed of makes me extremely sad. Most puzzles can be assembled many times; think of all the joy it would bring if they were used and enjoyed by many.

Please be safe. And please don’t throw your puzzles away. Spread the puzzle love! 💖

The New Puzzle Craze

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling8 Comments
No Sneezing
Gesundheit! How am I going to disinfect this puzzle now?

These are interesting times we’re living in, that’s for sure. Many of us are in our homes most of the time now; and when we’re not disinfecting doorknobs and drawer handles we have plenty of extra time for puzzling. It’s the “newest” thing, have you heard?

Those of us who aren’t new to this fabulous indoor activity and have large stashes of puzzles to do are very lucky indeed; the demand has increased mightily as housebound families look for activities to keep themselves occupied. On my last trip out to stock up on puzzles, the bookstore where I normally feed my puzzle addiction had really been picked over; there were still puzzles on the shelves, but not nearly as many as there usually were.

Our beloved jigsaw puzzles are becoming hard to come by, as many online retailers have stopped taking orders, some have hiked up prices, and many retail stores that carry puzzles are not considered “essential businesses” and are now closed in places with stricter quarantine rules. There are still some online retailers with reasonable prices taking orders, and a few places you can sneak a puzzle into your cart if you are shopping for groceries, but those are becoming fewer by the day as everyone is getting in on the latest puzzle craze.

So I hope you’re well stocked and ready for plenty of puzzle time; perhaps your family might be interested in helping you with your next puzzle. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing for you or not, as many people prefer to puzzle in solitude. I’m good either way, puzzling with my loved ones makes me happy, as does quiet alone time with my puzzle pieces – and luckily I have a stockpile that should last me roughly 3 to 4 years. Or more.

I think it’s wonderful that more people are coming to appreciate the hobby that we PADS sufferers and puzzle addicts know and love. It’s a wonderful way to pass the time, and helps keep our minds occupied with shapes and colors rather than the latest bad news.

They’re good for our overall health too, which is some good news that we dyed-in-the-wool dissectologists and puzzle newbies all need to remember. Each little success that working on a jigsaw puzzle brings – completing a section, or just finding that piece we’ve been searching for – encourages the production of dopamine in our brains. Dopamine regulates your mood, and studies have shown that a positive mood can enhance your immune system; I think all of our immune systems could use a boost these days, don’t you? So turn off the tv, put down your phones, and puzzle on my friends – it’s good for you! 🧩

Happy puzzling!

 

*The picture above is from the back of the box of the current puzzle I’m working on, a 1500 piece Jan van Haasteren shaped puzzle called “Hotel”. It isn’t part of the image; it’s just a cute little drawing by JVH on the back of the box, and it seemed oddly appropriate for today’s post. 🙂

Quilting Country In Progress

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling2 Comments
Quilting Country IP
Quilting Country by Eric Dowdle – MasterPieces – 1000 pieces

When looking for the next puzzle to assemble, I found this little gem hiding in the back row of one of my shelves. It’s a thrift store puzzle that mom bought for us sometime last year. After assembling Quilt Blocks earlier this month, I was so pleased to find another quilt puzzle here ready for me to get going on it.

Most of the time I find that Eric Dowdle’s artwork makes for difficult puzzles, and this one is no different. It’s a bit challenging, but what else do I have to do with my time these days? A difficult assembly keeps me intensely focused on what I’m doing; and with that intense focus comes an almost meditative state where the next piece, a certain shape, or that one color is all I’m thinking about.

Jigsaw puzzles give me a welcome respite from thinking and worrying, which I seem to be doing a lot of these days. Each puzzle waiting to be assembled is hours and hours of down time for my brain – best hobby ever!

Puzzles rock! 🧩🤘

Air Mail In Progress

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling10 Comments
Air Mail IP
Air Mail – Re-marks – 500 pieces

On what was most likely my last puzzle shopping trip for quite some time I got myself a few collages. Collage puzzles are my happy place, and what I need right now are puzzles that make me happy. 💖

This collage of stamps is this first one I’ve picked to assemble, and it looks like it’s going to be great fun! Once the edge was assembled the first stamp I saw that I wanted to put together was Rosie the Riveter. She makes me smile, and also makes me think of the times we’re living in right now.

When called upon, the greatest generation did what needed to be done; men enlisted, women went to work in the factories, they rationed food, they limited their travel to save on resources for our troops, and much more. With Covid-19 running rampant across the globe, we all have to pitch in where we can – even if all we can do is stay at home when we are asked to, to help stop the spread of the virus.

As a disabled person who also has underlying conditions that make me more vulnerable, all I am really able do to pitch in and help out my community is to stay at home. All that’s being asked of me right now is to plant myself inside and stay there; I can absolutely do that without complaint.

In this unique situation in the world today everyone can help out in some way, even if the only way for us to help is to do nothing (or do puzzles) in our homes.

Just like Rosie, We Can Do It! 💪

Giveaway Winner!

On By Stacey at myjigsawjournalIn Jigsaw Puzzling3 Comments
HP Giveaway
Christmas at Hogwarts by Mary GrandPre – New York Puzzle Company – 1000 pieces

Drumroll please, the random number generator has spoken and the winner of the Christmas at Hogwarts jigsaw puzzle is…

Lucky entry #5……….Penny. Congratulations!

I’ve sent you an email, and hopefully will be able to get your puzzle out to you very soon. Here’s hoping it’s as much fun as it looks!

Thank you to everyone who entered and commented, I enjoy holding these giveaways very much. Thanks also to everyone who stops by here at My Jigsaw Journal, you are always welcome and appreciated.

Be on the lookout for another giveaway soon. We all need something fun to look forward to! 🧩💝