Pandemic Puzzles

2020 will forever be known as the year of COVID-19. The year of quarantine, business and school closures, social distancing, wearing of masks, and massive lines of cars waiting at testing sites. During all of this "down time", Boyd and I decided to do what a lot of people are doing... order and put together jigsaw puzzles. For the first time in years and years, maybe the first time ever, puzzle companies are running out of stock and struggling to keep up production. Here are the puzzles that we have finished so far this year. All but one of them are 1,000 pieces. Some of the Coke puzzles are glued and ready to frame and hang in my Coca-Cola room. (To learn how to do this, click HERE.)

..... and this is the one we are working on at the moment. Will we finish it 

before Christmas? That I don't know, but it WILL be done by the end of 2020.

How to Preserve a Puzzle for Framing

When I saw this jigsaw puzzle on the Simple Pastimes website, I knew had to have it. Just look at it! It's a perfect fit for our airport working, Coca-Cola loving family!

 Here are the steps I took to prepare it for framing and display...

#1- Put the puzzle together (obviously). I suggest using a puzzle mat that can be rolled up (like the blue one below) or a large piece of plywood. This way, your puzzle can be moved if necessary. This particular jigsaw puzzle was 1000 pieces, so it took a little time and a lot of persuasion on my part to get my family members to help.

#2- When finished, gently slide wax paper under the entire puzzle.

#3- Be sure to overlap the wax paper and leave a border around the outside edges. This will prevent the Modge Podge from dripping onto your mat or other surface.

#4- Modge Podge the entire puzzle top. 

Be sure to cover each and every piece, then allow puzzle to dry completely. Repeat the process one or two more times. 

#5- When the final coat on top has dried completely, flip the puzzle over and Modge Podge the entire back. (One coat should be enough.) Allow to dry.

#6- Frame your puzzle. I took this one to Michaels and had it custom framed.  

My husband and I are pretty happy about the way it turned out. :)

Out of the 2010 Archives/ Christmas Brainteasers

The DJ on the radio this morning was playing a game he called "Christmas Realist". He described a realist as a person who would take it literally if someone said "I'd let him eat crackers in my bed any day." or "I've got a lot on my plate." or "Who let the dogs out?"


The DJ read a Christmas song title the way a "realist" might say it and if you knew the answer, you could call in and win a prize. For example: The DJ said " Adorn the Rooms" and a caller answered with "Deck the Halls". Follow?


As I was listening, I thought, "Hey. This is how Cody communicates!" Everything is a guessing game with him. (Too bad I was driving my car at the time. I could've totally kicked butt with all the experience he's given me.)


I decided right then and there that I wanted to blog about this. There's got to be other "Autism mom's and dad's" who are good at this! So...here some of the song titles the radio station used with a few "Codyisms" thrown in:


1) Higher on the Dwelling Peak


2) Zilch Holiday Ash


3) Left in a Trough


4) Frigid the Flurry Guy


5) "I'm excited to see Ho, Ho, Ho!"


6) "Did you get dust up your nose?"


7) Rattle Chimes


8) Elation to the Earth


9) "I will listen to Along Comes a Woman on if it doesn't run out of batteries."


10) Zero Divine Darkness


11) "Don't let the bumble in."


12) Kris Kringle Infant



Answers-



1) Up on the Housetop


2) O Christmas Tree


3) Away in a Manger


4) Frosty the Snowman


5) "I'm excited to see Santa Claus!"


6) "Did you sneeze?"


7) Jingle Bells


8) Joy to the World


9) 'I will listen to Chicago on my iPod."


10) O Holy Night


11) "Don't let the bee in."


12) Santa Baby





Please leave a comment and let me know me how well you did, even if you don't have a child with Autism :)

Pies, Pastries and Pumpkins Puzzle

Jigsaw puzzles are nostalgic for me. My parents would often set one up on a card table for the whole family to work on. They even glued, framed and hung a huge puzzle of the Grand Canyon on their living room wall. It proved to be a great conversation piece back in the 1970's.

For a few years now, I have purchased Christmas jigsaw puzzles for my own family to work on during the month of December. This year, however, I decided to do something a little different. I bought a puzzle with an autumn theme and set it up the first week of October.

I also decided to buy this and try it out...

I haven't determined if I am a fan of the Stow and Go. The puzzle pieces were hard to move around on the fabric.

It took awhile, but we eventually finished the puzzle...

Now I am trying to decide if I should purchase a new Christmas puzzle. If I do, it will definitely be Ravensburger brand, not SunsOut like the one above. This one was far too difficult, thanks to some oddly shaped pieces.