I’m in full-on puzzle mode, and have been since December!
I’ve discovered a few things about having a puzzle in progress:
- It’s an activity for my brain that is not word-based, so it feels relaxing after a day of writing and/or reading.
- It keeps me from doomscrolling or playing mindless games on my phone.
- I can work on it while watching TV or listening to something—a book or a podcast—to keep my hands busy so I don’t get bored.
Thus, puzzles.
I’ve got four puzzles on tap here at the beginning of 2026.
First up, a Jane Austen puzzle. I’ve had this one since Christmas 2024 and have been saving it as a reward for finishing my book. The said book is finally in the hands of beta readers, so I pulled out this puzzle!
Next up will be two I got for Christmas 2025—one a Smoky Mountains scene, the other a collage of classic book covers.
Finally, I have a puzzle of doors that I bought at a garage sale a couple of years ago but haven’t done yet.
Of course, I still have the Monet puzzle my daughter brought me from Monet’s house, but it’s a doozy. I’ve tried it once, and it was HARD. And then it got knocked over. So I will attempt it again, but I need a minute before I do.
Granted, these will not last me all of 2025. But that’s okay, because last time I went to Barnes and Noble to write, I think I saw that the Laurence King “World of” puzzles are buy one, get one 50% off this month. If that is true, I’ll be using some of the gift card Santa put in my stocking to buy a couple of them. Here are a few of my options:
Do you do puzzles? Do you do them year-round or only at Christmas? Do you have a favorite brand?
I LOVE puzzles, too! I have one of the Dallas/Fort Worth area on my puzzle board that I am working on. I live in Arlington.
A DFW puzzle! How fun! I grew up in East Ft. Worth, near Arlington. 🙂
Where did you get the DFW puzzle?
I live in Dallas but I grew up in various location in the DFW area.
So happy your book is coming along! Can’t wait to read it! I love puzzles as well! Have one to hang, that my husband actually worked on for me while he was home recuperating. It will be framed and hang in my home office. Books and flowers are the theme. 🥰
I love that! And how fun that both you and your husband worked on it.
The Jane Austen, Classic Literature, and World of Dickens puzzles look so fun! My favorite Dickens novel is Our Mutual Friend.
I got a small Christmas stamps puzzle and enjoyed putting it together. It was part of a 12 days of joy package from Candace Payne.
I have not read that Dickens novel but I keep meaning to. Maybe this will be the year! A Christmas stamps puzzle sounds great!
We usually work on puzzles around Christmas, but somehow never got around to it this year. Hopefully we can work on one soon
Sometimes holidays get too busy to add one more thing! I hope you get to do a puzzle soon.