Disclosure: This post includes jigsaws we have previously been sent for inclusion on the blog.
Life is weird right now. It’s scary, and worrying, and it’s important to take time out to relax, and de-stress. We can’t control what is going on outside our homes; all we can do is stay home and try to control how we are feeling, and how our families are coping.
I am still recovering from being ill (yep, that kind of ill) and I know I need to look after my mental health as well as my physical health, so I’m taking it easy physically, and trying to learn to give myself a break mentally too.
Just as I was feeling recovered from my health issues and surgery I got knocked down again and I am feeling pretty stressed, so I’ve really needed to reach for the things that help me chill out a bit and decompress. Having my usual ongoing chronic pain stuff to deal with hasn’t helped, either.
I have several different things I do to slow down and take my mind off the scary things I can’t help thinking off, including playing video games (Animal Crossing and Touryst are my current faves), playing about with my iPad and Apple Pencil, cross stitching (I’m currently working on Bloom and Grow by Caterpillar Cross Stitch), adult colouring, and of course my long time hobby, puzzling. I enjoy all kinds of puzzles, but particularly jigsaws.
I have reviewed a fair few puzzles over the years here on the blog, and we were sent a great selection for our gift guides before Christmas, so I had a small pile of puzzles just waiting to be put together. I really recommend jigsaw puzzles both as a solo activity and something that the family can all join in with. I use a jigsaw puzzle board which I pop onto our large footstool in the living room, and the girls often help me put the pieces into place. Lydia in particular enjoys them almost as much as me, and has a decent collection of her own already!
Over the last few weeks I’ve done a handful of puzzles, so I thought I would share my thoughts about each one, and what I enjoyed about them.
Schmidt Puzzle – Thomas Kinkade – Disney: Mickey Mouse (1000 pieces)
This puzzle was really enjoyable to put together and pretty challenging, with so many florals and different textures and colours to it.
Lydia enjoyed helping me put Minnie and Mickey together, and then I was left on my own to put the rest of the landscape myself! It is a really pretty image when finished and very relaxing to put together – it took several days of me dipping into it to complete. The quality is good and I didn’t have any issues with the cut of the puzzle.
Cloudberries – Gradient Jigsaw Puzzle (1000 pieces)
I absolutely loved putting this puzzle together. It was incredibly calming and enjoyable, and I put it together in two evenings. It has to be one of my favourite ever puzzles – it’s fantastic quality and looks completely beautiful. I didn’t even like taking it apart when it was time to put it away, but I know I will be redoing this one – multiple times.
It was challenging without being frustrating, and definitely perfect for right now, I was able to clear my mind of all the worries and just zone out and concentrate on matching the colours and shapes. The whole puzzle just blends so nicely from one colour to the next and it’s so simple yet just so damn pretty!
The pieces fit together really nicely and we didn’t have any problems with pieces fitting where they shouldn’t go – it was pretty noticeable when you got the wrong spot, which stops it being annoying. I really loved this puzzle and can’t wait to try more from Cloudberries range.
Cheatwell Games World’s Smallest 1000 Piece Puzzle – Santorini
I have to be honest, this puzzle was frustrating. It was challenging but very pretty in the end. We did manage to lose one of the teeny tiny pieces, and as they are so small the fit of the pieces wasn’t perfect, as the interlocking sections are necessarily less detailed than puzzles with larger pieces. I had a fair few problems with pieces seeming to fit in one place when they didn’t actually go there.
For someone with a limited puzzle area wanting a tough puzzle to tackle, this would be ideal. If you have the space for a regular 1000 piece puzzle though, to be honest, I’d go for that.
Rex London Puzzle in a Tube – World Map and Canine Alphabet (300 piece puzzles)
These 300 piece puzzles were both fun and fairly fast to put together. Lydia delightedly helped with these and especially loved the Canine Alphabet puzzle, which we are already part way through doing again.
Despite a few of the pieces fitting where they shouldn’t a bit too much, and the pieces being pretty thin, these puzzles were decent enough for their price. Lydia and I enjoyed doing them together – they aren’t too challenging for younger kids to help people with which is really nice.
Winning Moves – Legend of Zelda Hyrule Field (500 pieces)
James bought me this puzzle as a lockdown treat and I really enjoyed putting it together over a number of days. Despite being only 500 pieces it was pretty tricky to complete because it is all shades of brown with lots of similar shapes. Once I got properly going, however, I made good progress.
Have you been puzzling during lockdown? I’m trying to decide what to put together next, once the Canine Alphabet has been completed again. Perhaps Ravensburger’s Fairytale Fantasia?
