Hudson Valley Turns to Jigsaw Puzzles to Pass the Time

Suddenly, puzzles are in high demand throughout the Hudson Valley region.

With a bit of extra time on our hands, local residents are itching for something to do. Let's face it, once you're watched Tiger King, read all those books you've never had the time for and baked enough cookies to feed an army, there's not much else to do. Perhaps that's why the Hudson Valley is now obsessing over jigsaw puzzles.

Our family always has an emergency puzzle or two standing by. But honestly, we haven't even touched one since my son was born. However, since we're now being forced to sit around and do nothing, those puzzles are suddenly coming in very handy.

And it looks like we're not alone. After sharing some of my puzzle progress on Facebook, other Hudson Valley families have started showing off their own jigsaw puzzles too.

Allison Berrios posted a photo of this 2,000 piece puzzle she recently completed.

Facebook/Allison Berrios

Other listeners shared some of their projects, including Tracy Markle who's currently putting together a massive 40,320 Disney puzzle. Robert Mullen says he has a box of eight puzzles he received from his grandchildren for Christmas.

Facebook/Robert Mullen

If you're planning on starting a puzzle, let me share a bit of jigsaw etiquette we've learned during our first solve as a family.

First of all, puzzling is a single-person sport. While it may sound nice to sit around the table together as a family and work on a puzzle, it's actually pretty annoying. Reaching over each other for the pieces you want and getting in each other's way is not relaxing. In our house, we've found the puzzle table to be a nice escape for all of us, but only one at a time. While we can't physically get away from each other, the puzzle offers a bit of a vacation from the rest of the family, which has done wonders for keeping us sane.

Secondly; don't be a puzzle hog. Sure, t's easy to get lost in a jigsaw puzzle. But there's nothing worse than sharing a puzzle with someone else only to discover that they've completed a huge chunk without giving you a chance to help out. If you find yourself in the zone, make sure to come up with a stopping point. Set a goal of finishing a tree or some object and then pass it along to the next person. That way you won't be hogging the whole experience.

This leads into the final piece of jigsaw etiquette; take it slow. While it's tempting to keep working until the whole thing is completed, take time to savor the process. Seeing a puzzle slowly come together over several days is pretty rewarding. And, most importantly, when you finally finish don't pull it apart too quickly. You may be tempted to get started on that next puzzle, but before you jump right back in, be sure to sit back and enjoy your creation. After spending all of those hours putting your puzzle together, it's nice to be able to admire it for a day or two.

Are you currently putting together a puzzle? We'd love to see your progress. Send us a picture or video on Facebook so we can cheer you on.

Listen to the Boris & Robyn Show weekday mornings from 6AM to 10AM on 101.5 WPDH. Stream us live through the website, Alexa-enabled device, Google Home or the WPDH mobile app.