Fun fact about me: since joining the Design Milk team last year, I’ve become something of a puzzle addict. I’m thrilled to have the privilege of discovering new wildly talented makers and designers, of course – but I admittedly wasn’t prepared for the hold that design-led puzzles would soon have on me. Not only do these drool-worthy jigsaw puzzles provide a welcome respite from my laptop and phone screen, but they’re essentially works of art you get to build yourself (they make a great gift too!). Want a piece of the puzzle madness? Check out the women-owned jigsaw puzzle brands that have been fueling my puzzle-induced mania. For more modern jigsaws, head to the Design Milk Shop! Piecework Puzzles Proof...
Remember geocentrism? If not, you have science to thank. Geo (Earth) centrism was the ancient conceit, once believed by the entirety of Western Civilization (save for a few pre-scientific contrarians who could only guess it was wrong), that Earth stands at the center of everything, the heavens wheeling around it with their train of bejeweled courtiers performing for the VIPs in the universe’s catbird seat (in other words, us). No sooner had science been established (in its nascent form) than it made short work of laying this species-coddling delusion to waste. Setting aside the question of whether it does us good having our sacred illusions shattered (does the truth really set us free?), when it’s come to dispelling the...
Today marks the second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though COVID-19 had already begun to spread internationally by this day two years ago, it was March 11th, 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Practically overnight, workers fled their offices for what they thought might be a month, but ended up to be more like 24. Daycares and schools shut down. Flights were canceled, ports of entry closed. Two years later, the world is in a very different place than it was on March 11th, 2020. What happened in between is for the record books.Birthdays were missed and babies were born in isolation. There were booms in sales of booze, flour, toys, puzzles, and...
On 6 February 2022, Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, 70 years of service, having acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952 when she was just 25 years old. In celebration of this historic occasion, family-owned jigsaw puzzle and board game company Gibsons has launched three new royal-themed jigsaw puzzles. Our Glorious Queen 1000 Piece This 1000-piece puzzle has been created by the talented Robert Opie and was originally launched in 2016 to celebrate Her Royal Highness’s 90th birthday. This popular jigsaw has been reissued to mark the Queen’s extraordinary 70-year reign. As the longest serving British head of state and the world’s oldest reigning monarch, our Queen is possibly the...
Are you looking for some great morning work ideas? Establishing a morning routine that includes morning work can help create a consistent routine, help set the tone for the remainder of the day and is a great time to reinforce learning. Mornings can be such a busy time of the school day. If your school is like mine, students trickle into the classroom each morning. Beginning at 7:30 the school doors open and car riders and bus riders filter into the classroom until the tardy bell at 7:55. But what do we do with our students during this time? First of all, it is important to establish a morning routine. Students should know morning expectations such as putting away lunch...
