I’m not a big fan of plastic throwaway holiday decorations. Rather than buy paper plates and napkins each year, I buy ceramic (OK sometimes plastic) plates that I can pull out over and over for those special days.  My minimalist decorations are solid, wood or durable material that I can box up after the holiday. I like to strew our selection of holiday books around the house to read and re-read each year.

So I like this Halloween puzzle – an activity that doubles as a decoration. It’s 500 pieces so it’s not too intimidating for those of us who are not the most puzzle savvy. But, it has enough pieces that the entire family can enjoy assembling it as a group and of course minimize squabbles on who gets which side…because it’s round!.

The finished size 19” x 19” is a perfect size for displaying on a side table during the holiday and boxing back up in November. Or alternately after the holidays laminate it and frame for a permanent decoration.

The barnstorming design isn’t too scary for the little ones and has a terrific old-fashioned scene that makes one nostalgic for a farmyard Halloween – mom cooking pumpkin pie and a big patch of pumpkins.