Tag Archives: Valentine’s Day

Winter Mazes | Parking Chair, Snow Shoveling, & Groundhog Day – Plus a bonus Valentine’s Day Maze!

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I feel like it’s been a while since I posted a maze. Here’s 3, with black and white and color options for each. I have posted them on social media, but they’ll probably be slightly better quality here. Who hasn’t felt this winter to their core? Snow removal struggles and anger at poor Punxsutawney Phil have been all over social media.

I post this as I contemplate selling mazes on Etsy. Think there’s a market? I see other artists selling small *.pdf packs of printable mazes, coloring pages, or other hand-drawn puzzles or activity pages. A lot of the stuff you can find free online via Pinterest, or places like here on my blog or r/mazes. Are there people looking for paid downloads? They would of course probably be exclusive or only elsewhere available in my books. It’s certainly way more about art & expression than money, but it is cool to see my mazes on stuff, even if I’m my own biggest customer.

Oh, can’t forget a small bonus maze first since it’s Valentine’s Day!

A heart shape filled with a complex maze pattern, outlined in black.
A heart-shaped maze design in vibrant red against a gradient purple background.

❤️🥰💖💗💓💘💝

The Pittsburgh Parking Chair Maze.

You have to respect the chair. You can get an official one, or up your game and put out a walker, a table or even a statue of Jesus. Don’t park there if you didn’t shovel! Luckily now we don’t have to worry as much about it, but we lived in Dormont for years where no one really owned the spot in front of their place. The anger is real when someone ganks your spot after you labored for sometimes hours to clear it.

A complex hand-drawn black and white maze illustration with a Pittsburgh parking chair at the bottom and some Yinzer instructions.
A mostly black and white illustrated maze with winding paths, featuring a speech bubble with Yinzer-speak urging urgency and a cartoonish depiction of a chair at the bottom and bits of color.

🌨️🪑🌨️🚗🌨️

The Snow-Shoveling Maze.

A lot of people are over it. We got hot with an amount of snow in our area what we haven’t seen since 2010, and it stayed cold for quite some time. Removal was difficult unless you kept up with it through the storm… and even then some folks had their sidewalks piled upon by the snow-plow trucks. Here you can do some scrawling instead of shoveling. This might work as a coloring page too? You can work back from the dead ends and the solution will be left.

A complex black & white hand-drawn maze illustration with a snow shovel near the top and a door at the bottom corner. The text in the maze asks, "Can you shovel through the snow to get to the front door?"
A hand-drawn & computer colorized maze illustration showing a green snow-shovel and a red front door, accompanied by the text, "Can you shovel through the snow to get to the front door?"

❄️🪏❄️🚪❄️

The Groundhog Day Maze.

Who doesn’t love Punxsutawney Phil? I guess a lot of people when he predicts 6 more weeks of winter. We can’t balk at tradition now, can we? If you get stuck in this maze, you might feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.

There once was a groundhog from Punxy.
Instead of consorting with skunks, he
Sat with turkeys to gobble
On that famous knob hill
While all the bystanders got drunk, see?

❄️🌸🪻⛄

So there you have a winter maze drop. As always, if you take the time to complete one, please share it & tag me on social media. If you dig these free mazes, I have lots more. I urge you to also maybe buy a book or a T-shirt or hoodie. Also, let me know what you think about selling *.pdf downloads on Etsy. Is it worth it?

Valentine’s Day messages to go along with the gift of an A-Maze Mug!

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You’re a smart cookie. You’re a planner. You’re not waiting until the last minute to get your significant other a gift (or many gifts) for Valentine’s Day. As it turns out, the A-Maze Mug could be a perfect gift, or compliment to any gift. You read that they’re available, right? If you’re thinking of getting one, I have thought of some messages that you could use to go along with it on a gift tag or a card.

Get an A-Maze Mug for your Valentine!

❤️ You’re a-maze-ing!

❤️ All my paths lead to you!

❤️ I am lost without you!

❤️ My prize at the end is you!

❤️ Finish this maze, then meet me in the bedroom!

❤️ Relax with this maze while I start making you some hot tea.

❤️ I’m a-maze-d that you’re mine!

❤️ I’m glad you’re with me along the way!

❤️ We can solve anything together!

You could also use it as a parting gift. Break up with class! Include messages like this;

💔 Get in the kitchen, and make me a coffee!

💔 This is maze is still less confusing than you!

💔 Sorry, it’s the end of the line for you.

💔 Luckily, you can erase the mistakes & start over on this mug. It’s been nice knowing you!

If you have any additional ideas for notes, please leave them in the blog comments below!

The Family Decorating Game

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For years, I have teased my wife about a habit I have noticed when we are setting out seasonal decorations. It happened at the apartment where we first cohabitated, it happens at our house now. It happened long before our children were in the picture. She cannot leave anything that I put in place stay where I put it. I put it on the left of a shelf, she moves it to the right. I put it on the wall-shelf, she puts it on the Victrola.

I had to go out for work in the afternoon today, but I set the kids on a path of chaos this morning before I left. My daughter was excited to put out fall decorations. I told her to watch because Mommy moves every decoration that I set out. Then a light bulb went off in my head.

I told her to get a white board for herself, and a white board for her brother, and mark down a point every time they set out a decoration and mommy moves it.

The winner gets to move one of the decorations that Mommy places!

Apparently shenanigans ensued while I was at work. I think it will be a new holiday/seasonal event.

Do you have someone in the house that moves decorations?

Do you have any fun decorating traditions?

Let us know in the comments.

I need a whole new level of participation.

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OK, so in a recent McBlog, I made a call out to the readers to be creative and active, and make a chart depicting the levels of snacking as  mentioned in my SPAMvertisement from McDonald’s.

So far, Troy is the only one to reply.  While Troy’s submission is a valiant effort, I’d like to see more.

This is my second request, in which I will simultaneously be more stern in my request, and shamelessly plead for your participation. I know you’re out there reading.  I hear things.  I see traffic.  I get notes/comments on other sites.  I get comments here.  Let’s pull it all together here, shall we?

This is what I need: I’d like a chart, graph, illustration, photos of a diorama, cartoon, audio recording, video, whatever you want to create… depicting the “whole new level” of snacking noted in this letter.  Is it a top level?  A side level?  A hidden level?  A secret level?  A low level?  You can even use some of my past McDonald’s-related posts for inspiration.  Is the McGangBang on the map?  Does snack level have a correlation with restroom cleanliness?  Is the ketchup station a mess?  Does Heinz’s opinion count?

Be Our GuestHere’s what you get: Bragging rights.  Well, that, and one of my “Be Our Guest” Cards that entitles you to a free Mac Snack Wrap.  Why only one?  Well, because I already used one… and really, do you need more than one Mac Snack Wrap?  Plus, the letter suggested that I share one… so I am.  Also, it gives me a twisted sense of satisfaction knowing that McDonald’s is (albeit indirectly) sponsoring their own ridicule.

How do we decide who wins? Well, again, this depends on you… the readers.  I believe that I have the option to put up a poll… so once all submissions are in, the voting will go on for a week or so.

How it will go down: Let’s give it to Friday, Feb. 5th, 2010 to get submissions in to me.  We’ll vote the following week, closing & announcing a winner on Friday, Feb. 12th.  You’ll have your free Mac Snack Wrap just in time for Valentine’s Day… so you can show someone you love how cheap you are.  You can get submissions to me by leaving them in the comments here (if you’re ‘net-savvy) or you can email them to world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com.

So, we’re all clear on this, right?