Hey there!

If you've been following along, you know Mooney and I have been working on solving the CRV puzzle — how do you turn a Honda CRV into a comfortable, safe, functional travel setup for a large golden retriever?

Well — we figured it out. At least for now.

Here's what the finished solution looks like:

Mooney gets the entire back seat area — bridged all the way across to the front seats with a custom-built platform. The key elements came together like this:

1. Two custom storage containers — black marine-grade fabric with corrugated plastic inserts, custom-sized to fit the space between the front seats and bridge the gap. Velcro-closure top panels keep everything tidy and increase structural stability.
2. A rigid plastic cooler (one we already owned) — fills the gap between the seats on the higher section of floor. Zero extra cost.
3. A teak charcuterie board from Jungle Jim's — yes, really. 41" long × 7.75" wide × 0.5" thick. I spotted it on impulse and it turned out to be the perfect structural bridge between the custom storage supports. Sometimes the best engineering solutions come from the most unexpected places!
4. Blue 1" foam matting — cut 8.5" wide × 56" long from two interlocking panels. Cushion for Mooney, breaks apart for storage when needed.
5. His chenille dog mat from the Honda Odyssey — washable, extra cushion, and he already loves it.
6. A foam landing pad stored in the cargo area — shock absorption for his joints when he jumps out. Because good engineering thinks about the whole journey, not just the ride.

The WeatherTech Pet Panel keeps him safely in the back seat. And Mooney's verdict on his first CRV ride?

Is this the final version? Probably not — that's the whole point of rapid prototyping. But it works today, and we learned a lot building it.

In other news — big things happening! 🎉

Literary Titan Gold Medal

I'm absolutely thrilled to share that my first Putney Hicks Inventors Club companion guide just received the Literary Titan Gold Medal!

Here's what Editor in Chief Thomas Anderson had to say:

That second quote is everything I've been working toward. Thank you, Literary Titan — this means the world.

Updated and improved!

I've updated the guide with a new Experiment Summary table (so you can see all 7 experiments at a glance before diving in) plus a handful of typo fixes. The updated version is live on my website and TeachersPayTeachers now.

👉 [Check it out here — marshatufft.com/STEM]​

And if you haven't grabbed it yet — the Room Layout Challenge experiment is completely free on TeachersPayTeachers. No catch, no strings. Just real engineering math disguised as a bedroom design project.

👉https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/putney-designs​

Coming up next week — STEM Summer Experiments! 🧪

Next week I head to Virginia for 10 days of STEM experiments with my great-nephews and a few of their friends. I'll be bringing experiments, cameras, and plenty of curiosity.

Stay tuned — I have a feeling there will be foam, fog, and at least one spectacular mess involved.

Until then — keep tinkering!

Cheers,

Marsha & Mooney

P.S. I'm also on Pinterest now! Follow along for experiment ideas, free resources, and the occasional photo of Mooney doing something ridiculous. 👉https://www.pinterest.com/marshatufft/stem-experiments-for-kids/​

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