Hey Doodle!

[Post contains PR sample]]

Being mum to a two year old is exhausting. Eliza is currently in to everything and flits from one activity to the next in the blink of an eye, so when you come across something that keeps her sat in a chair for more than five minutes you know it’s something special.

We were recently gifted this erasable silicone story book from a brand called Hey Doodle, who I admit, I had never heard of before. From their website:

“HeyDoodle is a range of sustainable and educational wipe-clean silicone activity mats aimed at children aged 2 to 7. Featuring a new type of canvas, HeyDoodle offers parents, grandparents and kids a limitless and reusable drawing platform. Each mat contains hours of fun in colouring, tracing, and doodling and then hours more by simply using a damp cloth to reset the canvas. Perfect for all forms of travel, cafes & restaurants, hotel and waiting rooms, office receptions – anywhere you need to entertain kids in a fun and educational way”.

Eliza loves colouring (usually for 30 seconds at a time) so I knew this would be a hit with her, but I didn’t anticipate how much of a hit! She lasted a good twenty minutes at the table colouring the book and exploring the story; she would have gone longer if I hadn’t have been dinner time!

I was a little bit sceptical about how easy it would be to erase her efforts ready to start again, but all I needed was a damp cloth and it wiped away effortlessly. This was also true for the pen that found its way on to the table!

We used this again the next day when we went out for dinner, we knew we’d have a bit of a wait and we didn’t really want to resort to letting Eliza play with our phones. Again, Hey Doodle was the perfect solution, keeping her occupied, and as space was limited we kept it folded up so she could just do one page at a time.

With Christmas rapidly approaching, both Bob and I agree that Hey Doodle makes for the perfect gift- we are going to get Eliza one of their placemats for her santa sack, and as our friend’s little ones grow up they will also be getting sets from the brand!

The set we were gifted is this one, it costs £24.99 and is beautifully packaged and 100% something we will use over and over again for years to come.

Nice one Hey Doodle, I may finally get to drink a cup of tea in peace!

How To Achieve A Major Impact While Wearing Minimal Jewellery*

We’ve spoken before about the pros of buying less jewellery, both for the sake of your finances and for the environment. You should also find it easier to pick the ideal piece for every outfit when you don’t have an excessive collection to sift through. 

These are benefits that make it more than worthwhile to streamline your jewellery collection. But, if you love jewellery, then you may find this challenging. After all, it can be tough to give away pieces that provide you with great memories, and even harder to head out of the house with a minimal amount of jewellery when you’re used to layering up.

Pexels Image: CC0 Licence

But even avid jewellery lovers can adjust to a stripped-back jewellery closet. They just need to implement the following tips for making a major impact, even with their newly minimal jewellery. 

# 1 – Choose statement pieces

When you wear a lot of jewellery, you can more easily get away with flimsy, often cheap jewellery that you intend to layer up anyway. But, when you’re stripping back, it’s worth opting for iconic statement pieces. By investing in large gold chains and iconic pearl necklaces, or even taking the time to view the two carat diamond ring collection from brands like WhiteFlash, you can ensure key pieces that look great, and make plenty of impact in their own right. Admittedly, these pieces may be on the pricier side compared with what you’ve bought before but, considering how long they’ll last, and how much they’ll allow you to strip back, you should still find that they save you money, and help you to make better jewellery choices in the process. 

# 2 – Experiment with colours

Often, we’ll pick the colour of our jewellery to tie in with our outfits, and there’s a lot to be said for doing that. But, when you’re wearing less jewellery in general, there is a risk that similar colours will result in your jewellery getting lost, or just not making much impact. By comparison, experimenting with complementary or even clashing colours can result in jewellery that makes far more of a statement in its own right. Remember, too, that you don’t need to go over the top with this, but small things, like pairing yellow earrings with that purple dress, can help to draw the eye and ensure that your minimal jewellery pieces really pop.

# 3 – Tie your jewellery together

Unsplash Image: CC0 Licence

Layering jewellery is a great way to make something of your accessories, and that’s an effect you can still achieve with a minimal jewellery selection by simply tying your pieces together. Choosing similar colours, or opting for something like all rose-gold stuff, can help to create a complete jewellery finish which, when taken together, needn’t look minimal at all. 

Stripping back on jewellery might not be the easiest thing you’ve ever had to do, but you can make this worthwhile transition easier by finding new ways to make a major impact with the help of these minimal jewellery tips.