There's something quite cathartic about starting a new calendar and a new diary in the New Year. All those clean, fresh pages full of emptiness and peace, before they get filled up with endless meetings, deadlines and appointments. All those welcome sighs of relief as you look forward, noting in the school holidays, bank holidays and upcoming holidays and special events that break up the year.
I was delighted when Dodo Pad sent me through one of their "combined diary-doodle-memo-message-engagement-organiser-calendar books" to review. As they say on the cover, "If you too are nearly extinct with the daily pressures of modern life, then try the 2015 Dodo Pad" !
It's a very useful diary with lots of space to jot down all your important dates and deadlines. It has lovely thick paper and a splashprooh glossy cover. There are several colums so you can keep track of each member of the family or separate your home, work and social life.
On each left hand page, you are encouraged to use your imagination and doodle, using their light-hearted prompts to kickstart your creativity.
As I mentioned way back in 2010 when I discovered Doodle Pads for the first time and wrote a review of the Dodo Pad Diary, as well as the Acad-Pad Academic Diary and the Household Stuff Book (which is still a total time and sanity saver at The Madhouse), Dodo Pads probably aren't best suited to keeping track of secret trysts or your most intimate thoughts because people can't seem to resist reading over your shoulder and flicking through to look at the doodles and jokes !
It has the perfect balance between quirky light-heartedness and serious organisational tools, with useful pages for "Indodispensable Data", for example.
As well as a pocket for keeping important appointment cards, invitations and receipts at hand.
And a forward planner for 2016 (especially handy at the end of the year when you have appointments scheduled for January but you haven't bought next year's diary yet).
I was very impressed to learn that this year is the 50th anniversary of the Dodo Pad so now would be a great time to discover this great British institution. There's no rush though - I'd be very surprised to see the Dodo Pad become extinct because it's just so useful !
star rating : 5/5
RRP : £12.99
for more information : http://www.dodopad.com/
Disclosure : I received the product in order to write an honest review.
Now that's a lovely looking diary! I just bought a bog standard diary this year because I spent quite a lot on one last year and gave up on it by June!
ReplyDeleteThis would be so useful for keeping everything in order although I completely agree it is not for your closest secrets.
ReplyDeleteSound very useful! Could use as backup for Calendar on phone!
ReplyDeleteHadn't heard of these, want one already for next year!
ReplyDelete