Keel's Simple Diary review

I am a massive notebook fan. If my previous posts haven't made it obvious I'll reiterate that I am an avid journaller and love plain notebooks, lined notebooks, scrap books, quote books, art journals... basically every type of notebook that exists.

Keel's Simple Diary is a great pre-set diary for those who like the idea of prompts to help them get started with journalling, or for those who are in a rush but still want to write a little bit to remember their day.

They come in a range of colours and so far there are two volumes out. I own two: royal blue (volume 1) and yellow (volume 2).

I ordered mine at the start of the year from Amazon and they were between £5 and £6 at the time. A quick look on Amazon now tells me they are priced somewhere between £7 and £10 (it depends which colour you buy).

Now I DO think £10 is a little overpriced for these books but £7 seems reasonable. Prices on Amazon do fluctuate, however, so I'm sure you could nab one for a lower price sometime.

Back cover

Each diary comes with a page discussing the colour you have chosen.

Inside cover coordinates with the colour of the diary. So does the tag.

Here is the Amazon description of the diaries themselves:

In a world where products are out as soon as they are in, where communicating without wires doesn't come without strings, where even our accessories require accessories, we need simple tools. Keel's Simple Diary helps us look inside even when we are overloaded outside. The book offers structure for those who don't have time to wonder, making it easy to record life's moments. It gives the pleasure of a quick response and the sense that no matter what's wrong, more is right. What is Simple Diary ?An assistant for life, a book for any occasion, for any person at any age. On every page you will discover a taste of philosophy, a pinch of psychology and a twist of insight. Here are three things Simple Diary can do for you: 1. Entertain the mind. 2. Help you focus. 3. Keep you company. Simple Diary Volume One, The Cloverleaf Edition, comes in six colors: red, orange, yellow, brown, royal blue, lime green. Simple Diary Let it happen.

For me, personally, Keel's Simple Diary will not replace normal journal writing. What it does do, however, is give me interesting starting points when I've got writer's block. I tend to use it more when I'm super busy and don't have time for writing long entries in my plain notebooks. In that way I get to still keep a log of my days but in a quick and easy manner.

I've recommended Keel's to my friends who want to keep a diary but always give up after the first entry (the curse of the blank page - they hate looking at stark white paper). The fact that each page has printed prompts is really good for those who find empty books overwhelming or just dull. The questions and comments in the Keel's diaries are very unique and quirky so really do give you original ideas to write about.

Some are quite odd and I can't admit I like all the questions in the books. But still, I think the diaries are great for those who want to journal but lack motivation or as an addition for avid journallers who want something different or to supplement their usual writing.

Below are some example pages (blank plus a few I scrawled over early this year when I was very sick - I think I had a 7 week flu at the time which made me very cranky and more sarcastic than usual!)

Overall I love Keel's Simple Diaries and (if the price goes down!) I'll definitely pick up the other colours in the range when I've used up my current two.