Hey Doodle Doodle...Part One

I've been given an amazing opportunity! I joined a FABULOUS blogging group called British Mummy Bloggers and through one of the groups I have been given a chance to review 2 Silver Cross Products. Silver Cross was founded by William Wilson in 1877. Silver Cross first began designing transport for babies back in 1877. It all began when former postman William Wilson combined his ideas for an innovative spring suspension systemwith a handy reversible hood, and invented the modern pram. It was truly revolutionary, and was duly patented followed by over 30 more design patents filed in his prolific lifetime.
Royal approval in the 1900s ensured a special place for Silver Cross in the nation’s heart. Since the very first Silver Cross pram, every new idea, every smart design, every improvement in manufacturing, every single change has been a response to the changing needs of parents, babies and children. Those of you who aren't living in the UK...think about the stereotypical British Nanny pushing a pram through the park, it was probably a Silver Cross. They have become very popular in the US amongst celebrities. They are gorgeous things! But Silver Cross has come into the 21st century as well with some brilliant products such as the DOODLE- a sleek, modern-yet-retro high chair that most children will be happy to eat their meals in. When I received the Doodle, I tore into the box (with minor difficulty as there was some industrial strength glue keeping it shut!). There were five separate parts- the table, seat, tray, legs and basket/cupholders. The manual had very clever instructions- one which had just PICTURES and one which had WRITTEN instructions. I chose PICTURES...I like pictures! The assembly was very straightforward and the entire thing was put together in about 10 minutes without tools. The Doodle is very sleek in appearance and will fit very well in a modern kitchen/home. The Doodle comes in 3 colours- apple, stone and lilac; we got lilac. I was very impressed with the tray as it has a magnetic removable feeding tray. When broken down, the high chair converts into a table and chair for your DOODLER and has a removable basket in the middle of the table and 4 crayon cups which fit into the high chair leg notches. I feel that the table has an additional feature- a handy, safe and sturdy coffee table for the adults when the kids are in bed! I wouldn't worry about my Little Miss running around the lounge with the Doodle table in place either as it's round and the material would be very forgiving to small body parts if bumped into. So, we assembled the Doodle in all of 10 minutes and later installed the Doodle in the kitchen to be used by Little Miss in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised that the Doodle actually took up less space than our current high chair (a Chicco).

When our newly-1-year-old Little Miss was given the opportunity to road test the Doodle, she was immediately drawn to the magnetic tray. Within 10 seconds, however, Little Miss had removed said magnetic feeding tray and dropped it on the ground. She's certainly clever but I was a bit surprised that she managed to sort out the magnets so quickly. We later learned that the magnets also attract metal silverware! Little Miss has just started using a fork and lo and behold, the fork stuck right to the tray when placed over one of the magnets. Interesting way to keep the silverware off the floor, for sure! The tray is a bit tricky to adjust when using one hand (which as Mummies we often are) due to the flipper paddles which need to be depressed to open and close the tray. One criticism of the tray- the magnetic feeding tray is very slick which makes a great launching pad for cups or bits of food. Little Miss has talent in this area. It would be good to have a cupholder as well for this reason. The seat seems very comfortable and is extremely easy to wipe clean. The smoothness of the design also makes cleaning a breeze...no nooks and crannies for Cheerios, bananas and yogurt to crawl into. The straps are simple to adjust and leave a lot of growing room. I found Little Miss sat up very nicely in the chair and seemed much more secure in the seat than in her current high chair. She seems very happy in the Doodle in it's high chair form. We look forward to trying as a Doodle Art Table. Due to our busy week and weekend of First Birthday parties, Little Miss has to take it easy. We'll Doodle next week. We were very happy to welcome this product into our home as we call our Little Miss Doodle or Doodles for her nickname. How coindidental! I would recommend this product to anyone particularly because it will grow with your child and would be a good investment piece. It's functional, good-looking and durable- all things that are a must with a growing family. We'll be Doodling for some time to come. Please review the information below for more specifics about the Doodle courtesy of Silver Cross. Check out Silver Cross at www.silvercross.co.uk . Thanks for reading...let me know what you think of the Doodle!

Silver Cross has just launched two new and innovative products, the Halo pushchair and the Doodle high chair and play table. The Doodle is a dual product, beginning life as a funky and fashionable high chair, but then evolving into a play table and chair for when your child is older. This innovative and unique product is available from Toys R Us (exclusively in Aqua) and independent retailers across the UK (available in 3 colours.)

Doodle Key information
Doodle is a handy high chair for meal times, but once you break it down, it also provides a low chair complete with table for playtimes.
It can be used with the tray attached when in high chair mode or detached when using the table.
Comes with fully adjustable and removable feeding trays that are dishwasher safe, a five-point safety harness, toy basket, crayon cups and removable, easy-clean seat pads.

Phil Taylor, head designer at Silver Cross, said: “The best inventions begin with a Doodle. Now, our own Doodle has become a truly unique and inventive nursery product. The high chair has all the necessary features for busy parents – it’s easily adaptable and easy to clean and store.
“However, the thing that sets the Doodle apart from other high chairs, is the fact that within seconds it converts to a table and chair with crayon cups and a toy storage basket, creating the perfect place for your budding artists to get creative!”

PriceDoodle high chair retails at £150