My family would like to share a self-help book with you that I received in exchange for this review. The book is titled Do Curate: How to Create a Small Magical Event. The book is published by Clare Hieatt. Inside this post you will also find my affiliate link, and if you click through and purchase, I may earn a small percentage at no extra cost to you.
Do Curate: How to Create a Small Magical Event is one of those books that doesn’t feel complicated or overwhelming. The story feels more like someone handing you simple ideas you can actually use in real life without needing to change everything about your routine.
For me personally one of the first things that stood out to me is the idea of “stay curious.” I really like that because I always tell Charlie the same thing—stay curious, because if you go into life with a closed mind, you miss things you didn’t even know were there. That part alone already made Do Curate: How to create a small magical event feel like something my family could connect with.
The chapter on “places,” captured my attention and I really liked the idea the Author shares because it makes you think about where you are and how a space actually feels. This chapter also made me think ahead for Charlie as he gets older and starts thinking about moving out one day and creating his own space instead of just living in one.
Another chapter focuses on food, gardens, and the dinner table, and this is where the book really fits into everyday life for me. Sundays especially. Because nothing in our house is perfect or staged, but food is always the thing that brings everyone back together.
I also really loved the way Clare Hieatt talks about decorating with flowers and foliage because that’s honestly something I naturally gravitate toward. Just small touches like that can change how a space feels without it being expensive or complicated. Flowers can be ones picked up on the side of the road no, money needed.
There’s even a stylist toolbox section that I found surprisingly practical. The toolboxes mentions things like a staple gun, which I have one of. A hot glue gun (which I ‘ve never owned in my life), twine, florist wire, wire cutters, nails, chalk pens, heavy-duty tape—just simple tools that make it easier to create a moment or set a space without needing anything fancy. No, knives or scissors needed Charlie and David so something I can do without hurting myself.
Claire Hieatt also talks about building a campfire, which I haven’t personally done on my own yet, but Charlie and David have. That part made me think it might be something we try together at some point when the timing feels right. Or something I can do on my own without help from the guys showing them I can do things on my own.
I love how the Author included recipes, for dark chocolate and tahini cookies, green lasagna, and breakfast granola. I especially liked the cookies because it’s one of those things that feels simple but also a little different, and it’s something I could see us actually making as a family on a day everyone is off and home together.
I wanted to let you know what surprised me most about the book and the Author is how much the story quietly touches on community. Not in a big or overwhelming way, but in a simple reminder that connection happens when you actually slow down and allow space for it. Even things like being more open in your own neighborhood or apartment community instead of just passing people by.
That idea really stuck with me. Do Curate: How to create a small magical event also made me think about small things like creating a peaceful space for Father’s Day or just being more intentional with everyday meals instead of rushing through them.
I would also say this self-help book fits nicely into our summer gift guide because it works for older teens and up, especially for anyone starting to think about how they want their home and life to feel as they grow. I would say technically this is a self-help book, but it doesn’t feel heavy or complicated. It just feels useful. And that’s really what I liked most about Do Curate: How to create a small magical event.
About the Book
Do Curate: How to Create a Small Magical Event is written for event organizers, community builders, hosts, and anyone interested in creating meaningful, human-led gatherings.
The “Do Lectures” are often described as magical. They take place in a former cowshed where world-class speakers share their stories, guests dine among raised garden beds, and small unexpected details—like hidden spaces and thoughtful touches—make the experience feel special without being overly staged.
In this book, Clare Hieatt shares over a decade of experience hosting the Do Lectures. She explains how every detail matters, from speaker curation to sensory elements like food, space, and atmosphere. The focus is always on intention and how people experience a space from arrival to departure.
Readers will find ideas around curation, connection, and creating environments where people feel comfortable and welcomed. Recipes are also included, such as breakfast granola, green lasagna, and dark chocolate & tahini cookies.
At its heart, the book is about authenticity and human connection, and how small, thoughtful gatherings can quietly build community.
About the Author
Clare Hieatt is the co-founder of the Do Lectures.She began her career in London as a copywriter before moving to a farm on the west coast of Wales, where she lives with her husband.
Together, they raised their daughters and built businesses including howies and Hiut Denim. With an “empty nest” and one main business now, she reflects on over 15 years of experience hosting the Do Lectures and what makes meaningful events work.
She is also the author of Stay Curious: How We Created a World-Class Event from a Cowshed and Do Curate: How to Create a Small Magical Event.
Her work focuses on simplicity, connection, and creating spaces where people feel at home and real ideas and relationships can form.
🌿 Closing Line
Some books don’t change everything at once—they just quietly change how you notice your everyday life, and Do Curate: How to create a small magical even is exactly that.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
.
