Monthly Archives: February 2014

Getting outside in all weathers – something for the weekend 38

 in something for the weekend  tagged outdoor activities / outdoor play / rainy day outdoor activities / windy day outdoor activities by

I am as guilty as others at looking out of the window and thinking of things that we can do inside to escape the weather rather than embracing the weather and getting some fresh air.  So I am dedicating this week’s something for the weekend to getting us outside and encouraging our children outside too.  In many parts of the UK it has been the wettest winter on record and often March and April can be pretty wet too, but I am determined to get us out and about. Ways to encourage kid’s outdoors  

From schools to shopping: Why reside in Reading?

 in Featured and Guest  tagged home / maxi / reading by

Having lived and word just outside of Reading for 14 years.  I have to say I love it and the fact that Maxi was born there will mean it is always close to my heart. Reading is often dismissed as merely a town on the commuter belt to London. It doesn’t feature on many tourist brochures and is perhaps most famous historically for making biscuits.   My Reading Baby However, thanks to a booming IT and insurance industry, this large and personable town is enjoying something of a renaissance. Visit its lively and vibrant town centre with its array of bars, shops and restaurants and it quickly becomes apparent why the […]

Please take 2 minutes to watch this 9

 in parenting  tagged health and safety by

Hair straighteners literally transformed my life.  It is split into two era’s life before straightener and life after straighteners.  I now have manageable hair.  However, I would not want the to transform the life of any child. Did you know that  hair straightener burns among children has doubled in recent years and they now account for nearly one in ten burns. Keep your children safe If you use hair straighteners, follow the Electrical Safety Councils top tips to make sure that you, and your children, stay safe from electrical burns: Keep hair straighteners out of reach of children – Children’s skin can be 15 times thinner than that of adults so it’s important […]

Tips for a good bedtime routine 34

 in parenting  tagged bedtime / parenting / sleeping by

We have been round and round the block when it comes to bedtimes.  We have been remarkably lucky with Maxi, he has always been a dream when it comes to bedtime and goes to bed and to sleep with little or no fuss.  However, to make up for this Mini has been a challenge, well from turning two years old! I am please to say that at seven he is now really good at going to bed and much better at getting to sleep, so I thought I would share some of the things we have done to make this as easy as possible.

Colouring on Fabric 18

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One of the things that we love to do as a family is to sit and colour in.  I find it really therapeutic and have some adult colouring in books, so I don’t feel left out when the boys are colouring.  Crafting as a family doesn’t have to take lots of equipment or even lots of time and this is a great activity for fitting in to small amounts of time. When I saw Tidny Fabric at Ikea I knew it would be perfect for family colouring sessions.  It is great to get it out of the cupboard and set it at the table for times when we all need to […]

Simple drawing and art – Something for the weekend 35

 in something for the weekend / Uncategorized  tagged art / crafting with kids / crafts / something for the weekend by

This week has been filled with a nasty vomiting bug, which has really taken us back to basics in The Mad House.  We have done a lot of reading, watching movies and simple art and drawing.  So I decided to concentrate on that for this week’s something for the weekend.  We received an amazing gift pack from Australian company Smiggle, who have just opened up a store at Westfield and it included a fantastic scratch book, which is what inspired this weeks activity, make your own scratch paper.

6 Gifts Mothers Definitely Do Not Want on Mother’s Day + Cath Kidston Giveaway 250

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Mother’s Day is a special time of year where we celebrate everything that our mothers have done for us over the years.  From changing your nappy to helping you put money into your children’s savings account and, these days, listening to all your worries and woes, your mum has been there for you through it all, so she deserves something special to remind her just how important she is. We suggest you read this list and avoid these items at all costs or you can expect to have one disappointed mum on your hands this Mother’s Day.

I do hope you are having a great valentines day…..

 in Featured and Guest by

  We are not huge Valentines celebrators here in the Mad House.  Especially as our wedding anniversary falls o0n March.  This year we are celebrating it even less as Maxi has a stomach bug!   However, some people are not like MadDad and me and feel that Chocolates. Flowers. Dinner = Valentine’s day. Not a sniffling ill other half! Make sure they’re aware of the importance of this day, thanks to Vicks. So which camp are you in, the Valentines lover or the Valentines hater?

Something for the weekend – The pompom edition 26

 in something for the weekend  tagged #SETW / #sftw / crafts / family activities / kids activcities / something for the weekend / wool / yarm pompoms by

I loooove pompoms and so do the boys.  we find making them something of an addiction especially with these Pom-Pom makers.  It really is super simple and something that my boys can do all on their own and is a great way of using up scraps of wool.  We find making them really therapeutic and something that we tend to make them on an evening when we are all sat around chatting together.  These makers are really simple for children to use, just take a look at the video below of Thinly Spread’s Bonus Boy aged five making a pompom. How to make a Pompom

Are you supporting Sport Relief – Dial for Davina Day 19

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I guess we are all aware of the Team Honk relay race in the blogger community, but were you aware that Davina McCall  is attempting to run, swim and cycle over 500 miles from Edinburgh to London, entirely under her own steam?  Do you know that she cycled 90 miles today? I have to say I wasn’t until I saw her pulled out of the water at windermere after attempting to swim in the frigid waters.    Davina’s challenge is all about girl power.  She is going to to go through hell and back in order to raise money for Sport Relief.  You can keep up to date with her challenge  on […]

Kids in the kitchen. My top tips for baking with boys! 19

 in cooking with children  tagged baking / children / cooking with kids / kitchen by

I say boys, but really these tips are great for baking with any child.  My children have been helping me in the kitchen from when they could sit in a high chair.  I tried to involve them from a young age, even if it was just giving them some pastry to play with.  I wanted them to feel comfortable in the kitchen and be involved in preparing their food. Baking is a great exercise for children, it involves lots of different skills such as reading recipes, measuring and weighing ingredients, following instructions, motor skills (mixing), measuring time and also is a great way to connect them with the food that they […]

Something for the half-term holidays – let your kids become an Animal Champion! 1

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February half-term is just around the corner, which means a number of parents are frantically searching for a various action-packed activities suited to the entire family.  Giving parents the perfect option to keep the kids entertained while teaching them vital life lessons, the RSPCA is launching their Animal Champion campaign – the perfect antidote the humdrum nature of half-term.

Out and About: 5 UK Events to Take Your Child to This Year 18

 in Featured and Guest / UK Holidays by

Much like the USA, the United Kingdom is famous for its weird and wacky events. Whether it’s rolling cheese down a hill or donning full Viking attire for a fire festival, one things for sure: The Brits know how to have fun. If you’re planning a family adventure to the UK or locally based and looking for a way to get the clan together for some quality time, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the top five kid friendly events to attend in 2014. Boardmasters Does your child thrive on adrenaline? Do they spend most of their time catching waves at the beach or tearing up the sidewalk on […]

The ultimate guide to crafting with stones 30

 in crafts  tagged crafts / memory stones / pet stones / stones / story stones by

If you children are anything like mine then they will always return form an outing with some sort of treasure.  We are lucky to live five minutes from a beach and I have to check the boys pockets each time we come home as they always have stones in them. Stones or beach pebbles are so tactile and make a great crafting and activity material and I am going to be using them for this week’s something for the weekend, so do come back on Friday to see what we have been doing with the ones they collected this weekend.