Maxi is a junior football player and he has been with his football team from when he started playing as an under 7. He has been training since he was four years old. We are so lucky that his team mates are a great and they are a wonderful team, but being in a team is a great experience for him and he has learned a lot. The benefits of team sport for kids
An increasing number people are deciding to cook with flowers. With famous chefs adding edible flowers into their recipes and restaurants serving up dishes with these luxury additions, it is no surprise we are interested in them also! What to look for in edible flowers You should look for flowers that are colourful and stand out without brown spots or discolouration. When you find an edible flower you should ensure you know enough information about it before you begin cooking with it. Be sure they are not poisonous or hazardous to your health. Once you have eliminated any poisonous flowers, you can begin cooking! There are so many options available with […]
Part of the reason I blog is to record the moments, to be able to look back on them and to cherish every single moment. This Christmas has been a quiet one for The Mad House, but wonderful and very family centric. The older I get the more I realise that the joy I experience is really bound to the boys having fun and my family unit and dear friends that I hold dear.
This week we have been concentrating on our thoughts, dreams, feelings and goals by planning our resolutions and intentions for the New Year. This is a great activity for all the family. New Year Resolutions for Kids
My boys adore crackers and our homemade crackers were such a hit, we decided to make a variation for new Year, so here you have our New Year wish crackers. Instead of jokes, these crackers each contain a wish we would like to come true in the coming year. We also filled them with festive confetti and of course a paper hat, We customised our hats with 2015. Make your own New Year’s Wish Crackers
Do you celebrate the New Year with your children? As my boys are getting older they are starting to be involved in our New Years celebration and I thought that a paper plate countdown clock would be great fun to make and use. What you need:
As you are probably aware my boys love technology and it is ever changing. One of the main things for me is ensuring that they are safe online. I have recently been introduced to the The Prestigio MultiPad Color for children is a very bright, yet still smart device. It comes with a reliable and easy to use parental control system which gives you complete control of what your child has access to which they call the Kid Launcher. This allows you to control how long your child can use the tablet and also decide which apps you want them to have access to. It also has a quad core processor powered by MediaTek […]
The older I get the more I realise that Christmas is not all about what you give or get, but about being there with your family. This was compounded with a health scare and even more when my mum died at Christmas four years ago. So now MadDad and I focus on our presence rather than the presents. Growing up my dad always told us the following rules and this is something we have tried to instill in our children.
We live in Northern England and during this time of year it is dark and we love to light up our home with candles and decided to make some cornflour dough tealight holders for Solstice. Maxi decided to make them in the shape of the sun to celebrate the shortest day and welcome the lengthening of the hours of sun we would receive. We used our white clay recipe, which is really easy to make, so much so that Maxi made it himself and once the dough had cooled down we used cookie cutters to shape our tealight holders.
We have made corn flour dough before, but using salt, however, I was keen to find a different recipe with more of a smooth texture that was a bit more malleable for the boys to use. We have tried Nurturestore’s 2 ingredients white dough and love it, but we also tried the following white clay recipe and the boys decided that this is their favourite go-to salt dough replacement.
I hope that my previous post about crafting with your kids this Christmas inspired you to get creative with your kids. Now for part two! So what else I am inspired by at this time of year, well if you are a regular reader then it will come as no surprise to you that it is getting kids in to the kitchen and creating with them, baking making and having fun. Creativity is part of my make up. It runs through my veins and has since I had the boys. One of the biggest things I want my kids to remember is having fun making things. I also want to to have […]
Holidays are coming, holidays are coming, holidays are coming, its always the real thing…………… You know when the Coke advert comes on that Christmas is on it’s way and now even the Coke lorry tours the country. We have never seen it, but Cass from Diary of a Frugal Family has. This year however, I have to say that I adore Coca Cola’s new advert, has made a big impact in The Mad House. The mini mads are forever to be found singing “let’s make someone happy”. Have you seen it?
Every year we make fingerprint mugs for the teachers for Christmas. In the past we have made Reindeer mugs and flower mugs, pigs, caterpillars and bees. This year we decided to do Robin’s like last years Robin cards. These Robin thumbprint mugs are so simple to make and really effective for kids of all ages.
Bloggers we are a fickle bunch and we seem to have a gift list as long as your arms, well the ones I ask do, so here is our great gifts for bloggers list curated by Mum in the Mad House.
Men can be difficult to buy for, so I thought I would share with you some of the things that Husbeast has had and loved. Some of these recommendations are of things we have received to review, and some of them, are things that we have bought and he has loved. So here is the Mad House’s guide to great gifts for Dads.
Moving house is always a stressful time and involves a large amount of decision making. But, the largest and most important aspect of moving house is ensuring you choose the right one for your children to grow up in. Ideally you want a house that both you and your children can call a home – where your children can create the perfect childhood memories. In order to help you with the big move, here are a few things you should take into consideration before purchasing a property: Think of the future When choosing a property, it is important to think of the future. Do not purchase a house with the mentality […]
When I was younger I would have got really upset at receiving something for the house as a present, but now it thrills me to get something that I want! I also have found that the older I have got the more expensive my tastes have become! What I want is something that is classic and will last a lifetime. The Mad House’s guide to great gifts for Mums, but it really is Great Gifts I would Want to Receive, so I hope you are reading boys! Smellies
One of our Mad House traditions carried over from my own childhood is new night wear on Christmas Eve so that we always look smart in the photo’s on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is a magical time, full of excitement and awe and we have a Christmas Eve party each year with my best Friend and her four boys, so it is a wonderful time in The Mad House. For the last five years or so the boys have been given a mini hamper on Christmas Eve Morning for things to see them throughout the day.
In a past life before kids I was a Facilities Manager and organised relocations for the large company I worked for including 500 people from one office to another over the period of a weekend, but I never knew what stress was until it came to moving house myself. The last time we moved eight years ago I had a 4 month old and a22 month old and it was a NIGHTMARE. I hated it and swore never to do it again. But if you are looking to move and have kids do check out this fab infographic with some great ideas for keeping kids of all ages happy. Thanks to […]
Christmas is a great time for encouraging kids to get creative and a great way to do this is to present them with an #invitation to create. These Christmas trees decorated with cake cases are so easy to make and can be adapted for kids of all ages.
