Monthly Archives: March 2015


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle decorated eggs 19

Do your kids decorate eggs for easter?  It is one of the things the boys love and they have egg decorating competitions at school, cubs and also the Easter Party we attend annually. We are one of those families that believe in the kids decorating their own eggs, so I sit on my hands and provide encouragement only!  These Teenage Mutant Ninja decorated eggs won Maxi the cubs competition this year and even better they are simple and all his own work!


20 Amazing Easter bonnets. Celebrate Spring and Easter with this brilliant Easter bonnets and hat. There is something for kids of all ages. We adore #3

Easter Bonnet Ideas 26

Part of our Spring tradition is making an Easter Bonnet for the Kids Easter Party.  I used to be one of those parents that wanted it all to be perfect and symmetrical, but over the years I have learnt to sit on my hands and let the boys take over.   In my humble opinion, my boys Easter Bonnets might not look perfect, but they are kid made.


15 Spring outdoor activities for kids 22

Oh I adore Spring.  The lighter nights, the warmer days and the promise of things to come.  We are a pretty active family and the boys take the opportunity of lighter night to play outside.  In fact they don’t come home until we go find them and can often be found playing football under the light of a street lamp.   But for those of you with kids that are reluctant to leave the warms and familiarity of the screen for outside play here are some  great spring activities.


Munch Bunch Twitter Party Prize Terms and Conditions 1

• Munch Bunch will be offering you the chance to win a £10 National Trust voucher plus Munch Bunch spoons and backpacks, during the course of the twitter party hosted by ‪@Mum_TheMadHouse‬‬‬‬‪ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ • There will be 5 winners (UK only), details of which will be announced on Thursday 26/03/15. Via direct message to the twitter account you entered with. • Each winner will receive a £10 National Trust voucher, a backpack and a spoon. • The Munch Bunch #MBGoodStuff Twitter Party prize draw is open to residents in the United Kingdom that are over 18 years. • The starting time of the Twitter Party will be 20:30 and the finishing […]


Paper plate hand print chick 17

Spring is my favorite season and yellow my favorite colour, so this Paper plate hand print chick really makes my heart sing.  It is a simple craft, but is a fun way to include your child’s hand print in to crafting.  Chicks are a perfect signifier for spring or Easter and if you are a chick fan then you might like my easy chick cards or pompom chicks.  

{title} Who doesn't love a handprint keepsake! A fab, simple spring or easter craft for kids of all ages. An easy spring craft for kids {permalink}

Munch Bunch twitter party on 25 March @8.30pm 18

The Easter holidays are nearly upon us and Spring has sprung, it’s the perfect time for a Nature Trail!  We are big fans of encouraging you to get out and about no matter what the weather, but the lighter nights and warmer days make it so much easier for everyone. To help encourage you get outside and take your kids on nature trails, TV presenter and mum of two, Angellica Bell is sharing her tips on getting down with nature and helping children learn where food comes from in a Twitter party on Wednesday March 25th, 8.30pm.


Paddington Bear crafts, activities & free printables 92

Have you seen the Paddington Bear movie? We loved it in the Mad House   It was the perfect family feel good movie and even the husbeast enjoyed it and we will be happy to purchase it on DVD or Blue Ray when it comes out on 23rd March.  It was one of the best family movies we have seen in ages. So to celebrate the release of the movie I wanted to share with you some fabulous PB crafts and activities and also some fab free printables too.


Pompom tailed bunny garland 26

How cute is this bunny garland! I have not hidden my love of pom poms from you and Easter is the perfect time to use pom poms in your crafts.  This pompom tailed bunny garland is adorable and so simple to make.  If you don’t fancy making pompoms for it, then make it smaller and use cotton wool balls for the fluffy tails!


Frugal decorating ideas for Easter – #fabulouslyfrugal 14/03/15 16

I love Easter.  It really is a wonderful time of the year.  A time of renewal, a time for rejoicing and also new beginnings.  I love to decorate our home with the changes of seasons and Easter is no exception. I also love how our decorations are building up and being added to over the years.  Most of them are homemade and hold lots of memories and none of them were expensive.  My top tip is to buy them after Easter is over in the sales and put them away for next year, just remember where you have stored them!


My Mum shaped hole 22

The more I mother, the more I respect and appreciate my own mother.  The more I mother, the more I want to tell her just how much my opinion of her has changed. But the gap she has left in my life is more than that.  I want to ask questions. Was I really as bad as Mini at getting to and staying asleep.  Is Maxi as precocious as I was?


Chocolate cornflake nests – cooking with kids 27

This shop and recipe for chocolate Cornflake nests has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias Sometimes when you are trying to encourage your kids into the kitchen you just need a simple recipe that is fun to make and chocolate cornflake nests fit that bill and are super fun for kids of all ages to make as there is no baking or oven involved.


Cinnamon Apple Fries 26

Back in 2013 we visited LEGOLAND Florida twice, yes twice and one of the highlights for me was the Granny Smith apple fries, which are delicious cinnamon apple fries. I have tried to bake these fries and also attempted to cook them in the air fryer, but trust me you need to actually fry these in vegetable oil to get the crisp coating.  The secret is to cook a few at a time in a really hot oil, that way the outside crisps and prevents the inside absorbing oil.


How to make button bracelets, a beautiful homemade gift 23

Is there anything better than receiving a homemade gift made with love?  This beautiful button bracelet would be the perfect Mothers Day gift or tween craft.  I would be delighted to be the recipient of this gorgeous unique piece of jewellery which was made by Utterly Scrummy Food for Family’s daughter. How to make a Button Bracelet


Spring clothes for boys 18

Oh how do I adore the lighter nights and warmer days  It makes going outside so much more fun.  I am currently working with Melijoe, a fab website filled with wonderful kids clothes and here are the MiniMad’s picks for spring clothes for boys.


Family recipes and free printable recipe card 1

There is something special about picking up a recipe book or a handwritten recipe that is marked with fingerprints, oil splatters and the holds in it all the history of the times that meal has been cooked for loved ones. My mum didn’t have a recipe book, she cooked from memory, she even baked from memory.  She was an excellent cook and other than a few notes in an old Mrs Beeton’s Cookery book from 1959 and a Bero Book with notes in and a few pages torn out of magazines.  Then she died so suddenly a lot of her fabulous recipes died with her.