Monthly Archives: May 2017

5 Ways to Get the Kids to Sleep During Allergy Season 3

 in parenting / parents by

Summer can mean a lot of things. Sun, adventure and above all, fun. However, here is a slight downside to all that enjoyment in that allergies are rampant. Sneezing, sniffling and lack of sleep can lead to increasingly grumpy children!  Thankfully, I have some top tips from Joy Richards sleep specialist with online bed retail business Happy Beds to help with sleeping during allergy season that may ease those pollen induced sniffles just enough to squeeze in some much needed shut eye.

5 Ways to Get the Kids to Sleep During Allergy Season

Have a SING Family Movie Night with our Free Printable SING Popcorn Boxes 6

 in activities for children / crafts / Free Printables by

If you know me then you know that I love turning the ordinary into something a little special and as a family, we love movie nights, so when Universal Pictures Home Entertainment asked me to create a post celebrating the DVD release of SING I was so excited.  We decided to make movie night a little bit special with these fab printable SING movie popcorn boxes perfect for enjoying SING this half term.   This post is in partnership with Universal Pictures

Handmade Fathers’ Day Gift Ideas 1

 in activities for children / crafts / fathers day / Fathers' Day Crafts by

We love anything handmade here in the Mad House.  I think that there is nothing better than a kid made gift or a homemade card.  Kids love getting involved and being creative and as a parent, there is nothing better than receiving something made by your child and Father’s Day is no exception.  So get a little creative with these fabulous, but achievable handmade Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Handmade Fathers' Day Gift Ideas

DIY LEGO Fidget Spinners 12

 in activities for children / Age 5-7 / childrens craft / lego / Science / Screen Free / Tween by

We are deep in the middle of the fidget spinner craze here and both of my boys have a number of different fidget spinners.  However, this post has been totally inspired by Sarah from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls DIY LEGO Fidget Spinner.  The boys came home from school and spend 20 minutes on the Ipad whilst I prepared some snacks and then the next three hours engineering their own DIY LEGO Fidget Spinners.

DIY LEGO Fidget Spinners
Women's Football and the Energy Behind it

Women’s Football and the Energy Behind it 20

 in activities for children / Outdoor / parenting by

I am a football Mum.  In fact, Maxi has been playing football for a team at the local football club since he was five years old. Over the years I have seen a massive transformation in grass roots football and now at our Football Club there are as many girls teams as there are boys and this makes me ever so happy and proud to be working with SSE to publicise how they are the energy behind women’s football.

The Best Fidget Toys for kids 6

 in activities for children / Screen Free by

You might think that fidget toys are a new phenomenon, but the really are not.  It is just that they are currently being brought into the mainstream.  We were first introduced to them by Mini’s occupational therapist a few years back and we now have quite a selection, so I thought I would share with you what we have, how and why they work for us.

The best DIY fidget spinners on the web for children to make

12 of the Best DIY Fidget Spinners on the web for kids 16

 in activities for children / childrens craft / crafts / Science / Screen Free / Teen / Tween by

Have your kids joined the fidget spinner or fidget toy craze yet?  If they have then they will love this post with great DIY fidget spinners for you to make.  I have long had a love for fidget toys, especially as Mini is on the spectrum and they are really great at helping keep him calm and also help hm concentrate better.  So I have no issue with the new craze for all things fidget.  In fact, we have found them a sanity saver in the Mad House.

Best Questions to ask a Childcare Provider 2

 in parenting by

One of the most important things you will ever do as a parent is choose someone to look after your child when you and/or your partner aren’t around. It’s an emotional time for any parent to decide to leave their child, so you obviously want to make sure that you find the right person for the job. Trust is key, but how can you know you’ve made the right choice and feel completely comfortable with leaving your child in their care?

Best Questions to ask a Childcare Provider