Jen Walshaw | Mum In The Madhouse

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Author name: Jen Walshaw

Mum-in-charge Jen Walshaw runs the UK’s top parenting blog Mum in the Madhouse, and she describes herself as a “fat, feisty and over 50” Northerner. Based in North Yorkshire, she’s mum to young adults and a big believer that family life is messy, creative and fun. In 2009 a double mastectomy gave her the nudge to start blogging; with two boys under three she needed an outlet and a digital scrapbook to capture their chaos.Jen’s posts are a mix of crafts, kid‑friendly recipes and honest parenting, peppered with northern humour. She’s happiest when up to her elbows in tea, fabric and pizza dough – sewing and making homemade gifts – before sneaking off to write about it. As a proud Northerner she warns PRs that a “quick pop down to London” isn’t quick at all. Her blog has earned her a stack of accolades, including the Cision #1 Mummy Blogger title in 2024  and consistently topping Vuelio and Tots100 parenting‑blog charts. Whether she’s advocating for diversity and body neutrality or sharing tales of parenting teens, Jen keeps things chatty, real and refreshingly down‑to‑earth.

Ghastly Ghosts and Bats – Get making this Halloween

Get making this Halloween – Ghastly Ghosts and Bats is a paid collaboration with the Year of Engineering. I am delighted to be teaming up with The Holiday Makers again to share with you a simple and spooky engineering experiment this Halloween. We are going to show you how to make Tissue Paper ghosts and bats

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Dealing with Eczema in the Winter

Both of my boys have eczema, different types and in different parts of their bodies, but it is something that breaks my heart. Baby’s are supposed to have smooth, delectable, heavenly soft skin and Maxi certainly didn’t and often doesn’t. He suffers the most out of the two boys and when he is having a flare up we have to wrap his body oin cling film to help the medication and to also help prevent him ripping his skin to shreds.

Over the years I have tried everything and anything on his skin and after six years are finally settling on a routine and products that work for us. Intially we were pushed down the oilatum and Diprobase route by our GP, but I have issues with SLS and SLA’s they make my skin red raw and the palms of my hands when using these products with him were red, sore and itchy. So we moved on to products with no parabens and no SLA’s in, which has made a vast difference.

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Folk Flower Mason Jar Luminaries – DIY Craft Tutorial

Folk Flower Mason Jar Luminaries is a paid collaboration with Bostik.  I have a real love for Mid-century design and these folk flower mason jar lanterns have a real mid-century feel (well I think they do).  They were inspired by a writing set I have and are perfect for the time between Halloween and Christmas when

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Fabulous Smallfoot Crafts and Party Ideas

Have you seen Smallfoot yet? Well if not you are in for a treat and I think that this season will be all about Yeti, Abominable Snowmen or Smallfoot. But there is no need to go searching the internet for Smallfoot Crafts and party ideas as we have done that for you!

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