Jen Walshaw | Mum In The Madhouse

2026 Colouring Calendar!

Subscribe and receive our 2026 Kids Colouring Calendar for Free
Get the 13 Page Calendar by subscribing below.

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.

Five fab printables for scrap fabric paper dolls, inspired by the vintage paper dolls. A fantastic DIY kids craft to recycle and reuse scrap fabric. Scrap fabric paper dolls are such a fun DIY craft for children and a great way to practice scissor skills. Kids can also colouring them in or even dress them with scrapbooking paper.

DIY Scrap Fabric Paper Dolls – Fun Craft for Kids

Scrap Fabric Paper Dolls These scrap fabric paper dolls are inspired by the paper dolls that I used to play with when I was a child.  Do you remember them, the books for dolls and paper clothes that you used to colour and play with for hours and hours?  I have teamed up with the

DIY Scrap Fabric Paper Dolls – Fun Craft for Kids Read More »

Pork Loin and Sweet Potato Fries – Easy Cooking with Kids

Wednesday nights are our kryptonite.  Both boys have to be at after school clubs and have other commitments, so dinner needs to be fast, filling and family friendly.   Plus I go food shopping on a Thursday, so by Wednesday, we tend to be eating from the freezer and when McCain challenged us to make

Pork Loin and Sweet Potato Fries – Easy Cooking with Kids Read More »