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.

Nobody Tells You Working Parent Guilt Doesn’t Go Away, It Just Changes Shape

You don’t get to clock out of being a parent. That’s the part nobody warns you about before you have kids. You can clock out of a job. You cannot clock out of worrying whether you’re doing right by your kid, especially when you’re at work and they’re somewhere else. I used to think that

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Free Printable Ocean Alphabet Cut-and-Paste Crafts

Learning the alphabet is much more fun when the letters turn into colourful fish, crabs, jellyfish and other wonderful ocean creatures! This free printable Ocean Alphabet contains 26 creative cut-and-paste pages—one for every letter from A to Z. Children can colour the large letter-shaped creatures, cut out their eyes, fins, tentacles and other features, and

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The Ultimate Study Guide: How to Boost Exam Revision Success

Effective exam revision can transform the often intimidating idea of exams into a more confident, well-prepared experience. Revision becomes a manageable and productive process with the right strategies, tools, and a structured study plan. This guide shares practical methods for creating a revision approach tailored to your learning style. It will help you make the

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Free Printable Monster Activity Mats for Kids

Monsters do not always have to be scary. Some are furry, some are silly and some simply need a little help finding their way to a cookie! These free printable Monster Activity Mats are packed with puzzles, drawing challenges, colouring activities and early learning fun. They are a brilliant way to keep children entertained while

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Autumn Could Do List: Sneaky Spanish Edition

Pumpkin spice season is on the horizon! The sweater weather, the chilliness, the tea and coffeescented with warming spices, and the delightful orange colours of the pumpkins are right aroundthe corner. And with it, the opportunity to sneak some bilingual education in for your little one.Bilingualism is usually a dream parents have for their children,

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The Ultimate Halloween Hub – Crafts, Printables, Recipes and Family Fun

Halloween is one of our favourite times of year in the Mad House – a chance to get creative, decorate the house, bake spooky treats, and enjoy some family fun together. Over the years, we’ve shared so many Halloween ideas that it can be tricky to find them all, so I’ve pulled everything into one

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Free Printable 3D Pumpkin Houses to Colour by Number

There is something rather magical about pumpkin houses. Add tiny windows, curling leaves and a little front door, and you can almost imagine a family of woodland fairies moving straight in! These free printable 3D pumpkin houses combine colouring, number recognition and paper crafting in one wonderfully autumnal activity. Children simply follow the colour key,

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