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.

A family trip to Warwick Castle and our tips for a great day out

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e also did Merlin’s Tower, which was short, but AMAZING and the boys were smiling about it for the rest of the day and still keep telling everyone about it.

The adventure playground is great and perfect for larger children, not just the littlest one.

We had a great day, the only down sides for us where that we couldn’t fit it all in and that the food and service at the Coach House Family Restaurant was really poor. Our meals were not brought out together and everyone had finished before mine was delivered to the table, inspite of us asking where it was three times (it was only soup and a roll, so I do not understand why it was so hard). It was even more infuriating, as there was only three tables in use and all the rest were left with the detritus of precious visitors.
Our Top Tips

Get their early and book your tickets (free but timed entry) for any thing like the Princess Tower
Do the same for any paid activities, including Merlin Tower and the Dungeons.
Buy a refillable hot drink voucher. It was £7, but my boys love hot chocolate and it cost £2.25, so soon paid for itself with that and our teas and coffees.
See the free shows, they really make the castle come to life.
You can not do it all in one day if you see the shows. We didn’t get to do the dungeons or the Kingmaker exhibition, but are looking forward to returning
Book in advance online, that way you get a discount.
Keep an eye out for the special events online – We are really looking forward to the Horrible Histories Stormin Summer event, which runs from 20th July to 1st September.

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Beach holiday checklist for families

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The secret for enjoying a day at the beach is what you take with you and I have some great hints and tips.

Leave towels at home for the younger children and purchase towelling dresses or robes instead. It is much easier to just pop them on when they are wet and cold.
Talc or baby powder is great for removing sand off feet before putting your shoes on.
Get some shade – a beach umbrella is a must with children, even better is a UV tent as they can take a nap in it.
Take plenty of sunscreen. Even if it says it is water proof please reapply every time they have been in the water.
A string bag is perfect for carrying beach toys.
Take beach toys, bucket, spade, ball, flying disc and cars or diggers.
Take snacks and water. I pack my snacks in individual bags as sand will always find a way in to an open bag. The same with water, it is better to pack multiple bottles than one large one.
Take spare change for ice creams and beach snacks. Never take a lot of cash or your cards.
If you want to take photo’s – make sure it is just a cheap compact camera – sand and camera lenses do not mix well. Or even better take a waterproof one.
Hats are a must for everyone.
We always take a couple of UV suits so that they can use one against the other.
Beach shoes are great if you are going to a rocky area.

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Too busy having fun to photograph it

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But this weekend was filled with Alvin’s first walk and then many a subsequent walks.
A house and garden filled with 11 children
Cricket, more cricket and a little more cricket
Salad sandwiches from the garden
Planting peas and tying up ones that are growing well
Weeding
Washing and hanging out washing in the garden
A trip to the seaside with fish and chips and lemon top ice creams
Movie night
Lawn mowing
book reading
Early morning LEGO building
plotting and planning
Den building
Hide and seek
Letter writing

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Modernise your Lounge: Top Tips for the Minimalist Look

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Modernise your Lounge: Top Tips for the Minimalist Look
A minimalist home certainly isn’t for everyone – in fact, it’s nigh on impossible if you have a family home full of messy kids and moulting pets with grubby paws. If you’re the sort of person who would be able to apply a minimalistic approach to your home, then it’s a bang on trend style that can look amazing if you know how.
If you plan on turning your living room into a simple and stylish sanctuary, you need to give some thought to what pieces of furniture you’re going to have in there and where you’re going to store all the clutter that you’ll be moving off the shelves. Choosing a standout piece as a focal point, such as one of the sleek and stylish corner sofas from Sofas and Stuff UK will help to direct the eye to a centrepiece that will set the mood for the room perfectly.
As far as turning your home into a minimalist heaven is concerned, there is no right place to start. Change the way you think, find a place for everything that is out of sight and keep your home decluttered and you will have the basics for the minimalistic look. Simplifying an entire house isn’t easy, so start with one room and move from there. The living room is an ideal place to begin, because it’s one of the main rooms you’ll use day-to-day.
Look at the furniture you have and try to whittle it down to the bare necessities. The fewer items you have, the more minimalist your lounge will look. The trick is to remove furniture without affecting comfort – ask yourself what pieces are essential and take away the things that aren’t.
Other than furniture, your floors and surfaces should be clear. Wooden floors and light, shagpile carpets work well in a minimalist room as long as you can stay on top of cleaning them. Avoid storing things on the floor and surfaces, or stacking things next to your sofa – that defeats the point entirely. Find a home for everything, apart from a choice item or two which will add striking visual appeal – a vase of fresh flowers and an elegant ornament, perhaps.
Living in a minimalist home is difficult but if you can change the way you think about your pad, you will be able to enjoy the simplicity and tranquillity associated with it.

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