Blogger Spotlight: Jen Walshaw, Mum in the Mad House

Jen Walshaw recently ranked on the Top 10 UK Parenting Blogs with her award-winning Mum in the Mad House. Chronicling the life of a family of four, Jen also uses her blog to share creative makes and recipe ideas. We caught up with Jen to talk about the rewards of family life, working with PRs and being creative!

How would you describe your blog?
Mum in the Mad House is a one-stop shop for people trying to live a creative family life in the digital age on a budget. I am passionate about raising creative children whilst instilling them with skills that will last a lifetime, which can be quite a challenge in this digital age!

So, my blog is filled with crafting, art, cooking with kids, realistic parenting tips and screen-free activities to encourage people to try and live a creative family life.

Why did you start your blog?
My blog started out as a dairy after a health scare. I had two boys under three with 14 months between them. It was my way of recording our day to day life whilst reclaiming time for me. I had always wanted to be one of those people that had a batch of journals to look back on but never found pen and paper that appealing long term. I loved being able to create my own digital photo album with words!

What’s the best thing about being a parent?
Parenting is the hardest thing that I have ever done, but it is also the most rewarding. I adore watching my children develop and grow and seeing their potential. Each stage of parenting has been different and amazing in its own way. Now we are entering the teen years and it will be interesting to see what they bring!

What advice would you give new parents?
The best advice I ever received was not to listen to what other people said you have to do but to trust your own instincts. For me, parenting confidence came with experience and it took time to learn that I had to do what was right for my family and that wasn’t necessarily the same as someone else’s.

What advice would you give new bloggers?
Starting a blog was one of the best things I did, I would encourage anyone thinking about it to just do it. But you do need to have a thick skin. I am aware that by putting myself out into the public eye I am inviting comments and opinions that I might not necessarily get in real life. Think about why you want to blog and what you want to get out of it. I started as an online diary and it has developed organically over the years. I think it has become much harder to be heard since I started as the market is much more saturated. There are some great communities out there so get involved, have fun and connect with people.

What makes your blog successful?
I think that Mum in the Mad House is so successful as it is relevant and I am relatable to people. Over the years it has gone from strength to strength, some readers have been with us from the beginning, others found us whilst looking for a specific solution. It has stood the test of time and remains a trusted voice in a saturated market.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I love working with brands and companies. I prefer to produce unique quality content based on their needs. Over the years we have produced and featured in videos, attended events and press trips, featured on company websites, offered competitions and much, much more. For us, it is about thinking creatively and finding an angle that connects with our readers. I am more than happy to chat to a PR about what they are looking to do and come up with something that meets both our needs.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
It is so hard to pin it down to just one collaboration. We are big fans of family experiences and have been lucky enough to work with some fantastic brands and have lots of fun at the same time. There have been different favourites depending on the stages of our family life. The man of the house loves car or holiday collaborations, the boys are particularly keen on theme parks and festivals, whilst me, like most mums, are happy when the rest of the family is, however, I do love going to concerts, visiting new places and experiencing new things.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
That I am a proud Northerner, so invites to events in the capital mean quite a chunk of travel! I want PRs to understand what I can offer them and their clients and to develop long-term relationships. Things really need to be relevant to me and my readers. More and more it is about being a trusted voice. It is great to connect with people that understand what you do and see how you can work together for the benefit of their client. Also, I think that it is time for brands to understand just how much impact working with a blogger can have. I can reach so much more people than the traditional press, but often they are still not willing to pay a commensurate fee.

What other blogs do you read?
I am an avid blog reader and love being part of such a wide-ranging and diverse community. I turn to blogs for pretty much everything, looking for a recipe then there is a great blog for that, planning a party, again I turn to a blog.

Jen Walshaw and Mum in the Madhouse feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.