• 5 easy ways to give your blog a makeover
    Family Life

    5 easy ways to give your blog a makeover

    August 30, 2020 - By 

    Disclosure – this is a sponsored post with Fontsy Last month I celebrated writing my little blog for 15 years! I thought I would look back over my time by sharing some of the easy ways you can give your blog a makeover and keep things looking fresh and appealing for your audience. How blogging has changed Blogging changes so much. When I started out in 2005 I chose my blog name (not even sure how I chose the gingerbread house!), bought my domain and hosting and that was it. I taught myself how to run a basic WordPress blog,…

  • Blogfest 2016 with Coca Cola
    blogging - days out

    Blogfest 2016 with Coca-Cola

    November 19, 2016 - By 

    This year I was resigned to the fact that I wouldn’t be able to attend Mumsnet Blogfest. Blogfest is one of my favourite conferences but as a stay-at-home-mum, money is tight for this kind of thing. A few weeks before the event I received a lovely invitation to attend Blogfest as a guest of Coca-Cola and I jumped at the chance to go. There was a stellar line up of speakers and two of my oldest blogging friends, Mum Friendly and New Mum Online (pic below) were going so I knew I was going to have a fab grown up day out.…

  • blogging - book review - handmade - sewing

    Monthly makes – June

    June 26, 2015 - By 

    June was a great month for me and it feels like I’ve barely put my sewing needles down. My daughter gained a Cath Kidston-inspired ric rac skirt which looks great with the iron on Cath Kidston letter I added to her tshirt. A brand new updated outfit for pennies! I tried something new with an EPP feather, a bang on trend craft kit which came with the latest issue of love patchwork and quilting. The issue also has a pattern for an adorable liquorice allsort quilt which I have put aside for a rainy day. I completed the patchwork part…

  • blogging - days out

    Blogtacular and photowalk with Xanthe Berkeley

    June 19, 2015 - By 

    At the weekend I attended my first Blogtacular which bills itself as ‘a place for bloggers whose hearts beat with creativity to come together to meet, share and inspire’. I’ve been to a few blogging conferences in my time but none of them ever felt like I really belonged there. I had high hopes that Bloctacular would tick all my boxes, and guess what? It did. Blogtacular and photowalk with Xanthe Berkeley I was lucky enough to get a place on the Photowalk with Xanthe Berkeley. The only problem was it started at 7am on the Southbank before the conference.…

  • blogging - crafts - handmade

    Please vote for me in the BiBs craft category!

    May 16, 2014 - By 

    Voting closes today at midnight for the Brilliance in Blogging awards or the BiBs. This is the second year I’ve been shortlisted in the Crafts category and I would really appreciate your vote (just click on the image to go to the nomination form). I started blogging back in 2005 about my life in London and the things I made. I still write about this but also life with two children and much more. Every night my son asks me what we’re going to make the next day but my blog is more than just children’s crafts. I also love…

  • Cath Kidston - Christmas - days out

    My grown up day out

    November 9, 2013 - By 

    Today was a real pleasure as I got a chance to attend the second Mumsnet Blogfest. Last year was amazing, (was it really 12 months ago?) so I had high expectations for today. The day started off well with a lovely walk to the station. Before I knew it I had swapped my rural idyll for Kings Cross and couldn’t resist a quick look around the shops. First stop was Cath Kidston where I treated myself to a new cover for my iPad mini featuring her little birds print, a tin of Christmas mints and a roll of Happy Xmas!…

  • baby products - blogging - potty training - toddler

    Time for the BritMums Carnival at the gingerbread house!

    March 26, 2013 - By 

    Many moons ago I signed up to host the BritMums Carnival and my time has finally arrived! Today I bring to you some brilliant posts from the best parenting bloggers about ….. potty training! Forgive me for the theme but potty training is currently headlining at the gingerbread house and I am in need of tips, advice and useful products to help ease the transition from nappies to big boy pants for my reluctant toddler. The parenting blogging community have generously shared some brilliant posts. Whether the potty years are far behind you or you are in need of some…

  • blogging - days out - Orla Kiely

    Mumsnet and me

    November 13, 2012 - By 

    Over the weekend I attended the inaugural Mumsnet conference.  I applied to join the Mumsnet bloggers group when it launched but I never heard back, so you might wonder why I would pay money to spend a day with them. conference essentials: programme, iPad mini and Orla Kiely I saw it as a day off from my children and yes, I’d happily pay for that pleasure. When I saw my old blogging friend Liska she told me I looked radiant. Yes, I told her. I have a child-free day. I had make up on. My clothes were clean and I’d…

  • baking - blogging - gingerbread - Orla Kiely - sewing

    Cybher meet and greet

    May 3, 2012 - By 

    With only a couple of tickets left for Cybher 2012, the first all inclusive female blogger event of its kind in the UK, I decided I had to go so here I am: Name: Jenny Blogs: I love blogging and have been blogging at the gingerbread house since 2005, I also have my daily parenting blog and my family history blog Twitter: @gingerbread_mum Height: 5’7 Hair: brown and short   5 things you should know: I have two lovely kids which I can talk about til the cows come home and am a stay at home mum (for now!) We…