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Natalia
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Do you ladies use placemats or tablecloths for every day meals? I always have used placemats but I am thinking of buying some of those tablecloths that need no ironing. What do you use?
Natalia
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5athome
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OK I am embarrased to admit it but we do not use either. With many little ones eating 3 meals at home a day, we would go through way too many tablecloths. I did try placemats for a bit but they seemed to be more trouble than they were worth. We now have a big wooden farmhouse type table that the youngsters are distressing for me for free 
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Sarah
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We only use a tablecloth for occasions-which could be as simple as a special feastday or grandparents coming or a birthday. It doesn't appear practical as this point with the mess of toddlers. I do have nice dished though that have a nice blue and white transfer pattern and they are very chip resistant. That helps to set a very nice table everyday--nice dishes but sturdy. (I bought them with Christmas money off smartbargains.com) No placemats either.
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kingvozzo
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Typically, we use placemats and cloth napkins. Since our move 2 months ago, we haven't quite gotten back into the swing of things. I don't use tablecloths because they are too easy for little ones to pull off (along with everything on the table).
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Meredith
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We save placemats and cloth napkins for Sunday dinner in the dining room!  I've even gone to paper napkins for all meals in the kitchen eating area and fun animal paper plates for lunch and snacks  My new flylady kick doesn't let me wanting to have ANY dirty dishes in my beautifully shined sink 
I do really love the idea of matching colored table cloths to liturgical celebrations, I just haven't figured out how to keep my 3 yo ds from pulling them off the table when he gets into his booster chair for mealtime 
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Elizabeth
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I painted our table years ago and now it's trashed. I can strip and repaint but I've neither the time nor the energy, so...
anybody have a source for 120 inch oilcloth tablecloths?
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Marybeth
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I buy seassonal vinyl tableclothes at Wal-Mart. My ds loves them. We seem to be the house everyone stays at for lunch and sometimes dinner after playdates. It makes clean up easy and efficent.
In the kitchen I always have an assortment of placemats to use. I just picked up ones here and there during the last couple of years. It was a great way for my ds to learn some countries, states and capitals.
Marybeth
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Becky Parker
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Our kitchen table is over 100 years old! It is an antique passed down by my husband's 100 year old grandmother. I use a tablecloth for several reasons. The first is that it protects the table better than place mats. The second it that it hides the table (it LOOKS 100 years old!). Finally, I actually find that it makes clean up easier. After dinner I just take off the tablecloth and replace it with a clean one for the next day. My dd (6) can actually do this for me as her after dinner clean up chore. I bought 3 tablecloths from Walmart several years ago and they still look great for everyday stuff. I also have 2 very special cloths that only come out on Holidays or when company comes.
Becky
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Cheryl
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We don't use placemats regularly. I have some kids' ones that we use once in awhile. I don't own any tablecloths. I think that's for when the kids are older. Right now we have a disgusting kitchen table that was my mother's when I was a kid. We use 3 chairs that go with it, plus 2 folding chairs. It's easy to wipe clean though. When we get a new table, I'd like to be able to wipe in clean too, at least until the kids are older.
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guitarnan
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Placemats! Our tabletop needs to be protected from grease blobs. Our placemats for every day are now 20 years old (honeymoon purchase!) and I launder them. We have a set of "guest" placemats. I have two tablecloths for special occasions (one is a Christmas cloth).
Tablecloths get pulled off very easily...and are hard to iron...and I don't like vinyl (personal thing!)...and most vinyl tablecloths are made in China (another personal thing)...you get the idea.
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MEBarrett
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For the dining room I have table pads and use cheapie no iron cloths from elegant stores like Big Lots and Maces.
Elizabeth you can buy oilcloth by the yard at this site or you can buy it at Joanne's fabric. No sewing just cut it to the desired length. It's fairly inexpensive.
OUr kitchen table is pine and I don't use anything but we do sand it down every so often. I keep telling Dave it will be toothpicks by the time the kids are old enough to go to high school.
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Meredith
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Consider me completely ignorant on this, but what are Oilcloth tablecoths??
Thanks.
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Natalia
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happyheartsmom wrote:
Consider me completely ignorant on this, but what are Oilcloth tablecoths??
Thanks. |
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I am glad you asked! 
Natalia
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Erin
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Tableclothes. Yes it means only a meal or two and then I have to re-wash. But my mum always insisted on a tablecloth when we were growing up. Procclaimed that it was the height of bad manners not to have one. So I'm afraid it has stuck, I'm horrified if I find dh and children eating without one. Dh thinks i'm a bit weird.
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Mary K
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We use a disposble tablecloth. My 15yodd has promised to sew a nice one for me once I get the material. We also use placemats and dishtowels. The dt don't look as nice, but they absorb spills from little ones.
Mary-NY
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Jamberry77
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A friend (Catholic hs'er) has a large table that she has decoupage'd (is that the right word?). She placed holy cards, and beautiful Catholic artwork on the table, then somehow covered it w/ something that gets hard. I'm sure you crafty types know exactly what this is. It's a sight when you first see it (esp. for non-Catholics, I'm sure!) but it's fun for the kids, I'm sure.
I recently found washable polyester/cotton table cloths, solid color w/ background design of fruit, in red, purple, green, and white, at Domestications.com. They were pretty cheap and we are trying to use these just at tea time (that is, snack and Mommy reads about a saint time). We try to have it at 3 pm and we sing just a few prayers from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy then we take turns kissing Jesus on the crucifix. Our 3 y.o. studies the Body, and then kisses where he thinks Jesus is hurt most. It's so sweet. Table cloths wouldn't be practicle for the little ones, surely, but we've always used placemats (washable ones) since the help trap the crumbs and that means less vacuuming. (Just have to shake out placemats).
Kelly in NC
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Wendi DeGrandpr
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I use tablecloths covered by vinyl from Walmart. I put a solid color cloth - try to stick w/ liturgical seasons - and then add a centerpiece and I put things between the vinyl and the tablecloth. For instance during advent I put christmas cards with pictures of Mary and Joseph journeying to Bethleham, Saint cards for feast days during advent, prayers typed out etc. During Lent we put pictures representing the stations of the cross around the table along with saint cards. I have a folder to keep them in between seasons so it isn't a big project to do this - after the first time - and if I find something I like at a different time I can just toss it in the folder. I have also used fun confetti (snowflakes, crosses, mardis gras, birthday)and it doesn't end up everywhere.
The vinyl cleans up great with windex and prevents me from having to change and wash table cloths all the time. I found before this if I used a table cloth someone always spilled.
God Bless,
Wendi
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JennGM
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Wendi DeGrandpr wrote:
| I use tablecloths covered by vinyl from Walmart. I put a solid color cloth - try to stick w/ liturgical seasons - and then add a centerpiece and I put things between the vinyl and the tablecloth. |
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Wendi, I love this idea.
I, on the other hand, use nothing on my table. I used to use placemats with liturgical colors, but my table is so small that there was always "spillage" because the mats almost kissed each other and the drinks teetered precariously over the edges. We have a very small table from IKEA from dh's bachelor years we use in the kitchen eating area. Until we graduate from that, we'll just keep it plain pine.
Now for the dining room table, that's always with tablecloths.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Elizabeth
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Jenn,
We had a simple plain pine table from Ikea too. And when it started looking worn, we happening to be tiling our backsplash and well...all that flat surface just called out to me. I tiled the tabletop, too. And I LOVED the look. Made the table really heavy,though. Just thought I'd throw that in since you're in a tiling mode.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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JennGM
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Elizabeth wrote:
Jenn,
We had a simple plain pine table from Ikea too. And when it started looking worn, we happening to be tiling our backsplash and well...all that flat surface just called out to me. I tiled the tabletop, too. And I LOVED the look. Made the table really heavy,though. Just thought I'd throw that in since you're in a tiling mode. |
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Love it!!! It's amazing how much "other" stuff starts getting done with the house in order. Now to get the budget and drawing plans approved by the home owner.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Family in Feast and Feria
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Placemats or tablecloths?
