fresh + modern ~ personalized placemats

I took a traditional placemat and put a fun + modern spin on it....for both kids AND adults! Let me backtrack a bit...

Almost EVERY NIGHT that I'm cooking dinner, right about the time when things start smelling really good but there's still 10 or 15 minutes of cooking time left....I hear, "Mom...I'm SO HUNGRY! Is dinner ready YET? I'm STARVING, etc. etc.". And then my two littlest ones start congregating in the kitchen looking through the pantry for snacks.... which then requires me to STOP what I'm doing and play snack patrol so they won't spoil their dinner. Does this sound familiar to you??? Ok, thought so.

So, I had a thought.....I need an interesting DISTRACTION, something that will keep them occupied for just a few more minutes until dinner is ready (bingo!)...what about a placemat that they can write and/or draw on to keep them busy?? Even better, have them write or draw about something they did that day so we can TALK ABOUT IT AS A FAMILY at the dinner table (double bingo!). On top of this awesomeness...the front side would be personalized and modern and polka dotty and also serves as guide to teach them how to properly set the table (triple bingo!).


While pondering placemats...I thought...you know? adults would probably like to have a set of modern + personalized placemats too, right? To test my theory, I made a set for one of my best friends, Alison, who just bought her first house (7 minutes away from me, yay!). She liked them, alot,.... and I'm pretty sure she loved the fact that they are completely in line with mine (& her) design aesthetic....simple, clean and modern. I think these would make a super housewarming or shower gift. They are different and fun! (Plus they are also double-sided with a different pattern on each side...so it's like getting two placemats for the price of one).



What do YOU think?