Going Out Placemat

This is an idea that I actually submitted to a parenting magazine and I was truly surprised when they didn't use it. That's how smart I think it is!

You know when your child is small and when you go out to eat you are still feeding them Cheerios or other finger foods? You don't want to request a plate for them because you know where it will go - on the floor! (Or in the case of this picture, it was just good to have under his plate so when he spilled he could still eat his food.)

I had heard of placemats with suction cups that you could take with you when you went out to eat at restaurants, but was never able to find any. So, I came up with my own, very inexpensive solution. I went to the dollar store and bought a cute roll of shelf liner. It's smooth on the top and can easily be wiped off, but grippy on the bottom so it won't move around on the table. Out of one roll I made 3 mats. And one of the best parts is that you can roll them up small and just carry them along in your bag!