Handy little tip

So one of my very smart friends recently solved a problem I had been mulling over for the last 6 months or so.

Or, I should say, I had actually solved the problem but was waiting for my hubby to carry out the solution. (And waiting, and waiting.)

Maybe I should tell you what I am talking about.

My parents had a gorgeous table that I coveted for many years. It is a nice big table with two leafs (leaves?) that is very old and pretty. I always told my mom that when she died, she better leave me the table in her will. Well, as it worked out, I got to have my table and keep my mom too. (Always a good thing.) When she moved, the table was WAY to big for her space, so I got it.

I love this table. Wait, I already said that. Well I do, and I was worried about the damage the kids would do to it. Four kids eating 3 meals and a few snacks a day can wreak havoc on a kitchen table, add into that all the times you have to wipe it and use cleaner and it can start to look pretty worn. My mom always protected the table when we came to eat with padded table clothes or place mats. I love place mats, but they are just not very fuctional with kids. Unless you use the ugly plastic kind, which are functional but look awful. Anyway, when I got the table, my mom also gave me the padded table cloth along with it. She would usually use it under a pretty table cloth, which I did for special occasions. But washing a table cloth everyday is just not on my list of fun things to do, so I just used the padded table cloth by itself.

It was ugly, had a pattern that trapped food and (though I couldn't see it I knew it was there) bacteria and germs. I bleached the thing often. Also, it was too long for the table without the leaves, so it hung almost to the floor on one side. If any of you know me well, you know that bugged me. A lot.

So I thought the solution was to order a glass top. With a glass top, you could see the pretty table, I could get it clean, and the table would be protected. I asked hubby to measure and order one.

And waited.

And reminded.

And waited.

And then, a marvelously smart friend told me she had seen someone use clear vinyl on their table, and it didn't look to bad. So I headed right over to the fabric store to check it out. I bought the right amount, and we put it on the table tonight.

I should have taken a before picture, but I didn't and I really didn't feel like putting the table cloth back on just for a picture.

It looks so good! I can see my table! We stapled it to the table underneath. I can clean it, it protects the table, if it gets ripped or something we can easily buy more. It saved us about $100 too.

Which is nothing to sneeze at.

So I actually thanked my husband for procrastinating. I am quite sure that will never happen again.