marytara's Full Review: Neat Solutions Table Topper Ttp08
My 15 month son has declared a ban on all silverware, plates, bowls, etc and has made his preference for eating like a little barbarian known. In all seriousness, he's doing a great job at self-feeding and his independence is quite remarkable. Mind you, we often have to give him a full or partial bath after meal time..But, messes are half the fun and are to be expected. Self feeding in this messy manner is all well and good at home, but what's to do when you are out and about?
Will a simple fly away paper menu mat hold the mess?
No, of course not. It will land on the floor within just a few seconds of being seated.
So, can you "trust" the table surface out at a restaurant? Be it McDonalds, or a 5-star place.. The answer is- No, of course.
Have you ever seen the rag that the wait-staff uses to wipe the tables?
Disgusting... You wouldn't eat off that table, so why expect your child to?
...Table Toppers To The Rescue
If you have not yet tried Table Toppers by Neat Solutions, I encourage you to do so now. Basically, a Table Topper is a plastic place mat that is made to be disposable. These are such a neat idea! So, it was no surprise to me to read that this product is a Mom-Invented one. Why didn't I think of this?
Table Toppers are the same size (approximately 12X15) of a traditional table place mat but fold up neatly into a small package that can be tossed into your diaper bag, glove compartment or purse. The packages have a ziplock seal on them which gives a peace of mind that the Table Toppers remain clean and ready-to-eat off of.
On the bottom side of each Table Topper are 2 adhesive strips sort of like a sticky tape that you can use to secure the Table Topper to your surface. Just simply unpeel the sticky tape backing and adhere the Table Topper to the eating surface. This way your kiddo is eating off of a clean surface and not a grimy table or a high chair tray that you don't know the history of. Table Toppers have given us a major peace of mind.
Table Toppers are sold in packages of 8 and around me sell for $3.99/pk. I first saw these in a Rite Aid flyer a few months ago and picked some up on a whim. They are great. Today I purchased the few remaining packages of Table Toppers that I could find and I'm sure I'll be picking up some more of them in the future.
Table Toppers come in a variety of patterns including:
-Traditional Zoo & Farm
-Sesame Street
-Blues Clues
Not all patterns are available in all the stores. Around us, I usually find the Sesame Street ones at Rite Aid. The Sesame Street package contains 4 toppers with an Elmo ABC/123 pattern and 4 toppers with Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird "Shapes" pattern. Both of these patterns are nice bright colors with friendly characters that kids know and love. A portion of the monies received from purchasing these Sesame Street Table Toppers gets put back into Sesame Street & Sesame Workshop.
If you are looking to purchase Table Toppers check their website for a listing of locations in your area that carry the product. Some stores that sell them include: Rite Aid, Babies 'R Us, Burlington Coat Factory, The Right Start and One Step Ahead as well as online retailers. Some malls also offer these in food courts. I really really wish that Table Toppers become some sort of industry standard, at public places like malls, fast food venues, etc. But, since their availability at this time is not wide-spread its easy to just pick a package of them up and keep them with you.
Neat Solutions also has a program where you can sign up and offer referrals. So, if you are eating out at a restaurant, and someone asks you "where'd you get that?" you can give them the info and if an order is placed you'll get some freebies.
A Few Improvements
If I could make a slight design change to Table Toppers, I would add the adhesive strips to all 4 sides of the underside of the mat instead of just the top and bottom. This would make it more secure and less apt to get ripped off the table as toddlers are known to do.
I'd also like to see them sold in packages of more than 8 per package and if they were purchased in a larger quantity if there would be any cost savings, of course. I saw mention to a 20 pk., but haven't been able to find them sold locally in this quantity. Of course, I'd love to see coupons for Table Toppers as well.
I'll continue to buy this product until I see them implemented in all public eating places. Table Toppers are far superior to paper mats that are currently the industry standard, but I anticipate that they will soon be a common place item like disposable bibs have become. At least I hope so!
For More info
http://www.tabletopper.com/
http://www.sesamestreet.com
http://www.neatsolutions.com
Sticks in place with adhesive strips. Perfect for Restaurants. 6 x 9 Zip-lock Travel Packs fit conveniently in mom's diaper bag. Available in 8 & 20 c...More at eCOST.com
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