Over the past year, mealtimes have gone either one way or the other. We either enjoy it or we don’t. I guess that’s just what happens when you have a toddler! At one point in our move, we didn’t even have a table to sit at so mealtimes consisted of the family sitting at the counter top to have dinner. I have always been a firm believer of having mealtime together and we wouldn’t have been able to make that possible without Raymour and Flanigan. With having a little one at home, I started searching for quality products that will last us a lifetime. We purchased our dining room table from Raymour and Flanigan and knew we wanted to furnish our eat in kitchen with a table from them too! So, today I’ve teamed up with Raymour and Flanigan to share our amazing custom table and the three mealtime tips that I have found that have worked best for us and our family!
As many of you know our home has been a work in progress since we purchased it last May. There are still many things that need to be done. Corners that need to be decorated and trim that needs to be painted but we have made it our own little space that we are growing into each and every day. When it came to designing our kitchen, we knew we needed lots of space. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Whether it is catching up over our morning coffee, entertaining our friends and family, or sitting down for dinner. We had a sizable corner that we wanted to add the perfect table to so we stopped by our local Raymour & Flanigan to browse their selection! You can browse everything from dining sets to bedding here!
As we went through each of the show rooms, we noticed that there might not be something that would fit our needs exactly. We had something very specific in mind. We wanted a counter top height table that would fit our light and airy décor! There are so many options that you can shop here. That was when our wonderful associate mentioned that we would be able to design our own! We were thrilled when we were shown our options and given the size of the space we had we were even able to create a table that would fit into the corner perfectly. We picked distressed wood on the top and also on our chairs. We were able to choose all of the details on the table and loved how it turned out and looks in our space!
Some of the amazing things that Raymour and Flanigan provides to their customers are free shipping, delivery in 3 days or less, and customization. Customization played a major role in this project and it worked out perfectly! They have stylish pieces that will fit any décor as well! You can check out some of their amazing countertop dining options here!
This corner is actually quite possibly my favorite corner in the home. Across from it we have our built in wine bar and shelves and we also have the most beautiful south and west facing windows. I have succulents and herbs growing in these windows and it makes the perfect corner for all of us to gather in! Now, time for my three toddler mealtime tips!
Three Toddler Mealtime Tips
- Make their favorite meal – Cameron’s current favorite things to eat are chicken nuggets and fruit. He loves all sorts of fruit so in order or make our mealtime enjoyable, I always will make him something I know he will eat. If it is dinner time and we are all sitting down to eat, I will heat up a few of his favorite things and then throw some of what we are eating on his plate as well. If he gives it a try, we count it as a win! If not we try again another day.
- Sit down to eat with them and focus on them – I like to put all distractions away. I will put my phone away, shut the tv off, and put his kindle away. Sometimes I will leave some music on so we can sing and dance together but I like to fully focus on him. One thing I like to remember is that he is a toddler and he will make a mess. I want him to know that it is okay to touch his food and not be afraid to make a mess, so during mealtime I will wait to clean anything up until he tells me he is all done. Sometimes it can be hard not to run over and grab some wipes but I have found that mealtime goes better for us if we wait!
- Play games and chat while they eat – Although Cameron can’t quite tell me how his day went just yet, I like to ask him yes or no questions to promote his speech. Sometimes he will tell me yes or no and sometimes he will start telling me about all of his basketballs! Either way, I love chatting with him whatever it is about. Sometimes we play a few games. We will stack our hands and laugh and giggle! I love being able to sit with him at our Raymour and Flanigan table and enjoy the time together!
*Thank you to Raymour & Flanigan for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*