Paper Towel Update

The paper towel challenge has gone splendidly! In fact it's gone so well, we're adding another challenge. Cloth napkins! Now, let me begin with the fact that in the past, I've had thoughts about people who use cloth napkins on a daily basis. Formal dinner parties, special occasions, etc. are normal times to pull out the cloth, but every day? Really now!

But, I couldn't get the thought out of my head. I tried every avenue to dismiss the idea. Germs...if you use cloth napkins, more than once, how do you know you're wiping your mouth on the same napkin you used for the previous meal? An initial written on the tag of the napkin solves that problem. Cost factor...if you are going to wash the napkins fairly often, which is a must, how can you justify the cost of buying a supply? That problem has also been solved. It came to me the other morning...out of the blue. When I was a distributor for Homemade Gourmet, I earned a lot of perks and would often receive fun "stuff" in the mail. One such item was a pack of red and white gingham cloth napkins. They have been packed in a bin with the other items from the business ever since moving to Kansas. I went to the basement to investigate and found not one, but 5 packs of gingham cloth napkins!
So, I didn't need to buy any to find out if we could make this change. It's been several days now and it appears to be working. (One of our daughters, who I won't name, but is nearing my height, has made the comment that it takes her longer now to set the table because she has to check the napkin tags for initials...but I'm pretty sure she's going to survive!)
I have made the executive decision that I'll have paper napkins on hand for when we have company or when we're having a formal dinner party! :)