Messy face. Sticky fingers. Wet belly. Sloppy hair.

And let’s not even talk about the floor.

Or let’s DO.

I have spent so much time on my hands and knees cleaning the floor under the high chair. I mean, I don’t want ants or anything. Unless the ants would promise to just take away the food bits and immediately leave the premises and then I totally want ants. But I don’t speak ant and I don’t trust them to honor our agreements.

Anyway.

I checked my favorite store ‘The Internet’ and found all kinds of high chair mats at all price points. Non-plastic, washable ones were anywhere from $15 – $50. For one.

(I should note here that pre-baby I was all about having a pretty house and I have painted and repainted literally every room at least once so I am intimately familiar with the offerings of the Home Depot paint department.)

I bought this 4 foot by 15 foot washable canvas drop cloth from Home Depot for $19.32, and cut it into fourths to make FOUR high chair floor mats. I’m not trying to wash a floor mat every day. I have things to do. Like, um, cut orange slices into thirds and read Good Night, Gorilla one hundred thousand more times.

Someday I might even hem the edges or something. One of the edges is already hemmed, but, um, it came that way. And I bet we can decorate these as a fun craft project when Babystar is older. I’m only half-kidding. They are beautiful just the way they are, especially at only $4.83 each.

How do you keep the food off the floor? Do you have a dog? Should I get a dog? (I should NOT get a dog.) Can I rent a dog for a year or two? Maybe invite one over every evening for a snack??

RAISING BABYSTAR: $11,476.13