Written by monthly Titus 2 contributor, Mrs. Faye Henry
The family home today is a very busy place. Perhaps both parents are working outside of the home and the children may be involved in extracurricular activities. The trend toward either just eating and running or else setting ourselves in front of some entertainment while we gulp down our food is on the rise.
Let’s consider the importance of getting back to the table:
Dining together provides so many benefits for helping your family grow into the strong loving unit that the Lord intended. It can be a special time daily for you as a family to consider one another. Each day is full of highs and lows and your dinner table can be a place of encouragement and support…A wonderful time of laughing together… It can also be a lovely way of teaching your children manners, etiquette, and even leadership and hospitality skills.
If mama can make at least one meal a day a happy family time then it will prove to be time of blessing and memory making, and well worth the investment of time and effort.
Frugal tips for setting your dinner table:
- In the photo above are two tea towels which were only one dollar each, divided into two place mats and four napkins.
- Cut one tea towel in two for place mats and the other one into four napkins. I did sew the edges but perhaps you don’t really need to…smile…
- The place settings are just thrift store finds.
- Blending the colors can make an attractive but frugal eclectic table.
- Cutting off the two sides of this three dollar vintage table cloth made two table runners, and then I divided the middle into four napkins.
The place settings are two small sets of thrift store vintage dishes blended together to make one large one. We don’t need fancy tables all the time, but it is lovely once in a while to have a special family meal.
One last frugal and decorative tip is to collect vintage silverware. It does not need to match and it will add style to your eclectic table settings! Check my site HERE for a green and frugal way to clean your silverware.
Children can help make meal times special by helping mama with the preparations. Helping to cook the food and setting the table can be fun and creative; girls might like to create a centerpiece, and boys can fill water glasses and arrange the chairs or cutlery.
Then, as a family sit down together, holding hands and thanking the Lord for the blessings of food and fellowship.
Remember, sweet mamas, that these lovely days of family pass all too quickly… let’s count our blessings and head back to the table!
Mrs. Faye Henry has been married to her sweetheart for over 41 years and together they own a lovely shop in New Brunswick, Canada. She also leads many young ladies, wives, and mothers in “Keepers of the Home” classes that she facilitates in the local community. She has a heart for mentoring younger women and fulfilling the Titus 2 mandate! Won’t you pop over and visit Mrs. Henry at The Blessed Hearth? Pour yourself a nice hot cup of tea and stay for awhile. The fire is lit and burning brightly and the candles smell heavenly. Biscuits are in the oven…
Join our conversations on Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
How lovely 🙂
Wonderful . I follow Faye on her beautiful blog ! There is just Papa and I now and I try to have supper and breakfast at our kitchen table at least twice a week ! When we have our kids here we always have suppers at the kitchen table and breakfasts ! A wonderful post and photos here ! Have a lovely day !
Another wonderful and lovely post by our dear Faye Henry.
Wonderful post…wise words…beautiful table settings…thanks for sharing…blessings
This is beautiful. If we could only realize that this message is so true. We have always taken our meals together as a family and it is fun and rewarding. I know life gets busy, but as often as you can, be together at meal time. You will reap rewards you never thought possible. Will look forward to your next writing. God blesss.
Our kids have been known to help with the setting of the table as well as meal preparing the meals. I am getting better at just getting them in the kitchen with me. They help with dishes and the like too. Homeschooling is great because it’s not abnormal for us to be around each other while doing normal day to day tasks. *smile* We eat most all our meals together. Though there are times we have a “fun” meal while watching a fun movie or cartoon, but in general we are at the table together. *smile* Have a blessed day and thanks for reminding me about making the table pretty. I tend to forget to do that. I suppose with something being spilled or on the table at each meal I don’t worry too much about it, but it still looks nice to I may work at that a bit more. *smile* Have a blessed day and thanks for the encouragement. Sincerely, Mommy of two little blessings & so much more!
What a wonderful way for a mama to show her family that they are her 1st priority… making it beautiful for a feast of love, appreciation and gratitude… Thankful for my blessings… This was wonderful, and well needed today… Thank you
Lovely place settings Faye! IT is so important to try to eat together… even if it is only something simple- food isn’t the focus, it’s the fellowship that counts!
I love these ideas for making place mats, napkins and runners. The blue and white china is very pretty. Great post. Blessings, Pamela
Very wise advice for any family, Faye…
And thank you for sharing pictures of your beautiful table settings with us!
The pictures are lovely and inspiring. I try to make a special setting when we have a celebration and could do better for day to day meals, but mostly I try to put most of my effort into the food (I bet you have lovely food pictures too – maybe another post?) Some days the pot just goes on the table, but other days I try to have a nicer looking table! If I get too fancy my family asks ‘do we have company coming?’ The real important thing is in having the family together, and sharing mealtime together has more value than most people realize. My son has written about this in his new book (shameless plug!) The Christian Philosophy of Food (http://www.thechristianphilosophyoffood.com/p/book_13.html)
Beautiful ideas! I try to make it as pretty as possible. Let’s face it- Everyone enjoys eating a meal at a nicely set table with lit candles, even if company isn’t coming. I’m going to an upscale community garage sale this weekend and now have some ideas I want to hunt for. I love the idea of cutting placemats out of tea towels and the table runners are beautiful as well as the china.
I also follow Faye on her blog & am always inspired by her creativity! God has blessed this sweet dear lady with such a gift. So glad she has felt to share with us younger “keepers of the home” thru monthly meetings, so many ideas on how to keep our families strong. One thing for certain in todays society is that a lot of us younger women are often guilty (myself included) of not making a point to have the family sit together as a family during meal time. Whether it be because of business, sickness or just plain out of the habit. I strive for this at least once a day and find it so nice when we can. It truly does bring the family unit closer as we sit & share on our day. We never get thru a meal time that laughter isn’t included by some funny little tidbit of information that our 4 year old shares or just a sweet little grin from our baby girl. Thanks once again Faye for giving us some insight on frugal ways to make our tables pretty & making meal time together as a family seem even more special!
Love the idea of this, but here’s my issue–I feel like dinner times are always crazy. Often my husband works late so it’s me and the three kiddos and they can’t quite seem to master the art of conversation, eating, and not falling out of their chairs simulateously. I’ve been putting on a story tape and that seems to help, but any tips on training kids in how to have peaceful meals?
Hello Charity… Thank you so much for your comment… Now, to try and answer your question.. smile..
I know what you mean when you have 3 children and your hubby is working.. I remember many meals like that.. smile..
I think the answer is in the word TRAINING… This alas takes time.. Sometimes when your children are really small it can be complicated but as they grow and mature they improve , of course..
Perhaps, you could encourage the older child to help the younger ones and feel a sense of responsibility in helping mama… Conversation with wee ones can be complicated but if you can at least sit together and gain as you go… Using their napkins and such can be turned into a game of learning…Dessert is a happy ending and can be used to encourage them to do well..
I hope this helps you a bit my dear… I do remember the spilled food and the crying babies and the child slipping off the chair but this passes very quickly and you will find that they will slowly mature and you will enjoy your mealtimes… Just hang on… grin…
I enjoyed this post. Eating together sitting down at the table is a mothering practice of mine. I enjoyed your tablescaping. This is something that is important to me, too, as it creates an atmosphere that sanctifies the time and can be done easily with a few stock items. Many of my cloth napkins are from resale shops or flea markets. My three sons, of course, always look forward to dinner time, but there is greater anticipation when the table is decked out whether formal or casual. I write more about this mother practice here http://inhisrest.com/2012/02/a-mothering-practice-celebrate-good-times/
Thanks again for the post.