All posts by Lisa Sledge

Our “Momtrepreneur” Story

 Soooo…..I know you have all been DYING to know how Tabletop Truths came to be!  🙂  No really, we put this bio together for a podcast we did last year and thought it would be fun to share our story.  Sometimes when we really stop and take the time to reflect back and see where we were and where the Lord has brought us in our different endeavors, HIS FAITHFULNESS and GOODNESS are highlighted! This is what happened when synthesized our story….It was so rewarding to write this out and in the process give HIM glory for the great things HE has done in our lives, our friendship and through Tabletop Truths!   Hope you enjoy…..  (BTW, Sara is not a huge fan of the word “Momtrepreneur,”  which of course means that is what I’m titling this post!  Love you, Sara!!)

We (Lisa & Sara) have been friends since our early newlywed days (circa 2001) where we co-founded (or attempted to) a social group/dinner club called “MASK,” Married and Still Kool….not surprisingly, the 2 of us and our husbands were the only ones that caught the vision and joined! Those other couples seriously missed out! So began our friendship solidified by nights of the 4 of us playing tennis, spades, eating DiGiorno pizzas and watching the first season of Survivor religiously from the Moffitt’s little (now shady!) apartment.  We were instant friends and quickly discovered our love for Jesus, decorating, creating and all things artsy. We even bonded over 6am Tae Bo workouts…well, that was our intention, anyways!!

Our first business endeavor together was to start  a (short lived) home decorating business  “Inside Out Interiors” (with nifty business cards self-made on Publisher!) It really only lasted through our first 2 projects, one of which was our hairdresser’s salon (picture Steel Magnolias here) who let us do a weekend transformation of her entire salon! (This was even Pre-HG TV days!) Our husbands were troopers and painted with us all weekend!    It was definitely worth it is as we were compensated with free foil jobs for a full year (definitely better than cash!) Our second (and I think final) job was for our dear friend Carolyn who gave us free reign in her kitchen re-do.  Thankfully her kitchen underwent a second remodel in 2013 and was freed of the lovely “Roosters on French Chairs” border that we had so thoughtfully selected at Lowe’s! While we didn’t pick up any more clients, those two jobs provided us a space to learn to work together, appreciate each other’s strengths, tolerate each other’s weaknesses and learn to communicate well!  We now see how that time was critical in forming a deeper, trusting friendship. 

DO you note the pattern here though?? MASK Social Group, Short lived Tae Bo workouts, Interior Design Business…we are great at coming up with ideas and STARTING….oh but it’s the FINISHING…not so much our strength!

Sooooo….fast forward about 8 years.  At this point we had 5 kids between us and a little different perspective.  Caught in the daily tasks of mere survival with young kiddos our “mom-trepreneurial” spirits had been put on the backburner.  Until one day while Lisa was observing her 4 year old daughter recite the Presidents from her plastic Wal-Mart placemat, she had an idea!! If my kids can learn the presidents from a placemat, surely they can learn more important SPIRITUAL things too!”  We had both been struggling with fitting in meaningful conversations and more often than not “planned family devos” didn’t ever seem to go as planned!!  Our kids were still young enough that they were still sitting at the kitchen table for meals, coloring or play dough a couple of times a day.  We instantly saw this as an opportunity from the Lord to resurrect our creative gifts and combine them with God’s Word and our desire to teach it to our kids.

In the summer of 2010 we drug out our scrapbooking paper (note: neither of us have ever made a single scrapbook,) scissors, glue, yarn, & ribbon and got to work on our handmade placemat designs!  We thought long and hard about what specific Biblical fundamentals we wanted to equip our kids with.   Our original plan was to create 4 placemats: Armor of God, Creation Story, Attributes of God, and Fruit of the Spirit.  But we just couldn’t stop and kept adding to the collection!  Now we have over 25 different placemats that teach kids key Biblical Doctrines.  Our hope and prayer is that through simple, colorful visuals kids will develop a strong foundation and ultimately a love of God’s Word. (All while helping families have quality time and conversation around the dinner table!)

Not being the “Develop a Business Plan” types we really hadn’t thought much about where the Lord would take us.  We just knew we had a product that we believed in and wanted to share.  We had an Aggie friend create a super simple blog and shopping site for us and we signed up for a few Jr. League Christmas shows and things took off.   We were overwhelmed at the response and humbled that the Lord was blessing our efforts.  We continually thank Him for his kindness to give us an opportunity to use the gifts He has given us to spread His Word in such a fun way!

While we have received much affirmation from the parents and families who have purchased and used our placemats, the Lord has also given us some unique missional opportunities: donating mats to be used in orphanages in Africa, inner city ministry, pregnancy outreach centers and various churches.  Each time we visit the post office and ship out our mats we pray for the recipients and are humbled that we so literally get to SEND OUT God’s Word. 

It has been 5 years and we are still in operation (It’s a miracle!)  While business is steady it isn’t as booming as it could be given the facts that we now have 7 kids ages 1-14 between us, travelling husbands, and a lack of marketing and social media savvy. (We JUST got Instagram a couple of months ago!) #alittlelatetothegame 🙂 We continue to be content with the Lord’s blessings and HIS timing of growing our business.  Most recently He has showed us that His plans for Tabletop Truths are even greater than ours.  He has provided us with the gift of our first “employee.”  She is a dear family friend (who Sara also had the privilege of teaching in the 5th and 6th grade.) Our precious Emily is 25 and has Autism.  Her strengths and skills are a perfect match for our placemat making assembly line and she is delightful to spend time with!  Mornings spent with the 3 of us laminating, singing Taylor Swift and drinking coffee are truly a JOY! We are excited to see if the Lord opens up future opportunities to employ/reach out to other friends with disabilities. 

Our time spent building Tabletop Truths has been integral in our friendship and our walks with the Lord.  We have contemplated deep spiritual questions and solved many of the world’s problems during evenings crafting new designs and in the many hours we have spent hunched over a laminator!  (Sometimes we wonder if we are going to get cancer or a rare disease from inhaling melted plastic while we laminate…but hey, it’s for the Gospel, right!?!)  God has showed us his faithfulness each and every step of the way.  We pray that we will always take seriously the privilege and gift of sharing God’s Word with others!

Thank you for taking the time to read!  We are blessed by you all as customers, supporters and friends!  We’d love to hear your story too!  Any other “Momtrepreneurs” want to share? 🙂

“Truths to GO” Lunchbox Cards

Ya’ll!!  We have TWO big announcements to make!!  No, nobody is pregnant!

First, we have an exciting new product to let ya’ll know about. We have taken 10 of our most popular placemat designs and put them in a “to go” package! This set of 10 3X5 laminated cards is sure to be a great way to share Truth with your kids even when they aren’t at home! Each card has a blank back with a border providing space for you to write a quick note of encouragement for your child. These can be put in lunch boxes, overnight bags, or even on a bathroom mirror. Littles can even play with them as bright visual flashcards to memorize Truth. The possibilities are endless. Sets come in “Boy” or “Girl” versions. Cards include Armor of God, Fruit of the Spirit, Identity in Christ and other popular designs. These make a great gift! They come tied up with tulle and include a dry erase marker and sell for $12!  We hope you make your way to the website and check them out!

Our second announcement is that we finally got our facebook issues fixed.  For years we have been blocked from sharing our website on facebook.  We have been working on getting this fixed and for the first time last night, we were able to share a link to our website!  Now you can share our site with your friends much more easily!

Start thinking about your Christmas shopping list!  Our placemats make great gifts and are super easy to ship.  We will even ship them for you with a personalized gift tag!

 

Attributes of God…now and through the Fall!

Sorry for the tardiness of our August post…the last in a 3-part series emphasizing one of our placemats each month of Summer!  We hope you have enjoyed learning about the Armor of God and the names of Jesus in June and July.  Please do share with us any little victories you or your kiddos had while working on these concepts.  We love REAL stories! Well, now it’s August and a mixture of emotions with summer nearing its end is upon us….sadness for the cessation of “carefree-ness”, staying in PJs, lazy days at the pool and counting swimming as “bathing”…and yet THRILLED for the institution of routine, order, and predictability that we as moms and even our children (though they might not admit) CRAVE!  School supply shopping, new backpacks and tennis shoes,  and signing up for extra curricular activities fill our August “TO DO” lists…all while trying to squeeze in that last summer playdate, one more weekend beach trip, and a few more visits to the snow cone stand.  Sooooo…..maybe this month wasn’t the best to pick to study ALL of the Attributes of God.  But, no worries…its a great time to START them!Attributes of God (Front) The Attributes of God mat was the first placemat we made and we really believe that learning these truths about God’s character are foundational to our kid’s spiritual growth.  If they KNOW that God is sovereign, they can rest in his plan. If they KNOW that God is OMNIPRESENT they understand He is always with them.  If they KNOW He is JUST they can relax when things aren’t “fair.”  And the list goes on… Understanding the essence of God will give our kids a new set of lenses through which to see God and How he interacts with the world. What if you take the next several months and choose an attribute each week to focus on? First, drill your kids learn the word and the picture/visual that goes with it so they will have it stored away in their memory. Suggestions: Have your kids draw larger versions of each symbol on typing paper and hang them in common areas around the house.  Make a memory game with the symbols and when they get a match they have to yell out that attribute.  Have them make up a hand motion/movement to remind them of each attribute. Next, make sure they understand what exactly those big attribute words mean!  Yes, 5 year olds can learn “omnipotent!”  Suggestions: Talk about certain situations that they have seen each attribute of God at work or when they have had to trust God based on one of his attributes.  Reference different Bible stories that illustrate a specific attribute. (God showed his OMNIPOTENCE when he calmed the storm.) Every time you introduce a new attribute, review the one(s) from the previous week. Repetition is the key! There are some great resources out there to enhance teaching these attributes.  I thought this one had some fantastic ideas and object lessons. So, yes, August is crazy…but what are you waiting for? Grab one more popsicle with your kids and make a plan to tackle all of the attributes in the next couple of months.  What a wonderful tool to put in their belts! Blessings to each of you and yours as you enjoy the last days of summer.  

JULY: Names of Jesus

Jesus Is (Front)June has passed quickly in our house!  We were able to focus on the Armor of God for about 2 weeks and the boys really got into it.  I loved having a plan and sticking with it.  The boys knew we would be talking about the Armor of God each morning as they pulled their placemats out for breakfast.  It was a great way for me to feed them truth before our day got started.  What I really loved is that I could refer back to the Armor and it’s pieces throughout our day.  I tried to catch them and ask them what part of the Armor they needed or could be using in their day, and for different activities or interactions with others.  I felt less scattered, pulling from different lessons, and much more focused in on one concept.  We pray you all enjoyed having a plan for June and look forward to July and a new focus!  Well, it’s time to put away your Armor mats and pull out the Jesus Is mats! 

We love this mat because it is all about the names of Jesus and it appeals to all ages.  While older kids can use and learn from all of the mats, this mat seems to really catch the eyes of our younger kids too.  We have seen kids as young as 2 be able to tell the names of Jesus using the pictures of this mat. 

There is a lot of good information on the “Jesus Is” card, which defines each name/image of Jesus and gives a couple of questions to go along with each image/name.  We would encourage you to take one name and focus on it for three days.  There are 10 images/names, so that allows about 3 days per name for the month of July.  If you have younger kids, focus on just getting them to learn the name and what it means.  You can have them draw their own version of the name or act it out.  The awesome thing about these names of Jesus is that our kids see them in their everyday lives for the most part.  You can look up pictures of lambs and lions, you can talk all about doors when running errands, you can make bread for the Bread of Life, you can read about shepherds and how difficult their jobs really were, you can make a crown for a king, you can eat a platter of grapes and examine how the grapes grow on the vine, you can light a candle in a dark closet and see what happen, you can let them play with water (that’s an easy one in the summer, huh?) to show the Living Water, you can spend time talking about what it means to save someone and what He saved us from.  The possibilities are endless.  Remember, the more repetition they have, the more God’s truth is planted in their hearts and minds. 

To reinforce the names, images, and meanings for Jesus, you can make a memory game.  You can use the 10 images and do a memory match game for the little ones.  For your older kids, put the 10 images on one card and the meanings on other cards, and have them match the image with the meaning. 

For your older kids, it would be fun to have them to a little extra digging in their Bibles and challenge them to find more names of Jesus.  Maybe have another contest and reward the one who finds the most!

And remember, just have fun with it!  The more they see us having fun learning about God’s Word, the more they will want to too!  It doesn’t have to be complicated, just consistent.  By learning the names of Jesus more in depth, your kids will be learning about their Savior more, and what’s not to love about that!

Happy “Jesus Is” JULY!!

Sara

JUNE: Armor of God

Okay, so summer is here and we want to help you have some intentional time with your kids!  Let’s focus on the ARMOR OF GOD this month! 

Armor of God (Front)

(Remember you can purchase the 3 “Summer Plan” mats: Armor of God, Jesus is…, and Attributes of God through June 30 for only $6.00 each using code SUMMER.)

ARMOR of GOD (Ephesians 6:10-17) Teaching kids the Armor of God is one of our favorite lessons because it is so tangible and instantly applicable.  Here are some ideas for you…

1. Use the “Armor of God” placemat daily for the month of June to keep the truth in front of them.  Choose one piece a day (or every few days) to talk about.  Ex: Today is “Sword of the Spirit Day.” Discuss all of the different times during that day that you can/should use that particular piece of armor.  What happens if you don’t put on that piece of armor? Each new day (or every few days), choose a new piece and review the pieces you have already learned.  Keep the dialogue going throughout the day. 

2. Make your own armor!!  Let the kids creativity run wild here!  Provide posterboard, cardboard, paper plates, foil, yarn, sharpies and tape/ glue.  Let them create each piece and label it with a sharpie.  When fully decked out, talk about all of the “worldly things” they are protected from when they wear their Armor of God.  Older kids will enjoy doing this on their own and exercising creativity.  Younger kids may need more assistance (and perhaps a template) to get them going!  Then you can send them out in the backyard to “battle it out!” 🙂

3. Here is a great object lesson that shows the importance of “putting on our armor. ” It’s super easy to do and the message will stick with your kiddos for a long time!  Here is the link: Armor of God Orange object lesson.

Thankfully, we live in the world of Pinterest and Googling and with a quick search we can pull up activities, color sheets and more to use as teaching tools. But don’t get overwhelmed! The thing we want to reitterate though is that CONSISITENCY is better than COMPLEXITY.  Go over the Armor Placemat EVERY DAY this month.  Cover up the labels of each piece with your hand or with a post it note and see if your kids have memorized them.  You will be amazed how quickly they pick them up!

Over at our house we are going to have a little contest to see who can memorize the armor and the function of each piece first.  A bowling date, banana split at Dairy Queen or even $5.00 goes a long way around here!

So we have 28 days left in June…so if you focus on a new piece every 4 days your kiddos can master them!  This is a wild and crazy world our children are growing up in but if we can help ARM them with these TRUTHS they will be ready and equipped to face any challenges that come their way.  We will be praying for your families this month as you help your little soldiers ARMOR UP!  

 

SUMMER Plan!!

It’s the middle of  May!!! That means that most of us have less than 3 weeks until the kids get out for summer break.   For some of you, that statement is met with a ton of excitement….lazy mornings, sleeping in, lots of sunscreen, pool days, popsicles, and quality time with your kids.  For others of you, all you can hear is bickering in the background and, “Mom…I’m so bored”!!!  If I’m going to be truly honest with you, I am feeling a little of each of those extremes!  I still have 2 little ones home full time with me and one in school.  I’m excited to spend more time with him and I’m really excited that he will be here to help out and play with the younger ones who adore him.  But…I can hear the bickering and boredom coming soon! 

It’s around this time every year that I panic and then gather myself and decide that I’m going to come up with the greatest summer plan ever.  Each moment of each day will be accounted for down to the minute and all 3 boys will meet this plan with cheerful, willing spirits and smiles on their faces.  And if I know myself…this plan will be followed for maybe a day and a half and then every fiber of my being will rebel and throw the plan out the window.  I can make the plans…it’s the follow through that needs a little work. 

This summer I’m trying to give myself a little grace and be a little more realistic!  We are going to have some structured times and set activities, but we are also going to have a lot of room for fun and spontaneity!  We are going to do a lot of reading, game playing, ice cream-eating, swimming, creating, and traveling.  And this is where our Tabletop Truths summer plan was born.  Lisa and I were talking about our upcoming summers and the Lord laid it on both of our hearts to not just use our placemats for eating on, but to really focus on one mat per month.  We want to support and encourage each other and YOU to follow through and really teach our kids the amazing Truth that is on our mats!  Because we know, everything is more fun when you have friends along with you!

Here’s our plan: June will be “Armor of God” month, July will be “Jesus Is” month, and August will be the “Attributes of God” month.  We will get out the mats for that month and use them, read the scripture that goes along with the mat, play games with them, and get creative with activities that reinforce the scripture to our kids so we can write God’s word all over their hearts and minds.  We will send out ideas for the month a couple of weeks before we all begin so everyone can be equipped with what they need to be successful.  Remember…we are all about doing this as we go about our days.  It shouldn’t be complicated, just consistent.  To make sure everyone has the mats they need, we will discount the Boy and Girl armor of God, Jesus is, and Attributes of God placemats through June 30!  So order now and get those mats for $6.00 each!  Use code SUMMER.

Be looking for more information to come next week with more ideas and details to get everyone ready for Armor of God month!  We are excited to see how our kids soak up the Truth over the summer…along with a little sun!

Sara

Relishing in “He is Risen!”

SPECIAL on Easter Placemats!

How is it that even with Easter being later this year it still sneaks up on us? Unlike Christmas where we seem to have an entire “season” to celebrate, Easter can come and go quickly without receiving the attention it so deserves!  I find that in our family it sometimes get lost in the midst of baseball season, school projects, spring cleaning and yardwork. I find myself scrambling to get  the Resurrection Eggs out 4 days before Easter and cramming several “lessons” a day in to get finished. We rush through Easter and “check it off the list!”

Yes, my kids can recite “He is Risen” and “He rose on the 3rd day according to the scriptures” but do they really get it?  Do they really understand that the Christmas story that we give so much time to isn’t complete without the grand finale at Easter? It is because of EASTER that we have HOPE! This year my desire is  that over the next 10 days (crud, I’m already behind on the eggs!) that my family and each of yours can take time and  RELISH in the TRUTHS that the Easter account gives us.   We are praying for meaningful conversations and contemplative moments for your families as you dwell on THE STORY that changed everything. 

Grateful for each of you….Lisa

Oh, and enter EASTER SALE in the promo code and get Easter placemats for $6.00 each….a fun addition to your “kid’s table” or great, meaningful Easter basket stuffers…they will encourage “year round” conversations about the Easter Story!Easter (Front)

He is Risen, Indeed!

Stay in touch with Tabletop Truths!

One of our goals for 2014 is to keep in better touch with our customers!  We want to be able to alert you of specials, give you tips of how to best use your placemats and give you a heads up when we have new products.  Will you please take the time to sign up for our email newsletter on our home page.  WE PROMISE we will not flood your inbox with daily emails… (we aren’t that consistent..hahaha!)  Anyone that signs up on our newsletter list (and those that already have) by Feb. 28 will receive a 15% off your entire order code via email.   So please, share with your friends…anyone is eligible! 

Hope everyone’s year is off to a great start.  Don’t forget to SHOW THE LOVE with our “Love/ Valentine’s Day mats” with those kiddos and families in your life!  Order today and we’ll ship ’em right out!

 

Shopping over the Thanksgiving Break? We’ve got a deal for you! TURKEY15

After your tummies are full from feasting and you are curled up on the couch sipping coffee and browsing online, come on over to Tabletop Truths and buy some placemats for the kiddos and families on your list!  Give a fun, unique gift that communicates the TRUTHS of God’s Word in a colorful, catchy way!  Use TURKEY15 to get 15% off your total purchase.  Good until December 2!  We are THANKFUL for all of our faithful customers and supportive friends and family…Happy Thanksgivng!!

New Site! New Mats!

We are so excited to be up and going with our new website!  Little Fish Web Design did a great job and we are so pleased!  If you went to our old site you should have been directed here! 

We are also excited to introduce our newest placemats that came out this Fall.  The Philippians 4:13 “His Strength Mats” are already making their way to the top of the Best Seller list.  Be sure and check them all out                                        

With our new site we are excited to be able to offer special promotions and discount codes.  Be on the lookout for specials throughout this Holiday Season!   Thanks so much for your continued support!

Lisa & sara