Hopping on the Cloth Napkin Band Wagon

Is there a Band Wagon for cloth napkin users? I'm not sure. But if there were, I'd be jumping on the back. And this is a big step for me, because I am a lover of the paper towel. They're so easy and convenient. You can make a seriously big mess, wipe it up with some paper towels, and just throw them away. And with three kids we have a lot of messes that I am happy to clean up this way (Read: pee and milk).
So my crunchier friends (you know, granola crunchier, I'm sure you have one or two in your life) have been using cloth napkins for a while and I just never thought I wanted to contend with the hassle of using them and then having to launder them. Much less find room for them in my linen cupboard where I can get to them easily. And this used to be pretty high up there on the scale of eco-friendly things that just seemed like too much of a life adjustment for me to actually do; kinda like cloth diapers and making my own wipes: great ideas for those more crunchy than I.
Turns out all I needed was a little marketing. Cloth napkins for spring are super cute! They have nice patterns and bright colors. And what's even better is one of my favorite stores, World Market has a pretty big selection of cloth napkins ON CLEARANCE! You can get 4-6 napkins for a fraction of the cost (like 4.99 as opposed to 9.99) and they are also very cute. I found these great striped napkins pictured below for 4.99 for a set of four. Then I found the polka dots for 1.48 a piece. When I went to checkout, the cashier told me that if I registered for occasional emails I could get a 10% couon for signing up. So I can go back and even save another 10%. I am thinking about getting a few more sets so I won't have to do frequent laundry, and I'll have enough to do one complete load of linens and be done.
If you don't have a World Market in your area, fret not! Go to World Market.com and use code WELCOME2009 at checkout and get the 10% off your online order. They also have a ton of clearance textiles on their website if you don't mind paying the shipping.
I still intend to keep a roll or two of paper towels around for the every day damage control of raising toddlers, but now we use cloth at lunch and dinner. I keep them in a basket on my counter where they are in easy reach and my 4 year old can help set the table by putting a napkin at every spot. I just ran my first load of laundry with them, so we'll see how that turns out. I think it will also help everyone learn good table manners by putting their napkin on their lap when they are seated to eat. Now if everyone will just pick them up and use them, we'll be in business!