Hi there - just picked up the link to this site from the Yahoo B-LW page. As a mother of a 6.5 month old who's in the early stages of B-LW, it's really great to read about other's experiences. Just a thought re mess factor - how about using the waterproof tablecloth material you can buy by the metre from cheapo shops such as Dunelm. Should stand up to the rigours of B-LW.