I can't eat a meal at home unless I have a table setting. Nothing fancy: fabric placemat, napkin (linen or paper-I'm not picky), cutlery and whatever I am drinking. It makes me feel more in tune with my meal and ensures that I am not rushing through the eating of it. I do this for breakfast, lunch and dinner and it doesn't matter if I'm dining solo or with the rest of my family; it's something that I always do.

I enjoy a full dinner experience so I do the works, flowers are optional but there's a tablecloth already on the table as well as candles. I do cheat and get the the boyfriend to set the rest since I make dinner. It's an incentive to not go out and spend more money, we tend eat to slower as well.

I suppose if you're cooking for one or two then it might not be worth it but not setting at least cutlery and glasses out for a family causes minor chaos.

I ticked the second box but I always have a tablecloth on my table (it hides it's ugliness).

Cooking is one of the things that most relieves my stress, so most of the time i focus on having a meal at the table (not in front of my computer or the TV), with a place setting and a cloth napkin. When I'm really stressed (finals), I put a little more effort into it - I'll warm my plate in the oven, have multiple forks, pick some flowers, drink a cup of coffee after, etc. Compared to shoveling a lean cuisine down my throat during a 15 minute library break, it really makes a difference.

I always do candles--habit picked up from childhood. And now cloth napkins. Especially nice when alone, as it feels more like an occasion. But really, it's the candle that creates the focus you need.

We don't eat family style, so I don't put out plates before we sit down. But I do set out the napkins, flatware and glasses, usually with a placemat, before serving. I did tick the first option, though, since a stranger would look at the state of my table when I call my husband to dinner and likely wouldn't consider it "set".

We always have placemats, cloth napkins, one of another kind of china, glassware, utensils, candles, salt and pepper. I was raised that you don't put containers food came in on the table mayo, mustard, etc.), so I still transfer enough for the meal to small bowls (We always put chips in bowls as well--I can't stand eating out of packaging). It's what we've always done (even for the many years we didn't have a dishwasher), and it doesn't seem like much work, although people are sometimes surprised that with only my husband and I we do a "set table" thing.

I keep placemats, candles, and some sort of centerpie (be it candles, cake keeper, or bowl of fruit) on the table at all times. Food is plated in the kitchen and brought to the table when it's time to eat.

People eat at tables?

I usually do the plates, cutlery, glasses trick. But sometimes I really like to bust out all the serving ware. If I'm eating by my lonesome, I will usually eat in front of the TV. I don't mind it though.

I've found that if I set the table with the basics -- plates, placemats, wine and water glasses -- then hubby and I tend to eat slower, we have more conversation, and I think we enjoy the experience more. If we just grab plates out of the cabinet and get our own glasses and silverware, we usually end up on the couch. Which isn't a bad thing, and sometimes it's just right. But 'setting the table' does do nice things in our little home.

I'm somewhere in between "just plates" and "the whole shebang." I always have a tablecloth or place mats down because I love my (teak) table and don't want to ruin it. We always, always, always use cloth napkins--I can't stand using paper on my face. Then a water glass, wine glass, and silverware.

Trying to set a good example for the kiddies, we use placemats, cloth napkins, flatware, plates, drinking glasses and flowers. We only use candles on Friday night. I do the place settings in the morning after breakfast and right before we leave for school and put 2 dishtowels over the settings, which keeps the dining room table from being used as the homework station.

Always set the table. I don't necessarily cut fresh flowers every day for the dinner table, but I do think it's important to use dinner as a rest time/family time. Growing up, my family always ate dinner together and it was important that it was a nicely set table and we all maintained good manners. Eating any other way makes me feel primitive...

We got into the habit in the winter of eating in front of the TV (it's the only room it was warm enough to be in as our heating is almost non-existant) so we need to get back to eating at the table now it's warmer.

At my MIL's house, we always set the table with everything including side plates, wine glasses, several settings of cutlery etc and I love that routine and the promise that it brings of a good meal with plenty of courses and good conversation to come.

It is also a very easy chore which I can do without being asked and feel like I'm contributing to dinner :-)

Table? What table? We don't have room for a full dining room table and chairs, so we just bring out forks, dinner, and a nalgene, and eat at the coffee table. We are high class.

When I was single I never set the table. Hell, I barely ate at the table.

But then I got married, and wanted to establish a routine like we'd both had growing up... coming home and eating at the table. I just do place mats, the everyday plates (Fiesta) and the everyday flatware. Everyday glassware too, although the husband will usually just drink Diet Coke from the can.

Every once in a while we'll have pizza in front of the TV. We've only used the fancy china and crystal once, when we got them as wedding presents and were all excited about them. For now I have them stored in my guest room. :)

I was responsible for setting the table when I was growing up too. I remember having fun coming up with new ways to fold the napkins.

Like many of the others, our table is close but not quite up to 'the works.' We always have a tablecloth and candles on the table, and a bowl of fruit. But flowers definitely don't fit on our tiny table along with the food, so we skip that, and we re-use our cloth napkins, so they don't seem fancy. If I make a slightly more complicated dish, I usually try to honor it with the nicer serving pieces and maybe some of the nicer china. Greens on toast just gets a regular plate.

Having a table to sit down and enjoy a meal at is one of the end of day pleasures I look forward to most. Cooking is one of the most relaxing things to do at the end of the day and something I like to get the whole family involved in. My daughter (at 3 yrs old) already knows and loves setting the table. We sit at the table with placemats, glasses, a carafe of water, always have fresh flowers and usually light the candles. Its the best way for us all to reconnect.