I just asked my husband the other day, "Do you know what the best part about having company stay with us is?" My husband knows me well - he replied, "Having a clean house."

YES! A clean house! That is what I've got. YAY! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE having a clean house. Everything is in its place (or stuffed somewhere.)

My house may be a wreck MOST of the time, but my guests would never guess it in a million years. When I have company stay with me the counters are always clean and clear (even the dish rack is put away.) The carpets vacuumed, the floors clean and shiny. The pictures dusted. The beds made. The pillows fluffed. The toys put away. The laundry clean and folded AND put neatly in the drawers. There is white wine chilling in the fridge, a Merlot on the wine rack. Wonderful meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Appetizers. Desserts. Snacks. Fresh fruit. Lots of choices for beverages. All complete with lovely background music.

I LOVE having company. I love being a hostess. My grandmother used to call me the hostess with the mostess when I was a child. I would go around to all her friends and ask them if I could fix them a drink. A drink drink. I loved carrying around trays of goodies to serve and offering to take their plates when they were finished. I still like to serve others. I love it.

I LOVE having a beautiful home that is CLEAN and comfortable.

Now that everyone is gone I am very susceptible to going back to my 'usual' habits of NOT putting stuff back after I get it out. And letting laundry pile up. And NOT cleaning up the kitchen after every meal. And Not sweeping the floors every day or so. And letting dust collect on surfaces. And allowing an ugly ring to form in the toilet.

I want to change! I need to change.

I have already done the hard work - hours and hours of preparation for guests that have been coming and going since the day I came back from NC. There is NO ONE scheduled to come visit us until Labor Day (my parents will come stay a night sometime that weekend.)

So, now it is time for me to MAINTAIN.

I am going to make a 'daily' chore list for each day of the week.

I am going to come up with an evening schedule and a morning schedule.

That's that.

Ok. I am STILL behind on several diaries. Like Heather, Tania, Kate, Jenn. Gosh, I better go and start reading! I just had to get all this housekeeping junk off my chest.

I just HAD to share this one.