MY one rule is NO shoes in my house. They have been having an epidemic of Parvo, which is fatal to dogs/cats and it can be tracked in on peoples shoes if they step where an animal with the disease has drooled etc. That has been my rule for many years and now it seems to be a lucly one.

Also if you use the toilets, flush! Other than that I am pretty easy on rules. I like for people to feel comfortable when visiting me.

At one time, several years ago, our house had become like Grand Central Station, with a steady stream of houseguests from mid-May to mid-September every year. For the most part, we really enjoyed these visits and kept our home and hearts open. But then over the years we began to feel used, especially by the people who would come for several days, and literally take over the house, including cooking their own meals at different times of the day (but leaving the mess for us to clean up), taking control of the remote (or worse, turning the TV off while we're sitting there watching a program!). It became very wearying, often with only hours between visitors, barely enough time to strip the bed and remake it. We were constantly cooking, cleaning, and living our lives around all of these other people's wants, needs, whims and lifestyles. Finally we just had to put our foot down and insist that if people wanted to come and visit they had to do so on OUR terms, and had to come to visit WITH us, not take our lives completely over. Mealtimes were set, and we had to set rules for cleaning up after themselves (especially in the bathroom).

Now we're at the other extreme. No houseguests at all anymore. When we were taking care of Gary, we couldn't handle the extra workload of having houseguests and had to turn many away that year. And since then, my chronic fatigue and anxiety have become debilitating and I just can't handle too much at one time anymore.

We had houseguests here a couple of months ago. They spent the entire time evangelizing us (it felt more like verbal battering) and I ended up feeling so diminished that now I'm even more anxious about having houseguests!

I'd love to go back to the freedom of no rules, but our experience over the years has been that we ended up being more abused than appreciated.

Interesting question. I guess we're pretty easy. Most of our guests are young adults when the kids are around and the only thing I can't stand is when someone doesn't out the toilet seat down. Major pet peeve of mine.

Eagle,I can't imagine having all the guests you once had. I've alwyas thought it would be fun to have people around, but to be honest, I enjoy guests for about three days and then I want my house back.

Dotsie, there are some people we enjoy so much that we can't wait for them to come and visit. When hubby's sister and her husband come, we play cards, shop-til-we-drop, she cooks us amazing meals, and it's so pleasant that we always wish they could stay longer. But the biggest difference is that they come to see us and not the city - living in the country's capital makes our house a very appealing "free" place to stay while sightseeing!

Oh brother Eagle, is that ever the case here at my house. I LOVE having planned for guests but when they show up bag and baggage with the kids and even the dog and say, "we're just passing through before heading to wherever, its always somewhere different. So we thought we'd stop off and visit with you."

Them and their kids use all my good towels at the pool, they end up on the laundry room floor. I am suppose to clean up after them, feed and mind their kids and dog while they are out exploring the Vegas strip. Everyone knows I hate the strip and take full advantage of it. It has been a real fiasco a couple of times.

I finally put my foot down!!! Now when and if that happens, I pull out the hotel/motel guide and point them in the right direction. I am not the Las Vegas welcome wagon or here to accomodate cheap tourists, all for FREE no less!!!

Having just 1 adult guest for a few days has worked out well over the years.

Our home can only have 1 guest to sleep overnight. We have a small place. It's a condo. ANd guest must sleep on the floor on an air mattress. Yes, floor is carpeted though.

I grew up in a home where all family members never walked around at home in their outdoor shoes. it's either slippers, socks or barefeet.

And that's how it is at our home here.

So far, it's worked out such that guests I've had didn't stay long enough, that they were allowed to cook for themselves. I encourage them to help themselves from the fridge, etc.

We've had people take showers down in our common fitness workout area. Makes sense when it's more than 1 person..and you encourage them to use the common swimming pool and whirlpool.

also no shoes in our house. and NO SMOKING.

We don't get many visitors, except for occasionally one of my friends or a customer. No one stays here. And for at least 5 years, I've refused to entertain.

I realized yesterday that most of my rules get thrown out the window when it's an adorable, much-beloved 2-year-old who's breaking them.

LOL, Anne! He did have a fascination with hitting the TV with one of the toys...we had to drag him away several times. Finally I set up a folding chair right in front of it and I sat in the chair, so he stopped. He's quite a little button-pusher, both literally and figuratively. If he figures out what bugs you, he'll do it over and over again until you outmanouver him; then he moves on. Always with a twinkle in his eye...I think he's trying to see how smart we are and how quickly we can come up with a way to outsmart HIM!