Entertaining has lots of benefits. You get to spend time with people you love. It's a great excuse to open that special bottle of wine or to try a decadent dessert. It can be just the prod you need to to clean the guest room or clear off the dining room table.

But here's one you might not have thought about: hosting a house guest lets you look at your world with new eyes. When someone stays with you, you see your house through their eyes — for good and for ill. Maybe for the first time you notice that there is no accessible outlet in your bathroom or that the mattress on the guest bed should be replaced or that the guest room gets lovely sun in the afternoon or that the corner of your yard is a lovely place to sit and read. You can use these insights to build your to-do list or to decide what things to highlight.

Hosting guests also lets you look at your community with new eyes. What little restaurants or shops are "must visits"? Are there nice walks in your neighborhood? What are the "don't miss" attractions in your neighborhood? What highlights mark each season?

Even if you aren't expecting a guest in the near future, try to envision your world through her eyes and make plans from there.