Well, it is officially SPRING according to the calendar! Not sure if that means no more snow here in Chicago, but it seems like we are starting to warm up a bit. A high of 74 degrees this past Monday! My hubby thought of taking a family trip to the zoo but I guess we were not quite sure how windy it would have been so we opted no to go.  (Not sure why anytime I type the degrees symbol it directs me to another website and does not show the symbol). 

Anyway, remember my Yarn Decorated Easter Eggs a few days ago? I still have plenty of yarn left over from that project so I decided to add some Spring to some plain storage jars. Storage jars come in very handy in every area of the home as I posted a few weeks ago. See the post here Mason Jar Storage Ideas for Every Room in Your Home. I don’t think I touched on the family room in this post. But these colorful jars will definitely add some lovely decorations to any Family or Living room or whatever room in the home! I have them sitting on our Mantle until I place them in the desired areas. Choose your favorite color of yarn and you can even change them up according to the seasons. 

They are super easy to make. I like easy projects like this that take less than 5 minutes to make. And with little kids running around, I certainly need to be quick!

All we need for these jars are storage jars such as Mason jars and yarn! I chose a few different sizes to give a little variation. The Dollar isle at Target is a great place to find storage jars of various sizes. 

You can even use ribbon, too. After I was done with the yarn jars and really wanted blue but had none, I decided to use some blue ribbon I had on hand.

To make the decorations: Use a foot or two of yarn for each jar and simply wrap tightly around the neck of the jars.  Make sure to leave about 5 inches of yarn on both ends to make a bow when you are finished wrapping the yarn. Trim off excess yarn. Then add some decorative items to the jars such as flowers, rocks, shells, colorful pencils, or whatever decorative items you want to put in. You can even leave them empty as the jars are pretty with just the yarn.

Side note: If you take a look at the light blue jar with the pink yarn and the small jar with the purple yarn, you will see that I added yellow flower petals. The petals are real dried out ones from flowers by hubby gave me on Valentines this year. Whenever he gives me flowers and they are dried and falling apart, I usually save the petals and display them in clear vases. They never seem to go bad even after many months or even years, it seems!

Look at this one in the next photo with a burlap flower around it. Found the flower at Target in the Dollar isle. To see how I use this flower see my post here on Easy No Glue Five Dollar Spring Wreath.

Aren’t the jars pretty? I purposefully did not add any glue to this project. I figured that I could easily remove the yarn and reuse the jars for other things if I needed to. Or change colors if I desired.

Here is a shot of the jars on one side of the mantle. They are just beautiful!

So what do you think of this simple project? Have you decorated storage jars with yarn before? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments!

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27, KJV).

I am not one to do much Easter egg decorating just because I did not grow up with the tradition. In fact, last year was rhe first time I attempted doing some food coloring eggs with the kids. But if you are looking to put a new twist on Easter egg decorating, you can try decorating them with yarn or twine. I saw the idea in a Country Living magazine and decided to give them a try.

They are way easier to make than any other egg decorating I have tried in the past. And the Spring colors really make the decorations pop!  The ones in the magazine are decorated with twine but yarn is cheaper, so I went with it and it turned out well.

 Although, there was one particular yarn that did not want to corporate (the multicolored one). It took me a while to get it and I still don’t think it turned out well as the other colors.

Here is how to make them.

• Decorative Easter eggs (I used fake eggs).
• Spring colored yarn or twine
• Crafter’s glue
• Easter grass (optional)

Use a small paintbrush to apply glue onto the top of an eggs. (I squeezed it on there). Don’t worry about the excess glue.

Starting in the center of the top, wrap yarn or twine into a tight circle.

Continue to brush on glue and wrap the egg until it is completely covered.

(You will use approximately 12 feet of twine for each egg).

Trim of the excess. Let the eggs dry. Once the eggs dry, there will not be any residue from the glue. Use the eggs to decorate your home.

The colors really make the eggs pop so I went ahead and took many photos of them!

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27, KJV).

It is not officially Spring in our area yet, but we have had some great weather these past three days. I am talking 30s, 40s, and today almost 50°! My phone registered 49. I know 30s may not feel like spring to you if you live in the Southern states like Florida or so. It may be freezing to you. But when you live in an area where the temps get down to the negatives….minus 17 and all….30° is definitely spring! I am talking no heavy coats, kids running around outside, people in shorts and everything, everyone out shopping, etc.

Which reminds me, our family was out shopping on Saturday. I was coming from World Market and walking to Ross when I heard a kid’s mom telling him that people were out shopping because it was such a beautiful day. Well, I did not check the weather before going shopping – I was just going because hubby suggested it and of course, I could not pass up the offer! It’s way easier when he is with us shopping. But I am sure that kid was wearing shorts! And some others who were out shopping, too. I’ll take 30 degrees over 1 degree but to wear a shorts in 30, not yet!

I was not planning on doing a Spring wreath or any kind of Spring decor (I don’t usually do) but this Spring Wreath inspiration was just too cute to pass up! Hubby was out of town and I was a bit bored to stay at home after being stuck inside with the baby for a while. So the kids and I went to Target (less than 5 minutes from our home). It was a brave trip with all three little kids – people were looking at me like I was crazy or something. But while browsing through the Dollar isle where all items are $1 to $3 max, I saw some cool looking spring colored items. More like pastel, blue, peach, pink, etc.  I immediately picked up some items to make a Spring wreath and placed them in the shopping cart. But before we left the store, I decided to put them back and not buy them “on the spur of the moment”.

But it was kind of on my mind so when we went to Target again (this time with hubby along), I decided to get the materials for the wreath and a couple other spring inspired items. Just have to say, hubby and I love Target and the dollar isle is the first isle I stop at when I go there. After all, it is right in the front area, depending on which door you enter. Anyone with me????

The wreath is so easy to make; it takes about 1 minute. You do not even need glue because the flowers come with tiny clothes pins for clipping on.

 And the materials only cost me $5 total! I love good deals like this and Target stuff is a little more upscale in quality than some other stores. 

Here are the materials as shown in the above photo:

• 1 wreath of color (Target had blue or white). Total $3
• 2 Packs burlap flowers with clothes pins (They were 2 in each pack for a $1 per pack). Total $2

Simply clip the flowers on the wreath in the position you want them. (I clipped them unto the thinner pieces of wood because the pins are tiny). That is it! Now wasn’t that easy!

Decorate a door or any other place you would like to put your spring decor. It is so simple and beautiful.

I put mine up for the photo but then took it down. After all, there is still snow on the ground here:)

Here is my door before with just a simple brown wreath. I had bought a couple during Christmas to make a snowman craft but never did. 

A simple color change and a few flowers transforms the door from no season to Spring season! Well, it’s winter season but obviously I did not do any winter decorations. Truly not motivated plus I just wanted pure simple after all that Christmas stuff we took down!

So, how do you like this simple wreath? Isn’t Target’s dollar section a great place to find good stuff? Would love to know your thoughts in the comments!

She looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31;27; KJV).

Today I want to address an area of the home that most women would like to love but sometimes dislike because of the clutter that comes along with it. You guessed right – the KITCHEN! Relators often jokingly caution husbands against buying a home if the wife does not like the kitchen style. Well, obviously I did not follow this advice myself before purchasing our second home. My kitchen is not the biggest and most updated on the block, but I have to make it work. And one of the ways I try to make it work is by ensuring that I clean it up before going to bed each night. 

I love to cook but it is very stressful to prepare breakfast in a dirty, cluttered up kitchen. Time is wasted trying to figure out “where to start”. Or even worse, adding more kitchen items to the clutter is just very discouraging. In fact, sometimes I get such a mental block that I do not even know what I want to prepare, especially if I did not plan a menu. The entire day in the kitchen seems so tied up. And if there are young babies involved – when mom is trying to cook with one hand and hold baby with the other, that just becomes a total process! Speaking from experience here! “Put the baby down”, you might say. Well, have you ever had babies???? When babies have had enough in a bouncy chair or where ever and would not stop screaming, sometimes you just have to hold them and let them hang out with you as you cook, clean, or whatever.

The other day, (after so many months), I went to bed with a dirty kitchen. Well, the entire house seemed like it was a mess! Stuff all over the place! Hubby had started painting the baby’s room the previous night and had moved the furniture out from his room into the living room. And then we had gone to the pediatrician for our baby’s two month check-up late that following evening and stopped at the store on our way back home. By the time we got home and ate dinner, it was a bit later. I still had good intentions to clean up but the baby was fussier than usual so the time was spent trying to comfort him and putting the other kids to bed. Needless to say, the kitchen and all the rest of the house was placed on hold. And that is OK. But it seemed like it took me almost four days to get the living space looking somewhat possible again. Sometimes there are circumstances that prevent us from accomplishing certain tasks. Don’t beat yourself up about it; just try again the next night. 

Cleaning the kitchen nightly was something my mom always did and taught us to do while growing up. It was just natural; we did not even think twice about it. I kept that habit until we had more than one kids and another extra person living with us. The task became difficult. There were days when I struggled hard at 11:00 p.m at nights trying to wash dishes and clean out the kitchen because I new my morning would be stressed if the kitchen was not cleaned out the previous night. And there were days when I was way too tired and just had to say, “good night” to a dirty kitchen and cleaned it out when I woke up. But that made it difficult when I was trying to clean the kitchen real fast so I could prepare breakfast for the kids. And trying to remain quiet while I cleaned so I would not disturb sleeping kids did not work out too well, either.

So, for the past few months, I have tried my ultimate best to reestablish the habit of keeping a clean kitchen nightly. Here are 5 things that I do to ensure that the kitchen remains clean every. single. night. Well, more often than not:) Keep in mind that this not deep cleaning; it is more of a general cleaning to stay more organized, save time, and cut the clutter.

1. Clean the kitchen immediately after dinner (or as soon as you can). This is the first thing you want to do. Why? Because the longer you wait to clean, the later it becomes at night, the tired-er you become and the less likely you will be motivated to clean it. Trust me on this one. I have been there!

2. Wash all dishes before going to bed. This can either be done by hand or by loading the dishwasher. My dishwasher is broken so I wash my dishes by hand. Also, more often than not, I like to dry and put away the dishes and leave the sink empty. If you use the dishwasher overnight, this step would not be necessary as they would dry in the washer. Just unload them in the morning.

3. Clean out all counter tops, the dinning table, and the stove. Put away all unnecessary counter clutter such as appliances you may have used throughout the day that do not belong on the counter. Put dirty kitchen towels in the laundry basket. Wipe down all counter tops, dinning tables, and other areas that were used for cooking and eating. Don’t forget to give the stove a quick spot clean.

4. Sweep the kitchen and mop if necessary. I do not mop my kitchen on a daily basis. I am not that disciplined, but I do sweep it daily and sometimes more than once. There is just something about a swept floor that makes the kitchen looks even cleaner.

5. Empty trash that is full and put in a new bag. One thing I dislike is going to the trash can to throw away something only to realize that there is no room. Most of all, depending on if you do not have an installed garbage disposal to dispose of food and depending on where you live, you certainly do not want to encourage small visitors by keeping a full, dirty trash overnight. 

Practice these 5 kitchen habits every night and you can be sure to wake up to a clean kitchen every. single. day. The best part about this is, it totally makes for a stress free morning in the kitchen! No more wandering around wasting time trying to figure out “where to start”. Be consistent and you will love your kitchen more and your meal preparations would be much smoother!

So tell me, do you find it difficult to clean your kitchen nightly? How does that affect your morning? If you clean your kitchen nightly, what other tips do you have to share? Would love to know in the comments!

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27, KJV).

Well, we are at the beginning of March and I know many of you have already started to pull out your spring decorating items and have began to think “Spring Cleaning”. We are still experiencing winter in our “neck of the woods” and sometimes, it feels like spring does not take effect until May or June. But by then, the summer months have began! 

Anyway, if you are thinking about doing some spring cleaning around your home such as deep cleaning areas that seem neglected, why not create some DIY spring cleaning products with stuff you may already have at home? It does not have to be complicated. And by making your own, you will be saving money and knowing exactly what ingredients you are adding. Further, one DIY cleaner could clean many areas of the home, where as, most commercial cleaners are made for specific areas such as toilet bowl cleaners. Surely, you probably would not want to clean your kitchen cupboards or tables with this cleaner. You do not know the effect it may have on your pretty counters.

If you prefer to use commercial cleaning products, that is OK. Everyone has a preference and should be free to use what they think is best for their homes. But personally, I  have never regretted my decision to switch to all-natural cleaning products a few years ago. In fact, I grew up using a lot of the natural, but had kind of gotten away from it since travelling away and owning my own home. I sure distaste the smells of those commercial cleaning products and have long wanted to get away from them. I remember cleaning the girls bathrooms in our dorm when I attended college. I had a brilliant idea to mix mildew stain remover and bleach to have a perfectly clean bathroom. Huge mistake! The smells got to my lungs and almost “knocked” me out! I stepped outside for about a half hour to recuperate and to take in some fresh air. The college Dean’s wife cautioned against this as it could be dangerous, as she had experienced in the past.  

Here are the benefits we gain from using all natural cleaning products:

• It is so much better for our health
• It is much better for the little kids in our household (the kids like to follow me around when I clean, especially the bathrooms).
• I can avoid harsh chemicals and abrasions on certain household items.
• Some are straight from the pantry.
• I enjoy cleaning more because I do not have to smell those “nasty” smells!
• Cleaning has become even more regular as a result.

I have two main areas where I keep cleaning products in our home – the laundry room for general cleaning and under the kitchen sink for the areas in the kitchen. In addition, I have a few other bottles of natural cleaning sprays in the bathrooms and other areas for quick access to cleaning.

Here are 12 INGREDIENTS that’s typically found around the home to make DIY cleaning simple. Most of them are all-natural. The possibilities are endless as to what you can do with them! 

1. White Vinegar: My hubby is not a huge fan of the smell and I must admit, that the smell is not very appealing to the senses. So to mask the smell I often mix it with some type of essential oil. Vinegar can be used in many different ways. But here are just a few.

• To wash out meats: Rinse meat and chicken in white vinegar before cooking.
• For all-purpose cleaning and sanitizing of counter tops and other surface areas of the home: Pour 1 cup white vinegar in an empty spray bottle. Add 8 to 10 drops of essential oils (lavender, purification, lemon, or thieves) are my favorite for cleaning and deodorizing. Fill the bottle to the top with water. Spray on areas and wipe clean.
• To clean toilet bowls: Sprinkle a 1/2 cup of baking soda all around the inside of the toilet bowl. Pour in some vinegar and let it fizz. Then use a toilet brush to swish the toilet. Flush and rinse clean. Use the cleaning/deodorizing/disinfecting method above to clean the other areas of the toilet. NB: The vinegar and baking soda method may also be used to unclog mildly clogged sinks.

2. Baking Soda: This is one of my favorites! Just read behind a baking soda box and you will find many uses for the product. Apart from its use to cook and to whiten teeth, here are some other uses.

• To wash pots and pans: Add desired amount of baking soda to areas such as stove tops. Add some soapy water to the area then clean with a sponge or other type of cleaning rags. Alternatively, a paste can be made with the items and then used for cleaning. 
• To clean sinks and stove tops: Use the same method above.
• To clean tubs and toilet bowls: Add about 1/4 cup (or more) baking powder to the toilet bowl. Add 1/2 cup (or more) vinegar or more, if desired. When the mixture is done fizzing, swish around the toilet bowl.
• To clean spills on carpet/rug: Sprinkle baking soda over the area. Pour on some vinegar and let it fizz and sit for a minute or two. Then gently rub the area with a warm wet rag. I usually add a little dawn dish soap to the rag for even better cleaning.
• To deodorize rugs/carpet and even stuffed animals: Sprinkle baking soda all over floors, then vacuum. Essential oils may be added to the baking soda before sprinkling. Use your favorite scents and shake well before using.
• To deodorize stuffed animals, sprinkle baking soda all over the animal. Allow it to sit about 10 minutes. Shake off!
• To deodorize the fridge: My hubby thought me this one. Place an opened box or two of baking soda in the refrigerator to keep it smelling fresh.
• NB: I do not use a set measurement when it comes to cleaning with baking soda. I use according to my judgement: how small or large the area is that needs to be cleaned or how dirty the area may be.

3. Borax: This one helps with stubborn cleaning such as stove tops and pots and pans. It also helps with cleaning toilet bowls. Follow the same steps as you would with baking soda. It can also be added to laundry for cleaner clothes. The back of the box tells how much to add per load of laundry. Or use it to make homemade laudry soap.

4. Super Washing Soda: Use in a similar way as you would with borax. Also, it can be used to unclog sinks. Add about a 1/2 cup washing soda to the sink, making sure it gets in the hole. Rinse with hot water.

5. Rubbing Alcohol: This is a very good product to clean dirty couches, if you could bypass the strong alcohol smell. All it takes is some rubbing alcohol and a scrubbing brush. See my post on how to use it to clean couches here.

6. Hydrogen Peroxide: You may already know that this product could be used as an all-natural mouth rinse or to clean insect bites and opened wounds. But I first saw the idea of using it to clean pots and and pans on the Rachael Ray TV show back in January. You know, when all that burnt food is stuck to the pot that seem impossible to come out!

• For pots and pans: Rinse pots or pans with hot water. Sprinkle a generous amount of peroxide to the burnt areas.  Then use a steel wool or other scrubbing product to scrub it off. Truly, it works like magic!
• For stove top: Use this same method above. 

7. Shaving cream: This is another brilliant idea I saw on the Rachael Ray TV show.

• For floor mats, rugs, and carpets: To quickly remove dirt from rugs or carpets, rinse the area with hot water. Then spray on a generous amount of shaving cream. Rub the area gently with a wet cloth. Then wipe clean. It really works wonderfully (at least for me)!

8. Baby Oil: Who knew baby oil could be used for cleaning purposes? I didn’t. Not until a few years ago (believe it was a Pinterest find).

•  To spolish stainless steel sinks and chrome faucets: Add a teaspoon of baby oil to a cleaning rag. Use the rag to polisj sinks and faucets. Or apply a few drops of oil to the area, then polish with a rag.
• To remove grease build-up: Apply directly to the area then rub off with a damp cloth.

9. Lemon: This is another one of my favorites – so many uses. Here are a few.

• To wash meats: Cut one lemon and squeeze the juices over meats and chicken before cooking. Rinse with water.
• To sanitize kitchen gadgets and cutting boards: Cut a lemon and rub it all over the area before washing.
• To cut grease: Cut a lemon and rub all over the areas, making sure the juice is squeezed out while rubbing. This works great on dishes and other kitchen appliances that need de-greasing.
• To remove rust: Cut a lemon and rub unto the area. Then rub off with a sponge. This tip is best use for items that are not rusted to the point where there is no turning back. Use as soon as the rust spots are spotted such as on kitchen utensils.

10. Dr. Bronner’s All Natural Castile Soap: I have only began using this one last year after being recommended by a friend. 

• To clean all areas of the home: Use it like you would use any type of soap to clean your home. It is all natural. It is made with hemp. It cleans very well!
• In homemade cleaning products – Check out my post here on some ideas of how to mix it with homemade cleaning products.
• It can also be used in place of body wash and used to make DIY body washes. 

11. Essential Oils: Here are 4 of my favorite types for cleaning – purification, lemon, thieves, and lavender. If you need some ideas of how to use essential oils for cleaning, see my post here. There are various types and brands so go with what your pocket could afford. Just be sure they are pure oils.

12. Dawn Dish Soap: It may not be all-natural like Dr. Bronner’s but it works great and is not made from harsh chemicals. 

• To clean dishes
• To clean surface areas 
• To clean toilets
• To clean windows 
• To clean floors 

Follow my link here for suggestions on how to use dawn for cleaning. Feel free to adjust the cleaning solutions to suit your cleaning needs. 

There you have it – all 12 of the DIY cleaning products I use to clean our home. Like I mentioned before, the possibilities are just endless with these products. I barely even “scratched the surface” with how these products could be used. It’s all about experimenting and figuring out which ones you like best. Throw in a couple rags (microfiber or regular old rags), sponges, toothbrushes, dusters, whatever, and you will be good to go!!!

So tell me, have you branched out to using DIY cleaning products or do you still prefer commercial? What is your favorite product and why? I would love to know your thoughts in the comments!

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27, KJV).

Mason jars have become one of my favorite ways to store items around the home. They are so versatile and can be used to store practically items in every room of the home. I only began using them about 2 years ago and use them to store items from food to crafts and anything in between that don’t really have a home. I probably own 2 dozens of them but I know people who own hundreds (it seems). In addition, I love that they vary in size and colors, too. Or you can even color them to your liking (something I would like to try) and use them for year round seasons. Truthfully, some of the jars I use may not even be called Mason but they still work fine and act as Mason jars for storing certain items. So they may be a photo or two where the jars are of other brands.

Here are some of the ways I use them around the home.

In the kitchen for storing food.  These jars can be used for storing foods in the pantry and in the refrigerator as well. Such foods may include but are not limited to salads, yogurt parfaits, no bake desserts, canning foods, etc. Use them for freezing foods, too!

One of my favorite ways to use them in the kitchen is to store left over canned foods. Such as when I open a can of nestles milk and only use half of it. Mason jars come in very handy to keep the left over milk safe in the fridge.

Here is a shot of some no-bake nutella cheesecakes I did some time ago.

In addition, I love using them to store cooking items that come in small boxes or small bags. For example, storing baking soda for cooking. I simply do not like to have a box of opened baking soda hanging around in my pantry. It seems to lose the quality of the powder over time. So after the first use, I pour the rest in a mason jar. This tends to keep the quality longer.

I also have some coffee beans stored away in two mason jars. They bring such a wonderful aroma to the kitchen whenever I open the cupboard where I keep coffee, tea, and hot cocoa stuff.

In the Bathroom:  Mason jars can be used to store items such as cotton swabs, cotton balls, toothpastes, combs and brushes, make -up bits and pieces, small hair items that tend to get all over the place, etc.

In the Bedroom: Young children tend to have so many little items for hair and skin. Small mason jars are the perfect product to store them in. Items such as nail clippers, cotton swabs, lip glosses, hair accessories and other small items that kids use regularly are stored in these jars.

In the Laundry room: I love to empty laundry products from large boxes (borax, clothes pins, washing soda) into smaller mason jars. They are easier to work with. Just refill the jars when the products run out.

In the Craft room/Sewing Room: Craft rooms or craft areas tend to have so many little items (buttons, pom poms, Popsicle sticks, push pins, etc). Mason jars come in very handy for those items. Items for sewing like needles, scissors, thread can also be stored in mason jars.

In the Office (well, we don’t have an office but we do have small work spaces): Use them to store pens, pencils, scissors, staple pins, push pins, etc.

In the Living room: Mason jars make lovely decorative items. Change them up according to the seasons or make a special decoration and keep it up all year round. Below is a photo of how I used them to make Christmas decorations. 

In the garage: I met this little under shelf storage system when we moved into our home last year. Apparently, the last home owner loved using those jars, too. Use them for storing nails, bolts, screws and items of the like.

In the car: This one is not a room but oh how I love using small mason jars to store kids snacks for when we are out and about. Cereal, especially has become a food I frequently put in jars for the kids. Especially on Sunday mornings when we are heading to church. There never seems to be enough time to eat or to finish eating breakfast at home. So I fill the small mason jars with cereal for the girls and if they do not finish breakfast at home, we carry it along so they can eat in the car. Yes, my kids eat in the car! They are little OK? It is so nice to have a clean car. But I’d rather clean up the car later than have a bunch of hungry kids wanting to eat when we are out.

Here are other great ways to use mason jars. Send cookies, candy, and hot drink mixes to friends and families as gifts in these jars. 

And to store kids small savings. I call them small savings because this is their smaller savings we keep in these jars – just their everyday (or whenever) savings they get to use. My kids are still very young so we have not yet establish a task-payment system. Hopefully we can start with the 4 year old soon. But we throw in loose $$$bills, quarters, nickles, pennies, etc in there when we can. The kids eventually use them to purchase a small gift of some sort.  

If you are wondering what the letters on the jars in the picture below means, they refer to the kids names. The first three jars (S, B, J) are for the kids – oldest to youngest. The next J is for Jesus (church offering for the kids. Their class only collect coins). And the O is for others (to help someone in need). 

So these are some practical ways I use Mason Jars around the home. I think I have covered every room in the home (at least in my home). If your home is bigger and you have other kinds of room, I am sure these jars will come in handy in them, too.

If you use mason jars, what are some ways you use them? I would love to know your ideas in the comments!

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27, KJV).