10 Hand-Lettering Books You Need to Check Out

Setting resolutions can feel exciting, but the urge to abandon them before February can be even more significant. Our secret weapon to achieving long-term success in 2019? The art and science of putting pen to paper. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Pilot Pen to prove what we’ve learned after years of failed goals: The key to holding yourself accountable and establishing lasting habits is writing it all down by hand.

Step 1: Grab the necessities. You’re going to need writing tools that will allow you to be equal parts productive *and* creative. Pilot’s Ensō Collection is our go-to source for everything from calligraphy to extra-fine-point brush pens. Remember: with the right tools, even a basic to-do list can become art!

For maximum convenience and organization, use a notebook for all of your resolution setting (and keeping). We’re partial to anything colorful that we can slip into our bag on the go.

FEATURED PRODUCTS

Pilot Ensō Plumix Set - Hydrangea

$30

Pilot Ensō Watercolor Brush Pens

$23

Pilot Ensō Plumix Set - Iris

$30

Pilot Ensō Parallel Pen Set

$40

Step 2: Download, print, and cut. Luckily for you, we have you covered with everything you need to map out a winning year with our printable goal planner, floral border inspiration page, and habit tracker! We made these guys small enough to cut out and pop into almost any notebook with some washi tape.

Step 3: Set overall goals and establish habits that will help you meet them. Though well intentioned, lofty New Year’s resolutions often leave us feeling like we’ve bitten off more than we can chew. This year, use your goal planner to break your big-picture goal into three smaller and more approachable habits. These will allow you to measure your progress (more on that later!) and achieve success in practical ways.

When you feel yourself losing steam, you can always flip back to this page for a reminder of why this goal was important in the first place!

Don’t be afraid to have a little fun when you dream up the master plan for 2019! If you’re a brush pen fan, Pilot’s extra- fine and bold Brush Pens will do the trick. They feel and look just like a real brush but offer way more precision and control for the smaller details.

Step 4: Surround yourself with handwritten encouragement. Staying motivated is key. Print out our floral border inspiration pageto customizeyour notebook or walls for the next 12 months.

Pop the smaller version in your notebook, and hang the larger size above your desk to stay inspired year-round!

Step 5: Keep track, note setbacks, and reflect monthly on your progress. Using your habit tracker, take notice of any patterns, and adjust accordingly. Is it harder to get that full night’s sleep on Friday night? Build in some extra time to sleep in the next morning. Most importantly: give yourself a little grace and credit for your hard work. Eventually, you’ll love doing this so that you can see what days you fell short of your goals and note where you faced major setbacks. Celebrate your victories and record them with a Plumix Pen!

For more detailed pages like this, we love using the Plumix Fountain Pen for a bit of calligraphy flair. The set comes with three ink colors and nib sizes so you can always mix it up!

Step 6: Stay strong. Now that you’ve made it this far, the hardest part is over! Stay strong and committed to your goals. After all, you set them for a reason. You deserve to feel accomplished and rock this year!

Ready? Time to take on 2019!

How do you stay on track to hit your goals? Share with us on Twitter by tagging @BritandCo and @PilotPenUSA.

This post was paid for by Pilot Pen.

Production & Styling: Kayla Haykin & Caris Fawcett

Design: Marisa Kumtong

Photography: Brittany Griffin

Christmas cookie decorating is holiday tradition for us here at B+C, so we were so stoked to find this recipe for paleo cookies that adds a healthy twist to this classic holiday dessert. These sweet treats will shine among the rest of your Christmastime tablescape, and they are super easy to make. Plus, they'll pair well with just about any Christmas dessert. Just combine your paleo-friendly ingredients to prep the dough, let it sit overnight, then bake for ten minutes! The best part about this recipe is of course, all of the fun holiday-time shapes you can cut. Consider this recipe your go-to for healthy cookies, though, since you can make them year-round in any shape you like. Let's get to decorating!

Ingredients for Paleo Christmas Cookies

Brit + Co

For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup grass-fed salted butter, softened
• 6 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

• 6 tablespoons coconut butter or coconut manna
• 1/4 cup cacao butter
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• Plant-based food coloring
• Vegetable-dyed sprinkles, for topping*

* Look for vegetable and fruit-dyed food coloring and sprinkles in natural grocery stores or online, and avoid artificial colors to keep these cookies Paleo friendly!

How to Make Paleo Christmas Cookies

Brit + Co

1. Add the softened butter and honey to a large mixing bowl. Cream the mixture together using a handheld mixer until it is smooth. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and whisk until they are well combined. Pour in the almond flour, coconut flour, and baking soda, and continue mixing until the batter has come together smoothly.
2. Separate the dough into two, and place each one on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Roll each dough into a ball, then flatten to a thick disk, cover completely with the plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to firm up for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove one of the dough discs from the refrigerator, unwrap the plastic and place the dough on top of a piece of parchment paper, then top it with another piece of parchment paper. Use a roller to flatten out the dough to about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch thick. Work quickly with your favorite Christmas cookie cutters, and use a thin spatula to lift the cut cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake the cookies in the oven for 10 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes, then place on a wire rack for further cooling. Gather the leftover scraps back into a ball in the plastic wrap or parchment paper and place it back in the refrigerator, while working with the other piece of dough. Do this in batches to keep the dough from getting too warm and so you don’t overcrowd the baking sheet.
5. While the batches of cookies are baking, use a small saucepan to lightly melt the coconut butter and cacao butter together over low heat on the stovetop. Remove the pan from the heat when the ingredients have just melted together. Stir in the desired amount of honey, then set aside to cool and thicken up slightly. If you are using food coloring, add in the desired amount into the frosting mixture (1-2 teaspoons of green or red should do the trick). If you plan on only using white frosting, only use a small amount of honey, as it can make the frosting an off-white or light brown color.
6. After the cookies have completely cooled, decorate them with the frosting and sprinkles as desired. If you don’t have any professional piping tools, an easy fix is to place the frosting in a plastic sandwich bag and remove all the air when sealing the top. Cut a tiny tip off one corner of the plastic bag, then gently squeeze and pipe over the cookies. Use one plastic bag or piping bag for each color of frosting. Top with corresponding sprinkles and enjoy!

Is your mouth watering yet? Check out our newsletter for more delicious holiday recipe ideas!

Recipe development and photography by Sarah Anderson.