You Are What You Eat {Hand Lettering Tutorial}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TryALittleGoodness #CollectiveBias

I don’t know about you, friends, but I definitely took a little break from my usual eating and exercise habits over the holidays. It’s so easy to indulge in all kinds of delicious cookies and pies, not to mention way too much of my grandmother’s stuffing. Since my job as a blogger means that I spend the majority of my day sitting in front of the computer, those choices can add up fast. It’s all fun and games until your jeans don’t fit, right? So, one of the New Year’s resolutions I set for myself is to make smart eating and exercise choices for a great, healthy year.

I’ve learned firsthand that small changes can make a big impact. One of the changes I’ve made is incorporating four or five little fifteen minute breaks into my daily schedule where I get up, walk around, and change levels of the house a few times. I switch the laundry, empty the dishwasher, sweep, and do other household chores that need to be done anyway, and it gets my body some time being active. Another of those little things that makes a big impact is snacking smarter. Rather than grabbing a bowl of potato chips or a candy bar while I’m working, I choose goodnessknows® snack squares instead. They’re made with real fruit, dark chocolate, and whole nuts in bite-size portions.

My favorite kind of goodnessknows® snack squares are the Cranberry, Almond, Dark Chocolate ones. They’re soft and chewy and the perfect blend of salty and sweet.

The other flavors are delicious too: Apple, Almond & Peanut, Dark Chocolate and Peach & Cherry, Almond, Dark Chocolate. Really, you can’t go wrong! They’re just 150 calories for four snack squares, and contain no high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, or artificial flavors.

Right now, you can enter the goodnessknows® sweepstakes with a photo or quote for a chance to win one of two $500 gift cards up each week for three weeks beginning January 18th.

2016 #TryALittleGoodness Sweepstakes

To remind myself of my goals, I decided to use my hand lettering skills to create a special design that hangs on my refrigerator. This way, when I see it, I remember to make smart choices because doing a little good each day can go a long way! Mine is on a small magnetic dry erase board, but you can make yours on paper and frame it, or use any format you like.

Materials:
Dry erase board and marker OR paper and markers

Step 1: Write the basic text of your design.
I wrote “you” in cursive, “ARE” in printed capitals beneath it, “what you” in cursive, and “EAT” in printed capitals that follow a slight curve.

Step 2: Thicken your down strokes.
If you’re new to hand lettering, feel free to use the brush alphabet and whimsical print alphabet for reference. All I did was use my marker to thicken the lines that were drawn with a downward motion and leave the ones that were an upward or sideways motion the same. I promise, it’s easier than it sounds…check out my Basic Hand Lettering tutorial and you’ll see!

Step 3: Draw a simple banner around the word “EAT”.

Step 4: Draw a border around your text.
You can imitate the shape I created here or do something simpler if you prefer.

Step 5: Double your border and fill it in with a pattern.
I used small stripes, but you could also use polka dots or any other pattern you like.

Step 6: Add a few simple swirls and dots to embellish the outside of the design.
There’s no right or wrong way to place these, just play around with them until you get a look you enjoy. The bonus of working with a dry erase board is that it’s super easy to erase anything you don’t like and try again!

There you have it; a daily reminder that will help you make wise choices that lead to a healthier, happier you! What are the small things you like to do that add up to make a big difference? Goodness leads to greatness, right?

 

Ready to try goodnessknows® snack squares for yourself? Find them at your local Walmart store near the registers.