National Sugar Cookie Day

Since it's National Sugar Cookie Day, I wanted to share a favorite sugar cookie recipe of mine and the boys. The boys love decorating and I love (eating) sugar cookies. It's always a win-win. I originally found this sugar cookie recipe on this page:

Sugar Cookie Recipe

I was drawn to this recipe because it took less time and it didn't require cream of tartar. Most of the recipes I found required that ingredient. This one is very similar to one I've previously used, maybe even almost exact with the exception of using confectioners' sugar for rolling. I had only used flour for rolling in the past. I also appreciated that the ingredients were listed in order of use. I did the same below.

I'm also going to note that I used all organic ingredients. I followed the recipe, but the serving size was not the same. Apparently, my cookies were much larger than the cookies in the original recipe. I came out with exactly 19 cookies, instead of 36. To adjust for size, I baked them for 14 minutes instead of the recommended 12.

At the time I made these, I did not have any cookie cutters, so I improvised and used a small glass to cut round circles into the cookie dough. You don't have to own cookie cutters to make simple sugar cookies! Although, I have several types of cookie cutters now. 😉

Recipe:
1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar for rolling

So, this is what I did for the recipe:

1. Cream together 1 cup of unsalted butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar in a large bowl. It stated about 3 minutes - which seemed to be about what it took.
2. Then, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla to the mixture.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl. Mix well.
4. Slowly add the flour to the butter and sugar mixture in the larger bowl.
5. Next, dust the countertop with confectioners' sugar. Roll the dough out on the counter to the preferred thickness. *You can also separate it into halves before rolling, but I didn't.*
6. Cut the sugar cookies with cookie cutters. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies from the counter to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. *You can also use a cup to cut the cookies or you can roll them into balls, then flatten onto the cookie sheet. Rolling/cutting them out makes them perfect for decorating though.*
7. Place the cookie sheet into the freezer for about 15 minutes. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F. Bake the cookies for approximately 12-14 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your cookies. 

For softer cookies, remove once the cookies start to brown on the bottom of the cookie. You can tell by looking at the edges of them. If you want crisper cookies, let them bake for a bit longer. I prefer soft sugar cookies, so I remove them as soon as the bottom edges turn light brown. Allow them to cool completely before decorating.

I have an icing recipe I like to use for my cookies, but I used a pre-made frosting because I was short on time. The author does list a cookie icing recipe. I haven't tried it, but it appears to be rather simple as well. I will definitely check out this recipe in the future. The boys helped decorate and they came out rather well.

Happy Baking!

Stop Worrying About Other People's Opinions

Thought of the day: 

You can't control what happens around you—or other people for that matter. However, you can control your actions or reactions to outside stimuli. Don't allow other people to get under your skin. ~Penelope Winthrop~

I began to see a gradual shift in my life when I stopped worrying about what other people thought about me and started focusing on who I am, my destiny, and how I can make a positive difference in other people's lives.

And guess what? You can do it, too.

Speaking from experience, it's not nearly as difficult to become the person you want to be when you stop allowing other people to get inside of your head. Who truly dictates your life? You or the people surrounding you? 

Let it go.

When people accuse you of something you are not—ignore them. Brush it off. For example, if someone calls you a racist online, and yet you have never been racist in your entire life, you have a couple of options. You can fight back, try to understand their underlying emotions, or you can let it go. People have a habit of taking out their frustrations on those around them or in the digital world where you probably won't ever encounter them again anyway. 

I get it, people piss you off at times. However, why waste your time and energy on someone who obviously has their mind made up about who you are as a person? To defend your pride? It's not worth the headache or frustration you'll feel. Think about it, does it really make you feel better to argue with some stranger on the internet? Move beyond them and stay focused on your goals because you simply cannot control anyone, much less everything else. 

Everyone progresses differently

Your business associate's firm is gaining clients at a faster rate than yours. Both of you utilize a similar marketing plan, both of you are working 70-hour weeks. And yet, you feel like you're not doing enough. Your associate tells you to do this and that to get better results. However, it's not working. You feel frustrated because you're not progressing quickly enough to satisfy your desires. 

An excerpt from "The Experience of Insight" by Joseph Goldstein says this: "Some progress quickly with a lot of pain, and others progress quickly with a lot of pleasure... But if we're facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking." 

Accept the fact that each person (and business) progresses differently than the next. Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. In all aspects of life, whether it be business or physical fitness, you have to be patient and trust that your hard work is paying off. Keep moving forward with your eyes on the goal. 

Know your worth.

Realize that the true you, underneath all those layers of the fake you, is worthy of love, being accepted, and deserves to be treated well. Look within to uncover and shed those layers. Don't subdue your spark because you're afraid you'll outshine someone or because you fear others won't approve. You are worthy of more than you could ever imagine. 

Once you've become in tune with your true self, surround yourself with people who share your interests. Those are the people you should be associating with—not those for whom you wear your facade. Additionally, kick the people, who drag you down or abuse you, to the curb. Those people who never have anything nice to say—Gone! Those people who think your dreams are unattainable or stupid—Good riddance! Those people who lie to you and make you feel like crap—Gone, gone, gone! Don't be afraid to cut the toxic people from your life. Know your worth, and don't compromise it.

Be content in your path

It took me years to accept that my path wasn't something to look down upon. As someone who became a mother at the age of 19, life was rough. Life was always rough for me but that's for another post. So, when I realized that a good majority of the people I grew up with and other friends of mine were doing far better than I was, well, it was a very hard pill to swallow. It became a very difficult time period. Those were very dark days that I managed to eventually push through. 

Block out the negativity and hateful self-talk. It's really making life difficult for you and will continue to do so if you let it. Even now if I don't stay mindful of the current course I'm on, I occasionally catch myself wondering why I'm not as accomplished as others my age. That's when I remind myself of all the things I have accomplished, in spite of all the obstacles that have been thrown in my path. Sure, I could be doing much better but this is the path for me and I'm content with that—no matter who approves/disapproves. Be grateful, not hateful because life could be much worse.

Let it out

If someone has you frustrated or upset, speak with someone you trust, write it down but don't keep it bottled up. It will only make things worse for you if you keep your feelings tightly corked. It's one thing to brush off someone's opinion without letting it bother you but a totally different thing if you push it way down and allow it to fester at the bottom of your feelings. Don't do that. Let them out, acknowledge the feelings are there, speak to someone about it, and face the issue head on.

You know, when someone criticizes you, it's typically a reflection of how they feel about themselves. I wouldn't worry about anyone else's opinion because the only one that truly matters is yours. What makes you happy? What makes you feel secure? What are your goals? Accept yourself, love yourself, and find inner peace. Once you do, you're free, and life will become a lot easier. Only then will you be free to become the person you want to be and to live life on your own terms.

Thanks for reading!

Take Action to Change Your Life for the Better

Thought of the Day:

"A positive mind won't change much if you're not willing to change." Penelope Winthrop

Go ahead and dream about the possibilities of making changes to your life all you want. Being positive is great, but if you're not willing to do the work, then nothing is going to change. You have to be ready to step out of your comfort zone and get to it. 

If you have a dream, then getting up early or missing social gatherings, binging on coffee... These are a part the sacrifices you make as you grow as a person. There will be days when you want to quit but discipline will carry you across the finish line. Train your mind to be disciplined so you can give it your everything. 

Habits

It can be very difficult to break bad habits especially if you're unwilling to evolve. Change involves discipline and sacrifice. There is absolutely no way around it. Do you want to get into shape? Then get your butt off the couch and go for it. Work in the way of your exercise routine? Wake up earlier than you normally do. Do you want to make money? Then, stop dreaming about what you would do if you had money and get a job, land some clients. The money isn't going to make itself. Sure, be positive and keep your eye on the prize as you're working toward your goal, but you have to actively work for it if you want to produce results. 

I mentioned in another post that I wake up at 4:30 every morning. It was incredibly challenging for me to begin waking up at 4:30 every morning. I could see myself waking up and getting a load of goals done, but for a long time, I couldn't actually do it. And honestly, I still struggle with it at times. It is especially tough when your child doesn't sleep through the night on most nights. Kids zap your energy like you wouldn't believe, so this was difficult for me (still can be). I really just wanted a few extra minutes (more like an hour or two) of sleep.

Eventually, my hunger to get a jump on the day outweighed my need to sleep in until 6. I managed to develop the discipline to wake up early in order to accomplish some of my daily goals. And actually, I've been trying to maintain the discipline needed to meet them. This past year wasn't as great as it could have been. Many parts of it were downright horrible but I've come a long way. Am I exactly where I want to be? No, but I'm actively taking those steps to get there. 

Growth in Failure

Fear is another thing that holds people back from changing their life for the better. What if they don't like it? What if they go into debt? What if they fail? Ah, failure is not something to fear because, in your failures, you learn a lot.

Like:

A positive attitude beats a negative one any day of the week

Get back up and try again—and again—and again

Keep going even though you've failed

Never give up

Continue to believe in yourself

Never repeat your mistakes

Hard work eventually pays off

If you're still trying, then you haven't really failed

A Lonely Road

It's a constant struggle especially because I feel so alone at times even though I know others are in my shoes. Often, you hear people talk about success and how amazing it is to be there. You don't hear about the struggles they went through before finally making it. They don't mention how they failed repeatedly. They don't mention how they gave up friends or their favorite hobbies for a long time so they could be successful. It can be a lonely road when you decide to change your life. It's something many entrepreneurs face but it's not usually talked about. In fact, it's something everyone faces at some point in their life—whether you're an entrepreneur or simply want to make a lifestyle change. 

The difference between the go-getters and the dreamers is that the go-getters dream big, but then work hard to make it happen. I mean, sure, you say you want something, but are you willing to put in the hours to get there? Do you truly want it? If so, what are you waiting for? Seize the day. You can do anything if you set your mind to it. Just keep in mind that even when you fail, you're not entirely defeated. If you're moving forward, then you're generating change—no matter how minuscule it may seem. Never give up.

Thanks for reading!!

You need a valuable break from the chaos of life.

Thought of the Day:

"It's OK to take a break." Penelope Winthrop

Let's get down to it—if you're feeling overwhelmed by work, your social life, family, etc—then I'm here to tell you that it's OK to take a break. In fact, you probably need one to mellow you out and ground your nerves. Life can be so hectic and emotionally charged, especially when bad things occur in our lives. And, when something bad happens, you definitely need time for yourself because you're human and those emotions you're feeling aren't going to go away. That includes taking much-needed breaks from social media and outings. The social gatherings and social media accounts aren't going anywhere. They'll still be there when you come back from your break. 

For example, I stopped my social media posts because I really needed some time for me, my boys, and a couple of writing projects that have been sucking away at my soul. I really needed to recharge my batteries. It was obviously temporary because here I am again. Not only that, but I find that social media is draining and sometimes disappointing. Am I the only person that finds social media to exhausting at times?? I have my reasons for this, but I'll save that for my writer's blog because it's one of my pet peeves when it comes to social media marketing—using an automated interactive system to post comments, like posts, and follow people—HUGE pet peeve. 

Anyway, maybe you've been let down by friends or family—you know, not all of them, it's more like the ones you think you can count on that you really can't count on for anything at all or that one person you've loved for the longest time and they never seem to appreciate you in the way you deserve. In general, life can be disappointing and sucker-punch you when you're not looking. (Not to say that I'm truly disappointed right now because I have some extremely exciting things going on at the moment, which is part of why I stopped posting. I needed to take a little time out to reorganize—and that's essential too!) 

When someone rips your heart into a million pieces, it doesn't just hurt. Sometimes you sit there unable to feel anything before an overwhelming feeling of sadness washes over you. It fucking sucks. When you don't accomplish a goal, it's not just disappointing—it can make you feel somewhat inadequate or lazy. I could list things for days, but I won't bore you with that! I try to keep things into perspective. Bad things happen and things don't always go my way, but I still wake up thankful that I am here to keep pushing forward and face another day. 

When you realize that you can't control everything and that it's OK to be sad or disappointed, then life becomes a tad easier. Also, teaching yourself to be aware of your emotions and allowing them to pass will improve your life tremendously, especially if you're an emotional person like me. Points in your life are temporary because things are changing and moving constantly. Whatever you're upset about today, chances are you won't even give it a second thought a year or two from now. Never stop living or trying. If you suck at life today, go to bed early and set that alarm because tomorrow's a new day, sunshine! 

Sometimes people don't realize how valuable a break from the chaos of life really can be. What are some methods you use to refresh from your hectic schedule? Sound off in the comments below! 

Thanks for reading! Have an amazing day! 

If you enjoyed this, remember—sharing is caring!

Thought of the Day: Work hard in silence

Thought of the Day:

"Work hard in silence, let your success be your noise." Frank Ocean

You know, I'm a writer who writes about a number of things on the internet—including my daily goals at times. However, you don't know every personal detail about me or how I spend my days. If you knew me years ago, you would not have seen my current life coming because I didn't spend it doing what I do now. I wasn't going far then, but I'm definitely going places now. Not only that, I quite enjoy what I'm doing.

My first mistake was sharing the details about how I wanted to better myself. The issue I've run into with this is when people find out you're trying to better yourself, some are going to throw their full support behind you. However, often many will criticize you and doubt your capability. It can be disheartening, to be honest. Do not buy into what they're selling. Once you figure out what you want from life, go get it—and don't tell anyone associated with your personal life because they tend to be your worst critics.

Another issue with telling everyone the details of your life, especially when you're trying to make something of yourself is that when you fail—and you're going to fail at something—some people throw negative vibes all over the place. I've failed many times throughout the years. The one thing that separates me from the people who give up is that I knock off the dirt and keep moving forward.

Don't tell people about your failures—ever. It gives people ammunition to sling at you for their own petty reasons. If you have already let everyone in on the details of your goals and failures, then ignore the negativity because you don't need that in your life. Finally, stop telling them anything at all.

Seek out like-minded individuals working toward similar goals. Surround yourself with these people because they're going to be the ones to motivate you when you're down, especially people who are already more successful than you. Trust me, you want those people in your life—not the broke person who keeps asking to borrow money, but never wants to get off their rear and work for it! And you certainly don't want someone in your life who keeps telling you that you're a loser or your goals are unattainable—because that simply isn't true.

A few more tips for the road:

• Trust and believe in yourself. 
• Talk yourself up in the mirror every day if needs be.
• Remember, positivity alone will not produce results or progress. You have to work for it. 
• Wake up every morning with your goals clear in your mind. 
• Write your goals down.
• Don't allow someone's fear of failing impact your confidence.
• Connect with those who support your dreams. 
• Seek out a mentor or two.
• Failing is part of the process. Learn from it and try again.
• If you're overwhelmed, take a break. A day off will leave you refreshed and ready to go again.

Believe in your dreams. If everything falls apart on a single day, it's OK. Keep in mind that we all fail at something every single day. Brush yourself off and try again tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day! Thanks for reading!

If you found this helpful, feel free to share it with your friends and family!

Thought of the Day: The only disability in life is a bad attitude.

Thought of the Day:

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude." Scott Hamilton

A photo posted by Crystal (@penelopewinthrop) on May 5, 2016 at 2:46am PDT

There are people who have gone through incredibly horrible circumstances in life, but at the end of the day—they are still smiling and their heart is full. It puts me to shame to think about some of the times I've felt irritated about certain things. For instance, one being that I decided to stay at home, and homeschool my children. We transitioned to regular school this past year, but prior to that, I felt annoyed sometimes. It felt like I was being held back from achieving my goals, which isn't entirely true. I simply had a bad attitude about it at times, not just because of that, but I felt unappreciated—even though it was really all in my head. I know my boys adore and love me.

Everyone thought I was "superwoman" to stay at home and teach them when all I felt was annoyed by it. I think, if I had just changed my attitude, then I would have felt better about myself and teaching. I probably would have gotten more accomplished as well. When I look back on it, I'm glad that I did, and since I can't change the past, I focus on my attitude now.

Parenting is especially frustrating at times. We're entering the "tween" phase with one of my boys and it's starting to become challenging, but we have always had a clear communication channel. Yesterday, we had an incident in the morning. I'm glad I had the day to take a break and readjust my attitude because that morning, I really wanted to scream. We worked through it once school was over and we were settled at home again. As parents, your attitude influences and shapes your child's behavior in many ways. If you think about it, your attitude essentially shapes the outcome of many things in your life—relationships, career, happiness, etc.

A negative attitude and rude behavior will cost you a lot of things in life. Shoot for the moon and aspire to be better, but at the same time, be content with what you already have. Don't look down on the things you currently have because if you have a condescending attitude now, it isn't going to improve once you are finally successful. Once you reach your milestone, you will probably be satisfied for a while, but then you will begin to long for more. It's a harsh and never-ending cycle.

Money can't buy you a positive attitude either. You could win the lottery today—and sure, you would be extremely elated, but that feeling only lasts for so long. Plus, most people who hit the lottery don't know how to manage money and end up in worse shape than before they won the lottery.

Another thing to consider is that a bad attitude can make or break your success. For example, I knew someone who owned a company that had great potential, however, he treated his employees horribly if something wasn't going according to plan. Instead of approaching an issue calmly, he talked down to others simply because he felt that he could. Eventually, his company went under and he still owes a lot of people money. You can't expect to do well if you treat people like garbage.

Have you ever been stuck in a rut? What did you do to get out of it? To shake off the negativity, I go off to clear my mind. I take a walk or meditate/do yoga. I love walking along the beach or on a hiking trail. Some quick tips:

• Be grateful for what you have
• You are loved
• Let go of imperfections and accept yourself for who you are
• Live in the here and now
• Actively choose to be positive
• Cut the negative people from your life
• Clear your mind 
• An idle mind can be destructive - Find a purpose/goal
• You are in control
• Figure out the problem
• Speak positively—yes, it works

Everyone has a bad day every now and then, but you are completely in control of your attitude. A bad attitude can absolutely be changed. You are in control. Do you have any tips that you would like to add? Leave it in the comments below! If you found this helpful, please share it with your friends or family! Thanks for reading!!

Thought of the Day: Decide to be Amazing

Thought of the Day:

"Decide to be amazing, and then work hard to reach your goals" Penelope Winthrop

A photo posted by Crystal (@penelopewinthrop) on Apr 12, 2016 at 7:19am PDT

They say, "mind over matter," right? While that's true, if you change your way of thinking—you also have to change your actions. You can be amazing by making the right decisions and then by acting on them. You want to be successful? Well, then you're going to have to work for it. Success isn't going to come overnight.

Nothing worth having is ever going to be easy to achieve. Be ready to work longer hours than others because behind every successful person is hours of hard work and struggles. Prepare to be in it for the long haul. If you happen to achieve your goals faster than you planned, then great, but if you don't then you won't be disappointed.

Do you struggle with making changes in your life? How do you go from working the minimum to putting in extra hours to go after your dreams? Start small. Implement a small change—and do it every single day. Don't forget the weekends! The more gradual the change, the easier it will be to implement it—especially if you're a stubborn person like me.

For instance, I wanted to start waking up at 4:30 a.m. every single morning. The problem is that I love sleeping. I didn't want to wake up that early, even though I knew I needed to make this change to my life. And, despite knowing that this change was necessary, I would set my alarm and every.single.morning, I would hit the snooze button. I mean, does anyone really want to climb out from under their comfy covers to begin work for the day?? After hitting the snooze, I would change the alarm to 6 a.m. when I had to wake up to get my boys ready for school. Hey, I may have had issues getting up for myself initially, but I always manage to leap out of bed for them. I put them ahead of everything—including sleeping in.

Needless to day, it was an incredibly frustrating cycle. The worst part is that I was the only person in control. I had all the power to get my butt out of bed then, but I chose not to get up. Therefore, I decided to change my approach. I set my alarm for 5:45 a.m. and over a period of about three weeks, I managed to move my wake-up call to 4:30 a.m. It took a while for my body to accept that I was going to wake up super early, but when I finally got through an entire week of my new routine—boy, it felt amazing.

Now, I'm up at 4:20 a.m. every morning. I even wake up early on the weekends, and I'm happy about it! I have my coffee, I work on some writing or pictures. I complete a few things that I never manage to accomplish at other times of the day simply because life is busy. Every day, I try to take as many small steps as I can toward the future I desire. I want it so badly that I can taste it. I know that it's probably going to take longer than I'd like to achieve my goals, but that's OK—I'm in it not only win it but to inspire others to do the same.

Make the decision to be amazing, and then act on it. Take one teeny, tiny step at a time toward your goals in life, and don't expect to see immediate changes. Celebrate your accomplishments as they come. Success won't come to you as fast as you probably want it, but in a year from now when you look back, you will be able to see the difference.

Thanks for reading! If you liked this, feel free to share this with your friends and family!