#Resound11: Theme Songs

Posted on December 5, 2011 by nicdempsey

Think about this past year. Is there a song that you’ve heard that has really struck a chord, one that has spoken to you? Maybe there’s a song that goes along with your one word for 2011. Maybe there is a song that you’ve heard that instantly cheers you up or makes you think of a special moment that happened this year?

The soundtrack to my year has mostly consisted of Old Crow Medicine Show and The Heavy. However, the reason that this year didn’t completely suck was that I changed me attitude and the song that has summed up that attitude was ‘A Little Bit of Feelgood’ by Jamie Lidell

Because it’s true. Big things like jobs, partners, deep spiritual fulfillment can and do make you happy but little things keep you going. I’m in the second week of my new job and it makes me happy to finally be working and earning my own way, but the shine of that will soon wear off when faced with reality of the daily grind. However, someone calling you “because I was thinking about you”, having your nephew walk up to you and hug you for no apparent reason (I didn’t even have food in my hand!), the joy of spending an evening with friends, going for a walk in the sunshine, the moment when your brother in the middle of the worse week of his life asks you how you’re doing, the satisfaction of helping your friends move house. It’s been the ‘little bits of feelgood’ that have kept me going this year and will continue to do so in 2012…

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Birthday Cake

Posted on December 5, 2011 by nicdempsey

Olly

Birthday cake duty has rolled around again this year. Currently in the oven in the shape of a two is my standard easy birthday cake.

It started when I made Olly’s cake last year. I needed a cake that was sturdy but not too dry, that had some flavour but needed to appeal to toddlers and adults! I came across this recipe on the Keston Kitchen site and it filled the bill. It’s a moist, sturdy, lightly lemon flavoured cake and is very versatile. It also has the added bonus of being dead simple to bake, which is good as icing cakes is not my strong point and will drive me nuts enough (the big blue circles on Olly’s cake last year were covering up the cracks in the white icing!)

What

175g butter at room temperature

175g caster sugar

grated zest of 1 lemon

pinch of salt

3 eggs

225g self raising flour

milk

How

1) Line a 7 inch round cake tin with greased baking parchment and pre-heat the oven to 170C

2) Cream the better, sugar, salt and lemon zest together. Make sure that the ingredients are fully combined and the mixture has a paler appearance than when you started.

3) Mix in the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of flour. Then mix in the rest of the flour.

4) Add a splash of milk and mix in. Continue until the mixture has a soft drop consistency. Remember the more milk you add, the longer the cake will take to cook, you don’t want the cake mixture to be too runny.

5) Put the mixture into the cake tin and level off.

6) Place tin in oven and cook for about an hour, test with a skewer and if it comes out of the centre clean, then it’s cooked. If not put back in the oven and test every 10-15 minutes until it does.

7) Allow to cool and decorate as you like.

20111201-182843.jpg

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#resound: superpowers

Posted on December 4, 2011 by nicdempsey

Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound … we know you’ve got one. What’s your 2011 superpower?

For those of you going what the what … stop. Think about it for a moment: what have you learned that you can do better than anyone you know this year? What can you do that no one else can? Don’t be shy!

What I have I learned that I can do better than anyone else I know?

Of the things I can do, I’m a good baker, but I know loads of good bakers, I’m a good administrator but so are loads of other people. I make the best gin and tonic of anyone I know but I knew that before 2011!

However, I am the only person that can be me. I’m the best daughter to my mother, the best sister to my brother and sister-in-law and the best aunt to my nephew (even if he will keep shutting doors in my face!!). I am the only person who can live this life. The one in Ealing in this little flat, with this mix of friends and family. It’s a little thing as superpowers go but it’s also one that I used to find hard to master, I spent a lot of time thinking that someone else would do a better job of my life.

This year I’ve realised that isn’t true. I’m the best version of me, no-one else would do it with my style and panache! Can I be a better version, yes and I’m working on that but I’m enough.

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Birthday Girl

Posted on December 4, 2011 by nicdempsey

It’s Mum’s birthday and if I haven’t already said it a million times, she’s fabulous!

Happy Birthday Mum!!

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Sunday Music

Posted on December 4, 2011 by nicdempsey

I’m on an Advent roll…

Gabriel’s Message

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#resound11

Posted on December 3, 2011 by nicdempsey

What personal virtues have you discovered in 2011?  What good have you done in 2011? Where do you really shine? What have you done that makes you proud of yourself?

In 2011, I’ve found more determination. I’ve taken action to stop myself being depressed. Partly that’s been a personal determination (especially towards the last part of the year) to get out of bed at a reasonable time, to get out of the house, I’ve kept the house tidy. Partly it’s been about reaching out a bit more and letting being interested in other people inspire and motivate me. Taking notice of people that are around me and reaching out a bit more. I’ve really got to know Max, rather than her being one of the people I know. I’ve spent time being the babysitting of first resort for Ben and Lu, but have also spent time looking after Murphy and Tabitha.

Things that people could always say about me, that I was always late and untidy, can’t really be said about me anymore. My mother reckons that it’s her family virtues finally winning out, it might be old age but it’s happening. For instance this morning is my first lie in of the week and I got out of bed this morning at 8am because I had things to do and I want to be on time for lunch with the family this afternoon! Determination…

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Toddlers and balloons

Posted on December 3, 2011 by nicdempsey

There’s a balloon

Birthday Balloon

Toddler wants balloon

Want!!

Daddy gives in

Toddler plays with balloon even though balloon is bigger than him!!

Toddler lets go of balloon

Toddler pines for balloon

Daddy rescues balloon

Gives balloon back to toddler

Toddler is happy again..

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#Resound11

Posted on December 2, 2011 by nicdempsey

#Resound11

So it seemed like a good idea to take this month to review the year and look forward to next. I’m so not being original (look at all the people doing the same thing!)

As ever, I’m behind so I’m gonna catch up here and then carry on through the month…I hope!

01 – What is one word to describe your 2011? Why does that word sum up your year?

Perseverance.

I started this year in a really good place and three months in I lost my job. For the second time in as many years. I loved that job, yeah it had frustrations but I’d worked hard, improved the role,  mended some fences that the organisation had broken and it didn’t get me anywhere. When it came down to it, they didn’t see that I’d done anything special, they just let me go because they didn’t want to make me a permanent employee, something HR decided a month after agreeing a contract extension and a week before I had to leave. That sucked. I temped and that wasn’t fun and wasn’t constant. Eventually I had to sign on and join the ranks of the unemployed. Again.

Thankfully (and in large part to my friends and more especially my mum!) I’ve lived to tell the tale. However, after losing the job I loved through no fault of my own, the constant rejection (I applied for 65 jobs in 5 months) really started to wear me down. I had to persevere. To hang on to Nic and be positive, at a time when I felt that might never work again. Over the past two years, my mantra has been ‘nobody died’ but it’s hard to have faith in yourself when you can’t work, not because you don’t want to but because no-one wants you. I did it though. Other things went by the wayside but I got through this. The last 9 months have taught me lots of things but to keep on keeping on was something I had to re-learn and each time it’s a little easier.

02 – Did you slip back into any old habits that you wish you hadn’t? Did you gain any new habits that you wish you would have walked away from? Did you discover the evils of Nutella? ‘Fess up … we won’t tell. This prompt may sound dark and dreary, but we’ll be back to our sunshine selves tomorrow. Take today to reflect on a vice (or two or twelve) that you’d like to give up in the new year.

Yep, I lost the sensible eating and the exercise, I got really lazy, half hearted and I ate, drank and was far too merry.  It’s showed in my waistline and my mood and I’ve started in the last 4 weeks to do something about it. That’s my plan for the New Year, to set monthly goals and get back on track. I’ve realised that I lost track of the exercise and eating because I lost confidence in my ability to do anything worthwhile. That can’t happen next year.

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His parents must be so proud

Posted on December 2, 2011 by nicdempsey

This was on my twitter feed this morning and it’s worth watching.

I especially love the last line of the speech “the sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character”

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December Goals

Posted on December 2, 2011 by nicdempsey

I liked having goals in November, so I’m going to do it again for December…

Exercise.

 

Bootcamp ends on 15th December, I really need to keep up with the exercise and even with a job, I can’t afford a personal trainer on a regular basis. Apparently it takes 30 days to form a new habit so for December, I’m going to exercise 3 times a week.  That can be a class at the gym, it can be a bootcamp session, it can be going to the gym. Three times a week, even over Christmas week!  I also want to walk 100k in the month. That can be part of exercise, but I want to get an idea of how much I actually walk and go from there. Finally, I want to be able to maintain a plank from my feet for a minute and a half. They should keep me busy!!

Diet

I want to stay off coffee completely until the 15th and drink no more than 2 cups a week for the rest of the month! To make sure that I drink 2 litres of water a day (especially on the weekend). It’s Christmas and it will be difficult but I need to think about the booze target again. At the risk of sounding like I have a problem with this (I don’t but I am the child of an alcoholic so I’m aware that it could become an issue for me if I’m not careful) I’m going to give myself an easier target for December, I will only drink 10 days during December. That should cover Ma’s birthday, the Grace & LCS Christmas parties and Christmas itself. With the diet I want to eat mindfully, so I will commit to taking my lunch to work too.

Misc

Books – I have loads and some of them aren’t worth keeping. So before Christmas, I will have a clear out of my bookshelves and I will post about it to keep me accountable.

Sewing – I busted this one out of the water but looking at my schedule and the need for some early nights due to work, I’m going to half the number, 25 hours.

Flat – I need to balance being out at work with making home a good place to be, so I need to revise the housework chart and stick to it. Christmas is always nicer if the house is tidy and there’s somewhere to put the tree.

So:

  • Exercise 3 times a week
  • Get to a 1.5 minute plank, from my toes
  • Walk 100k in the month
  • No coffee until 15th Dec and no more than twice a week for the rest of the month
  • Drink 2 litres of water a day
  • Spend 21 days or more without drinking alcohol
  • Continue to eat mindfully
  • Take lunch to work every day
  • Have a clear out of my books
  • Sew for 25 hours
  • Commit to housework spreadsheet
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