I haven't done a Caught My Fancy post in awhile, so I thought that it would be fun to share some things that I've been loving recently!
Surprize Balls - The name of these adorable treats makes me think of something one of my sarcastic middle schoolers would say ("well, hello, surprize balls...") but I have been obsessed with them since finding them online at Tops Malibu.
Each ball is layers & layers of crepe paper, which you unravel to find prizes, fortunes, mini toys and treats hidden within the layers. Aren't they fun? I think that the Easter ones would be great favors for Easter dinner or brunch:
(both photos from the Tops Malibu website)
I'm kind of itching to try my hand at making one.
Making Bagels at Home - Since being in New York, I've really wanted to see if I could replicate authentic New York bagels. One of my earliest memories is when we visited my grandparents in New Jersey, my grandfather would take me to the bakery on Sunday morning to pick out bagels for brunch. So, I'm a bagel lover from way back. A few weeks ago, I tried them out and they were SO GOOD.
I used Peter Reinhart's bagel recipe which I found on Smitten Kitchen. I followed the recipe except for 2 ingredients that I didn't have -- barley malt syrup and high gluten flour (I used honey & bread flour instead). Being the kind of gal that I am, I figured, "If the first try turned out well, what would they be like if I had all of the perfect ingredients???". So, I tracked down the syrup and ordered the flour online and baked them again this morning. You know what? Next time, I'm going back to regular old bread flour.
If you decide to make them, keep in mind that it's a two day process. Also, Ms. Smitten Kitchen says that she boils her bagels for 2 minutes on each side. Yeah, when I did that, they turned out soggy. One minute per side next time.
The Return of Kimmy Schmidt - I don't watch much TV (I'm too busy messing around on Pinterest! Ha!), but when I find something on that I like, I can't stop watching. Last spring break, it was The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. I binge watched all week and then binge watched it again the following weekend when I convinced Glenn that he had to see it. Oh.My.God. it is so funny. I'm so excited for the new season, premiering on Netflix on April 15. Check out the trailer:
My Planner - My life has been very, very full recently between exciting things going on at work, Hope's activities, personal goals and family obligations. My planner has been my bible to keep it all straight. There are a million planners out there, but the one that I have found that works for me is I Heart Organizing's weekly planner.
I love this planner -- 2 pages per week, places for personal and work goals, spots for meal planning, lots of room for daily to-dos and more. I have developed a really good system with this planner that keeps me on target both at work and at home. I know that there are a lot of people out there looking for ways to become more organized, so if there is interest, I'd be happy to do a post about my system.
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