My family is enjoying healthy snacks as part of a sponsored series with GoGo squeeZ and Socialstars. #GoGosqueeZSquad
The countdown has begun and while I’m having a hard time believing it myself, Christmas is a couple of days away. ‘Tis the season for glitter, glue, crafts, and classroom parties with treats galore. To spread the goodness this holiday season I made these adorable not-so-ugly sweaters to decorate the GoGo squeeZ applesauce pouches I would be handing out to my daughter’s class before the winter break. These convenient pouches are the perfect alternative to the goodie bags I normally put together for special occasions at her school. I know many parents are thanking me right now because the abundance of cookies, cakes, and candy can be overwhelming. While I don’t mind Toodie coming home with treats from her class parties, I much rather her have a healthy snack that provides a benefit and not just a sugar-induced burst of energy!
GoGo squeeZ pouches are one of our favorite healthy go-to snacks because they contain simple all natural ingredients and no artificial “yuckies.” High fructose corn syrup? Artificial coloring? You won’t find any of that here which is why I feel confident giving them to my little one and her friends too. Not only do they taste great but they also come in a variety of flavors, including many organic fruit and veggie combinations. With this in mind, I knew that there would be a flavor that each and every kiddo in the class would enjoy. Not that first graders are super picky but it’s beneficial to provide choices to a room full of 6 year olds who are adamant about expressing their preferences!
Since the school week before the holidays was ending with an ugly sweater party, I took advantage of the opportunity to make the pouches even more appealing and fun. Sure there were other snacks to choose from but the decorated covers were a huge hit and everyone wanted one, even the other parents. If being a mom has taught me anything it’s how to use my creativity and imagination to its full potential. I love how they turned out. They even matched the ugly sweater I made Toodie earlier in the week.
To make your own ugly sweater pouch covers you will need red and green construction paper, pipe cleaners, holiday pom-pom balls, sequins, rhinestones, ribbon, and other decorations in festive colors. A hot glue gun is optional but it sure does make assembly easier and the drying process quicker.
Cut out ugly sweaters from the red and green construction paper. If you’re horrible at free-hand, like me, then the internet will be your best friend for this project! You can find several ugly sweater patterns that are traceable and printable in the Google-sphere. Once you find one you like, cut out as many of these little guys as you need. Here comes the fun part – decorating!
While your mission is to make these sweaters as ugly as possible, I must warn you that it’s rather hard. Mine came out kind of cute and not-so-ugly but that may be because I enjoyed the decorating process way too much. Whatever your strategy may be, use glue to create patterns and go to town with your embellishments. The tackier, the better! Need a little inspiration? Try creating something you would never wear out of your own house. Oh, if these pouches could talk…
Once sweaters are decked out in pom-poms and rhinestones, flip them over and use a hot glue gun to attach the pipe cleaner in the center horizontally. Allow to dry and place the GoGo squeeZ pouch on top, wrapping the pipe cleaner pieces around it. Tie the two pieces together so that it is secure and cut off any excess on the ends.
With it being such a busy time of year, GoGo squeeZ pouches are great to have on hand if you are having family over for the holidays or need a quick snack to take on the go for your children. Kids will go crazy for these healthy treats because the squeezie pouches make consumption fun and since spoons aren’t needed, you can count on snack time being mess free! It’s a win-win situation for parents, teachers and kids too.
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