upsherin: spending more on the nosh, or the packaging

ShakleeMom

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 5:37 pm

Hypothetically, let’s say you have a budget of $300, for 200 pekelach… hypothetically. Would you spend on real good nosh so the kids will be delighted, or would you skimp on the nosh and spend some more on the outside packaging so that it looks beautiful and has a lasting impression. This question came to mind after comparing the radical differences of both approaches most recently.

Fabulous

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 5:39 pm

definitely the nosh. For kids that young, the packaging is secondary. Yes, it would be nice, but the ikur (the most important) for your child and the other children there is the FOOD!

flowerpower

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 5:41 pm

I spend much more on the actual upsherin and put together a regular cute pekela with regualar good inexpensive nosh. I make a nice big breakfast and would rather the adults enjoy a good meal then the kids who eat in a second and forget later that day what was in it.

SuperMama

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 6:32 pm

Kids that age do care more about the food than the packaging - they throw it out... But me personally, I love the packaging more than the food so my type would be to spend on the package, BUT its more pratical to spend on the food.

GAMZu

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 7:31 pm

Depends. Neither should be at the other one's expense.

You shouldn't give a bag of Klik chocolates, package of cookies, chocolate milk, halva and a cheese danish in a paper bag. Nor should you give a mini pack of pretzels in a personalized, gold embossed box in the shape of tzitzis with the child's photo on it.

Fabulous

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 7:44 pm

flowerpower wrote:

That's true too. The nosh doesn't have to be expensive to be good. Don't put something like raisins. Sorry, Raisin, I know it's healthy and all but kids do not appreciate it in a pekela.

Beauty and the Beast

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 7:48 pm

good question- specially since I will be in this parsha really soon..
I am going to take the middle road- a nice packaging, and normal nosh...
the nosh will be the same wether I do it in a gorgeous bag, or a plain cellophane bag..

mummiedearest

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 7:51 pm

just put out a couple of large cookie platters and let the kids fend for themselves.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!

oooooooh, it's good to laugh...

Mrs. XYZ

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 7:59 pm

I actually like having very cute packaging, but I wouldn't spend alot on it. I would try to make something myself, or copy something that they sell ready made, so that it shouldn't cost too much. But I wouldn't spend too much on the nosh either, cause I dont think kids need so much junk. So I'd probably end up spending about the same amount on both.

Beauty and the Beast

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 8:09 pm

Mrs. XYZ wrote:

right- that's how I feel.
I feel that ppl look at the pekela- say "wow, very nice" and then the kids proceed to demolish it.
That's why I wouldn't feel right to spend a ton of money on the packaging, it goes into the garbage..
At least the nosh ppl appreciate.. I know I have! ( there have been times that I bentched mothers for putting in certain nosh that I was craving!)

ShakleeMom

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 8:43 pm

Beauty and the Beast wrote:

( there have been times that I bentched mothers for putting in certain nosh that I was craving!)

That's why you need to go to shul on Simchas Torah... and tell your kids that they will get a dime for each nosh they don't eat and turn in to you, the candy police LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!

ShakleeMom

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 8:45 pm

yo'ma wrote:

hypothetically or not...200 pekalach??????

Is it not enough to write hypothetically twice in one post? This is not me, this is not them, this is a hypothetical question!

greenfire

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 9:42 pm

200

get little white paper bags and tie string to the bottom - 2 marker lines across - now you have a cheap yet appropo bag ...

http://www.officemax.com/omax/.....35869

http://www.bagsonthenet.com/st.....age=1

or go with the professional made

http://www.blumspapergoods.com.....o.htm

Mrs.K

Mon, Dec 15 2008, 11:01 pm

I know this may seem weird, but I made the packaging myself (and I'm not a crafty type of person, nor do I have very much time on my hands.) I actually didn't know they sell those tzitzis bags here in israel (now I know they do) so I bought regular fancy clear plastic bags (not the sandwich bags, the high quality plastic bags for simchas) and with a ruler, made the black lines on the bottom, then used a hole puncher to cut 2 holes and tie the white strings for tzitzis. Pretty simple. (maybe not for 200...but hey if you're bored, or if you have an older daughter or maybe an older sister....)

Furthermore I filled each bag with just popcorn which is nice and cheap. (We were hosting a large seuda after coming back from Meron so those were more my expenses. I needed to do the bags cheaply!)

miriamnechama

Thu, Dec 18 2008, 1:56 am

GAMZu wrote:

OMG. I just realized. 3 more months. shock

3 more months to plan the hachnosa l'cheider, in the heat of pesach cleaning. Surprised

oh I did that 2 years ago a week before pesach...

hmm imagine baking a chometzdik homey cake on zayin nissan.... I couldn't start with teh kitchen till after that!! oh and buy the time I searched for chametzdik nosh.. there was none as they dissapear from the shelves till way after pesach, so I had tomake do with maybe chocolate, chips bamba or whatever.. all kosher lepesach, though I got much smarter since then and by the stuff for peklach before purim.

now that reminds me what dh bought for his vacht nacht on bedikas chametz night..I think they were ice pops which no one wanted and stayed oin our freezer, oh and the bris... huh, forget the came, we just about hd bread, though not fresh.... Very Happy

Thu, Dec 18 2008, 5:34 am

I made a really big community party 4 my son's opsher, we had fish, vegetable, sandwhich, fruit, cake and nosh platters and just didnt make pekelach.

square_peg

Thu, Dec 18 2008, 7:14 am

My kids dont really love nosh so much.. its is more the hype of getting a peckel... (my 5 year old I would say, even appreciates the nice packaging" but since they are really not big noshers, a peckel is more of a posesion to them, so the nicer the package.... the more excited they are.

Unusual but true.

chayitty

Tue, Jan 06 2009, 7:33 am

I think I spend most on the prizes I put inside...and I know I made the right decssion when I turned up by the cheder and saw the satisfied smiles and kids whispering..wow 3 prizes!...