First of all, I want to thank all of my wonderful families who hire me every year for their parties. I will be VERY sad not to see you all this spring but I hope that this finds you in good health. Here we’re all safe and staying home, and I hope your families are all feeling ok as well. Scary times!

Right now since I can’t go out to any parties (and I don’t want to!) I’m working with every family individually to talk about their deposits. I know many of you are worried about money, so I have taken that into consideration. However, the $50 deposits I’ve always required are still very important in helping me pay someone to help me with this website, pay for Face Book advertising, and pay for my many hours in the office. Right now I can be very flexible in helping everyone reschedule their parties and I will help you find some future event to use those deposits for.

Even though I can’t refund everyone their full amount, for return clients who have experienced a lay off in the family, please call me directly so we can arrange something. Like I said I love my clients and their families and will do everything I can to help make the kids smile. Frankly I’m not sure what that means just yet, but I’m here to help.

Wishing you all good health during these troubled times,

Nancy

The post Coronavirus Blog Post first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.

Now I know how to cross my T’s and dot my I’s, but I’m only one person! Incase of any problem, I pay The New Hampshire Birthday Party Company to “insure” my artists. (It’s such a good idea, I wish I had thought of it!)

I pay every weekend so that, incase something happens to me or my car, you will still get an artist. EZ-PZ!

Just look for the “Never-Cancel Guarantee” image on any company’s website and they’ll make the same promise.

-Nancy

The post Never-Cancel Guarantee first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.

Check out this crown tutorial on You Tube or click their post to see how to do the makeup too.

The post Taking Face Paint to The Next Level: DIY Mermaid Goddess Look! first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.

CT Body Painting: Do’s and Don’ts

Look at this awesome article:

DON’T use acrylics or other cheap paints as body paint. Body paints are actually giant tubs of makeup similar to liquid eye liner or foundations. Acrylics, temperas, or other paints aren’t made for humans! Click the image on the left to open it up and read it. Remember this guy? He used cheap submarine paint (instead of body paint) to become the Hulk. And then remained the Hulk for months afterwards. Or, even if you can get the paint off you, acrylics can end up staining furniture, clothing, or anything else you touch. Plus, most colors (especially yellow or red) contain heavy metals known to cause cancer. No thanks! And if that’s not enough to convince you, other non-body paints can crack, smudge, and just generally make your costume look awful!

DO go to a professional. Professional body painters use FDA-approved makeups which are made specially for human skin. Even sensitive skin usually does well with this stuff! Plus our body paint is water-soluable (aka comes of quite easily), is applied by professionals (no streaks or smudges!) and we seal it in (aka it doesn’t come off until you want it to.)Now, we get a lot of requests for people asking us where we get Kaleidoscope gets our body paint from because they want to do it themselves. (The short answer is that we get it through professional suppliers up in MA.) But generally, even for a simple painting you’re going to end up dropping $50-75 dollars on enough paint to cover you. And, more than likely, because you’re not used to painting with makeup, you’ll also probably end up frustrated with streaks or uneven coverage. Call a body painter today and see what they’ll give you for a quote or simply tell them your budget. You might be surprised! (If you live in the Hartford or Boston areas, drop us a line for a quote today!)

Read the full article here.

Face Painting vs Masks for Halloween Makeup

There are a lot of awesome safety facts here for families:

Safety at Halloween is more than just stranger-danger. It’s also being thoughtful of cars on dark streets,  security at large events, and making sure no one has an allergic reaction. Can face paint or masks be any more safe than the other?

Check out safety, hygiene, cost, and more! This Halloween, what is the difference between face paint and masks?

The post Halloween Face Painting is Almost Here! first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.

So our whole big Family got together for a big birthday party. We had my Sister’s backyard and pool, a piñata, and a bounce house! But most of the kids were too little for any of those things. So I went to the craft store down the street and tried to find something fun for them. Well, I found something much more fun than a craft! I picked up a face painting kit and thought “I could do this!”

My face painting might not have been pretty that first day, but I loved it and so did my family! After Alexander’s birthday (and another few grand children!) I just kept doing face painting at all of the birthdays in our Family. Then, friends and neighbors and other parents started asking me if I would do it at their parties. For years I kept face painting here and there for free, but after I retired to spend more time with my family which was really big by now, I decided to start doing it on the side!

I have been face painting now for 17 years, but only 8 of those years have been professionally. I love my job and I love the kids I work with.

Almost all of my business is word of mouth. Alexander helped me with this Website, which I would say is a pretty great trade-off for years of painting his face! So if you haven’t met me before the Website Hello! I would love to come to your birthday party whether we’ve met or not and entertain all of the kids there!

I also do balloon twisting and glitter tattoos now, so I can do anything you want!

The post How I became a face painter! first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.

Last year I had time for three parties, so hopefully this year I will be able to too! But as always, it’s first-come-first-serve, so please move quickly! See you soon!

The post Labor day balloon twisting and face painting parties in CT first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.

1. Face painting a toddler isn’t always easy. They just won’t sit still! After waiting in line (if you can get them to wait) it’s very frustrating if at the last moment the toddler decides they don’t want their face painted. It is for this reason that I recommend balloon-twisting parties rather than face painting parties. Toddlers love to watch balloon animals being made. If any older kids are at the party, they will also love watching the balloon twisting, and the other twists even more. It’s not even unusual for adults at my parties to want a balloon too. I would say that balloon twisting is a lot more universal than face painting!
2. Don’t service any party food that would require the child to sit down! Hot dogs and finger foods are perfect. The kids are going to be having too much fun to sit down and eat.
3. I know plenty of games that are perfect for children of all ages. Toddler parties often have a couple older kids thrown into the mix, whether they are older neighbors or siblings. I make sure that all my activities are suitable for all ages.
4. When planning the birthday party remember that most toddlers still take an afternoon nap so take that into account. You will probably want a late afternoon (or morning) party and you can keep it short and sweet! This also leaves you with more one-on-one time with your special birthday child. Most toddlers also are beginning to appreciate goody bags. I try to suggest that with older kid’s birthday parties they move away from cheap goodies, and onto a more meaningful give-away. However, with toddlers I would suggest going as cheap and easy as possible! Toddlers aren’t going to be more impressed by bigger and better items.

Toddlers need more supervision then older children, which can make a toddler’s party super hectic. That’s why hiring entertainment is even more important. Balloon twisting is definitely the best option! It will keep the kids entertained and give the adults some much needed adult talk time. Unlike some other companies, I have a lot of experience with kids of all ages and can definitely keep the children entertained, whether it be face paint or balloon twisting.

Overall, don’t stress out, hire a balloon twister, and keep your party short and sweet!

The post Toddler Party Tips first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.

• Decide on a reasonable number of guests. Rather than having 20+ kids, have fewer kids and make the experience more meaningful for each one. This also makes it great easier if you hire some form of entertainment. Balloon twister and face painters, for example, can only do 10-12 kids can hour.
• If you plan on feeding the children, make sure that the food doesn’t require the children to sit still. Finger foods, burgers, and hot dogs are all perfect foods to serve. The kids are going to be having too much fun to want to sit down for long.
• Hire a balloon twister or a face painter! Now, I know you’re probably thinking that’s just another thing to add to my list. However, balloon twisting or face painting artists are only going to make your event run smoother. The artists will take care of setting up and taking down their stations. By entertaining the kids during the party, you’ll finally get some downtime with other adults! Plus, children will love having their face painted or having balloon animals. You’ll have less planning to do regarding other activities. Balloon twisting and face painting is a win-win for everyone!
• Buy a cake. There is nothing wrong with buying a cake; you don’t have to make a homemade three-layer cake that looks like it belongs on the Food Channel to impress anyone. Buying a store-bought cake will take away stress, and stores have so many options I’m confident one will fit your theme.
• Go with nontraditional party favors. Everyone knows that most of those cheap plastic party favors are just going to be thrown following the party. I’m sure you’ve done it before (I know I have). One cool idea I saw at one of my birthday party gigs was a frame party favor. The mom took a photo of the party in the beginning, printed it out on the computer, and simply slid the photo into the frame.
• Schedule your event for the afternoon that way you can setup for the event all morning. Get the birthday child involved in as many pre-party activities as possible. The extra help will be super nice, and it’s a great way to bond.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Similar to hiring a balloon twister or a face painter, you don’t have to do everything by yourself. If you have family coming over, ask them to bring some food.
• Try not to stress out. I’m sure your event will be a hit!
• And lastly, don’t forget the candles!

The post How To Plan a Stress-Free Event first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.

• Do you have a lot of experience with kids? I’m a proud mom to five kids and a handful of grandchildren. I love working with children, and hope I can help make your child’s next birthday memorable!
• Is face paint really safe? I only use FDA-approved makeup. I make sure to only use hypoallergenic face paint and have never had a client have an allergic reaction. My grandson Ethan has super sensitive skin and all of the face paint works great on him. Each child gets a new sponge and brushes are dipped in sanitizer! All materials are fully cleaned between parties. I make sure all my parties are fun and clean!
• Can I offer you food? If you wish. I always make sure that eating doesn’t get in the way of face painting or balloon twisting, but I would love a snack.
• What if you don’t get through all the guests in time? Sometimes this happens (but rarely) because more kids come then expected. If you want, adding on extra time is super easy and I would love to spend the extra time with you!
• How many people can you face paint in an hour? Typically I get face paint done on about 10-12 kids per hour. I can also get about 10-12 quality balloon twists done per hour! Always keep in mind that almost every guest is going to want to get his or her face done or get a balloon animal! A lot of adults even want to get in on the fun. This why having the choice to add on extra time is a great!
• How do I pay? Cash is easiest way. Checks are also another option!
• Do you recommend toddler birthday parties to include face paint? Toddlers have a really hard time sitting still (as you probably know). This makes waiting in line and sitting in the chair a difficult task for them. Shy children may also be afraid of me when they reach the end of the line!

Some other queries you might be having about my face painting and balloon twisting entertainment is…

1. What does the party host have to do? For face painting all I’m going to need is a table and two chairs. For balloon twisting I need nothing at all, besides people to entertain!
2. What do you do during downtime? I’ll be working the entire time. I guarantee that I’ll be busy for the entire time that you hire me. I can always paint children’s hands or do a second round of balloon animals.
3. When do you setup? I’ll come early to set up. No matter if I’m face painting or balloon twisting (or both) I’ll be sure to arrive about 15 minutes early to set up all of my materials. It takes less than 5 minutes to have everything ready to go.

The post Popular Questions About Face Painting and Balloon Twisting Parties first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.

Thank you Lynda for the lovely note! I’m so excited about the relationship I’ve formed with a few families in CT. Invite me to your party any time of year for any occasion.

The post "See you soon!" - Review for Adam's 5th Balloon Twisting Birthday in Norwalk first appeared on Noodle Doodle by Nancy.