best birthday party ideas

How I became a face painter!

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I get asked alot at parties how I became a face painter! Well, My oldest Grandson Alexander was  turning 1 and we wanted to do something nice for his birthday. After all, he was my only Grandchild at the time! (He’s 18 now!)

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!

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Toddler Party Tips

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I get tons of people asking for balloon twists and face painting packages for toddler birthday parties. Every mom and dad knows that toddlers act different from other ages and should be treated quite different from kids ages 5+. Being a mom and grandmother myself, I know that toddlers are quite unique and need things to be tailored to their curiosity and short attention spans. That’s why I’ve learned how to tailor my parties to make them perfect for toddlers.

  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!250-octopus

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How To Plan a Stress-Free Event

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Between hiring a balloon twister and/or a face painter and getting people to RSVP and making goodie bags, planning a child’s birthday party to be fun can be anything but! I’ve seen countless parents turn an event that is supposed to be magical and pleasurable into a huge hassle. I want to help you plan your next birthday party to include all the fun but none of the stress. Follow this tips and your party will be sure to be a hit:

  • 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.IMG_4397
  • 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 beginnFullSizeRendering, 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!

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Popular Questions About Face Painting and Balloon Twisting Parties

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If you’re wondering what it would be like to have a face painter or balloon twister at your next event, you’ve come to the right place! Feel free to email me if I don’t answer all of your questions in this post.

  • 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 parunnamed3ties 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.

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“See you soon!” – Review for Adam’s 5th Balloon Twisting Birthday in Norwalk

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“Hi Nancy! I just wanted to tell you that we had a blast at Adam’s party. It’s too bad more kids couldn’t come, but I’m glad the adults jumped in the fun! We really, really enjoyed how much fun you were. Can we reserve you in advanced for later this year for Michelle’s 2nd birthday, and for our Christmas party? Our guests are demanding it!”

 

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.

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Balloon Twisting and Face Paint for Popular Boy Birthday Themes

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In the last blog post I discussed how face paint and balloon art can be incorporated into popular birthday themes for girls! To see that blog post click right here:

Incorporating Balloon Art and Face Paint Into Popular Birthday Themes: Girls Edition

 

This week I’m going to discuss how the same can be done for popular boy themes. According to party city the most popular boy birthday themes are:

Superheroes:

  • 2d34d22678ae17143126c5258281412fHire a face painter to come and face paint the children’s favorite superhero masks onto their face. Complete this with buying some bulk cheap capes and the children can entertain themselves by playing superhero.
  • Balloon twisting designs for superheroes isn’t as obvious as face painting designs. It is possible to make small superheroes balloon figurines, however in my experience children wo9856434d4263f29d487c6b8cd2192debuld prefer superhero weapons or just simple swords. Swords are one of the easiest balloon twists to make (no surprise there). Kids love them though! I personally love the Caption America balloon defense weapon (and I’m sure my grandson would agree with me). It’s requires a lot of balloon twisting skill, so remember this kind of twist will require more time.
  • I love how many characters there are for superheroes. With that comes many different options for superhero themes foods! The marshmallow and fruit Caption America armor will be sure to please both children and adults. Plus, it’s super easy to make! The Thor cupcakes are also easy to make and use some of the same materials. However, if you plan on serving birthday cake you may not want to invest time in making cupcakes. The hulk rice crisp treats are also super easy to make! Just add some green die to the recipe, and buy some black dye at the nearest Michael’s Craft Store for the frosting. All these foods allow less time cooking and more time with your birthday child.

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Cars:

  • Believe it or not cars face paint is actually less common than one would think. The face paint design below is one of my favorites. It’s so creative and it’s1266bf55fc92876b61fc489afb39236b more than painted car on a cheek. The face paint design incorporates the whole face!
  • Now the picture below looks like it would take a lot to recreate. However, if you build this one scene you don’t need to go all out with the rest of the decorations. Don’t be worried that a lot has to be done to make this scene, just think about how much more one would have to do if you di9f5b29dc09e291e93d9164c423f5fa0bdn’t do it. Take a cheap black tablecloth and paint the white stripes. Buy a few balloons and cones, and BAM decorations done.
  • The car balloon art is awesome. I taught myself how to balloon twist this after seeing the photo. Just remind the party guests that balloons can’t be rough housed with. No car accidents for these balloons. 4d2f3fee3c689d5d88a7dfa8025954da

Toy Story:

  • I’m in love with this party theme! The face painting designs for Toy Story are quite time-consuming and detailed. Without so much meticulous brushstrokes, the designs wouldn’t look good. They would look more like the birthday child did it. With some face painting designs, like this d2a19af89d34023294a90a34690ae6fcone, there is no in-between between good and bad.
  • Creative food that plays with the theme of Toy Story is great. Getting boxes of pizza and making a sign saying “Pizza Planet” is a super easy and low-effort way to feed the guests and up the décor. Another food to serve could be croissant-wrapped hot dogs and calling them “slinky dogs” to reference the popular character. Whatever food you chose to serve, if you choose to feed the guests, make sure the items don’t require the children to eat down. There is too much excitement happening!
  • Toy story alien balloon art are some pretty awesome examples of the talent it takes to balloon twist. It’s so obvious who the balloons were created to be. Making ionic balloon animals can really showcase talent.51d8c21e83a6662f992bb701b8941136

 

For more party ideas I have created some Pinterest board with even more party ideas for a bunch of themes: https://www.pinterest.com/FacepaintingCT/

Which Pinterest board is your favorite?

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Incorporating Balloon Art and Face Paint Into Popular Birthday Themes: Girls Edition

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Face paint and balloon art are great ways to keep children entertained during a birthday party, and it helps to bring together a theme! The great aspect of having a popular theme is that finding supplies only requires heading to the local party store, rather than searching online or doing it yourself. Party City has a list of the most popular girl and boy birthday party themes. For this post I’ll be focusing on popular girl themes, and next week I’ll post about the boys themes. However, there are some popular themed party supplies that can’t be bought at Party City; balloon twisters and face painters.

Most Popular Girl’s Party Themes:

Minnie Mouse:

    • Balloon twisting can be tailored to every theme for every age. The video below is a great representation of how balloons can tailor to any theme! The hats would be a great way to tie in the party theme.

  • While on the topic of balloon art, balloon decoration is another way to bring together any theme. Minnie Mouse balloon arches are especially amazing because it’s so obvious what theme the party is aiming at. Even if you decide not to go over the top with decorations this one single décor addition will be able show the guests what the theme is. Or if you are deciding to go over the top with decorations, then you really need a balloon arch!c1328590314dc44019501033deb0b51e
  • A super awesome craft and treat idea would be to make a ‘create your own Minnie cookie area’. Making the cookies before hand can be a great way to get the birthday girl or boy involved.dc05e0648a27bf78b91163743df880b2
  • Face paint, like balloon twisting, is a simple way to keep the party guests entertained. Children love having their favorite characters painted on their faces. Adults love it because face paint makes the kids happy! I adore the Minnie and Mickey face paint design below.

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Disney Princesses:

  • One of the great things about princess birthday parties is that the party ideas are endless! Maybe it’s because there are so many princesses, or many it’s because they have been around for so long. Whatever the reason we aren’t going to question it. Just like party ideas, there are endless ideas for princess balloon art. Not only can Disney princesses be made into balloons, their companions can also. There are so many characters in Disney Princess movies so every party guest could get a different one if that’s what they wish.

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  • Side Note: If you’re looking for a summer Disney Princess party then check out my old blog post about throwing a Frozen party in the summer.
    • http://www.facepaintingpartyct.com/frozen-summer-party-ideas/
  • Having a face paint princess crown on is a great way to make any birthday girl to feel like royalty. Just like balloon art, face paint for princess parties also has a lot of design options. Having glass slippers, princess companions, castles, crowns, or the princesses face painted on the partygoers faces are just some of the options.
  • Decorating crowns is another way to entertain party guests. It’s also a great party favor for the guests to take home to their own castle.

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Hello Kitty:

One of my granddaughters was a major Hello Kitty fan growing up. The problem was that she really liked the cartoon before it was popular! Of course when it started getting popular she grew out of it. She would have loved a party like this.

  • Hello Kitty face paint has to be done well. I’ve seen plenty of pictures where the kid’s face is entirely painted white, and they end up looking more like a ghost then hello kitty. The example below is a great example of good Hello Kitty face paint.
  • Hello Kitty balloon animals are a bit harder to screw up then face paint. Unlike Disney princesses there aren’t as many ionic Hello Kitty characters to paint. So I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of party guests would also want more typical balloon animals.

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  • I spent a lot of time on Pinterest looking for Hello Kitty party crafts. I was actually super surprised by the lack of ideas. Even though Hello Kitty is a popular theme according to Party City, you can began to see how much harder it is to plan a less popular theme. Having face paint and balloon twisting is that much more important for unpopular themed birthday party, because it ties together a theme easily.
    • The only idea I found that I thought was unique and special would be to make headband ears. Just like decorating crowns, this Hello Kitty headband ears would be a great keepsake and a dress up play toy for the guests.

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Making Sure Your Summer Party Isn’t a Bummer

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Having a summer birthday opens up a couple new options for party ideas that can only be done during this time of year, including some festive balloon twisting and face paint designs. The two biggest decisions for birthday party planners in the summer months are whether the party will be held outdoors or indoors, and if the party is going to be relaxed or lively. Some easy party ideas for any gender and any age during the summer are:

All Parties Can Have Face Paint and Balloon Twisting!

  • Hire a face painter and balloon twister! This is a definite way of making sure the children will be entertained. Face painting is suitable for all ages and designs can be matured for older kids. Everyone also loves a good balloon sword! This option is super easy for parents because the artists do all the setup and takedown. All the party holders need to do is setup a table with two chairs. How easy!

Outdoors

Very Active Party:

  • Not everyone has the luxury of a having a pool. However, don’t fret if you want to cool party guests off but don’t have a man-made body of water and concrete sitting in your background. Water balloons are a major pain to inflate (and take about five minutes to go through). Instead, invest in some water guns! Have bins filled with water throughout the yard so that kids (and let’s be real, adults) can refill the guns. If you already have water guns this can be a total party hit with no cost to you. If your collection of water guns hasn’t begun yet, dollar stores and Wal-Mart are a great place to look. Just be sure that every party child has the option to play, so make sure that the number of guns will equal the number of children at the party. It’s also a super good way to water your lawn (:
    • Just because this party idea involves water doesn’t mean that you can’t have face paint! Noodle Doodle offers waterproof face paint! With FDA-approved ingredients, the paint comes of with soap or makeup remover instead of water.

More Laid-Back Party Idea:outdoor theater

  • Create an outside theater in your own backyard. Hang a sheet up in the backyard, rent a projector, and stream the birthday child’s favorite film. Litter the backyard with old blankets and pillows! I would recommend this idea for parties for older kids (9+) that are more likely to be able to sit through an entire film. This would also be a great time to do face paint, because rather than waiting in a line the kids can come one at a time during the movie. A super awesome addition to this idea would be to make a slideshow of the birthday girl or boy’s photos to play before the movie. There is no harm traveling down through memory lane.
  • For kids under 9, bring a carnival to town! Not literally, but you can create carnival games for the children to enjoy. The problem with this idea is that needs a lot of work beforehand to complete. The games once completed can be used for many birthday parties to come though!

A good majority of summer birthday parties are held outside. However, the weather sometimes gets upset that it wasn’t invited to your party and rains down on the special day. I would recommend a more laid-back tone to indoor parties because having multiple loud kids inside isn’t ideal.

Indoors

  • Now, if you planned for an outdoor movie theater and the weather decides to move the party inside creating the same idea indoors is easy! Although it would now be easier to just play the movie on the TV, I would still recommend using the sheet and projector anyways! That extra step will be sure to wow the party.
  • The easiest way to create a summer feel to an indoor party is to make a beach theme! This where some really fun summer balloon twisting and face painting can come in. Let our face painters create a tropic paradise on your little’s one face. Regarding summer inflatable objects, balloon animals are so much better than beach balls!
face-painting

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Frozen Summer Party Ideas

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During the summer we often get many requests for a princess themed summer birthday party and especially requests for a Frozen birthday party are at an all time high. Two years following Disney’s release of Frozen, the movie still reigns high in the minds every child. It has most likely left your summer birthday girl or boy wishing upon a star for a Frozen themed party in the middle of the summer. Don’t be worried because even in the middle of summer it’s still easy to create a wintery Arendelle wonderland party complete with face painters and balloon twisters. Some ideas to create the best Frozen summer birthday party are:

Before the Party:

  • Hire an Olaf for any summer birthday party and ask him to come in his favorite summer outfit. Complete in his movie famous sunglasses and/or top hat, Olaf will be a happy snowman!
  • Hire Elsa and Anna for the party. The queen and princess will happily arrive to any Frozen summer birthday party and explain that in Arendelle it’s still quite cold and that’s why they’re in winter clothes. We work closely with Invite A Princess so any residents of Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Massachusetts should contact them to book a professional Elsa and Anna.1513753_10152846054828750_1236656588254888714_n
  • Book a balloon twister or face painter for some fun birthday party entertainment. Frozen themed balloon crowns and swords are an easy party pleaser and go great with wintery face paint. To the right is an example of our Frozen summer birthday party sword. We would be honored to face paint of balloon twist for any residents of CT, MA, or RI.
  • As an expert on balloon twisting and face painting there are some easy tips to making the event run as smoothly as possible.
    • Artists will arrive early (roughly 15 minutes) in order to setup their station. All that is needed for a balloon twister or face painter is a small table with two chairs. Clean-up is super easy and will done by the face painting or balloon twisting artist. All that is required by you is to put up and take away the table and chairs!
    • We recognize that inviting artists you don’t know into your house isn’t always easy. Feel free to call ahead of time and ask about the entertainer scheduled for your event. Sometimes schedules get moved around so we can’t be guaranteed any single balloon twister or face painting artist to your event. Tips and food can be offered to any balloon twister or face painter, but are not required.
  • A combination of Olaf, princesses, balloon art, and children with their faces painted would make an awesome picture that would capture the fun for years to come.

Party Setup:

  • Hang twinkling Christmas lights around the birthday party room or outside. Tying in the wintery feel with a summer birthday party, the Christmas lights will also be very lovely if the party continues into the twilight.
  • Even if your local party store doesn’t have any Olaf summer birthday items, check online! There are paper plates and various party supplies with Olaf on the beach with sunglasses.         

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These awesome Disney summer birthday items can be bought on Amazon and reminds everyone that Frozen has both summer and winter themes.

  • If you have a sandbox and don’t wish to buy any Frozen birthday party products, make a poster saying “Olaf’s Dunes” with the famous picture of Olaf lying in the sand. Face painted snowflake children would be very cute playing around in the sand and heat.
  • Draw snowflakes in chalk before the party with the birthday princess or prince on the sidewalk! Besides being a fun way to get the little one involved in the birthday event planning, it’s a great way to entertain them while you set-up the rest!

Party Food:

  • Serve snow cones during the party as an easy way to beat the heat label the table as “Magic Snow During the Summer”.
  • During the long summer months it’s important to hydrate (especially if the party guests are running around enjoying the nice weather) so label the water cooler as “Melted Snowman”. If it’s a clear container, you can even add a carrot in the water for extra effect.
  • Buy a small, medium, and large pizza and make a snowman out of pizza! Add eyes and buttons easily to the delicious snowman with either pepperoni or olives.olaf-coloring-page-420

indexDuring the party:

  • One easy activity for a summer Frozen birthday party would print out some coloring pages with the children’s favorite characters to color throughout the party. Mix in both summer and winter coloring pages as an easy way to create a Frozen summer birthday party both a summer and winter feel.
  • Let the children create paper snowflakes that the adults can hang around the party room when the project is finished.
  • Children that aren’t interested in arts and crafts can always play with their balloon twisted swords and crowns. Frozen maybe recreated in your own background by the little ones.

 

Creating a fun frozen summer birthday party is easy so don’t fret. The combination of winter decorations, Frozen characters, balloon twisters, and face paint will ensure a summer Frozen birthday party will be a unique party the birthday girl or boy will never forget! If you find yourself needing more inspiration for a Frozen birthday party just play this until the day of the party.

 

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