Dancing Queen

How adorable is my little dancer???

I can't believe Kirsten is almost 4! She's been going to a cute dance class for a couple of months now, and she loves it! The class is half tap and half ballet, and it's 45 minutes long. Every Friday afternoon Kirsten is excited to see her teacher, Miss Rachel, and practice her new steps. Of course most of the steps look pretty comical when the little girls try to do them, but that's what makes it so cute! There's a big viewing window that we get to watch her class through and Natalie always wants to be held up to the window the entire time so she can watch the dancing. She wants to dance right along with them!

This is definitely one of the joys of having little girls. . . taking them to dance class! They're learning a number they'll be performing at a dance recital in June, too. Can't wait to see that! So Kirsten is my little dancing queen (also one of her favorite songs! She's a big Mamma Mia fan!)

Kirsten is so funny with her leotard and tights, since she wants to wear them ALL the time. And even though we have several different dance skirts she could wear, she always goes for the same pink skirt, black leotard, and pink tights that she's wearing in the picture. I think she'd be happy if she could just switch off between her dance outfit and her swimming suit all the time, and never wear anything else!

Speaking of clothes. . . this girl has been growing out of everything. She's not even 4 yet, and her 4T clothes are already too small. It's so frustrating to have to buy an entire new wardrobe for her when I thought the 4T stuff would at least last her through the summer. Everything fits fine around the waist, but she's just so dang tall! The sleeves and pants are all too short! So I've been spending some moolah lately at my favorite store for little girl's clothes, Gymboree. The quality is great, they hold up well to being washed, and they fit my kids the longest. Lots of people dismiss Gymboree as being too pricey, but not the way I shop it!

Here are all my secrets. . . How to Work the Gymboree Sales:

1. Do not buy anything at full price from that store. Unlike Gap, where most of the good stuff is gone by the time it goes on sale, almost everything from Gymboree will go on sale. And then go on sale some more and more and more until it's gone.

2. Sign up for their email list and their Rewards card (free, not a credit card, just a way to get points when you buy stuff) and they'll send you lots of coupons in the mail.

3. Absolutely DO combine sales! Buy clothes at a time when-
{1} They're having a store-wide sale such as 30% off everything
{2} You have a coupon, like 20% off your entire purchase. I get them all the time in the mail, and you can also often find them in magazines like Parents
AND {3} They're offering Gymbucks
Since you don't need a coupon for the store-wide sale, you can combine the 30% off with the coupon you have. AND you get Gymbucks to use on a future purchase in the amount of $25 for every $50 that you spend. I have found AMAZING prices on the cutest clothing by combining sales in this way. I pick stuff that's already on the sale or clearance racks, then they take off the additional store sale discount, THEN they take off my coupon discount, and I get Gymbucks to use later! It's pretty awesome!

4. When really cute stuff hits the rock-bottom clearance rack prices, DO buy clothes several seasons or several years ahead. They will still be cute in a year or two! This works especially well on basics like leggings, solid shirts, and their super soft velour leggings. I also stock up on newborn clothes on clearance to use for baby shower gifts.

Any questions about my Gymboree strategies? Just leave me a comment and ask! I'm also tempted to get some of these gorgeous girls dresses for Kirsten. It's just SO much more fun buying clothes for my kids than shopping for myself!