Tackling the Make-up Storage Challenge

When you go to a competition or recital, you feel like you have packed the whole kit and caboodle.  In face, you can purchase an item called a “caboodle” at WalMart, Target or Ulta. Or, you can transform a regular tackle box and bling it out. You’ve got a lot to organize:  eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush, eyelashes, glue, mascara, lipstick, glitter, bobby pins, hair gel, ponytail holders, barrettes …well, you get the point. That’s a lot of gear. Finding a clever way to store it is critical. You don’t need one more thing to worry about. And, it keeps your dancer’s nerves at bay if they know where everything is!

Watch this video to see how to tackle your makeup storage challenges.

What? No Undies? And other recital things you need to know.

Okay, I’ll let you in on a secret.

The first recital photos we ever took, our sweet precious had undies peeking through the candy striper costume. Who knew you weren’t supposed to wear undies? No one told me this. It seemed so wrong. I really didn’t think they would show up in the photos. They are four years old, but, now I know. Start thinking like a stage mom. It’s all for the camera.

So, if you are one of those new Dance Moms trying to understand what in the world you are supposed to do for photos and recital, I’m here to tell you how to survive. First, go buy a sack of safety pins. That’s right. An entire bag. All sizes. You’ll need them.

Here’s an entire list of things you should start buying right now.

Ponytail holders – buy two sets. It seems ridiculous that you will need 200, but, better safe than sorry. And, buy them in your hair color. If you have a precious child with blonde hair, I can assure that the week before recital, you will only be able to find black and dark brown.

Safety pins – buy the set that includes all sizes. You will need to pin the tights to the costume. You will need to pin the neck collar. You will need to pin the hem of the pants. The list is endless. Safety pins are your friend.

Hair gel and hair spray – I used to think that you could probably get buy with $20 worth of supplies for recital. Ha. Ha. Ha. Go to Ulta, Wal Mart or CVS right now and buy a big tube of hair gel. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself at dress rehearsal with the child who gets called out for having frizzies. You do not want to be that mom. Get some cheap hair gel and be prepared to slick down hair as if it was the “Addicted to Love” video with the chicks from the famed Robert Palmer video. Or, if you are too young to remember that, hair gel that even Lady GaGa would endorse. And, travel size cans of hair spray were MADE for recital week.

Extra tights – When our little precious began dancing, I thought pair of tights would surely last more than two months. Now, I know that anytime I go to the dance store, I just buy an extra pair. Somehow, they will end up with a tear or hole….you’ll need that extra pair. Always, always, have an extra pair.

Eyelashes – This seems crazy. As if I were writing advice for Las Vegas showgirls. But, you’ll find yourself on a dark, cold night, crawling to the nearest drug store in search of long lash fake eyelashes and the glue you desperately need. Similar to tights, just plan on buying an extra set.

The best advice for DanceMoms? Just buy two.

I know there are other things you need to know, but this is a short list of things to shop for now.

The fine line between a tabby cat costume and a Teletubby with a sword

If you’re a new dance mom, you’re probably thinking dance recital isn’t until June, there’s nothing I need to do just now! If you’re an experienced dance mom, you’re probably thinking: “Recital is in three months, I’m already behind!” The longer your precious one dances, the more complex recital season becomes. In almost all cases, costumes are ordered for you. But, in the case of solos or speciality numbers, you are sometimes on your own to create the Broadway stage effect. Here’s an example of a challenge you too might have one day.

Precious came bounding to the car to tell me about the costume we needed to assemble in three weeks.

That’s right – Puss in Boots. Now, if you saw Shrek on the big stage, you know that the devil was in the details for those costumes. I’m still just thankful we didn’t get Lord Farquaad. The biggest challenge of this one was to avoid creating an “orange Teletubby with a sword and hat” and actually create a tabby cat. Here’s how we did it.

Here’s the way the kitty costume list breaks down:

Fabulous hat – a must have. This is the signature item for the costume.

Yellow feather plume

Black cape

Arm cuffs

Sword & Black Belt

Pirate-like cuffed knee-high boots

Orange unitard, preferably in velour

Now, if you are one of those moms who has been sewing Halloween Costumes since your child was a wee lad, you’re in good shape. If you’re one of those strong supporters of Party City, Wal-Mart or The Disney Store for all of your costume needs, then you are one of my people. And if you have mad skills with a glue gun and also think the person who invented that iron-on hem tape is a GENIUS, even better. This post is for you.

Here’s how we attacked the list. You have to think creatively if you are going to create costumes on a budget.

Fabulous hat – signature item for the costume:

Discount stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross or Steinmart are often your winners here. We found an awesome black fedora by Jessica Simpson. $12. This would have been $45 at other stores.

Yellow feather plume

Would you believe that Hobby Lobby actually has pre-died feathers in almost every color EXCEPT yellow? Now you know. If we had needed purple, teal or blue, we would have been in luck. So, we bought a white feather and yellow spray paint. We placed the feather on newspaper and lightly sprayed it – and voila – the critical yellow plume for the feline appears.

Black cape

If you have a friend with a younger brother or sister, odds are, they were a vampire for Halloween in the last few years. Borrow the black cape! If not, you can find these at http://www.costumesforless.com and your local costume store.

Arm cuffs

By this point, you’re probably thinking you are invincible. You have almost all of the items….but this is a challenge. Think – which other characters had this feature? Incredibles? Yes. Darth Vader? Yes. Star Wars accessories abound at costume stores and online.

Sword & Black Belt, Pirate-like cuffed knee-high boots

It’s another reason you have to just love Johnny Dep. I mean, Pirates of the Caribbean. A quick search of amazon.com turned up these beauties. You simply cover your existing black boots – $7. As for the belt, again, Marshalls to the rescue. Target and Ross had good selections of belts too. Score – these were on clearance for $2! Our first sword choice would have been to hard to dance in, so we opted for a shorter one ($5) at Party City.

Now, on to the orange unitard, preferably in velour. Right.

Sigh. Just when we were SO close. Would you believe they have velour unitards in almost EVERY color except orange? What are the odds? Here’s where it gets interesting. We ordered the Teletubby-like unitard (long sleeves, long legs) and it was pretty bright. Great if you are wanting to be a pumpkin. So, a quick stop at the fabric store for white bunny fur, a stop at Wal Mart for burnt orange spray and we are back in business. The combination will actually make this costume look like the tabby cat from Shrek. Stay tuned for the next post where the entire costume will be revealed.

I’ve gotta go find the hot glue gun.

Let’s get to the pointe.

So, when your precious one begins pointe class, you probably won’t be expecting to buy pointe shoes every two months. At least, I wasn’t. Here is what I’ve learned about this elegant style of dance. There are a few things you can do to extend the life of your shoes too.

Aside from buying these beautiful pink shoes every time you seem to turn around, you need to really help your dancer take care of those feet! A broken arch can prevent them from getting “up on the box,” or in normal language….they cannot get on their toes. Also, if the arch is broken, there is a bigger risk of a hurt ankle. There are quite a few add-ons that help ease the pain.

One of the things that is a lifesaver are these toe pillow cushions. These little gel-like things are a must-have. They cushion your dancer’s toes and, unlike the punishing pointe shoes, they are washable too.

http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/style_GPC.html

And who knew there was thing thing called dancer glue that could preserve the life of your pointe shoes? I didn’t know about that one for half a year. If you paint the arch of the pointe shoe with the strengthening glue, it can add at least a month to the life of your shoe. Think of it like glueing the inner lining of your shoe.

Okay, when choosing your shoe, set aside at LEAST an hour. You’ll need to try on lots of styles to see which ones works best. There are so many different options. You’ll be asked whether you want a soft shoe, a hard arch, etc. The only way to tell is to have your dancer get up on the shoe over and over again and see how it fits across the ankle, how it feels on the toe, etc.

Once you find the brand and style you like, write it down. This sounds like something you would remember to do. But, when you are so happy to find one that finally fits, you run to the car with glee. Then, two months later, precious tells you that you need to phone in an order for the EXACT same shoe. Another DanceMom411 lesson – keep a record of what works.

Real dance moms say “Bring on the glue gun.”

Okay,  I admit it. I watch Dance Moms on Lifetime.  In fact, it’s become a family affair. Every Wednesday, the whole family is plopped on the couch, homework set aside, in order to watch this dysfunctional group of people navigate the crazy world of dance.  But, after being part of dance studio life and competitive dance teams for more than 10 years, we really don’t get some of these people. However, we’ll admit –  some of it almost seems normal. I wonder if we would find it this fascinating if we didn’t have a dancer in our  family. Since the age of three, we’ve done dance.  We’ve known the talent-scout mom, the one who is sure her little darling will be the next Disney star. There’s the mom who dresses the part, at rehearsals or competitions, with high heel wedge shoes, halter top, Miss Me jeans. There are women living vicariously through their daughters, the uber-athlete mom, the groupie mom….all kinds.

Even the normal dance mom. I think that’s me.

It’s one of the reasons I started this blog. For rookie dance moms or experienced dance moms, there IS a way to navigate the madness. If you’re one of those moms who feels overwhelmed when they start talking about how you can easily “stitch this costume or hem the pants,” then you’re on the right blog. I can do crazy things with a glue gun. Sew? Are you kidding me? I don’t know how I passed Home Economics. I’m the one who knows ALL about the shortcuts that do NOT involve a sewing machine. (I love the person who invented that hem tape that you iron into pants – sheer genius).

After all of the crazy things we do to support our children who are on performance dance teams, I’ve figured out a few tips and tricks. Who knew you could do this much with eyelash glue? (pssst – you can make rhinestones stick to your hair part very easily!)

Maybe we watch Dance Moms to validate once a week that at least we we aren’t quite THAT insane. Don’t get me wrong, we’re probably a little crazy. I think you have to be able to roll with a lot of punches to be part of dance.  I’ve made the last-minute trip to get spray paint to hose down jazz shoes the night before recital. I’ve been known to visit Hobby Lobby to buy random feathers to reconstruct the missing part of a costume. It’s really all about tap-dancing your way through one challenge to the next…and having a lot of fun along the way.

I invite you to join us on the journey. After all, recital is only three months away!