Flip Flop Kids Shop opens in new Tumbleweeds Gymnasium

Tumbleweeds Gymnastics not only has a new gymnasium to be proud of, but a new store as well. Tumbleweeds Flip Flop Kids Shop, a used children's clothing store, will open Feb. 9 inside the new gym off Airport Road.

Gym and store owner Nikki Warren said when she had her son Kai in the summer of 2006, she wanted to buy him new clothes but found they were too expensive.

"I wanted to dress him up cute, but he grew out of the clothes so fast," said Warren. "I was in San Diego looking at clothes in department stores, but they were too much money. I started looking at thrift stores."

Warren has owned Tumbleweed Gymnastics for six years. She said the old gym in the Gardnerville Ranchos was too small for her 400 gymnasts. When she found a new space in Minden, she decided to look into opening a used children's clothing store inside it.

"I talked to one of my good friends, JeriLynn Robinson, about it, and she told me her hair dresser had always wanted to open a consignment store," said Warren.

Last summer, Warren called 2003 Douglas High graduate and hair stylist Stacy Kruger, and the two hit it off.

"Jerilynn thought we'd work perfect together, and we do," said Kruger, co-owner of Flip Flop.

Kruger splits her time between the new store and her hair clients at Blush Salon in Gardnerville.

"We have the same ideals for business, and the same interest in recycling and helping the environment," said Warren. "We also like fashion."

Warren said it's wasteful to buy children brand new clothes when they grow out of them so quickly.

"Customers can feel good about consuming less of the world's resources, but still have their kids look cute," she said.

Flip Flop buys, sells and trades clothes for infants to children six years old. They also sell maternity clothes, developmental toys, children's books and movies, furniture, children's accessories like diaper bags, and other merchandise.

"Kids can go shopping with their parents after gymnastics," said Warren. "Or parents can stop here on their way to Carson to see what we have before spending money at department stores."

Tumbleweeds Flip Flop Kids Shop is located at 2231 Meridian Blvd., unit 2 in Minden. The store is open 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. The store will be hosting a grand opening 2 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 9 in conjunction with the opening of the new gym. For more information, call Tumbleweeds Gymnastics at 782-4496.