4 E x pert Ci rc l e RN\ l'ARt•T, • 1 Loves to learn, but bored at school? We can help. Lindsay Mall, Samantha Alessandri and Ella Wish got together to create the Bubble Club. Baby's Day Out The Bubble Club offers moms and tots education, fun and ways to give back. THE ROEPER SCHOOL I Karen Schultz Tarnopol L 248.203.7317 • WWW.ROEPER.ORG JOIN US FOR AN OPEN HOUSE MIDDLE/UPPER SCHOOL: March 3, 1pm AGE 21/2 — 1" GRADE: Saturdays, March 9 & April 13, 10am — Noon LOWER SCHOOL: Tuesdays, March 19 & April 30, 9AM DRIVE -THRU I OPEN> Yad Ezra now offers a drive-through window for clients who want a more discreet and confidential way to pick up groceries. It's easy as 1, 2, 3! 1. Contact Darlene (Darlene@yadezra.org ) or call (248) 548-3663 to schedule an appointment and follow-up with completion of paperwork 2. Submit your personalized shopping list the Friday before the Wednesday drive-thru day (prior to 2:00 pm) 3. Come on your assigned Wednesday date, ring the bell on the east side of Yad Ezra Feeding Hungry Jewish Families the building and a staff member will load your car with your choices Questions? Call (248) 548-3663 or email info@yadezra.org 1819420 20 February 28 • 2013 ongtime friends Samantha Alessandri of Ferndale, Lindsay Mall of West Bloomfield and Ella Wish of Commerce Township had babies within months of each other. They were stay-at-home moms testing out the dif- ferent "mommy and me" classes in town but weren't quite finding what they were looking for. After exhausting all of their options, the moms decided to take the best parts of everything they found and make it their own; and with that the Bubble Club was born. "What sets us apart, though, is that we try to do things at little or no cost, with the same quality of experience according to Alessandri, mother to 13-month-old Lucas. She and her fam- ily attend Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. Like so many mothers, Alessandri was looking for that perfect balance of work and family. "I stayed home with Lucas until he was 11 months old, and I wanted to have a career that would allow me to be with him, too." Mall, mother of 10-month-old Lillee Belle, adds, "We started the Bubble Club with the intention of having a place to take our babies that was both educational and low cost. Being an early childhood educa- tor myself, I thought it was important for my daughter to socialize with other chil- dren since I am a stay-at-home mom." With varying degrees in art and educa- tion, Alessandri explains, "We're artists and teachers and that's why we thought we would make a great group to do this." Mall is the educational director and she teaches many of the classes. Wish handles the social media and the charity aspects of the business, and Alessandri covers the creative and public relations side. "All of our strengths fit so well together:' Alessandri adds. The Bubble Club offers classes for newborn babies and up. "Baby, Play and Grow" is taught by Mall and incorporates play, music and multisensory experiences. The instrumental music class is led by Evan Sherman of Mobile Music Education. "Evan is a phenomenal musician. He plays guitar for the kids and they love it:' Alessandri says. "We give kids instru- ments, letting them be part of the music. We wanted to do it differently." Many Bubble Club events are also tied to local kids' charities, says Wish, 10-month-old Mason's mom. "The char- ity component is very much a part of what we stand for, and partnering with charities such as Orchards Children's Services allows us to help families out that could really use it. I always said that I wanted to raise children that are com- passionate and socially conscious." The Bubble Club is hosting a Dr. Seuss party where attendees are encour- aged to bring a pair of pajamas and/or a children's book to donate to Orchards Children's Services from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, March 3, at the Bubble Club, located at 30445 Northwestern Highway, Suite 330, in Farmington Hills. Along with classes for babies, Alessandri explains, "One of the goals in creating the Bubble Club was to build a community of moms that could bounce ideas off of each other and support each other while taking on the challenges of being a new parent. When you are going through it together, it makes it less crazy." The moms added the Bubble Blog to their website to share their personal experiences in hopes of relating to other mothers, thus adding to the community they are building. The blog covers such topics as "Falling Baby, Super Mommy:' "Battle of the Bulge "The First of Many Firsts:' "Prioritizing the Priorities" and "Going Back to Work." A future goal for the club, according to Mall, is "to eventually go into Detroit and do programming for children and mothers that wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to attend similar educational activities with their infants and toddlers." Lucas, Lillee and Mason's moms found a way to balance their family life and the work that they love. "Three girls getting together, we can make things happen:' Alessandri says. ❑ For more information on the Bubble Club, visit www.thebubbleclubmi.com . Mir