Author: Celeste McLaughlin

Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam: Worry-Free Eyebrows & More

Pam Edmonson has a warm, welcoming personality that sparkles. You might say she lights up the room. Her passion really shines through when she talks about helping and serving people, especially through her career.

Pam is an experienced permanent makeup artist who owns Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, located off S.R. 54 in the Brookfield Professional Park, about a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd./Eiland Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. At the salon, she provides permanent makeup for eyebrows, eyelids and lips.

“It’s such a blessing to know that I’m really being helpful to people,” she says, “especially when you see that end result that makes them feel better about themselves.”

One area of specialty for Pam is helping people who have had cancer. Some come to her after they’ve lost all of their hair from chemotherapy. Others find her before they lose their hair. Pam can help to create their eyebrows in permanent makeup, following the natural hairline that already exists.

Pam says her career in permanent makeup started after many years of running a business in the manufactured housing industry. In 2009, Pam says she wanted to do something different, so she went to school to become a hair stylist.

While she enjoyed hair, Pam says she soon discovered something that interested her even more.

“I love detail,” Pam says. “As a detail person, eyebrows are what first drew me into the permanent makeup field.”

She studied permanent makeup at the Boca Ta-2 School for Permanent Makeup in Williston, FL, in 2010 and began providing permanent makeup services in Zephyrhills in 2011. She is licensed in Florida as both a cosmetologist and as a tattoo artist.

Pam offers permanent makeup for eyebrows and lips, along with permanent eyeliner. Many of her clients who want permanent eyebrows choose a technique called microblading.

“Brows are always my favorite because of the drastic way they change how someone looks,” Pam says. “Our eyes are meant to be framed, and brows definitely complete the face. Some women look so much younger when they have them done.”

With microblading, Pam uses a small blade and ink to create individual stroke lines. She uses a pencil to draw an outline, then uses the microblade to draw each individual hair, adding a more natural look to the eyebrow.

Pam strongly recommends that anyone considering microblading “should do their homework,” explaining that some people who offer the service may only have taken a three-day class in the technique before they start working on clients. The person who will do your eyebrows should sit down with you and show you before-and-after pictures of their own work, Pam says.

Pam was trained in microblading in 2014, when the process was new. Since then, she says she has done hundreds of sets of eyebrows.

“It’s been close to 10 years since I first went to school,” says Pam. “I’ve learned so much over the years about different ways of doing things, using certain inks, learning from experience, and how everyone’s skin is so different.”

She requires a free, in-person, no-obligation consultation for all clients. Even for someone who is sure they want permanent makeup, Pam still requires a consultation, to look at each individual and their unique skin, and to help them decide which technique is right for them.

Johella Liguori is a client of Pam’s who just recently had microblading done on her eyebrows and permanent eyeliner both above and below her eyes.

“It was great,” she says. “She was very welcoming, super friendly. She’s awesome.”

Johella says she was looking for a way to simplify her daily routine, and not having to worry about eye makeup would make life easier for her.

When figuring out where to have those services done, she did her research, including spending time on Pam’s website at CreativePermanentMakeupByPam.com.

“What caught my eye is that she has tons of years of experience,” says Johella, adding that, “Pam told me from the get-go that I would have to come back for a touch up and fills. I actually came in a third time because my skin is very oily, so she wasn’t satisfied with the result. She had me come again and she didn’t charge me extra for either of the follow-ups.”

But, Johella says she has been thrilled with her results.

“I’m a dentist,” explains Johella, “and everyone notices. I’ve gotten tons of compliments from my patients and co-workers.”

She says many people ask her how much it hurts. For Johella, it wasn’t painful at all. She says Pam kept her numb so she didn’t feel anything, and she appreciated how Pam made her comfortable and ensured that she was never in pain.

Johella says her procedures were all done on Saturdays, and she was able to go right back to work two days later (on Monday). In fact, after her touch-ups, she was out that afternoon, even attending a Christmas party on the same day. She says she had no pain, no discomfort, and no redness or puffiness that would keep her from participating in normal activities.

“Let me tell you,” Johella says. “This lady, she knows her stuff. Eyebrows are her deal.”

There are many women who come to Pam wanting permanent makeup and, like Johella, leave with it, but Pam says there also are many other women who — for one reason or another — don’t.

“You always get a completely honest opinion from me,” says Pam. “It might not be what you want to hear, but I’ll tell you the truth. If somebody isn’t a good candidate, I’ll tell them.”

That might be because of issues with their skin or previous scar tissue. (In fact, Pam says some women are told they should get yearly touch-ups, but Pam recommends asking her for a more personalized recommendation, since yearly touch-ups can cause scarring, and most women don’t need touch-ups that often.)

Sometimes, Pam says she has turned some women away who already had beautiful brows and didn’t need the procedure.

“There are a lot of times that people come in for a consult and they walk out with brow powder,” laughs Pam.

Johella says that anyone considering having microblading or permanent makeup should consider Pam.

“She’s amazing and I’m grateful,” she says. “With Pam, you really bond and she takes you in as part of her family. She’s really passionate about what she does.”

Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam is located at Serenity Salon & Spa Suites at 33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. For a free consultation or more information about Pam’s permanent makeup services, visit CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com or call or text Pam at (813) 997-6302.

Real Living Casa Fina Realty Opens New Office!

It sounds like something they might hear from one of their clients — “We’ve outgrown our current place.”

The team at Real Living Casa Fina Realty has always loved the office’s Tampa Palms neighborhood, but needed more space than at the office in the Tampa Palms Professional Center.

So, in 2020, the agents will help people in New Tampa and surrounding areas buy and sell homes from a larger, more modern workspace in The Shoppes at Amberly, located on Amberly Dr., also in Tampa Palms.

Nick Parrinello, the Broker/owner of Real Living Casa Fina Realty, moved his company into its new digs on Dec. 17. “As we have continued to grow,” he says, “we needed more space and wanted a little more visibility.”

Casa Fina Realty began as an independent real estate brokerage in Tampa Palms in 2003. Nick came to work for the company in 2007, shortly before it became a franchise of GMAC Real Estate, which was rebranded as Real Living in 2011.

Nick bought the company in 2014. In the past few years, Nick says Casa Fina Realty has grown to be the third largest brokerage in New Tampa.

While the company has expanded from 15 agents, and Nick is excited to own a larger firm, he says he won’t let his Casa Fina outgrow its boutique feel.

“We have the same culture and our core values haven’t changed,” he says. “Some agents have been with us from the beginning.”

And, while the company serves 10 counties, and focuses on Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties, Nick says the heart of Casa Fina is right here, a few minutes south of Wesley Chapel.

“We have just one office and it’s always been in Tampa Palms,” says Nick. “We want to keep our roots here.”

He says many of the agents and staff live in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel, and the company sees the Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. corridor as its home and primary market.

While real estate agents typically work from anywhere — whether it’s driving around neighborhoods, meeting clients in restaurants or coffee shops, or making phone calls from home — Nick is optimistic that Casa Fina’s new space will be a place his agents will want to be.

“It’s a great location, in the same plaza with five spots to grab lunch without having to get in the car and drive,” he says. “We expect it to have a lively, vibrant atmosphere.”

Instead of cubicles, the new space offers agents shared private offices, where they can close the door for privacy, but have the efficiency of sharing the space with other agents.

The new location also features a large conference room for company meetings, or where agents can present seminars or classes to the community. Nick is planning to see that space used for customer appreciation parties, new homebuyer seminars and other events that bring people together, as well as to share valuable information.

While Nick says Casa Fina Realty serves about 700 families a year, the goal is to provide the best possible customer service to each one.

“We want to empower agents by ensuring they are well-trained and giving them the tools they need,” he says.

He describes himself as “a stickler for knowing the contract,” saying that having a license in real estate is just the bare minimum when it comes to being prepared to buy and sell homes.

“We’re not attorneys, but we are responsible for our clients,” he says. It’s a big responsibility, especially when contracts start at 12 pages and often grow from there.

He adds, “We all started out inexperienced and there’s nothing wrong with that, but inexperienced agents need the backing and support of management if something goes wrong.”

One Satisfied Customer’s Story

Lisa Souza is a Cross Creek homeowner who worked with Casa Fina agent Seena Allen when she and her family moved to the Tampa area from New York this past summer.

“It was extremely challenging, because we knew nothing about the Tampa area,” Lisa explains. “She honestly helped us get our dream home, and we’re so happy. It’s even better than what we hoped.”

Lisa says Seena was professional, patient and kind, and worked hard when things got complicated.

“We made an offer on a house but then found out there was lots of work that needed to be done after the inspection,” Lisa explains. “Our house in New York was sold, the one we wanted to buy fell through, and it was an extremely stressful time. But, Seena was such a pleasure to work with that it took the stress out of it.”

Lisa says that when issues popped up, Seena would call on her colleagues if she had questions or wanted another opinion about how to handle the issues. “They all got back with her almost instantaneously with text messages,” she says.

Nick says his agents work hard to ensure they are able to be a network of resources for their clients, whether they are in the middle of a transaction, or they are a past client from years ago.

“We try to be the go-to person if you need something,” Nick says. “Maybe you bought a house three years ago, but now you need a plumber. We think of ourselves as local guides or resources.”

*This Wesley Chapel home is just one of the many sold by Real Living Casa Fina Realty along the Bruce B. Downs corridor in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel in 2019.*

He says that even in the days of Google and Yelp, people still prefer a personal recommendation. No matter what you need, someone in the company has a connection and a personal experience they can share.

Another way the firm provides added value to its clients is by serving as a full-service brokerage, with agents who specialize in commercial services and property management.

“If you need help finding a tenant or you need full management of your property, we fully cover New Tampa and Wesley Chapel and some of the surrounding areas,” Nick explains.

Casa Fina Realty also can help anyone who may need to move but isn’t sure if they want to sell.

“It gives us the flexibility to offer different options,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many houses we put up for sale and for rent at the same time and then see which happens first.”

He says sometimes people relocate and then move back, or sometimes they choose to sell after their home has been rented for a few years.

No matter what your personal situation is, Nick and the agents at Casa Fina want to help you determine what’s best for you and help make it happen.

Lisa’s experience with Casa Fina Realty has led her to recommend the company to both her mom and sister — both of whom she hopes will move to New Tampa — and an acquaintance who already lives in the area.

She says she told them, “The details will be handled thoroughly, things will be done quickly, and there will be a level of professionalism that comes from the heart.”

Real Living Casa Fina Realty is located at 15343 Amberly Dr. in the Shoppes at Amberly. To learn more, visit CasaFinaRealty.com, call (813) 569-6294, or see the ad on page 29.

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Second Time Around As Good As The First

Back when Brenda Pennock was in high school, being a member of the marching band meant belonging, sharing camaraderie and participating in a fun activity that she loved.

For decades after high school, she thought she would never experience that again.

But, reliving her high school glory days is now a dream come true for the Meadow Pointe resident, since she joined a St. Pete-based band called The Greater St. Petersburg Area Awesome Original Second Time Arounders Marching Band, also known as the “Second Time Arounders.”

Brenda Pennock of Wesley Chapel (right) was able to relive some of her glory days when she marched in the recent Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. (Photo courtesy of Brenda Pennock)

According to its website, the band is known to be the largest permanent adult marching band in the world, with more than 400 members. It’s thought to be the first of its kind — started 37 years ago — open to those who played an instrument, twirled a baton or danced in a college, high school, drum corps or military marching band and want to do it again.

The band has a marching season in the spring where it participates in local parades throughout the Tampa Bay area.

This year, that season was extended when the Second Time Arounders were chosen to participate in the 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

That’s how Brenda found out about the band. Last fall, she saw on the news that the Second Time Arounders had been selected to go to the Macy’s parade. She knew right away she wanted to be a part of a marching band again.

Brenda is a majorette, a baton twirler, which she started in high school at Ft. Frye in Beverly, OH, graduating in 1969.

“The highlight of my high school years was twirling in marching band,” says Brenda. “Over the years I had thought from time to time that it was so much fun, and something I would never be able to experience again. I had no idea there were organizations out there like the Second Time Arounders. It never occurred to me. When I saw that on TV, and it got me excited about the possibility of getting to experience one of the highlights of being in high school again.”

Brenda applied and was able to join in time to participate in the parades last spring and in the Macy’s parade last month.

“It was obviously the experience of a lifetime,” says Brenda. “There are a select few bands who ever get to do that. It was really special.”

Brenda says it was a longer parade than those where the Second Time Arounders have usually performed.

While most local parades are less than two miles, the Macy’s parade was 2.5 miles. It also was more crowded, of course, and it moves more quickly.

“The parade in New York is fast,” Brenda says. “For the most part, the band members are in good (enough) shape to be able to do that. We do have more limitations than we did in high school, but the adrenaline takes over and we do it.”

The trip also featured excursions planned for the group, including an event where most of the band members enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner together at the Liberty House, an event center in Jersey City, NJ, with a view of the Manhattan skyline.

Twice In A Lifetime

New Tampa resident Claire Keneally joined the Second Time Arounders in 2007.

While participating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is thought to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, 2019 was actually the second time for many of the Second Time Arounders.

The band also was chosen to participate in the parade back in 2008. While that was well before Brenda had ever heard of the group, New Tampa resident Claire Keneally was already a member of the Second Time Arounders, having joined in 2007.

“It’s totally a highlight,” says Claire. “I got to do it twice in a lifetime.”

Claire was a twirler and dancer in the marching band at Gloversville High in upstate NY, graduating in 1973.

She was a Tampa Bay Rowdies cheerleader in the 1980s and danced a bit through the years, and was thrilled when she got to participate in a marching band again.

In the Second Time Arounders, she’s also a dancer, carrying red, white, and blue pom poms and doing dance moves.

Claire and Brenda both travel to St. Pete for practices, typically once or twice a week during the marching band season, as well as when they were both preparing for the Macy’s parade.

“The commute is absolutely worth it,” says Claire. “Traffic can be challenging at times, but it’s worth it, so I do it every time.”

Like Brenda, Claire says the Macy’s parade was great, but she says that one-time thrill pales in comparison to the overall experience of participating in the Second Time Arounders.

“I just wanted to be a part of the band,” says Claire. “I love it every year, even if we don’t go to Macy’s. It’s the friendship and camaraderie and exercise, but also being part of something bigger than myself. You get to relive high school, but you never age out of it. Macy’s is just the icing on the cake.”

The Second Time Arounders’ is holding a new member orientation at Ferg’s Sports Bar in St. Petersburg on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. Appetizers and first beverage provided by the band. For more information about the marching band, visit SecondTimeArounders.org.

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Medi-Weightloss Of Lutz Works On Results That Stick

Medi-Weightloss Clinics are all about results.

Shannon Terkoski says she came to the Lutz Medi-Weightloss weighing 250 pounds on Jan. 16, 2018.

She now weighs 143.2 pounds, having lost 106.8 pounds.

“Week-to-week, they were encouraging but also made real suggestions on what I could do to improve things,” Terkoski says. “Like, the way I go grocery shopping and not just pushing their own products, even though I still take some of their proprietary products. I stopped going on a weekly basis, but I continue to maintain what they have shown and taught me about making better lifestyle choices.”

Shannon still pops in to buy Medi-Weightloss supplements.

“I tried every diet and miracle pill under the sun and lost a few pounds,” says Ryan Cuddy. “This all changed at Medi-Weightloss. I have lost over 50 pounds and the weight is staying off. The staff and doctor are very knowledgeable and know what works. I would recommend Medi Weightloss to anyone who is looking to lose weight and to get a better, healthier life!”

Jodi Sullivan is another satisfied Medi-Weightloss client.

“I was ready to lose weight and found Medi-Weightloss,” she says. “After having a much-needed hard discussion with Dr. (Andrew) Weitzman, at Medi, it was like a switch in my brain was flipped and I was motivated to do it!”

Jodi Sullivan says that Dr. Andrew Weitzman at the Medi-Weightloss of Lutz helped her to “flip the switch” when it came to finally doing the right things to lose weight.

These are just a few comments from patients at the Lutz Medi-Weightloss Clinic.

According to a survey done by Statista, the top three New Year’s resolutions for Americans in 2020 were: diet or eat healthier, exercise more, and lose weight.

An earlier survey, conducted in Dec. of 2018, said that just 16 percent of respondents stuck to some of their 2018 resolutions, while 13 percent said they kept none of them. While those three resolutions are obviously intertwined, in order to make lasting changes to one’s health via weight loss and diet, one must adopt lifestyle changes.

Those changes can be easier to make and keep when you have the help of professionals.

And, since 2006, Medi-Weightloss of Lutz, one of more than 100 locations nationwide, has helped clients make lifestyle changes that stick.

To date, Medi-Weightloss of Lutz owner Gerri Willett says the office located on S.R. 54 (two miles west of S.R. 56) has, to date, helped patients lose 118,877 pounds.

Know Your Phases

The professionals at Medi-Weightloss focus on three phases.

The first is the acute phase, also known as the weight loss phase.

The initial visit is a 60-90 minute consultation. Professionals will take weight measurements, do blood work, take an electrocardiogram (EKG), present informational handouts that go into a binder and start a detailed journal where the client will log their eating, drinking and sleeping data.

During the acute phase, clients come in once a week until they hit their target weight. Medi-Weightloss has many ways to help during this difficult phase. You’ll get two injections, one called a Methionine Inositol Choline or MIC Combo injection that puts B12 vitamins and amino acids right into your bloodstream. The lipotropic substances help with fat metabolism, liver function and fat excretion.

“The MIC injections are good for everyone and we never charge for them if you’re on the program,” Willett says. “While you’re on the program, you can come in twice a week and get the MIC Combo for free.”

Ryan Cuddy says he has lost over 50 pounds since joining Medi-Weightloss of Lutz.

The second shot is a Vitamin B6 and B1 injection that helps reduce water retention and helps keep your energy up while battling food cravings. In the first phase, clients also will have help with vitamin supplements, a good multivitamin, as well as calcium and Omega 3 supplements. You’ll also receive a food scale to help with portion control and ketone sticks to detect your level of ketosis.

“Ketosis is a state where your body burns fat faster,” Willett said. “The ketone stick will reveal what level of ketosis you are in. Some don’t get there but it’s okay if they just get close.”

Once you reach your target weight, you’ll move on to Phase 2: the maintenance phase. Clients meet with Andrew Weitzman, M.D., who is Board-certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Weitzman’s goal is always for you to be able to get off any medications you may be taking.

“One of my favorite things is getting someone off of blood pressure medications,” Dr. Weitzman says. “You lose 20 pounds and all of a sudden, your blood pressure goes down.”

Phase 3 is the wellness phase. During this phase, clients need only come in once a month.

And, it’s always okay to come back later. Medi-Weightloss has clients return after completing the program, sometimes 10 years later, sometimes to share their success, sometimes because they are in need of additional help.

“They can always come back,” Willett says. “If it’s 10 years or 13 years later, I want them to be able to come back in. We want success for our patients. They shouldn’t feel guilty about coming back in. Losing weight is a lifestyle change. If it was easy or just a pill you could take, no one would be overweight.”

A Staff That’s There for You

Some clients are so happy with their results, they join the Medi-Weightloss team, like Erin Jones.

“I lost 25 pounds in the first month-and-a-half and ended up losing 50 pounds overall,” Erin says. “I liked the program.”

Jones, who affectionately goes by “The” Erin Jones in the office, lost her husband in 2010 and then, “I ate for a year,” she says.

She started coming to Medi-Weightloss in late 2011. By April of 2012, not only had she met her goals but she took a job interview at the clinic after her weight loss appointment. She started off working 10 to 12 hours per week and is now a full-time medical assistant and the office manager at Medi-Weightloss of Lutz.

“Patients can take comfort in knowing that we’ve been down their road before and that we can truly say we know what they’re going through,” Jones says.

Medical assistant Patty Pinson has been with Medi-Weightloss for a decade and is a retired Registered Nurse (RN).

“This is a good place to work,” Pinson says. “Everyone gets along, we get to know the patients and it makes us feel good when we’re able to help them — it’s a win-win all the way around.”

Medical assistant Angela Wild is the newest member of the staff, but she comes to Medi-Weightloss with 14 years of experience in the radiology field. “This is definitely a happier field than radiology,” Wild said. “People come here because they want to be here and I don’t dread coming to work. I really enjoy it.”

Dr. Weitzman is a Board-certified Medical Doctor who earned his Doctor of Medicine Degree from Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel, and completed his residency in Long Island, NY. He operated a primary care practice in New York for three years and ran one out of Manatee County prior to coming on board at Medi-Weightloss more than three years ago.

“There aren’t as many dissimilarities as you’d think (between primary care and weight loss clinics),” Dr. Weitzman says. “The main difference is with primary care, you’re already treating a patient’s disease. Here, we’re working strictly with prevention.”

He stresses the three legs to the weight-loss process: diet, exercise and appetite suppression.

“The diet we choose for you is sensible,” Weitzman said. “It’s not some newfangled diet. It should be possible for you to eat this way for the rest of your life.”

Dr. Weitzman and the staff at Medi-Weightloss also will help develop an exercise program that fits your capabilities, and he has a lot of experience prescribing appetite suppressants.

“You must do all three in order to succeed,” Weitzman said. “Journaling helps a lot with diet. We also have supplements to help you.”

In the office and also in the startup bag clients receive is a menu of different supplements. From flavored powders for shakes, to snacks and vitamins, you’ll have all the tools for success at your fingertips.

While not at the Lutz location, Medi-Weightloss also employs a full-time Registered Dietitian who works at the corporate office in Tampa.

Jeff Cervero is available for consultations and has added valuable information to the company website, like recipes, exercise tips and other information. Cervero even went through popular restaurants’ menus in the area and came up with a list of options that fit with the Medi-Weightloss program.

“We have no competition that does all of the things we do and we do them very well,” Willett says.

From the research and development coming out of the corporate office, to the experienced and well-trained staff, to the emerging technology in the field like a step counter called the Fit-Stik and the Ree Vue Metabolic Testing, all of the tools you need to finally reach your weight loss goals this year are available at Medi-Weightloss of Lutz.

New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents are invited to stop in at the Medi-Weightloss Clinic located at 24420 S.R. 54 in Lutz.

The office is open five days a week: 6:30 a.m.-noon on Monday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesday, 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. on Wednesday; 1 p.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday; and 6:30 a.m.-1 p.m on Friday. For more information, call (813) 909-1700, visit MediWeightloss.com/locations/lutz/ or see the ad in our latest issue.

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Wesley Chapel’s Learning Experience Is Open Off S.R. 54!

The Learning Experience of Wesley Chapel director Karen Mullen (left) and area manager Jennifer Tibbetts share a table in the center’s Make Believe Blvd. (Photos: Charmaine George)

The Learning Experience of Wesley Chapel, located near the front of the Lexington Oaks community off S.R. 54, just opened in August, but is already a busy, bustling learning center filled with happy children.

“We are quickly growing,” says Kristen Nyilas, the operating manager who oversees both the Wesley Chapel franchise and a Brandon location. “As of right now, though, we are still accepting new students at every age group.”

The center offers both full-time care for ages newborn to five years old and also VPK-only classes. VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) is three hours a day for students who will enter kindergarten the following year and it is offered at no cost to parents. Instead, the cost is paid by the state of Florida. Some part-time care is offered, such as three days a week or mornings only, based on availability.

Nyilas says The Learning Experience Wesley Chapel provides a foundation that gives students a jump start in elementary school.

The school’s director, Karen Mullen, adds, “When they come to The Learning Experience, they graduate with skills that set them apart from their kindergarten peers.”

School History & Programming

The Learning Experience was founded by Michael and Linda Weissman in 1980 with a single location in Boca Raton, and was built on teaching through cognitive, physical and social principles; summarized in the school’s motto, “Learn, Play and Grow.”

When it comes to early childhood education, all of The Learning Experience centers use the proprietary Learning Experience Academic Program (L.E.A.P.) that Kristen says was written by educators who specialize in early childhood education. It guarantees that children will graduate with “exceptional core academic skills.”

The curriculum was written around what the school’s founders believe are the six stages of development — Infant (6 weeks to 1 year old), Toddler (1-2 years old), Tawdler (2-2-½ years old), Prepper (2-½ to 3 years old), Preschooler (3-5 years old), and Kindergartner (5 years old, but it is not offered at the Wesley Chapel location and some others).

“Even infants have a curriculum,” explains Kristen. “A lot of parents like that their children are learning as soon as they come to our center.”

L.E.A.P. includes sign language for infants and toddlers, a phonics program and even a foreign language program, teaching children Spanish or Mandarin (although currently, only Spanish is taught at the Wesley Chapel location).

L.E.A.P. workbooks include a journal, an interactive book and Fun With Phonics, which is specifically designed to teach reading to 3- and 4-year-olds.

Children also take part in activities that promote a healthy and active lifestyle. The Learning Experience offers eight enrichment programs for children, including Suddenly Science, Dancing Feet, Talent Sprouts, Super Soccer and more.

“Our enrichment programs are included, and there’s never an added fee,” says Kristen. She explains that the programs are offered once a week for three months. Each student gets a kit to use in class — such as a yoga mat and CD for “Yippee 4 Yoga” — that the student takes home at the end of the unit.

The Learning Experience mascots, including Flexi Flamingo (P.E.), Lionstein (Science) and Bubbles the Elephant — the leader of the mascots — help lead the children through their day.

The Latest & Greatest

What truly sets The Learning Experience apart, says Karen, is its commitment to the newest technology and newest ideas in early childhood education.

“It’s colorful and bright and happy,” she says with a big smile.

Karen is a lifelong educator who has earned a Master’s degree in Education (M.Ed.) from Capella University in Minneapolis, MN, and a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from California University of Pennsylvania in California, PA. She has experience as an elementary school classroom teacher and as a curriculum specialist, among other roles.

“The Learning Experience is on the leading edge of what’s new in early childhood education,” she says. “So many places aren’t willing to take the chance to change, but not here.”

She says that’s evident not only in the school’s curriculum, but also in its technology. All classrooms for kids ages three and older have L.E.A.P. Interactive smart boards in the classroom. Students being taught a new lesson interact with their smart board to circle the correct answer, for example.

The Learning Experience also has a proprietary app — which can be used at home on a computer, tablet or phone — to continue learning. Called “BubblesU,” it allows students to reinforce lessons learned in school in a fun and interactive way.

But, that’s not the only app offered by the school. Kristen and Karen say parents love the Show and Tell app, which is how The Learning Experience’s staffers communicate with parents all day about what their child is doing in school.

“We send notifications so the parents know when they were diapered, when they slept, exactly what they ate, or if they need to bring supplies, like if they’re running low on diapers,” explains Kristen, “and we send them at least five pictures every day.”

The school also emphasizes dramatic play and allows all students who are potty trained to visit Make Believe Blvd. daily, where there is a slide and a ball pit, plus storefronts and more to encourage imagination.

The outdoor play areas are covered in turf, not mulch, and feature a splash pad for cooling off in the summer.

The Learning Experience of Wesley Chapel provides all snacks and meals daily and is an allergy-friendly and completely peanut-free facility.

One other thing that sets The Learning Experience franchises apart is their commitment to cleanliness. Not only is the center spotless, but during construction, an air purification system was installed, similar to what hospitals use, with ultraviolet lights.

“It means our air is very clean,” Kristen says, “and that helps to reduce the number of illnesses.”

The cleanliness — including the air quality — is one of many things that Heather Barnhart loves about The Learning Experience of Wesley Chapel, where her daughter Hailey, who is two-and-a-half, attends.

She says that’s just the beginning.

“I love that in art class, they do the art themselves and not have the teacher do it for them,” Heather says. “They use their imagination and their hands, markers, paint and crayons.”

Heather also has been especially pleased with the education being provided to her daughter, who comes home singing songs and counting, sharing things she’s learned at school.

The biggest compliment for The Learning Experience of Wesley Chapel might be that even though Hailey spends all day there, she doesn’t always want to leave at the end of the day.

“Sometimes, she’d rather stay there and play,” says Heather.

The Learning Experience of Wesley Chapel is open Mon.-Fri., 6:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. It is located at 5440 Post Oak Blvd., just outside the entrance to Lexington Oaks, off S.R. 54. To learn more, visit TheLearningExperience.com and search for the Wesley Chapel location or call (813) 994-3865.

The Learning Experience