Featured Contributors

I am lucky to work with such wonderful featured contributors for the Strong Mommy website.  Each of these contributors provide fun, relevant and creative advice for moms everywhere.  I am very fortunate to have them as part of the Strong Mommy Team.

Kim Dudra

Kim Dudra is a freelance copywriter based in Vancouver, B.C., and is the owner of re:fresh communications.  After 17 years spent in various finance and marketing roles, Kim made the leap from office politics, dreaded annual reviews, and long commutes to a fulfilling and balanced freelance life in 2007.

Her interests include piano, golf, biking, and art collecting. On impulse, she recently signed up for her first sprint triathlon. She’s been known to juggle four kids’ schedules, three computers, two cats, and one (large, strong) cup of coffee all at once.  Kim writes biweekly for Girlgetstrong.

Lorraine Regel

Resting on the laurels of winning second prize in a school novel writing competition at age 10, Lorraine took a break from her writing career; a long 28 year break. In 2006, inspired by her toddler’s voracious appetite for a good story and spurred on by the glut of dire picture books she encountered, she decided she could do better and began work on a children’s picture book. This book is still a work in progress, but moved to the back burner since the conception of The Survival Guide for Rookie Moms. So, Lorraine cannot boast an illustrious writing career, but even J.K. Rowling’s author bio must have been fairly thin at one time.

Lorraine was born and raised in Essex, England. After a fairly unremarkable thirty years of schooling, art college and a career in banking she changed gear in 1999 and in a busy decade moved to Vancouver, Canada; got engaged in Alaska; was married in Las Vegas; had two babies and while getting to grips with her new career as stay-at-home-mom wrote this book.

Lorraine doesn’t claim to be a parenting expert in any way, but she has one important credential: she admits to excelling at being a clueless new mom. Having recently worked her way through the trials and tribulations of the first year of motherhood, she describes it as easily the biggest upheaval of her life and knows first hand the importance of support, friendship and comradeship during this period.

Jenna D. Barry

Jenna D. Barry is the author of A Wife’s Guide to In-laws:  How to Gain Your Husband’s Loyalty Without Killing His Parents. Married 15 years, Jenna learned how to gain her husband’s loyalty through communication, persistence, and a whole lot of love.  To learn more about her book or join her support group, please visit her website at WifeGuide.org.

Debi Silber

Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC The Mojo Coach® is a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s degree in Nutrition Science. She’s a Certified Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach, Lifestyle Expert – just for moms, speaker and the author of The Lifestyle Fitness Program: A Six Part Plan So Every Mom Can Look, Feel and Live Her Best and From Mom To Wow: Your Ultimate Body, Mind and Life Makeover Guide. Debi’s been branded The Mojo Coach® because for nearly 20 years she’s motivated overweight, overwhelmed and unfit moms to “get their mojo back” through gradual, lifestyle change. Visit Debi at TheMojoCoach.com.

Debbie Holmes

Debbie Holmes, BA, PBD, Substance Abuse Counseling & Anger Management

Thinking of that famous question, “Who am I?” that I ask all my new students as a way to get to know them, I am reflecting how I would answer that same question for others.  How do you describe yourself?  So here is my best venture at the question! I am a mother of two and work full time preparing at-risk youth for life after high school.  I really am a mentor to youth who just need a little structure and nudge in the right direction.  I have always been drawn to this type of work because I believe that everyone has a contribution to make in society.

My interests and hobbies are gardening, curling swimming, cooking, music, crafts, crocheting and reading.  Although finding time to do any of these is always a challenge. My most treasured thing though is travelling with my family.  This is what I like to have to look forward to especially when things get chaotic in our day to day lives.  My continual lesson in life is finding balance – I need to continue to remind myself about this daily.  I truly believe that you are a better person when you can find this for yourself – our biggest gift.