Meet Our New Contributors: Mina, Anissa, and Kellie

At Iowa City Moms Blog we LOVE our Contributors! We are excited to announce that we have added 8 new writers to our amazing writing team! We want to give you a chance to get to know them, so we will be introducing you to them throughout the week! Be sure to check back each day for a chance to get to know all of our contributors! Today we would love for you to meet Mina, Anissa, and Kellie!

Meet Mina

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Hello! I’m Mina. I was raised in small town Illinois, alongside three wonderful siblings, by my amazing mother. I spent much of my childhood dreaming of something bigger and with hopes of pursuing it I packed up my belongings and drove to Des Moines, Iowa to start a new life shortly after graduating high school. I began working the customer service desk for a major hardware retailor and quickly jumped into being a member of their management team, where I stayed for several years.

In the meantime, while attending a friend’s New Year’s Eve party, I shyly sat beside a guy named Dale and introduced myself. After liking each other for months and both being too nervous to speak up, he finally asked me out. We dated off and on for a few more months before receiving the surprise of a lifetime! We were (semi) unexpectedly, expecting!

While trying to rearrange our lives to prepare for a baby, Dale accepted a job offer in Iowa City in the spring of 2013. I followed behind and joined him in North Liberty in the summer. We welcomed our daughter, Eisley, a few months later in August. When she arrived, I was promoted to managing play dates and meal times in the comfort of our home where I’ve been ever since! Now, we are happy to call Iowa City home and to take advantage of all the wonderful things it has to offer!

I am a believer in savoring all of life’s little simplicities, even more so since becoming a mom. It is because of that that I relish sipping cups of tea, getting outside to admire nature and gobbling Oreos. Family time is something I cherish with my close and extended family! I like to have many creative outlets which include everything from cooking to writing to painting and party planning. When my time and energy allow, I sell handcrafted goods through my small Etsy shop, DollyDimpleKidsCo. I am a self-proclaimed funny girl who loves watching the sun shine, perusing thrift stores and car dancing in an uninhibited fashion to my favorite pop songs. I am very much looking forward to starting with ICMB and getting to be a part of such an awesome community of mamas!  

Meet Anissa

Anissa FamilyGreetings! My name is Anissa Bourgeacq (pronounced Uh-knee-suh Bore-Jacques). I’ve lived in Iowa City since 1991 when I came to the University of Iowa as a Communications major. After graduation I planned on moving to the big city of Chicago (I’m originally from Illinois) but this handsome Frenchman came along with his fancy talk…and well…I’ve been here ever since. I am a mom to two girls, 13 and 7, and have been married going on 20 years.

At the age of 35 I decided to leave my 17-year career as a business analyst and follow my dream to become a Registered Dietitian. It wasn’t easy working full-time, going to school, and taking care of babies, but it was the best decision I have ever made. Now at age 44, I am the Executive Director of the HACAP Food Reservoir providing food to those in need in 7 Iowa Counties, including Johnson County. It is a humbling and fulfilling job that makes me count my blessings every day. I enjoy reading, running (when I have the time) and spending time with my family. I also love television and movies and eating! Yes I love food. I love eating it, cooking it, talking about it, and looking at it! I am active in many food policy and health organizations and in spite of being an RD, I have a long standing love affair with donuts.

I am a neat freak who cleans and organizes to relax. Unfortunately my family does not share in my enthusiasm for this task. I am excited to be an Iowa City Mom’s Blog Contributor. I feel that the blog addresses a variety of issues that will help mothers who are in different stages of parenting. I feel I can offer a unique perspective on being an “older” mother with both a teenager and a child in elementary school. I also have a lot of experience in chasing that ever elusive “work/life balance” carrot. I look forward to sharing my experiences in an educational, relatable, humorous way. Iowa City is the best place to be a mom and I’m so happy to be here.

Meet Kellie

Kellie familyHi, my name is Kellie. I received my BA in Psychology from the University of Iowa and always assumed I’d be a therapist. That all changed after having my son and I fell in love with birth work. I am a work at home mom. When I’m not helping a band with merchandise, I am running my own business called Motherly TLC. I have been a birth and postpartum doula since 2011 and look forward to expanding my services over the next year. I am active in the IC Doulas and love that our community has so many great resources for moms. Last year I co-founded our only free eating disorder recovery group and started speaking on pregnancy and eating disorders. I’m always busy between working from home, meetings, volunteering and chasing my rambunctious four year old. He’s challenged me, brought me joy and each day teaches me something new about myself.

My husband is an Executive Chef and pursues his music business in his spare time. True family time that doesn’t involve logistics and errands is a rare thing for us. Mike and Calvin enjoy working in our large garden (I love eating the veggies). We love cooking together as a family, movie nights, being outdoors and dreaming for the future.


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Iowa City Moms Blog
At Iowa City Moms Blog we’re a group of local moms who are passionate about connecting other moms to one another and to our community! Whether you’re an experienced mom, a newbie, expecting, or aspiring to be a mom someday, this blog is for you! Join us as we navigate this journey that is motherhood in the Iowa City area!

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