Have fun, save money and learn what to do with those used ballet tights. The “Mommy on a Shoestring” radio show and podcast offers tips, tricks, craft ideas and games families can do on a small budget. Who says you need to spend a lot of money to have fun? Beth and Jenna offer ideas for making gifts under $10, up-cycling junk into functional products and learning how to get your kids more involved in cooking and nutrition. Guests who stop by include legendary music artist Ella Jenkins, designer Erin Condren, and the editors of Beth and Jenna’s favorite magazine, “Disney’s FamilyFun”! So pour yourself a “Momosa” and join them for “Mommy on a Shoestring”!

Beth Engelman 

Beth began her writing career in second grade when she won her first writing contest with her essay entitled "If I Were President, Bubblegum Would Be Free and Taxes Would Go Up (So Teachers Could Get More Money)." Clearly not destined for a career in politics, Beth has focused her talents on creative writing, education, and curriculum development. Beth's achievements and experiences include eight years as a Kindergarten and First Grade Teacher, being nominated for the Kohl-McCormick Foundation's Excellence in Education Award, and participating in numerous national conferences on fostering number sense and literacy development. Beth has developed books and games for several companies including: LeapFrog Toys, Chronicle Books, Piggy Toes Press and Disney. Beth Engelman currently writes a column for the Pioneer Press Called "Mommy on a Shoestring". The column is filled with activities, games and craft ideas moms can do with their kids on a shoestring budget. She has written multiple articles on the subject of having fun while being frugal for a several high-profile websites including cafemom.com and thefatherlife.com.
Email: beth@engelmanriggs.com

Jenna Riggs

Jenna is a native Northwesterner, who went to sunny California to study graphic design at the University of the Pacific, spent some time in sunny Colorado, and eventually missed th e rain and moved back. Jenna's design and illustration work has been in almost every category of visual materials-from children's books to marketing pieces, identities to advertising, websites to annual reports, and children's themed home products. Visit Jenna's design and illustration website at jennariggs.com and her children's illustration site at childrensillustrators.com. Jenna lives on Vashon Island, near Seattle, with her husband and two daughters.
Email: jenna@engelmanriggs.com

5 Minute Movie Mom Liz Shepherd

Liz will join us to give us her movie pick of the moment—The Iron Giant

Liz recommends a forgotten animated gem The Iron Giant for ages 8-10. Here is a trailer link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgjmFBX34zc

Liz Shepherd curates year-round family film programs at Northwest Film Forum and is the director the annual Children's Film Festival Seattle, the Northwest's largest annual competitive festival of its kind. She is also the curator of REDCAT International Children's Film Festival, which is held annually at Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theatre in Los Angeles. Before arriving in Seattle, she was the director of Chicago International Children's Film Festival, and she served on the juries of children's film festivals in Korea, Russia, India, and Egypt. She was also Secretary/Treasurer of the International Centre of Films for Children and Young People, based in Montreal.

Liza Sullivan

About the Park-a-day Challenge:

Tracey Quinn, a KaBOOM! Facebook Fan, issued a challenge to her kids last summer: Find a new park every day. When she wrote to tell Kaboom about it, the gears started turning. How great would it be if we could find other parents to do the same thing with their children this summer, in cities and towns across the country?

Liza Sullivan answered the call and will talk to us about her family's summer experience.

http://kaboom.org/summer_challenge

http://connect.kaboom.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=23876210&as=14937

Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, psychologist, physical therapist, professional speaker, coach

Dr. Lombardo will chat with us about the back to school blues, and give us great tips on ways to make the transition successful and rewarding. 

www.ahappyyou.com

Carloine Figiel from Caroline and Danny

Caroline Figiel and Danny Jones have found success by combining their experience as educators, writers and entertainers to form an “edu-tainment” company—"Caroline and Danny". They have performed their interactive, high energy concerts and presented keynotes throughout the country in areas such as early childhood and elementary education, storytelling, music, disability awareness, nutrition and wellness. Caroline and Danny have written and designed projects and music for such clients as Ripley’s (Believe it or Not) Aquariums, The Ga. Aquarium, The Edgar Allan Poe Museum, and Zoo Atlanta. They have produced music and storytelling CDs and curriculum books that are nationally distributed.

We'll talk with Caroline about their inspirations and their live performances, and what is so great about being an "edutainer". We'll also sample a few of their songs.

Caroline and Danny have a special deal for our listeners—mention Mommy on a Shoestring via email, on Facebook or our site and listeners can receive a "shoestring" discount of 20% on CDs.

www.facebook.com/CarolineandDanny

www.carolineanddanny.com

Ralph's World, part two

Beth interviews Ralph Covert from Ralph's World—live in his studio.

It’s the second part of my interview with Ralph Covert of Ralph’s World and it is basically a private concert from him to you!  

Sure, I ask some hardball questions such as “did you know parents would love MOMMY needs COFFEE ? And I get to the bottom of what inspired him to write “Pickle Me Juice” …but the truth of the matter is—it’s a really great interview because it’s Ralph singing a bunch of his songs live, while he plays the guitar / piano!

 The songs are from his latest album “All Around Ralph’s World” and if you don’t have it, you will want to run out and get it! The songs are great— fun lyrics, catchy tunes and best of all, many of the lyrics are based on English Language Learning patterns so by listening to the music and singing along, you are helping your kids enrich their vocabulary and strengthen their language acquisition skills.  

You can find out more about Ralph’s World by visiting his website www.ralphsworld.com

5 Minute Movie Mom Liz Shepherd

Liz will join us to give us her movie pick of the moment—what's great in film for families right now!

Liz Shepherd curates year-round family film programs at Northwest Film Forum and is the director the annual Children's Film Festival Seattle, the Northwest's largest annual competitive festival of its kind. She is also the curator of REDCAT International Children's Film Festival, which is held annually at Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theatre in Los Angeles. Before arriving in Seattle, she was the director of Chicago International Children's Film Festival, and she served on the juries of children's film festivals in Korea, Russia, India, and Egypt. She was also Secretary/Treasurer of the International Centre of Films for Children and Young People, based in Montreal.

Recess Monkey

Recess Monkey is the acclaimed children’s music band from Seattle, WA!
...three elementary school teachers who make kid's music that grows out of their days in their classrooms. They continue to be praised across the country for singable, dancable songs that parents enjoy as much as their kids. MIndy Thomas from SiriusXM's Kids Place Live says, "These guys are able to tap into elementary school so well that it’s like they never left. In this never-ending nationwide talent show of kid and family music, they are most definitely at the top." Says Stefan Shepherd of Zooglobble.com, "Recess Monkey just keeps turning out album after album with pop nuggets, as if we'd just discovered that the Beatles had recorded a ton of kids music 40+ years ago." Cookie Magazine says, "This Seattle trio knows how to get kids excited." This children's music band isn't just for kids!

We'll chat with Daron Henry, drummer for Recess Monkey about the band, their inspirations and their new album "The Final Funktier" that is getting rave reviews.

www.recessmonkeytown.com

ASL Inside

Dave Victorson and Missy Keast create fun and easy to use products based on real world settings that enhance the learning experience for everyone who wants to communicate using ASL. Currently they have worked with Scholatic to create the new SCHOLASTIC STORYBOOK TREASURES™ DVD SERIES that teaches sign language with classic children's stories. Their First VDV includes such delightful stories as Good Night Moon.

We'll chat with them about their company and how their new videos are great for hearing and non-hearing families alike.

www.aslinside.com

http://newkideo.com/

Rani Arbo from Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem

Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem have a new family album out, called "Ranky Tanky" that is bringing in rave reviews ... "Forget the kids, you'll want this album for yourself. The fact that your children will absolutely love it will be the icing on an already delicious cake."
- Parents Choice Awards 201

>Daisy Mayhem has been described as "Wicked grooves, sublime lead singing, great harmonies, sparkling original songs, and a deep repertoire that spans 200 years of American music. Four people who share an irresistible chemistry on stage. An unusually gleeful string band that celebrates both tradition and improvisation and that stumps the categorizers. (Are they an agnostic gospel band? A homeopathic bluegrass band? Are they crazy?)."

We'll chat with Rani about the new album, their inspirations and other ways the band gives back. 

http://www.raniarbo.com/

Flute Sweet & Tickletoon

Together, as Flute Sweet & Tickletoon, the husband-and-wife team of Barbara Siesel and Keith Torgan presents more than two hundred performances of music and story-theatre each year in schools, libraries, theaters and other concert venues across the country. Their company, Tugboat Music, was founded because of a concern that children were not experiencing live performance, classical music, and theatre in their daily lives.

Their performances include “Green Golly & Her Golden Flute” – this funny and extraordinarily musical event, featuring the music of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Gossec, Elgar, Bizet, Chopin and Copland, introduces children to the art of flute and the magic of classical music.“Green Golly” is also available in a version for flute, narrator and full orchestra.

We'll talk with them about what inspired them to create and perform "Green Golly and Her Golden Flute" as well as why they believe classical music should be a vital part of children's lives and education in this country.

http://www.tugboatmusic.com/flutesweets.html

Ralph's World

Ralph’s World is the mega-fun musical planet where kids rock rock rock and dance dance dance to their own and their parents’ delight. It’s the creation of Ralph Covert: indie rocker, songwriter, playwright, and children’s book author. He’s taken the same high-energy and super-melodic sense that he developed for his touring pop-rock band to kid’s music- basically only the lyrics are changed for the ears of the innocent. His McCartneyesque style (both musically and his sense of charm) has won him hundreds of thousands of three-feet-and-under fans and their parents.

His new compact disc, "All Around Ralph's World," (his ninth cd) has just been released by Bar/None Records. Beth will broadcast live from Ralph Covert's studio in Chicago, and we'll chat with him about his new album and his inspirations, and hear some fabulous music!

http://www.ralphsworld.com/ 

Tammy Gentry from Penny Stones

A penny for your thoughts…

Penny Stones are a fun, new way for family and friends to connect. Glass stones are printed with engaging questions like:

What superpower would you like to have?
What would you love to try?
What is a favorite childhood memory?
What is the best trait of the person on your left?

Penny Stones spark meaningful conversations, create lasting memories and improve conversation skills. Made with busy schedules in mind, you can play with them anywhere. And unlike questions printed on cards, these glass stones are a beautiful accessory for any setting or occasion.

www.pennystones.com

Bridget Daly from Eye Can Art

Eye Can Art is the award winning, One-Stop-Creative-Come-Back to, "I’m bored."

As an art educator and mother, Bridget and and her partners have long been approached both by parents looking for a way to introduce art enthusiasm to their kids, and by adults wanting a creative outlet for themselves. In response to this need for high-quality, at-home art activities, combined with empathy for everyone’s busy schedule, this trio designed Eye Can Art: All-inclusive, repeat-use art kits that spark creative play. Because art is fun! And these creative kits make for meaningful and imagina tive afternoons as a family.

Bridget talks with us about the kits, why they work so well for learning art techniques and having fun at the same time.

Bridget also talks about her work at Providence Mount St. Vincent in Seattle, WA, teaching art to the kids at the multi-generational preschool and day care with the senior residents at the Mount. So inspiring!

www.eyecanart.com