

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”, is a regular on WCIU-TV Chicago, a contributor to iVoices on iVillage.com and an Oprah Blogger, sharing great family tips and tricks for living large on a shoestring budget.
Email Beth
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 the 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/illustrator.cgi/JennaRiggs. Jenna lives on Vashon Island, near Seattle, with her husband and two daughters.
Email Jenna
Mommy on a Shoestring is part of 411 Voices—a collaborative group "Women with Wisdom from Media, Education, Parenting Support Networks, Entertainment and Business!" Visit 411 Voices to ask questions, find speakers, and learn about a wide variety of topics tailored for today's women and families.