Welcome to Charm Bomb, the podcast of the Geek Girl Pen Pals!
Join your IGGPPC Directors Sumsy and Joanna every other week as we chat about what we’re into, answer a question from the community, and dive into our “top 5” faves on the topic of the week!
Subscribe for Free:
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
All episodes:
Hijinks and Shenanigans (Charm Bomb 40)
This episode Summer and Joanna chat about IGGPPCamp, how amazing and terrifying space is, and their nerdy confessions of popular books, movies, and TV shows they never finished.
Topics this week include the BBC show Ghosts (yes, again), the James Webb Space Telescope, The Magicians, Twilight, Games of Thrones, and their top 5 least favorite required reading from school.
Mentioned this episode:
- IGGPPCamp: https://geekgirlpenpals.com/camp
- James Webb Space Telescope: https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/05/09/miris-sharper-view-hints-at-new-possibilities-for-science/
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: Is it okay to not finish a very popular book or show?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka
It’s Gonna Be MacraMay (Charm Bomb 39)
This episode Summer and Joanna chat about how to turn a casual acquaintance into a friendship, spend a lot of time talking about handicrafts, and discuss their shared love of DIY bubble water.
Topics this week include The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Redactle, leatherworking, stained glass, embroidery, and their top 5 dream crafts to dabble in.
Mentioned this episode:
- Florals and Floss Embroidery: https://www.etsy.com/shop/floralsandfloss
- Redactcle: https://www.redactle.com/
- The Thursday Murder Club: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46000520-the-thursday-murder-club
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: How to I turn a casual acquaintance into a friendship?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka
Plants and Productivity (Charm Bomb 38)
This episode Joanna hosts special IGGPPC guest Steena to chat about how we think about productivity and strategies for getting necessary things done when there are more fun things to do, having favorite audiobook narrators, and their current Dungeons & Dragons characters.
Topics this week include Abbot Elementary, college basketball, Sanditon season 2, and their top 5 flowers or plants.
Mentioned this episode:
- The Tree That Owns Itself: https://www.visitathensga.com/things-to-do/attractions/the-tree-that-owns-itself/
- Steena on Twitter: @steenaleen
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: How can I be productive when so many fun things are calling to me?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka
Pirates and Pen Pals (Charm Bomb 37)
This episode Joanna and Summer discuss the IGGPPC 9th birthday party, reconnecting with pen pals when it’s been a while, and Our Flag Means Death, all while their cats get up to some shenanigans.
Topics this week include Bailey Sarian’s Murder Mystery & Makeup Mondays, Muppet Treasure Island, Wellington Paranormal, and their top 5 pirate-related media.
Mentioned this episode:
- Stede Bonnet the Gentleman Pirate: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-gentleman-pirate-159418520/
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: What should I do if I haven’t heard from my pen pal in a long time?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka
What’s In Your Wardrobe (Charm Bomb 36)
This episode Joanna and Summer discuss ways to stay up to date on current events without sacrificing mental health.
Topics this week include Ghosts on HBO, Space Force on Netflix, the upcoming IGGPPC 9th birthday, and top 5 wardrobe staples that make us feel “dressed to the nines”.
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: How do I stay informed on current events while preserving mental health?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka
Don’t Go Rebooting My Heart (Charm Bomb 35)
This episode Joanna and Summer discuss ways to prioritise letter writing when schedules are full, audiobooks and book clubs, and the perils of reboots.
Topics this week include Rescue Rangers, Tale Spin, Pepper Ann, Wild Thornberries, PBS shows, and top 5 nostalgic cartoons that would worry us (or maybe be cool?) if rebooted.
Mentioned this episode:
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: How do I find ways to prioritise writing letters to pen pals?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka
We Don’t Talk About… (Charm Bomb 34)
Description:
This episode Joanna and Summer discuss ways to incorporate their geek loves into self care, the way movies can enable mental health discussions, and connecting with nature.
Topics this week include Peacemaker, Encanto, 90s country, mental health, genealogy, and their top 5 binge-worthy comfort tv shows.
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: How do I incorporate geeky loves/interests into self care?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka
Breaking Up (With Friends) is Hard To Do (Charm Bomb episode 33)
Description:
This episode Joanna and Summer discuss how to tell when a friendship has run its course, navigating friendship “breakups”, and catharsis through art like writing or music.
Topics this week include the TV show The Great, the book Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village, getting outdoors to boost your mood, and their top 5 ways to cheer up when feeling down.
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: How do I navigate a friendship breakup?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka
Travel, Art, and New Year’s Goals (Charm Bomb episode 32)
Description:
This episode Joanna and Summer discuss New Year’s goal setting vs “resolutions”, getting organized, traveling and camping, and a bit about their personal art goals for this year.
Topics this week include Cowboy Bebop, She-Hulk, digital planners, SMART goals and other goal setting techniques, and the top 5 things they’re looking forward to in 2022.
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: Do you set New Year’s resolutions, and if so how to you choose what to pick?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka
True Crime, Witches, and Musical Theater (Charm Bomb BONUS episode!)
Description:
In this BONUS episode, recorded back in 2019, Joanna and Summer discuss true crime podcasts and horror-based musical theater. They also chat about their favorite fictional witches and, for some reason, modpodge.
This week’s Ask Charm Bomb question: How do I store my pen pal letters?
To submit a question to Ask Charm Bomb, email your question to charmbomb@geekgirlpenpals.com
Credits and Thanks:
- Thanks to OmniBoi for letting us use his track Cloudsurfing. Check him out on SoundCloud!
Subscribe for Free:
Find us on social media:
- Follow Geek Girl Pen Pals on Twitter: @GeekGirlPenPals
- Follow Summer @Sumsicle
- Follow Joanna @JoannaVolavka