Mompreneur's Marketplace for your Holiday Shopping!!

The predictions about this holiday retail season may be gloomy, but resourceful moms are banding together to buck the trend by selling their one-of-a kind gifts at the newly redesigned Mompreneurs Marketplace. This one-stop virtual mini-mall features an impressive array of mom-owned businesses, all offering unique products and services that will help spread the joy without ruining your budget.

Spearheaded by Ellen H. Parlapiano and Patricia Cobe, founders of the dynamic community at www.MompreneursOnline.com, the user-friendly e-commerce site provides a way for moms to cooperatively market their businesses while promoting the concept of work/family balance. And it offers consumers the opportunity to support mom-owned businesses, while shopping for unique and affordable gifts. Shoppers will find something special for everyone on their holiday list, from adorable baby and children’s gear to gourmet food treats, indulgent beauty gifts, artisanal jewelry and crafts, on-trend fashion accessories, inspirational books and CDs, and much, much more.

These are just a few of the treasures you’ll discover as you browse through the Mompreneurs Marketplace.

• Give the gift of endless summer with colorful beach-inspired clothing and shell jewelry courtesy of Salty Chix. The items at this breezy boutique will warm your recipient all winter long.

• Personalized note cards and stationery bow pads from Good Thoughts Paper come in trendy colors with coordinated patterned ribbons—packaged and ready to go for all those teachers and co-workers on your list.

• Pamper a deserving friend or relative with Flower Peddler natural bath and beauty products. Fragrant oils, clays, salts and lotions derived from plants and herbs soothe and refresh.

•For that new mom celebrating baby’s first Christmas, check out Stickee-Buns—tiny onesies with a cute non-slip design on the seat to prevent an infant from slumping or sliding down in a car seat or swing. Parents will also love the duds at Modern Munchkin, Hippos Toes and Lilypad Baby.

•The gift of knowledge is always appreciated. Introduce young children to a second language with interactive DVDs, toys and games from The Bilingual Fun Company or Boca Beth.

•Tempt chocoholics with artisan chocolates from Red Thread Confections. The sweets are handcrafted in small batches using fair trade organic single origin cocoa beans.

The entrepreneurial women who make up the Marketplace not only provide a stress-free shopping experience, many offer special holiday services, such as discount coupons, complimentary gift wrap and free shipping. It all adds up to a friendly, fun-filled holiday shopping experience that won’t break the bank.

Mompreneurs is a trademark of Ellen Parlapiano and Patricia Cobe, founders of the Mompreneurs® Marketplace and co-authors of Mompreneurs: A Mother’s Practical Guide to Work-at-Home Success and Mompreneurs Online: Using the Internet to Build Work@Home Success; both published by Perigee. Visit the website and message boards at www.mompreneursonline.com.