Celebrating "Momtrepreneurs" - Ellabee Papier (and a big giveaway!)

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.


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Momtrepreneur Melissa: Owner of Ellabee Papier

Hello, I'm Melissa with Ellabee Papier and mommy to Ella, an energetic non-stop two year old. Ellabee Papier is my venture back into the world of working. The idea of starting my own business has always interested me. With the encouragement and support of friends and family, I became a mom-entrepreneur and Ellabee Papier came to fruition. I considered an Etsy store, but the start-up seemed daunting. Etsy's market is flooded with invitations and other paper merchandise just like mine and I wasn't sure I would get noticed. I decided to postpone the Etsy store and pursue word of mouth referrals and network with local vendors and so far, it is working. Between Ellabee and freelance print media design I stay quite busy.


Now for the fun part.

How do I manage being a stay-at-home mom turned work-at-home mom?

Most days I wish there were two of me. Ellabee Papier is still very new and I'm trying to figure it all out. I'm sure I jumped in prematurely (no official business plan or website) but I work better under pressure; at least that's what I keep telling myself. I read blogs and see "Super Moms" with multiple kids managing to do more. Not just a little more but lots more. How is that possible? Is it Inspirational? Yes! Am I Jealous? Of course I am! Will I be one of those moms? Fingers crossed.

How do I plan to get there? A comfortable chair and the television are my weaknesses. I am most productive at my desk. I try to limit my time on social media sites and I take advantage of naptime. I also work several evenings a week after Ella goes to bed. Is this working for me? It does most of the time, but occasionally I stress over deadlines. What am I learning along the way? To hopefully be a little less OCD and realize it's okay not to be a perfectionist. The most important lesson so far is not to procrastinate. I enjoy having time with Ella and being a mommy is my first priority. Too soon life will change and she will be off at school. Maybe then, I can be "Super Mom". One thing is certain, being a stay at home mom, work at home mom, or working mom makes no difference, raising a child is the hardest job of all.

You can view more of my work at http://www.facebook.com/EllabeePapier.

I would be happy to help create a memorable birthday party for your superstar!

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Prize #1 in the Momtrepreneur Week prize pack:
A custom name sign!
Designed to compliment your child's bedroom, be it whimsical, beautiful, or just plain fun!

To enter, simply leave a comment on one - or all - of the Momtrepreneur posts this week (I will have a new post every other day through 9/28). If you comment on each post this week, you get four entries! One tweet per day, with a link back to this post, also allowed as bonus. Just be sure to leave an extra comment saying "I tweeted!" with the link.

Please, don't make me search the world for your contact information - be sure to include a Twitter handle or email address so I can reach you if you are the lucky winner. 

Giveaway entries accepted through 9/30 at 9:00 PM eastern time. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.