Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Certified Wildlife Habitat - Marsha Jaramillo, Owner of Markets Of Sunshine


National Wildlife Federation certifies new wildlife habitat in Deltona, FL.

Mrs. Marsha Jaramillo, owner of Markets of Sunshine lives in Deltona, FL has successfully created a Certified Wildlife Habitat through its Garden for Wildlife program...

This was the welcome kit I received from the National Wildlife Federation after I completed the Garden for Wildlife program.  I am super excited and honored to do my part to create natural habitat locations for all of the wildlife in our area.

Since, I enjoy watching wildlife and feel at peace in nature.  My family helped me redesign our yard to make it more inviting and safe for the wildlife not only to give me more watching opportunities, it also helps me to be greener - reducing lawn to mow, cutting down on watering and saving time in the long run to enjoy time outside.

Over the last 29 years our backyard took on a life of it's own and went from a jungle to a well organized and structured environment.  Even our neighbor has complimented us on how lovely it looks now.  We installed more water sources such as a birdbath, planted native edible plants along with our birdhouses and thickets.
We have an abundance of trees that provide needed shelter during rain storms and away from predators.

Living a green organic lifestyle has been a part of our family for over 25 years.  Lyme disease has slowed me down but did not stop my love of nature and the outdoors.  I'm just more educated now and know what to look out for when I venture outside.

I tell everyone if you're going to go walking or hiking look out for ticks.  Check yourself from head to toe when you get back inside and shower right away. Ticks don't like the soap and will fall off of you.  We can be safe in nature if we are forewarned.

Okay, back to my yard transformation and what we have added. Even though we live in a huge housing community there is still lots of woods around the borders of the city on several sides.  As well as lakes and rivers.  This brings lots of wildlife such as raccoons, opossums, birds, rabbits and more to our backyards.  

We were feeding them at night with cat food and vegetables but that brought some unwanted invaders too.  So, we decided to just plant fruit and berry plants and let the wildlife pick and choose what they want.

Be sure to plant organic and not to use any pesticides so the animals can eat a healthy meal without harmful side effects.  The one good thing about using edible plants that bring opossums is the fact that they eat ticks.  So it's a win, win in my book.

Here is a short list of the native plants we have in our garden habitat.

  • Florida native orchid
  • Live oaks
  • Azaleas
  • Bromeliads
  • Passion Flower
Since, Florida has a long growing season for most of the year we have found some great edible plants that will  give food to the wildlife all year long.  Here's that short list.

  • Blueberries
  • Blackberries
  • Mango
  • Avocado
  • Papaya
  • Soon to be planted are ...
  • Watermelon
  • Apple tree

Do you think that will keep the little critters tummy's full and satisfied? We've already noticed an increase in the bird population as well as butterflies.  We have huge rain trees that draw bees by the thousands when the flowers bloom several times a year.

I have a video of our backyard makeover on my YouTube channel, Here. <<<click to watch

 Planting video click to watch.

The first video in our series of wildlife habitat backyard makeover. click to watch <<<

I'm also a member of the Monarch City USA movement to safe the Monarch butterfly habitats.
You can check it out here. >>> Help preserve the Monarch butterfly - Monarch City USA

Let me know if this inspired you to do your part to give the wildlife in your area a place to feel safe.

Just leave me a comment below.

Sending You Sunshine,

Marsha








Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Free Shipping On Etsy Purchases

How Would You Like Free Shipping?

Do you shop on Etsy?  Do you know what Etsy is all about?
It's a website that hosts sellers from around the world.  Over 1 million to be exact. That's a lot of products for sale.

Out of those million my family runs two small businesses on Etsy.
Since 2008 our handmade shop, Markets of Sunshine <<<click link) brings you eco-friendly handmade gifts to help you get organized for everything life throws at you.

We opened our vintage shop, Pioneer Fundraiser  in 2010 <<< click link) offers a variety of fantastic vintage finds from around the world at affordable prices.  We love preserving the past and helping pass an heirloom on to your family.


How do you get the free shipping offer?  That's a great question.  Just spend $35 or more and you automatically receive the discount in your shopping cart in both of our Etsy shops above.

That's not all we offer you. As a VIP member of our mailing list you also get a 30% off coupon code to use all year long.  If you're not a member yet you can sign-up here. click VIP Mailing List <<<<

Why not check out some of our past posts to learn more about us.
Our #2019organizingchallenge is still going strong.  
Read about it here. <<<<

We'd love to see you soon in our Etsy shops.  We know you'll find something special to suit your lifestyle and gift giving needs. 

To help you learn more about us we've even made some videos and posted them on our YouTube channel here. Click Handmade paper gift bags and gift tags to watch video. <<<<

Please Subscribe to our channel to help us grow.  Share as often as you like. Follow along here on our blog on the right side bar. >>>>>

Sending You Sunshine,

Marsha


Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Handmade Paper Gift Bags and Gift Tags

Handmade paper gift bags using vintage map pages.

Want a quick and easy gift that has a vintage flair?  Use one of these handmade paper gift bags made of vintage map pages from old books.  It has a clear pocket on the front that is hand stitched and includes a butterfly gift tag.

There are pretty pink ribbon handles so it's easy to carry.
The roomy size measures 8.5 x 11 inch bag and will hold all the items you want to give for your special occasion.

Support a small business on Etsy and help keep the made in the U.S.A. movement alive and strong.  It seems like everything is made in China these days. Have you noticed that the quality is very cheap too.

An artisan takes pride in their work and puts hours of their heart and soul into every item they make.  It won't leave the studio unless it passes a critical eye of perfectionary scrutiny.

It's so hard to tell what an item will really be like until you have it in your own hands.  But, a video will help you see it in a 3D fashion.
Check out this video of my handmade work and see for yourself just how high the quality of our products really are before you buy.



  Now you can head over to our Etsy shop, Markets Of Sunshine and pick up one of these cute journals and greeting cards that is truly made with love.  We'd love for you to subscribe to our YouTube channel and help us grow and spread the word about our small business.

Just click the share button on this video now and help a small artisan grow today.  Thanks!

Find out more about me on my About page.  Be sure to follow along with our blog by clicking the "Follow" button on the right side bar. 

Sign-up for our VIP mailing list and get a 30% off discount code to use all year long in our Etsy shop.   Plus, you'll be the first to hear when we are releasing new products. 

Thanks for joining me today.  Check back daily for new posts and videos.

Sending You Sunshine,

Marsha