{184 Countries Visited and Info about Google+ Custom URL}

Wow, on Halloween I had Country 184 visiting. A Big Welcome to the Aland Islands! I also would like to share some Google+ data with you and how to create your own Google+ Custom URL.

October 31, Aland Islands visited. 

Any guess where that is? 

In the Baltic Sea near Sweden and Finland and the language spoken is Swedish.

Today I did check my Google Analytics and found an interesting surprise that I want to show you.

Both, my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics and my Mariette's Back to Basics.blogspot.com do have a Google Analytics number. This is important so you can track what you are doing. That's what I like to show you with the following screenshot... 

Traffic to my blog is being generated by:

1. google.com

2. blogger.com and 

3. plus.url.google.com or Google+ that is.

Are you using google+ already? 

For the four months that I have been using it, I am impressed so far by its ranking 3.

To those that not yet know how this works, I will show you my Google+ URL: 

https://plus.google.com/u/0/100490423051043047646/about That's it, a long string of numbers...
If you scroll down, you will also find my favorite blogs listed there.

BUT after I read Getting Started with Google+ Custom URLs ←click it
I did change and now it looks neat like this: google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

If you copy and paste that into your browser, it will take you straight to my google+  but it will be real easy to remember by anyone if not at hand.

If you like to get one yourself, go to the above link and follow the instructions; easy peasy!

Try it out, it works as shown in my Google Analytics of today, ranking 3rd in a short period of time.

{Our Speckie girl with Snake}

On October 11, we did spot our youngest feline, Speckie girl, playing with a small snake. Anxious to see what she got, we ran out to capture it with my iPhone. In our reptile book we could not find anything like it for identification. Obviously this was not a dangerous one, the way Spicy girl played with it. Any help in identification of this one is appreciated! The last photos show it clearly, a very pretty one I must say. 

It is a tiny snake...

Speckie girl is not even 3 years old but she's not afraid of anything.

If it would bite she would not be tail–gating it here...

She was very proud that we came to look!

Very nice patterns...

Belly up to show that part too. 

Does any of you know what this tiny snake is called? 

We have no idea if it is a small species or just a juvenile snaky...

As mentioned before; any help is appreciated!

Related links:
{Our Garden Critters} previous post about a skink and a swamp snake.
{Southern Ringneck Snake} previous post about snake.

{Since 1896 Dutch CHOCOLATE LETTERS - Have YOU Tried Them?}

Hah, today I managed to get my order for Dutch CHOCOLATE LETTERS placed on line with Vander Veen's, The Dutch Store in Michigan, USA. For decades we've been ordering them as a gift to our friends. Or bringing them home with us, in the suitcase at the time we were able to buy them in The Netherlands. In 2008 we did so when we were in The Netherlands with our foster daughter Anita from Indonesia. She got so excited, searching for each letter on my shopping list! Everybody loves them and they are SPECIAL! Look at the great design on the box they come in, that looks so different from any other chocolate. It is a fine Dutch lifestyle tradition since 1896 and fond childhood memories for me. For my Canadian readers, I too have an address for getting those CHOCOLATE LETTERS: at The Dutch Market Ltd. Sorry for all other countries, they might be able to obtain them from The Netherlands and there could be some Dutch import into Australia as well... You let me know.

Not only for the traditional Dutch St. Nicholas or SINTERKLAAS, on December 6, but they make fine gifts for the Christmas season or for Santa Claus. As a matter of fact I would enjoy them year round with a cup of coffee... How about you?

Sure, I do LOVE dark chocolate! It is said that: A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Click on the link (all colored ones are links) to find out more... I surely live by it.

Those silver Giovanni Raspini Charms & Co alphabet angels from Italy are available on my Zen Cart powered boutique on line: Mariette's Back to Basics - worldwide shipping. 

Below post is a link where you find them.

If you want to order CHOCOLATE LETTERS for the USA or Canada, you better do so early, as later on maybe not all Letters will be available... First come; first serve!

Today I got all mine secured; all 41 that is. Yes, my orders have been growing steadily as they are so much LOVED. That brings JOY to the giver as well.

Only 3 out of 41 are dark chocolate letters; including mine. 

What is your preference? Milk or Dark...? 

You might have gotten an idea.

Oh, we gave two years ago a package with the word LOVE to a very special extended family member... It meant so much to him. And there was not much more we could give him, other than true LOVE and this symbol written out in CHOCOLATE...

Related link:

{Chocolate and Silver Alphabet Letters for Saint Nicholas} a previous post by me 

{Chocolate Letter LOVE} | post by me