Willow

Croatia - My Motherland 

Interesting Facts About Croatia!

I was born in Croatia. I live all my life in Croatia. And I adore my country! It's not just soil, it's about people with great and warm hearts, it's beautiful and untouched nature and history behind it all. Those who visited Croatia surely know wha...

Taste of Croatia

If you have been to Croatia than you know what I'm going to say! If not, let me tell you: We, Croats, love to eat!!! We also love to organize parties and gatherings on almost every occasion. Tasting of numerous Croatian food specialties and quality...

Traditional Croatian Music

Croatia is country with wealthy cultural heritage which is mostly shown in it's folk music. The culture of Croatia has roots in a long history: the Croatian people have been inhabiting the area for fourteen centuries, but there are important remnant...

Old City Dubrovnik

Situated in the south part of Croatian coastline, Dubrovnik is place that should be added on your 'must-see list'! The walls of Dubrovnik girdle a perfectly preserved complex of public and private, sacral and secular buildings representing all perio...

Places in Croatia UNESCO Marked as World Heritage

Croatia, although rather small country, has it all - plains, mountains, lakes, sea. And very welcoming people, I may add! This is rare country in many ways and here is one of it: You may go hiking early in the morning, refresh yourself in Adriatic se...

More about Croatian culture and history

Cravat - Necktie Made in Croatia!

Did you know that Croatia is the mother country of the necktie? In his book, La Grande Histoire de la Cravate (Flamarion, Paris, 1994), Francois Chaille tells us about the appearance of this article of clothing and how it became fashionable. "... A...

Professor Balthazar

Professor Balthazar was born 1967 and the day he was born he was already 60 years old (or close to that)! How is it possible? Easy - he was animated character that was created in Zagreb film studio, Croatia! I don't know have you heard of this carto...

Josip Broz Tito

This article is about a charismatic man who kept Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Monte Negro united in one strong country - Yugoslavia for more than 40 years. Many people from former Yugoslav Republic will argue about his good influ...

Adventures in Paklenica, Croatia

There are many really exquisite places in Croatia. National Park Paklenica is one of the eight national parks in Croatia. What's even more interesting is that there are two national parks which are spreading over peaks, hills, mountains, fields and o...

All the promotion of my beautiful motherland!

Promotion of Croatia on Twitter

It's been less than a month that I tried to use Google for searching Croatian web sites where word 'Twitter' has been used. Unfortunately, I have to say that result has been disappointing! There wasn't even one full page of results with links to Croa...

Croatia - My Beautiful Homeland

Have to say right at the beginning - I love my country! And if you have been to Croatia, you can understand my love for it's people, untouched nature and exquisite beauty! If not, take a look around and I'm sure you'll like what you'll discover about...

Promocija Hrvatske na Twitteru

Nema vise od mjesec dana da sam pokusala ukucati u Google rijec 'Twitter' i potraziti koliko se zapravo Twitter spominje na hrvatskom jeziku. Na zalost, mogu reci da je rezultat bio porazavajuci! Nije bila niti jedna puna stranica linkova do stranica...

I am Mother 

It's All Parents Fault?!?

Raising A Brat Today, A Social Nightmare Tomorrow? With so many bad news concerning kids shootouts at schoolyards, bullying, fights, etc., but also issues regarding discipline, disrespect and contempt towards other people, isn't it about time that we...

Gentle Baby Care

Scared of becoming a parent for first time? Not sure how to handle all of it? Scared by people talking about sleepless nights, crying, colics, etc.? I know I was!!! I hated people telling me: 'You'll see.', 'Why you should have it better then me?' or...

365 TV-Free Activities You Can Do With Your Child

Make the most of your time with your child - whether it's five minutes or a whole afternoon - with simple, fun activities that will excite the whole family. From arts and crafts to toymaking to math and number games, 365 TV-Free Activities You Can Do...

The Cutest Baby Girl Christening Outfits!

As a member of Roman Catholic Church, I was baptized. When my baby girl was born, it was only natural for me to consider baptizing her as well. Baptism is one of most important Christian traditions. Where I live it's usual for christenings to be hel...

Daddy Needs Diaper Bag!

Today more and more often fathers are involved in caring and development of their kids. And that's great! I know my father wasn't in either mine or my siblings. Until I was walking, most of job around 'baby me' was on my mother - feeding, walking, s...

Shopping Guide for Best Baby Strollers

Before you decide to buy baby strollers, you should know what to look for when buying this important and practical accessory! Buying first baby strollers represent quite a challenge for new parents for few reasons: there are many different models wit...

Anti Boredom Ideas

If you're looking for a ways to prevent your kids saying: 'Mom, I'm bored!' or 'Everything is so boring!', you came to the right place! This page will continually be updated with new ideas but also with links to other pages with different ideas to ch...

The Cutest Baby Onesies on Zazzle!

Parents love to dress up their kids! I know I do! I'm always looking for something beautiful for my baby girl! When they are small, newborn or less than 2 years old, you'll have to look for quality cotton onesies for your baby. They are easy to maint...

Learning Toys for Toddlers - Wooden Puzzles

As a mother of 19 months old girl, I've watched her development and the ways in which she learns about things around her. There are many toys that assisted my girl in her early childhood development but somehow wooden puzzles are one of her favorite....

Gentle No-Cry Solutions for Your Child

I'm still a new parent since my baby girl is now 17 months old... What I learned very fast as a mother is that there is no worst thing than baby crying... My heart gripped every time she started crying! I was familiar with book by Elizabeth Pantley:...

How to Choose First Baby Shoes?

Some babies make their step sooner some a bit later. This shouldn't concern you normally. My baby girl made her first steps when she was almost 13 months old. She was little bit lazy for walking! Well, why she would want to walk when mommy is carryin...

Water and Sand Tables for Summer Fun!

As much as we wish to give our kids a joy of running on a beach, playing with sand and making castles or simply running in and out of water, it's not always possible - for one reason or more of them. Mostly financial side of summer vacation is that w...

Toys and books by age: 0 - 4 years

Top Learning Toys for 2 Year Old Kids!

Here you'll find some ideas for drawing toys, musical toys, books and other stuff that are suitable for 2 and 3 years old children. And for his/her mother and/or father - books about parenting and parental tips. I enjoy giving presents and always lo...

Peekaboo! Where are you?

Peekaboo was my baby girl's favorite game from her 4th month. And still is! She is almost 15 months now! This is game where you don't need much - for start only a piece of clothing is sufficient! You can hide yours or baby's face and once you pull c...

Third Birthday Gift Ideas

When you buy a present for kid - either for birthday, Christmas, Easter or some other occasion - do you consider what is appropriate for child at certain age and what he/she will like but also learn something from using it? Here you'll find some boo...

First Birthday Presents List

If you are like me, you have a problem selecting just the right present for kids birthdays, Christmas and other occasions. Since I'm in my 30's, there is a lots of newborns, babies, and small kids around me - more of them almost each month! That's no...

0-12 Months: Top 10 Educational Toys

From the moment they open their eyes for first time, babies are learning. You may think that this small newborn doesn't get anything. You are so wrong! She/he is learning from touching you, smelling you, hearing you, looking into your face, even from...

We love cartoons!

Do You Remember Original Bambi?

Who of us doesn't remember little dear Bambi, his rabbit friend Thumper and skunk Flower?! Many of us shared his hopes, dreams, laughs, fears and tears. I even managed to cry reading Salten's novel that I had as reading assignment in my third grade....

Learn & Laugh with Pocoyo

My baby girls is now 15 months. As she grows, her 'taste' in cartoons is evolving also. We started out with Teletubbies and she loved them. Well, she still does! Cartoon that occupies her these days is animation about small boy named Pocoyo and his...

Fifi and the Flowertots

Welcome to the world of lovable flower-based characters that inhibit garden world! This is animated cartoon for kids from age 2 - 6 and it's specially appealing to girls! Although, boys want be left out since there are Stingo and Slugsy, the garden r...

Even Babies Love Maya the Bee

This educational cartoon that was made in 55 episodes was broadcasted on TV when I was a kid. I adored it! It was one of the most popular cartoons in Europe during 1980's. Today, my babygirl is watching it also. I don't mind since there is so many g...

Work Related... 

Negotiation Basics For Business And Ordinary People

Negotiation has turned into science, but first and bottom fact about negotiation is: Your whole life is full of negotiations. Negotiating is not something that you do only in your working hours - turn around and think about it: you negotiate from th...

Acquire Agreement by Negotiation

So, you prepared yourself well for a negotiation, came to a meeting to show what you know, but still there is something missing to close a deal. Have you done everything right? Important to remember is: there is distinct difference between negotiati...

Preparation for Negotiation

What ever you do, you'll do it better, faster and with more success if you are well prepared for it! Preparation is, in negotiation, as well in most things in life, extremely important. Master negotiators spend huge amount of time gathering informat...

Changing Body Language? Looking Fake?!?

If our body doesn't respond to what our mouth are telling, it would be hard to convince someone in our words. That's truth! But, is it really possible to change all the signs that our body is giving - fear, discomfort, boredom, defensiveness, etc. Do...

Negotiation skills showtime!

So, after you have made all the preparation for negotiation, it's time to make a call and agree upon a meeting. If you are well prepared, you have nothing to be afraid of. Go ahead and show what you know!

Love to Reuse Stuff 

for Craft Projects especially

How to Reuse Egg Cartons?

Well, you may ask yourself - what, in earth, could be done with egg cartons?!? Plenty of stuff as you will see when you read a rest of this article! Not just crafts for kids - egg cartons can be reused in household, garden as well for some DIY projec...

How to Reuse Old CD or DVD

Do you burn CD-ROMs on your computer and get errors, where you have to toss the CD-ROM? Do you get tons of CD-ROMs in the mail for Internet providers and trial programs? I do and all these unwanted CD-ROMs are piling up. You can recycle them but it i...

How to Reuse Paper Rolls

Before you throw away a paper roll, do you consider what it can be used for? Never thought of that? Or you already reuse them? Although our society urges people not to throw out but recycle and reuse as many common household items as possible, we st...

How to Reuse Paper Bags

What do you do with paper bags? Toss them into garbage? Recycle? Reuse? Renew? The obvious first option is to reuse them for your groceries and other goods. They likely won't hold up for as many reuses as the plastic bags, but remember even one reus...

How to Reuse Popsicle Sticks?

Your kid just love to eat popsicles? Can't get out of the store without buying some? Who can blame them - I love them too! This page is a collection of possible uses for popsicle sticks and here you'll find how it can be reused in house, garden and...

Multifunctional Aluminium Foil

Is there a way to reuse aluminium foil? You bet! I've listed numerous household tips, gardening tips and craft projects with aluminium foil! Enjoy!

What Do You Reuse?

You trip over many items in your household, garage, office and don't know what to do with them? Have you consider to give them new life? You know, many items CAN be reused! Well, almost everything! So next time before throwing something into trash,...

Beauty of Reusing

There are so many ways to reuse different items! There are so many items for which you can make a second (or third) use! And you can reuse them for such a wide range of purposes in your home, garden, office but also as art class projects or craft pro...

How to Reuse Old Mouse Pad?

Here are listed some cool ideas how to reuse old mouse pads but also links to many online sources with instructions and tutorials how to make your own homemade mouse pad. All mouse pad images on this page are from my Zazzle gallery - Willowdesign. B...

What Can Be Done With Wallpaper Leftovers?

Do you put wallpapers on your walls? And what do you do with residues? Wallpapers aren't just for walls - they can be a free source for some of the most creative yet simple crafts.

Celebrate Earth Day... Every Day!

I've been thinking a lot about what to include and what to exclude from this page since there is so many resources about how to go green by applying 3R's: reducing, reusing and recycling. So, this is how I would like to approach to issue of planet po...

Alternative & Helpful Uses for Pantyhoses

Your pantyhose have holes? Don't accumulate heaps and heaps of used pantyhose! Reuse them! After reading this page, I'm sure you'll wish you had a few more old pairs of pantyhose lying around. You"ll find tips and ideas for cleaning, storage, garde...

Be Crafty, Be Green! 

Reuse different stuff for craft projects!

Creative Mother's Day Resources

And that's true! Nothing will make mothers happier than gift that their kids made with their own hands and give them with love! This page is a collection of links for craft projects that can be used by parents as family fun time with their kids, or...

Creative Easter Resources

We have so many things around our home that we throw away instead of giving it a 'second chance', a second life. In same time, we spend lots of money on craft kits that can be found all over the net and in stores near our homes! I say: Let's change t...

Creative Resources for St.Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's day is approaching and it's all about green! I've compiled a list of links here to help you (and myself) go even more green on this green day! Here you will find links to sites where you can find directions how to reuse common househ...

Simple Crafts: Make a Christmas Boot!

Before last Christmas we (parents) were invited to help prepare everything for our toddlers in my baby girl's day care center. This is one of simple projects we were asked to participate in: Making Christmas boots! What's great about this project is...

Creative Valentine's Day Resources

There is one slight difference between all other pages offering links to different craft projects for kids: all of projects listed here are made of common household items you usually recycle or throw into trash! My goal while collecting all of these...

Creative Father's Day Resources

The best gift, one that will show all love, doesn't have to be expensive. Most important thing that will matter to father is if it's given with love and does it show all the affection you have for him. For these reasons, you can always make somethin...

Creative Spring Resources

Can you think of better green period of year than spring? Time when nature itself is going green, breaking coldness and darkness of winter! There are so many ways to celebrate nature's renewal that happens every spring season! Let's contribute to ne...

Books I like to Read 

Fyodor Dostoevsky

To call Fyodor Dostoevsky a genius may indeed be an understatement. Decade after decade, his literary brilliance continues to capture the hearts and minds of millions. Because of his legacy and intense, storied commentaries on religion, philosophy, a...

Extraordinary Uses For Ordinary Things

When I first stumbled upon this book, I was trying to remove mold stains from my baby's push-chair (I was crazy enough to put it into old, unused refrigerator - like it's going to be in dry place there - what a mistake!!!). I heard lots of advices an...

Earth's Children Series by Jean M.Auel

I encountered first book from this series -The Clan of the Cave Bear - when I was in high school and read it in two days! Since this book has 480 pages, I hardly slept these two days since Ayla's story so preoccupied my attention and my imagination t...

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Crime and Punishment is an intense psychological study, a terrifying murder mystery, and a fascinating detective thriller instilled with philosophical, religious, and social commentary. Dostoevsky studies the psychological impact upon a desperate an...

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

"The cleverest of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month." The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was very impressed with Dostoevsky, claiming that "Dostoevsky is one of the few psychologists from whom I have lear...

Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse

And perhaps, I mean, it has always been the same and always will be, and what is called history at school, and all we learn by heart there about heroes and geniuses and great deeds and fine emotions, is all nothing but a swindle invented by the schoo...

Elizabeth Pantley

Elizabeth Pantley is the president of Better Beginnings, Inc., a parent education company, and is a regular radio show and internet show guest and featured expert. Her newsletters and articles are distributed worldwide.She has been quoted in such mag...

The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky

It seems, in fact, as though the second half of a man's life is made up of nothing but the habits he has accumulated during the first half. The Gambler brilliantly captures the strangely powerful compulsion to bet that Dostoevsky, himself a compulsi...

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Idiot is a novel written by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky and first published in 1868. After his great portrayal of a guilty man in Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky set out in The Idiot to portray a man of pure innocence.

Maxim Gorky

Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is. Russian short story writer, novelist, autobiographer and essayist, whose life was deeply interwoven with the tumultuous re...

Music I Like 

Anastacia

There are many women in history that deserve special tribute and Anastacia is one of them! This is a woman who has been diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age thirteen but still wanted to dance! Also a woman that was diagnosed breast cancer but who di...

The Platters

If you ever heard The Great Pretender or Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, than you know why I love to hear them! The Platters are one of greatest bands of all time and one whose songs were sing by Freddy Mercury and many others. Sit back and enjoy!

The Drifters

Over the last five and a half decades, The Drifters have collated a huge catalogue of over 50 hits, selling in excess of 214 million singles and 114 million albums across the world. The Drifters served to link Fifties rhythm & blues with Sixtie...

Neil Sedaka

This is dedicated to man that survived in music business for over 50 years. I am amazed with fact that he published his first album in 1959 and he is still giving concerts! Neil's irrepressible and incessant creativity, ensures that there is still m...

Holidays - Who Doesn't Like Them??? 

Halloween

Dazzle by Halloween on Zazzle

When I first joined Zazzle.com I wasn't aware how many really great artists work there and sell their art applied on different items. As time past by, I have favored and became a fan of many great artist in this growing community that combines creati...

Halloween by Zodiac

Halloween with its masks and carnivals offers people a chance to bring to life fantasies that live in their imagination. If you lack of ideas how to pick a Halloween costume, read a following article to find out which costume fits with your zodiac si...

I have really mixed feelings about Valentine's day!!!

Being Born on Valentine's Day!

As many of you suspected when they saw title of this page, I was born on February 14th! Or Valentine's day! Do I like it? Or not? Well, being born on Valentine's day has it's good and it's bad sides. But, more of that later on.

Perfect Love Card

You have someone you love? Would like to show just how much you love her / him? Well, affection can be shown in many different ways. One that is classic but always the most popular is by giving away beautiful love card with a little writing. That do...

Age of Aquarius

Literally - I was born in age of Aquarius - by year and by date! And I simply love it! There are some people who don't like their horoscope sign.... But, who wouldn't want to be born as Aquarius? Aquarius are original and always ahead of their time!...

Christmas

Original Christmas Cards

Sending Christmas cards is tradition that many people cherish and will go on although today more and more people simply send SMS with greeting message! Still it's great to both send and receive a Christmas Cards - makes Christmas somehow more about f...

Music Box Makes Perfect Christmas Gift

Do you remember how you felt when you received your first music box? I know that I was obsessed with my ballerina music box. I could sit for hours and make her play again and again! There are some gifts that really make us all soft and excited! Musi...

My Way to Give Back Kindness... 

I received upon joining Squidoo

Fresh Squid Contest

As an effort to make newcomers to Squidoo easier to get their way around and become a part of our community here, I started Fresh Squid Group in which all new lensmasters have a chance to get one of their lenses featured as long as they apply to some...

Fresh Squid Graduation Class September 2008

Fresh Squid Headquarters was created on September, 15th 2008 and in it's first 15 days it featured 51 lenses by 51 Fresh Squids! Each of these newcomers to Squidoo had to comply to certain rules that were listed both on group's page and on Fresh Squ...

Fresh Squid FAQ

Are you a newcomer to Squidoo? Just signed in and can't find your way around just yet? Well, let me tell you: Welcome! You'll find Squidoo as experience addictive, thrilling and fulfilling! Fresh Squid Headquarters is here to help you in your first...

Fresh Squid Graduation Class October 2008

October was really busy and successful month for Fresh Squid Group! During this month this group made exclusively for newcomers to Squidoo featured 94 lenses by 94 newly joined lensmasters! These lensmasters came willing to learn and teach us all so...

Fresh Squid Graduation Class November 2008

Everyone of us, in every aspect of our lives, had to start from somewhere. Same thing is with Squidoo. We all came here and had to learn some new stuff to get our lenses to look great! Same applies to these Fresh Squids. They came to Squidoo to shar...

Fresh Squid Graduation Class December 2008

Newly joined lensmasters from Fresh Squid Group are learning daily and improving their lens-crafting abilities! Each day is a brand new day with so many new lenses to read and write! This month has been last of 2008 and lensmaster who joined are one...

Fresh Squids, LoTD Quality!

I start this lens with lots of question marks in title above for one simple reason: over last 6 months I've been on Squidoo, many people asked what it takes for a lens to get featured on LoTD blog? What a lens should be about? By who? And most import...

Fresh Squid Graduation Class January 2009

They say that January is dead month with nothing going on! Well, not in Fresh Squid group! We have many new, excellent lensmasters who introduced themselves this month! They are off to great start on their Squidoo jouney with wonderful lenses they m...

Fresh Squids Swim to Become Giants!

As anyone else, they came to Squidoo not knowing what to expect, what will happened and where it will take them... Squidoo greeted them warmly and many lensmasters stepped forward to show them the way, give them suggestions how and what to improve, w...

Fresh Squid Graduation Class February 2009

Time has passed and they used it well! Learning secrets of successful lenscrafting! Just yesterday, these lensmasters were newbies and for making an effort to create quality lenses, they were featured on Fresh Squid Group. Since then, they read, ask...

Something Different.... 

.... I can't categorize with anything else here!

Brainstorming New Lens Ideas!

From time to time, we all get stuck when we want to make a new lens. When no ideas come, we feel frustrated. This lens is to be a continuing resource of ideas exchanged by Squidoo and Twitter members. What I plan to do is tweet a term (word, concept,...

I Zazzle! Do You? 

Creative Digital Art by Willowdesign

I love drawing but, unfortunately, rarely have enough time to sit back and enjoy in making something great out of different shapes and colors laid on paper. So, I turned myself to digital art... mostly created by Corel... There is one big advantage...

Journey of Little Croatian Squid 

Blessed by an Angel

As you may heard, I've became Squid Angel. Invitation to become an Angel came to me as pleasant surprise and I'm very grateful to Squidoo HQ to find my work here, on Squidoo, worthy of such a honor. But, this lens is less about my role as an angel (...

Long Distance Friends

We all tend to make friends. It's in human nature as it is in animal nature - striving to belong to a group. Only difference is where we find them and what qualities we are looking for in another person. Ever since I've joined Squidoo, there are man...

Journey of Little Croatian Squid

Welcome to my Squidoo memory lane! I'm inviting you to follow my adventures from little Cro-Squid to Cro-Giant who, as of recently, became a flying Cro-SquidAngel! :) This is also my thank you lens to all people who helped me with their advices, sug...

Spotlighting The Best of Squidoo! 

Squidoo Spotlight

There are many exceptional lenses and lensmasters on Squidoo! People who incorporate piece of themselves in every lens they make! And these people deserve every right to be under Squidoo Spotlight! This lens has few purposes: * an archive of intervi...