Ashley Haugen

I dropped my children off at their first day of school this morning. I am now the proud mama of a fourth grader, second grader, and kindergartner. For what I guarantee will be the only time this school year, it was a fairly effortless morning. The lunches were packed the night before, backpacks were parked by the door, filled to the brim with the required school supplies (please don’t get me started on that!) ... I thought we were ready to go, and yet, not all of us were.

It is my opinion that not all lessons worth learning are found in textbooks. They are found in life and in hands-on experiences, and they are taught by people who have been there and done that and are willing to share an ounce of wisdom with ears that care to listen. For example, when I had my first son, he came with me to work until he was 6 months old. He would nap in his little baby swing, and he’d snooze in my arms as I pecked away at the keyboard, typing with one hand. The accountant, Jill, would pass by my desk on the way to her office.

Look! Up in the Tree!

A good little kitty deserves a tree all her own. Heed her wishes with A Fantasy Forest’s custom-built indoor tree made just for cats! The wood trunk and branches resemble the real deal and provide a natural outdoor habitat for indoor felines. Lots of nooks and crannies make hide-and-seek fun or simply provide the perfect place for a cat nap. To learn more and find pricing, visit ahiddenhollow.com.

Every month, like clockwork, I hear from a new reader (or a few) who is surprised to have found Her Nashville. And, like clockwork, the conversation always goes the same way. “How long has it been out?” “Did you start it?” “Where did you get the ideas?” “Are there other Hers in other cities?” The short answers are: “We launched in July 2008.” “Yes.” “Lots of research.” and “No.” The unabridged story goes something like this:

The Gulf of Mexico may be drowning in oil, but as of last weekend, the Northwest Florida shores were completely clear. I had the pleasure of visiting both Panama City Beach (PCB) and Navarre Beach last week, and while the number of vacationers was noticeably low — a fact attributed to the Gulf oil spill, it was still a fabulous time.

Make a splash with these sun-bathing basics.

Wild at Heart
Pack the pool essentials in Anthropologie’s Lush and Wild tote. The cotton pouch is large enough to store some steamy romance novels, and the sunscreen fits snugly in one of the three inside pockets. Choose from three different designs, and off you go. Available for $68; see your options at anthropologie.com.

It was the last Monday morning of my kids’ schoolyear. My husband had already left for work — he goes in around 6:45 a.m. — and though I intended to get up when he left, it didn’t happen. Instead, I opened my eyes, looked at the clock, and it was 7:27 a.m.; we have to be on the road by 8 a.m. to get to school on time.

Plant Local, Think Grobal

If Mom’s a garden guru, bring a little of the outdoor in with an adorable Baby Grobal self-watering pot. The cute — and self-sufficient — pots come in eight colors with fun names like “Bubblegum” and “Sunrise.” And the large water reservoir makes this little baby long-lasting, which is more than we can say for those plain old ceramic numbers. Find some green-thumb gumption at grobalworld.com for $14.95.

You may remember a few weeks ago, Her Nashville and Nashville Ballet partnered for the Mother/Daughter Magical Makeover Contest.

I was never particularly interested in being a mom. I wasn’t anti-motherhood, but I certainly wasn’t the child who had cradles full of perfectly diapered dollies and dreams of being a mommy. I was more of do-what-I-want-to-do person. I loved staying up late and sleeping in. I loved taking spontaneous trips — day, weekend, or otherwise. I loved laying on the couch on a rainy Saturday afternoon just because I could.