15 Mommy Memoirs To Get Lost In

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There is something truly special about a person being able to share their story. A red carpet photo may look picture perfect while not revealing what is going on behind the scenes, but these celebrities shared it all in their memoirs. I recently listened to Naya Rivera’s on Audible. Though it was challenging given her tragic passing, her book’s ending was incredibly thoughtful and a testament to self-love. It inspired me to round up all the mommy memoirs I could remember. I hope they inspire you and offer a few laughs.  

Sorry, Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up by Naya Rivera 

Written right after she gave birth to her son Josey, Naya’s book is honest and laugh-out-loud funny. You’ll get a dose of Glee tea and a 101 lesson in what it means to accept and love yourself truly. 

Yes Please by Amy Poehler 

Funny girl Amy Poehler literally brought me to tears as I listened to her raw and honest memoir. A candid take on divorce and what it means to move on after you’ve loved and lost.  

Secrets of a Sparrow by Diana Ross 

Diana wrote her autobiography in 1993 and shared lots of juicy details about her career and personal life. The icon also published a photo book, Diana Ross: Going Back, in 2002 that is definitely worth perusing. 

Love, Loss, and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi 

The Top Chef host has come a long way since her modeling days. I recently binged her newest show, Taste The Nation, where she gives an intimate look at her relationship with her daughter Krishna. She also has three cookbooks: Tangy Tart Hot and SweetThe Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World, and Easy Exotic if you are looking for some inspiration in the kitchen. 

Unqualified by Anna Faris 

Anna had asked ex-husband Chris Pratt to pen the intro to her memoir before they divorced, and even though it must have been awkward AF at the time, he still did it. The actress and podcast host shares an inside look at her marriage and how tough it can be to navigate all the things women and mothers juggle at any given moment. 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? And Other Concerns by Mindy Kaling 

Mindy shared her voice twice before becoming a mommy to daughter Katherine. Her first book gave fans an inside look at Mindy’s brain and was followed four years later by her 2016 book Why Not Me?.  

True Love by JLo 

Jennifer Lopez released her memoir in 2014 along with an HBO special, Dance Again, sharing a behind-the-scenes look at her tour where ex-husband Marc Anthony ultimately joined her on stage in Puerto Rico. It was beautiful and emotional, and her book is nothing short of the same. 

Inside Out: A Memoir by Demi Moore 

The usually private Demi Moore opens up about rape, motherhood, and her three divorces in her tell-all. The actress reflects on her substance abuse battles and her time in Hollywood. 

It Seemed Important At The Time: A Romance Memoir by Gloria Vanderbilt 

Gloria is one of my mom’s favorite American royalty celebrities. Vanderbilt had a difficult life and continued to open her heart to love, which has always been an inspiration in our household. She penned not only one, but four books. Her memoir gave an intimate look at her life, and later she and son Anderson Cooper co-wrote The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss.  

Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N’ Roll by Priscilla Presley 

Priscilla worked with contributor Sandra Harmon to give an inside look at life with the one-and-only Elvis Presley. Priscilla gets real about their whirlwind romance, the affairs, and how they stayed connected even after their divorce. 

Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton

So Diana didn’t technically write a memoir all by herself, but she did shock the world in 1992 with the publication of In Her Own Words. Andrew Morton penned the book, but Diana was a significant contributor to the biography. It was the first time people heard from the Princess herself.  

Sarah the Duchess of York, My Story by Fergie 

The Duchess of York had a pretty public separation from Prince Andrew, and the mother of two quickly shared her story. The book was published in 1996 with help from contributor Jeff Coplon and spilled all the tea. She also wrote Finding Sarah and What I Know Now along with children’s books Little Red, Ballerine Rosie, and Tea For Ruby.  

Kris Jenner…And All Things Kardashian by Kris Jenner 

Kris was a little early on her memoir, in my opinion, but that only means her next book will have way more details. The momager gets real about her divorce, raising six kids, and what really happened when the OJ case took over their lives.  

Wildflower by Drew Barrymore 

We’ve seen Drew Barrymore grow up on-screen in front of us, and the actress is finally sharing how she found happiness. She also details the loss of her father and how one mundane activity saved her. Drew also penned Little Girl Lost back in 1990 after a tumultuous childhood as a kid actor and released Find It in Everything, a collection of photographs. 

Whiskey In A Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits by Reese Witherspoon 

This book is by no means a traditional memoir, but it is part-memoir and part-Southern hospitality in a one-of-a-kind look at Reese’s life. Learn a little about the Southern belle and learn some delicious recipes while you’re at it. 

Single Mamas In The Big Apple

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I’m a Bravo lover. Like millions of other Americans across the country, I like to decompress after a long day while watching reality television. Andy Cohen genuinely makes me feel like I’ve had a hug at the end of my day before I go to sleep after watching WWHL. To say that the Housewives have had an impact on our culture would be a major understatement. They have merchandise, spin-off series, even spoofs– I once had a small cameo in this hilarious RHONY-inspired video while I worked at Racked and it still makes me laugh hysterically. The twelfth season of The Real Housewives of New York is currently dropping jaws every Thursday night and since I’m missing my apartment in NYC quite terribly I decided to make use of my time during commercials and round up all of the incredible single mothers we’ve encountered throughout the series.

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It only seems right we start with a little royalty. Bravo royalty that is. Countess Luann De Lesseps has been on the show since Season 1 and is a true OG of the entire franchise. The Countess has two children, daughter Victoria and son Noel, with Count Alex de Lesseps. Though the two were married for sixteen years, they divorced after two seasons on RHONY. LuAnn loves to do a cabaret and currently has a skincare line collab with SONÄGE with a jewelry line coming soon.
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Bethenny Frankel, undisputedly the housewife of all housewives, has truly taken us through her entire journey. We saw her start out as a young go-getter starting out her Skinny Girl brand and eventually that included sharing her relationship with Jason Hoppy after they met at Tenjune nightclub in 2008. Even after she exited from the RHONY world (for the first time) we got an intimate look with Bethenny In Love and Bethenny Ever After. After a three-season-hiatus, Bethenny returned and we got to see a slight glimpse of the torture she was living in her marriage before it turned into a custody battle for their daughter Bryn. Bethenny was always very clear her daughter was her priority and ultimately left RHONY for the second time after Season 11. Besides taking Skinny Girl from a snack to a fully global brand Bethenny also is a philanthropist and offers disaster relief via bstrong.
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Kelly Killoren Bensimon was on the show from Seasons 2-4 and got divorced right before her time on the show started in 2007. She and famed French photographer Gilles Bensimon have daughter Sea Louise and Thadeus Ann Bensimon AKA Teddy. The mother of two has opened up about her struggle with postpartum and why it ultimately led to her divorce. Today, Kelly is a realtor and connects with her fans via her podcast
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If any housewife embodies the Upper East Side ideal that comes to mind when I think of the ladies of New York, it’s Sonja Morgan. Anyone who has ever seen an episode of the New York franchise of Housewives (specifically Season 11’s Berkshires episode) knows that Sonja was married to a Morgan, as in grandson of J.P. Morgan, and you don’t ever disrespect the family. Sonja and John Adams Morgan were together from 1986 to 2006 and had daughter Quincy. Sonja has a clothing line, Sonja by Sonja Morgan, and a shoe collab with French Sole NY.
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Jennifer Gilbert came onto the show as a friend of Jill Zarrin’s in Season 3. She and husband Bennett Egeth separated shortly after her time on RHONY and she now raises her three children in New York City–daughter Blaise and twin boys Saxton and Grey. Jennifer has become a huge advocate for those with alopecia sense Grey’s diagnosis with the hair-loss condition. Gilbert has written her memoir I Never Promised You A Goodie Bag and is the owner of event-planning company Save The Date.
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Aviva Drescher appeared for two seasons on RHONY with husband Reid Drescher (cousin to Fran Drescher), along with son Hudson and daughter Sienna. She had a son, Harrison, with her first husband Harry Dubin. Yes, that Harry. The Housewives alum has spoken about how she manages her blended family and how she only sees it as more love for the children. Aviva is the co-founder of One Step Ahead, a philanthropic group that provides prostheses for children who cannot afford them.
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Dorinda Medley has been on the show since Season 7 and I often wonder what we did without her. She has one daughter, Hannah Lynch from her first marriage to Scotsman Ralph Lynch. After her divorce, Dorinda married Richard Medley, who spent many of Hannah’s formative years with her. In recent seasons Dorinda has opened up about how hard it has been for both Hannah and her after losing her late husband Richard in 2011. You can buy Dorinda merch from her site featuring a few of her epic quotes, such as ‘I made it nice’ or (my personal fave) ‘I’ll tell you how I’m doing, not well bitch.’
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We first met Jules Wainstein in Season 8 thanks to Dorinda and I remember being inspired by how real and raw she was about her eating disorder. Her marriage to Michael Wainstein on the other hand definitely gave me pause and his controlling ways were painfully obvious on the show. Jules ultimately chose to leave for personal reasons and shortly after her time on RHONY the pair separated. The mother of two says it was during the filming of her one season of the show that she realized how “alone” she was. She is currently in a legal dispute after an incident took place in early 2020 and is working on co-parenting son Jagger and daughter Rio.
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Barbara Kavovit was introduced to the cast as a friend of LuAnn’s in Season 11. She has raised son Zachary as a single mother since he was four years old. When asked about her decision to move into the house intended for her family of three with just her son in 2005 Barbara told the New York Times, “Things don’t always work out the way you want them to. You have to recreate yourself for the changing times. You have to be prepared.” The RHONY friend is a certified badass, managing construction company Evergreen, owning tool line DIYVA, and is the author of Heels of Steel.
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Leah McSweeney is the newest member of the New York squad and has been like a breath of fresh air. She is unlike any previous RHONY Housewife and come to think of it, I don’t know any other franchise has someone who could be compared. The Manhattan-native has one daughter, Kier (AKA Kiki), who Leah refers to as her “best friend, soul mate, life partner.” She and Rob were together four years and separated when Kier was 2. They co-parent and share weekly family dinners. The RHONY mom is the creator of the clothing line Married to the Mob that will inspire you to wear one-liner shirts all day.

Meet Cristina

Cristina and Nicholas

I first met Cristina through my friend Stephanie. She was a bridesmaid in Steph and Marissa’s wedding, but I got to know her a little better at the Bachelorette Party. She drove us all to Las Vegas from California and I immediately noticed how attentive she was. As soon as we arrived at the hotel she called her son to check in on him and I made a mental note. I had already had the idea for One-Woman Village, so I immediately knew I wanted to interview her once I got it together and launched the site. That was seven months ago and now she’s my first mommy interview and I could not be happier! 

Cristina raises her son Nicholas in California. Nicholas is five years old and absolutely adorable! During our chat we discussed the importance of self-care and how she practices it, why she prioritizes taking photos with her son, and how she’s staying sane during the pandemic. Watch her full interview below.

Cristina Cazares One-Woman Village Interview

20 Gifts To Spoil Yourself For Mother’s Day Under $20

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner. It’s crazy to think Sunday May 10 will be a day in which we celebrate moms around the United States indoors, but I personally believe it is one of the most important holidays of the year so you should really do something special.

Mother’s Day in my home typically consisted of all the kids getting together to make the moms brunch with mimosas at my grandparents house. Later in the day my Uncle Robert made steak and lobsters. It was hands down the fanciest holiday meal we ate all year and it was all for the mommas!

At the very least mothers deserve one day in which they are celebrated, appreciated, and spoiled. You may not be in the celebrating mood this year after being stuck inside with your kiddies for days on end, but I’m here to tell you that you deserve to take a moment for you. Below, I compiled a few items I think will help you feel a little pampered on your special day.

The Single Mothers Conquering the Senate

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There have been 57 women serve in the Senate in the history of the United States. The first female in the Senate, Rebecca Latimer Felton, took her oath on November 21, 1922 in the state of Georgia after filling the vacancy left when the previous senator, Thomas E. Watson, died. Rebecca wasn’t technically voted in, but she led the way and since then women have continued to fill Senate seats across the county.

Following the 2018 elections, we were blessed with 26 women voted to serve in the Senate, the most we have seen in history. It is major and we can only hope to see more come this November. Below you will find the women serving who have defied the odds and represented their communities and their families as single mothers

Dianne Feinstein Twitter
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Dianne and Jack Berman eloped in 1956 when she was twenty-three. Dianne’s middle sister Yvonne Banks described the marriage as her “way out.” The two had a daughter, Katherine, in 1957 and were divorced when she was nine months old
After living as a single mother for a year and a half, she met Bertram Feinstein whom she married in 1962. He was so enamoured with Dianne he apparently asked her to marry him over coffee, but she refused his proposal for another year. After they were married, Feinstein supported Dianne’s political dreams until his passing from colon cancer in 1978. 
Dianne has one granddaughter, Eileen Feinstein Mariano.
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Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Many people didn’t know much about Elizabeth Warren in 2014 when A Fighting Chance was released. She was Senator of Massachusetts by then and up for re-election in 2018, but it was her intimate revelations that got voters to view her in a different light. In her book, Warren opened up about being a single mother for the first time
According to her memoir, Warren first attended college on scholarship before dropping out at age nineteen to marry her high school boyfriend Jim Warren. She eventually moved to New Jersey and finished school before becoming a special needs teacher and having her daughter, Amelia, at the age of twenty-one. Her dreams of going to law school were almost crushed by her need for child care (she potty trained her daughter in five days) and by the end of her third year at Rutgers Law School was expecting her son, Alex. 
She divorced in 1978 and struggled after graduating to get a job at a law firm. When she was finally able to get a job teaching law, child care was again a struggle and she almost quit. It was with the help of her Aunt Bee, who moved from Oklahoma, that Warren was able to make it through tough times. “I’m a United States Senator today in part because my Aunt Bee rescued me on that Thursday in 1979. Without child care, I was a goner. And I know how lucky I was because so many working moms don’t have an Aunt Bee who can fly in and help out,” Warren shared at the National Women’s Law Center 45th Anniversary Gala. 
Warren is now grandmother to three thanks to her daughter Amelia.