Didn't I Feed You Yesterday?: A Mother's Guide to Sanity in Stilettos

I love this book! I love Laura's sense of humor and her take on parenting. She is so down-to-earth, a little bit cynical, downright hysterical and sincerely isn't bothered by what others think. I'm a mother and a Project Runway fan so I think I am right smack in the middle of the demographic for this book, however I don't think you have to be a Project Runway fan, a Laura Bennett fan, or even a parent to enjoy this book; I think anyone can enjoy and/or relate to the things she writes about here. Honestly, I was a teensy bit annoyed by Laura Bennett when she was on Project Runway but I did like her sense of humor when she let it show. But she really lets you get to know her in this book and I like what I see. She starts the book by "introducing" the reader to her children, one by one, which is just a riot. I love her admission that she has a favorite child and that her kids jockey for positioning on The List of faves. I just really enjoyed the spirit with which she wrote the book. She says things that are surprising and shocking but deep down you might actually have been thinking yourself and I love that candor. It makes it all so much more relatable. The title really got my interest piqued and the book did not let me down. Laura leads what I would consider to be a somewhat unconventional life which is interesting material in itself but with her humor added in and some PR stories here and there, it is quite an adventurous, enjoyable read! I highly recommend it!

I don't read a lot of non-fiction or a lot of humor. I can think of one title I wasn't paid to read from the last decade. Having been a fan of Laura Bennett on Project Runway (not only her fashion creations but her style and wit,) I was excited to see she had authored a book...even if it appeared to be a humorous look at childrearing. Happy me, once I got into reading the book, to find out that it was much more than that. Certainly there are plenty of stories about Bennett coping with career and her six children (seven if you include her husband Peter) but there is much more. Here she presents a series of essays or incidents grouped in themes that chronicle her life from the breakup of her first marriage through single motherhood, courtship, baby...baby...baby--a couple more babies (as she says: good to have a spare), Project Runway and after. It is a wryly examined life, peppered with laugh out loud moments. It's a John Irving life through the eyes of a latter-day Co Co Chanel... I knew from the first on Project Runway, she was someone I could relate too (despite being QUITE different) and I see I was spot on. We share a sense of humor and much in the attitude department. You might too...but I guarantee you will be entertained (as long as you have a sense of humor--Laura provides the sense of style).

I (badly) wanted to read this book because I had watched and enjoyed Laura Bennett during her time on Project Runway. I loved her wit, her talent, how she presented herself, and how utterly fearless she was. And I'm happy to report that all of those qualities are at play in "Didn't I Feed You Yesterday?" Bennett's wit is the showcase of this book, but much like her work on Project Runway, she also has an ulterior motive. In her clothing she was pushing women to take effort and pride in their appearence, but in this book she is verbally smacking mothers on the nose with a newspaper and saying, "Calm down!" Bennett takes full aim on overanxious mothers who have driven themselves and their offspring to neurosis from the unrelenting pressure to attain perfection, and through a humorous showcase of her own maternal missteps, mismanagements, and laid-back attitude, she encourages her readers to dial their stress back and accept that a bit of dirt (or high-fructose corn syrup) isn't going to kill their child. I enjoyed this book immensely. Bennett ranges from sly to overt jokes, and is doing that rare feat in a mother memoir -- not issuing instructions. She doesn't present herself as anything close to an ideal, and doesn't browbeat, but instead offers humorous anecdotes to take or leave, but always to enjoy. And as a minor aside, the illustrations included in this book are both beautiful and riotously funny.

"Didn't I Feed You Yesterday" is one of the most entertaining books I have read in many months. Laura Bennett presents the reader with a narrative of events in her life. She discusses her husband (a very patient man), each of her children, and her work, both at home and in her career. As she narrates she quips about her acquaintances and the places around her, making observations like a trained tour guide while offering comic statements about the people and events she encounters. This book, written like a diary, is a very funny commentary on life as a wife and mother of six, with a husband who hasn't really grown up himself. The interactions among this unlikely family group are very laughable, while helping us understand how a mother can survive with a career, six children, and numerous pets while remaining sane. Laura devotes part of her book to a dress design competition she entered called Project Runway. This section is a must read for anyone who contemplates entering a TV reality show contest. She may be exaggerating, but if even half of it is true, there is no way I could survive to the finals of such events. The children use profanity, and, in an attempt to appear as a cool, composed parent, Laura overlooks her children's language. Profanity is something I have always seen as evidence of a poor vocabulary. Maybe she tolerates their language and believes that by ignoring it the profanity may decrease. Laura also tolerates rude conduct by labeling it as masculine. Yes, compared with girls, boys may be more violent and more of a threat to furniture and guests than girls, but that doesn't mean we allow discourteous behavior. I must admit, however, that when her five sons barge into an adult party and disrupt some stuffy friends, it is very funny. Some of Laura's comments that I enjoyed are: The advantage of six children is "If I lose one somewhere there are extras." When some people suggest she trapped her husband (a confirmed bachelor) into marriage - "I can see trapping a man with one pregnancy, but five?" Encountering critics of her parenting she says, "all my kids' therapists say they are well adjusted." Laura Bennett may have intended this book for women, as it is certainly told from a women's point of view. I think this book is insightful and funny. Women, I am certain, will probably understand references that leave me scratching my head. When she talks about childbirth, for example, I get an image but, as a man can not empathize. I am a male who has only experienced childbirth as a coach. Accordingly, I think mothers, who have born children and labored every day to raise them will love this book. I highly recommend "Didn't I Feed You Yesterday." If you appreciate the lighter side of family life you will enjoy this book. I especially recommend this book to women and hope someday a woman will explain the parts that passed me by.

Not being of the "Mommy" Tribe myself, I wasn't sure if I would like this book or not. I don't really appreciate the humor or travails of finding that perfect stroller or daycare center and to be honest I don't understand the Mommy lexicon, so I started this book with some trepidation. I was so pleasantly surprised! I may not belong to the Mommy Tibe, but I do belong to the Fabulous Shoe and Handbag tribe - the first mention by the author of choosing the Hermes Birkin bag as her diaper bag reeled me in! She writes with laughter in her tone - you can almost feel the smile (or smirk in some cases) as you read each word and that is a hard thing to capture and convey. It's not so much snarky as a reflection of silliness brought by simple happiness within her life and that made this book a page turner. The author is straight forward about the choices she's made and why they work for her and the simple fact that those who disagree or want to judge her negatively for those choices can move on. Gotta love that! (With five young boys in her home two part time nannies and a "Manny" seem mandatory for sanity if nothing else. They live in NYC - running outside to play is certainly not an option.) Yet in the midst of all the silly and the hired help and city drama, she does present some old fashioned, common sense thoughts that have been lost to parents today. Things like "talk to your children" , "eat meals with your kids - where those meals where prepared is less important than eating them together" and "let them play and learn things on their own" and "kids get hurt doing stupid things, it's what happens" and "a little foul language isn't the end of the world and neither is getting (or not) into THE pre-school" And as a member of the deliberately Childless Tribe the lesson I most appreciated the author reminding the world..... Do not travel on airplanes with small children - the sanity of the parents, the kids and fellow passengers depends on your family taking car trips until your kids are teenagers. Having read this book on a flight accross the country, I found myself laughing out loud and wholeheartedly agreeing with her! Charming, very funny and generally a delight = I'm very glad to have read this one.