Get Online for "It Moms"
by Theresa Carpine12/10/2008 4:12:10 PM
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When you’re a mom, you don’t always have time to sit down to read a whole magazine or watch a 30-60 minute show on television. But you’re still looking for recipe ideas, creative crafts for kids, or ways to keeping the romance alive in your marriage. A great resource for moms is Better.tv, an online network with videos that cover a variety of topics. Best of all, the segments are about four minutes in length, so super busy ladies can find a quick holiday recipe or organization tip that will only take a few minutes to watch.
Marni Renison and Holly Resnick
Photograph by Jim SemlorA show that you’ll definitely want to check out is "It Moms", featuring Holly Resnick and Marni Renison. Both Holly (mother of four) and Marni (two daughters) were Portland-area stay at home moms when they were approached, separately, to be experts for a show called "More" (now Better Portland). Instead, they were teamed up to co-host a segment for moms. When Better.tv was launched in September of 2007, "It Moms" could be seen via the Internet across the country, and the segment is now featured in over 40 television markets as well.
In an email interview, Holly and Marni told me a little more about "It Moms" and their experience along the way.
Did you know each other before starting the show?
Holly: No. We’d never met until a few days before our very first shoot! I knew I was going to love Marni, though, from the moment I saw her. She walked into a meeting about 45 minutes late, looking all frazzled and lost. That’s when I knew we’d get along!
Marni: I remember Holly taking my hand at our first shoot. She led me across the street to our shoot location and said, “Let’s go…” Looking back, it’s amazing how distinct that moment was.
Where does the name “It Moms” come from?
Holly: So, before we started, Seth Feldman [Better Portland’s executive producer] told us we needed a name. We all started brainstorming. At the time, the term “It Girl” was being passed around every time you turned on any entertainment news. I wrote down the name “It Moms” in an email and sent it off to Seth. He loved it! So…we became the “It Moms!” Our take on that, however, is different from Hollywood.
Marni: It Moms are not the moms with big sunglasses, sipping martinis at high noon. The term “It Mom” was intended to mean that moms are “It” to their family. The nurse, the referee, the cook, the maid, the coach; we’re IT.
What is the mission statement of “It Moms” or what do you think it would be?
Holly: I think our goal is just to encourage moms, to make them laugh, and give them love and support on this crazy rollercoaster ride of motherhood! Moms need to know they are not alone. We all need community. We need helpful insight, tips and information, and we need to laugh and learn from our mistakes. Sadly, we are going to make them every day! Life can get way too serious and we can feel so inadequate as mothers. If we can offer anything to moms out there, it would be to let them know they are not alone, and that we are rooting for them!
What’s been your favorite topic that you’ve featured on the show so far?
Marni: Probably the stories that have a lot of heart. For instance, volunteering for children’s outreach programs, covering a mother in remission from breast cancer, or segments that cover spending time with children.
What does your family think of the show?
Holly: At first, the whole “we’re on TV” thing was a big deal to all of us. Now, it’s just what mommy does for work. The kids only get excited now if they get to do something fun like play at a mountain adventure park or meet Mitchel Musso. But, if it’s a story on “How to get your kids to eat more veggies,” uh…they’re not really too motivated!
Marni: My daughter loves watching our segments, but doesn’t always like starring in them! I often have to bribe her with treats, toys or other vices to keep her attention!
What do you hope for the future of the show?
Marni: I hope to see the show in all cities around the country. I hope the stories remain insightful, and are reported with taste and class.
Holly: We’d love to start a full-length “It Moms” show someday for moms to swap ideas, offer support and laughter, and hang out together! The sky’s the limit, right? It doesn’t hurt to dream! In the meantime, we just love what we do and want to keep on doing it!
Why do you think Better.tv appeals to moms?
Marni: Better.tv appeals to many people, mothers being a large demographic. I think this is because there are a variety of stories and topics covered on one site.
Holly: You can watch our segment (for moms) and get some cool mom advice about mom things from a mom’s perspective. Then, a story might come on about fashion or relationships or a fantastic recipe or you can watch an interview with your favorite actor! It’s not just one-dimensional. Moms have many sides to them, not everything that interests them is in the mom category. Better.tv has something for everyone.
Visit Better.tv to see Holly and Marni’s latest "It Moms" adventure. You can also sign up for a free e-newsletter to receive Better.tv’s newest videos each week.