When Megan Media came to me recently with an opportunity to do an #AmericanHousewife sponsored post for a new comedy coming to ABC this fall called American Housewife, the title intrigued me, and I wanted to hear more. The show features Katie Otto, a confident, unapologetic wife and mother of three raising her flawed family in the wealthy town of Westport, Connecticut.
Katie, who is played by Katy Mixon and best known for her role in “Mike and Molly,” doesn’t fit the stereotype of the “perfect” and pretty Westport mom with perfect children. She and her family are only in Westport for the great schools that could benefit one of her special needs children.
Check out the trailer for a glimpse at some of the laughs we can expect when the show airs on Tuesday, October 11 at 8:30|7:30c on ABC:
Honestly, I really identify with Katie. All moms have insecurities, and although there’s nothing wrong with trying to better oneself, I know the type of moms that Katie’s up against. They’re the ones who portray perfection and try their best to make other moms feel like they don’t measure up.
I also found myself wanting to invite her over for some coffee and donuts—no green drinks here, thank you—especially after the scene in the trailer where another Mom points out the pizza stain on the back of Katie’s shirt. I also was caught with a stain on the back of a dress once, and I wish it had been pizza.
Back when I was still a working mom, with a toddler and an infant at the time, I went to a conference not long after returning from maternity leave. I remember digging through my closet for something to wear; I still had about a metric ton of baby weight to lose and nothing seemed to fit properly. After begrudgingly slipping into some SPANX, which I gave up for Lent that year (and, well, for every other day of the year, too), I found a black dress that I was able to squeeze into for my work event.
I was only away from work for about ten weeks total—two before the baby and eight after the baby—but it was amazing how much I felt off my game. I suppose it has less to do with the actual time away from work and more to do with the surging hormones, leaking boobs, and total lack of sleep (not to mention that the SPANX were slowly cutting off the blood supply to the upper portion of my body—I feel your pain Katie Otto), but just before it was my turn to deliver a presentation, I excused myself from a conversation with my boss, her boss and several other executives so I could “use the potty.”
“Use the potty? Use the potty? What’s the matter with you?” I had muttered at my barely recognizable reflection in the mirror. I knew that I had a job to do though, so I adjusted my SPANX, made sure my boobs weren’t leaking, and I went out there and gave a great presentation!
Several of my boss’s peers told me that they enjoyed my talk, and a few even remarked how wonderful it was that I was “bouncing back” so quickly. Then, one of the most senior members of the team came to congratulate me, and after echoing what some of his subordinates had already said, he patted me on the back, gave me a “Job well done, Susan!” and suddenly pulled his hand away…
He rubbed his fingers together and said, “You seem to have something on your back.”
I’ll give you the abridged version now: after spinning in circles like a dog chasing her tail and trying to get a look or a hand to whatever this unsuspecting businessman was now wiping onto a cocktail napkin, several other co-workers, mostly people above me in rank, began wiping at the thick, white goo which had also made it’s way into my hair.
And what was that goo, you ask?
Was it hair gel or mousse? Or even a pizza stain like Katie had?
No, no my friends. It was not.
It was baby barf.
Baby barf down my black dress. Baby barf in my hair. My baby’s barf on the hands of one too many co-workers.
I look back on that now and laugh, but all I thought at the time was #MomFail!
My new work “uniform” tends to hide stains much better, so I have that going for me now.
We all have these moments, some small ones every day, and other big ones you’re afraid will pop up on LinkedIn, but we all experience times of utter imperfection as moms. So instead of trying to “have it all,” or compare ourselves to others, let’s celebrate who we are, what we do, and laugh along with Katie and her family as they try to make their way in Westport this fall!
Aside from watching the premiere, there are some other fun opportunities to join in the fun with “American Housewife.” Don’t miss out on the American Housewife Twitter Party, which will take place on the @SocialMoms Twitter account on October 11th from 4-5PM PST. They’ll be giving away a $500 Grand Prize and plus tons of other great prizes too for tweeting with #AmericanHousewife and #chat! Rules here.
There’s also the the American Housewife Instagram Sweeps. Participants can enter by uploading an “Epic Mom Fail” photo to Instagram (I just looked and I’m pretty sure all my photos qualify!) and using the hashtag #AmericanHousewife in the caption for a chance to win a $500 Amazon gift card! Hurry up and flaunt those fails no later than 10/14/16. See the official rules for the contest here.
Finally, take the American Housewife Personality Quiz and find out what kind of Katie Otto-type housewife you are:
This blog post is part of a paid Megan Media and ABC blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.
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