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    Why I went to Iowa.....

    By Stacy 19 Comments

    I was asked by Better Homes and Gardens if I would like to work with them to help promote their line of products. Ummmm, of course! And then they said that a trip to their headquarters would be part of the deal. Sign me up! I was so excited. So excited that I actually went shopping. So excited that I bought HIGH HEELS. People. I have never had high heels before. But I thought, "Why the heck not?" And then I bought a dress to go with them. Who am I?

    By the way, did you know that the headquarters of BHG was in Des Moines, Iowa? I did, but only because I am kind of a stalker-ish fan of BHG.  But I had never been to Iowa before. I got to have a sneak peek at some of their new products and have a tour of the whole place. You would die if you saw their prop room! Like I could roll out a sleeping bag and live there.

    So grab a snack, put up your feet and get comfy because I am giving you a virtual tour today!

    BHG-logo

    Two buildings (one original and one built later) are joined by a large, enclosed bridge. I know there is an actual name for this type of structure. But It is late and my brain has partially shut off. And google isn't recognizing "glass bridge thingy". Of course I will sit up in bed at 4am because it has finally come to me, but for now let's call it the glass sky bridge. Because that sounds cool. In one part of the office building there are these amazing sculptures hanging from the very top of the building all the way down to the bottom. They were stunning!

    BHG Headquarters in Iowa

    After we had breakfast we got to see the products that are sold at Walmart and some new things not yet released. I have already ordered this faux fur pillow!

    bhg Glam_Pillows[1]

     

    (Photo Credit: Ian and Alli from BHG)

    Their bins, baskets, and boxes are probably some of my favorite products. These are already available. The liners snap off so you can wash them and they have chalkboard tags. There are two sizes.

    bhg Storage_Baskets_1[1]

     

    (Photo Credit: Ian and Alli from BHG)

    They had all these rooms set up in their photography studio. Pretty much all the products in the rooms were BHG products. I LOVE their bedding options. And the nail head headboards? Get out! I want a tan and gray one please.

    Better Homes And Gardens Products

     

    (Photo Credit: Ian and Alli from BHG)

    Eddie Ross was there and shared some styling tips. We had lunch outside. By this point I am inwardly cursing whoever invented high heels.

    lunch at BHG

    And here is the prop room! It really isn't all that glamorous. Cement floors, very basic shelving, and tucked in the basement, or at least downstairs somewhere. All I know is there were lots of stairs and my feet were hating me. But while the location may not have been something special, the items inside were. Everything you could ever need in every color!

    The cute girl with the clipboard who was given the unfortunate job of keeping us on schedule kept telling me I had to leave. So eventually I did. But I could have lovingly caressed each item. In my next life I want to be the keeper of the prop room.

    BHG prop room

    Then they took us to the test gardens. YOU GUYS! I love gardening. But then again you already know that. My logo is a plant for goodness sake. I will say the gardens were smaller than I thought they would be but that did not make them any less special. There were bumblebees and butterflies galore. Water features, benches, sculptures and so many types of plants were scattered throughout. Again, I could have stayed all day. But of course that would have upset the cute clipboard girl.

    Better Homes And Gardens Test Garden

    I hope your screen allows you to see this rose for what it really was. It was the most saturated coral color I have ever seen.

    coral rose

    They had plants for every type of climate. Many I had seen before but some were new to me.

    plants in the BHG test garden

    And I may or may not have taken a hundred pictures of this bee. Little did he know he was showing up to a photoshoot. Apparently he thinks his backside is his best side.

    bumble bee on pink flower

    Prop room, gardens...... Just when you think it can't get any better BOOM! A Fully equipped woodworking shop. I think I gasped. I even temporarily forgot that my feet had given up the ghost.

    wood working shop at BHG

    We also got to visit the test kitchens. They were creating a new recipe for one of their magazines that involved basil and it smelled like heaven. The food editor, Nancy, shared some tips with us and we got to watch the process of some of the people testing recipes. I never thought watching people eat could be so fascinating! They have dining rooms set up where they gather and eat the food. They analyze it and take notes.

    BHG test kitchen

    After a long and thrilling day at the headquarters we were taken back to the hotel to get ready for the Iowa State Fair. I obviously changed. Jeans, a tee shirt, and my "grandma" shoes (AKA Skechers Go Walks) made me and my feet happy. It was so fun to eat fair food, risk my life on scary rides, and see The Butter Cow. Yep. It is just what you think it is.... a life sized cow made entirely of butter. Apparently it is a thing. #onlyatafair

    Iowa State Fair

    In the coming months I will share with you how I am using the BHG products in my own home. I already ordered like 20 things online! I can't wait :)

    Network Badge

     

    In case you don't already, follow my peeps at BHG Live Better on their social media.

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      I received compensation from  BHG at Walmart for my time and participation in the BHG Live Better Network. Although as always, the thoughts, ramblings, and opinions are ALL mine!

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    Filed Under: Home Decor 19 Comments

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angie @ CCC

      August 21, 2014 at 6:08 am

      Awesome recap Stacy! Had a blast seeing you again and can't wait to get started on this journey!

      Reply
    2. Kim @ Sand & Sisal

      August 21, 2014 at 6:22 am

      Looks like you had an exciting time! Wouldn't that be an amazing place to work at??! ;)

      Reply
    3. Sonya~At Home with The Barkers

      August 21, 2014 at 7:57 am

      Loved the virtual tour, thanks Stacy! I love shopping Walmart for the BH&G line! ~Sonya

      Reply
    4. Ashley Phipps

      August 21, 2014 at 8:23 am

      Sounds like such a fun trip!

      Reply
    5. Kati

      August 21, 2014 at 8:37 am

      In Des Moines, they are called skywalks :)

      Reply
      • Stacy

        August 21, 2014 at 8:41 am

        YES! That is the word I was looking for. I kept thinking "cat walk" but knew that was wrong and then it just made me have "I'm so sexy" in my head which was not helping matters. Thanks :)

        Reply
    6. Melissa Griffiths

      August 21, 2014 at 8:38 am

      That prop kitchen... I die!

      Reply
    7. Carole West

      August 21, 2014 at 10:23 am

      Sounds like a fun trip love the picture of roses and those baskets with the chalkboard on them are great! Remodeling my bathroom and going with no - door cabinets. Would complete things perfectly. Thanks for sharing your trip to Iowa, very inspiring. -Carole @ Garden Up green

      Reply
    8. Taryn @ Design, Dining and Diapers

      August 21, 2014 at 10:47 am

      So much fun meeting you and hanging out! You are one of the sweetest and funniest people I've ever met. Looking forward to seeing all the fun things you do this year!

      Reply
    9. Chelsea

      August 21, 2014 at 12:43 pm

      Isn't the Iowa State Fair the best!? We have gone the last three years and love it every time. I haven't made it out to the BH&G test garden, but I know it is open on Fridays to the public. I need to do it before it gets too cold!! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    10. Holly @ Coconutheadsurvivalguide

      August 21, 2014 at 4:33 pm

      Hi Stacy - What an amazing opportunity! Thank you for sharing. Hugs, Holly

      Reply
    11. linds

      August 22, 2014 at 8:57 am

      Really no pictures of the heels? I need to see how tall they were!

      Reply
      • Stacy Risenmay

        August 22, 2014 at 6:45 pm

        Hahaha! I have several pics on my instagram. I didn't think to post one here. They were about 3 inches. Maybe 4? Nothing major.

        Reply
    12. Beth of designPOST interiors

      August 23, 2014 at 11:50 am

      What an amazing trip! I seriously want to curl up in that prop room and never leave!!

      Reply
    13. Heart and Haven

      August 23, 2014 at 10:46 pm

      What a fun trip! Andthat green dress.....oh my, SO CUTE! Where'd you get it?

      Reply
    14. Debbie

      August 24, 2014 at 2:39 pm

      Awesome recap! It was so much fun seeing you in Iowa at Better Homes and Gardens!
      xo,
      Debbie

      Reply
    15. Kara @ Mine for the Making

      August 25, 2014 at 2:21 am

      It looks like you had the BEST time! How dreamy!!

      Reply
    16. Laura

      August 31, 2014 at 11:11 am

      That's awesome. Their magazine headquarters looks awesome!

      Iowa is a great place (though somewhat boring!). The State Fair is interesting, to say the least. I've lived in Des Moines for about a year (around 10 years ago). Oh, and the downtown glass hallway things are called skywalks.

      Reply
    17. Theresa @DearCreatives

      September 03, 2014 at 10:05 am

      I love BHG It looks like you had a blast minus the heels! Love all the behind the scenes and garden photographs. What a great opportunity. I look forward to seeing those posts.

      Reply

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