Maybe it’s because she opened a window.

Mussman, of Mason City, is a design consultant for Window World, one of over 30 vendors on hand for the special two-day event.

She was there to demonstrate how the double hung window works. The window opens from the top and the bottom. It’s the company’s top seller.

“We want the product to be easy to use and easy to clean,” she said. “They tilt in for easy cleaning. Every part is able to be repaired if needed.”

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Meg Beshey, Blanden Memorial Art Museum assistant, works on painting a planter during The Messenger's Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show on Friday. Once completed, the planter will be for sale at Becker Florists. Proceeds from the sale will support the art education program at the Blanden.

Mussman said she was a customer of Window World before she became an employee three years ago.

“I have 28 (double hung windows) in my house,” she said.

Mussman said windows made for Iowa homes are different than ones made for homes in the southern part of the country.

“These are more thermal,” she said. “The southern ones are built to handle higher wind speeds because of hurricanes.”

But the company isn’t just windows, she said.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Nolan Lumsden, 6, looks over a pot he received from the Community and Family Resources table during the Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show. The pot contains different seeds so it will be a surprise to see what grows, according to Mickie Shubin, certified treatment specialist. The pots were provided by Community Partnerships for Protecting Children.

“We do roofs, siding, entry doors, patio doors,” Mussman said. “Our product line has expanded way beyond windows.”

Mussman said she likes coming to The Messenger’s home show every year.

“We always enjoy the Fort Dodge show because we love the people here,” she said.

Barbara Dencklau, owner of First Footprint, was on hand to display her Native American jewelry.

“I do stonework, using all raw materials,” she said.

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Barbara Dencklau, owner of First Footprint, shows a sun catcher she had on display at The Messenger's Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show on Friday.

Glass beads, jade, quartz, turquoise and coral are just some of the materials Dencklau uses.

“A lot of the red you see is coral,” she said. “Coral is endangered.”

Sun catchers are popular, she said.

The stick on one particular sun catcher is a piece of sage brush that survived a forest fire in northern Arizona.

“It represents our earth changing,” she said.

Meanwhile, Meg Beshey, Blanden Memorial Art Museum assistant, was busy painting a planter.

She was recreating a piece called “Fantastic Horse Cart” by Marc Chagall.

“His uncle was a violinist,” Beshey said. “It’s a memory of Chagall’s. It’s a piece Ann Smeltzer gave to the Blanden in 1952.”

The planter Beshey was painting will be for sale at Becker Florists. Part of the proceeds will go to the Blanden art education program.

Beshey said the home show is great exposure for the museum.

“People have been taking our brochures about upcoming classes,” she said.

Nolan Lumsden, 6, was at the show with his mother, Christy Lumsden.

“I wanted to see my dad,” Lumsden said.

His father, Jason Lumsden, had a booth set up for Iowa Fire Control.

But his favorite part of the show was receiving a pot and seeds for flowers to grow in.

It was given to him by Mickie Shubin, certified prevention specialist with Community and Family Resources. She said the pot was provided by Community Partnerships for Protecting Children.

“The pots have different seeds,” Shubin said. “It will be a surprise which flowers grow in there.”

The show was an opportunity to educate visitors about the services of CFR.

Another giveaway was a drug deactivation bag. The bag allows for the safe disposal of unused drugs.

“You put the drugs in the bag, seal it and throw it in the garbage,” Shubin said. “In between the Drug Take Back days, it’s a great way to get rid of unused prescriptions. We don’t want extra drugs laying around.”

Paul Toledo, a salesman for American Health Filtration, of Urbandale, had a variety of products on display.

“It’s fun to interact and find out what people’s needs are,” Toledo said.

Toledo said throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, more people have been concerned about proper ventilation.

“Throughout COVID we installed FilterQueens in schools and courthouses all over the state.”

He’s looking forward to being able to give away some prizes tonight. One of the more valuable items is a Blackstone grill, which features an air fryer combo griddle. It’s valued at $400.

“It’s cool to reward people for coming out,” he said.

The Home, Garden and Lifestyle Show continues today at 9 a.m. The show will conclude at 6 p.m. Admission is free, courtesy of Hy-Vee.

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