AND WHY IT DISAPPEARED The Simpson’s Real-Life Dream Home
Imagine owning the Simpson’s house, the one belonging to Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, in real life — pink walls, orange couch, and all. In 1997, Fox Broadcasting Company partnered with Pepsi to make this a reality and built a full-scale replica of 742 Evergreen Terrace. The two companies intended to make one lucky fan’s dreams come true, but things didn’t go as planned.
After completing the home, Fox opened it for tours as part of a promotional campaign for “The Simpsons” merchandise. Over 500,000 people visited the house in just four months, but that wasn’t the end of the story. The grand prize nobody took. While the home was open for tours, Fox and Pepsi held a sweepstakes to give it away. Fans entered by collecting numbered game pieces from select Pepsi products. During the 1997 fall premiere of the show, the winning number was flashed on the screen, but no one came forward to collect the prize. So, they later chose the winner via a random raffle of forms consumers submitted by mail. The winner was 63-year-old Barbara Howard of Richmond, Kentucky. But Howard didn’t want the house. Instead, she accepted a $75,000 cash prize offered as an alternative, which sealed the fate of the real-life Simpsons house.
Bringing Springfield to the real world. De-fictionalizing a home from a famous cartoon is no
small feat. Fox and Pepsi hired Kaufman and Broad homebuilders to build the house in Henderson, Nevada, and they overlooked no detail. They replicated everything, from the layout and interior design to Bart’s treehouse, to bring the home to life. The builders also included hidden gems throughout the house, including Duff beer in the fridge and a bowl for Snowball II in the kitchen.
After the contest, the home underwent a total makeover to blend in with all the others in the surrounding housing development. Today, it still stands, but you’d never guess it was once the perfect replica of America’s favorite cartoon house.
The builders pored over hours and hours of “The Simpsons” episodes to get the layout right while making the home livable for actual people.
Why Stress Might Be Blocking Your Progress The Silent Strain In today’s fast-paced world, stress can pop up anywhere, affecting far more than your mood and mental well-being. Anxiety can hinder every system in your body, from the respiratory system to your heart health. You could be doing everything perfectly with your diet and exercise routines, but you won’t see results if your stress levels are out of control. From heightened cortisol levels to chronic headaches, this month we’re exploring the mind-body connection and how stress can impact your physical wellness. How Stress Shows Up While the human body can handle regular or infrequent bouts of stress, chronic anxiety starts to take a toll over time. It causes your body to go into a state of fight or flight, prompting your internal systems to go into overdrive. Some of the most common physical effects of stress include headaches, muscle tension, chest pain, fatigue, stomach issues, insomnia, and a weakened immune system, which struggles to fight off infections. Cortisol, the stress hormone, contributes to inflammation, higher blood pressure, and many of the other health problems you can face if you’re dealing with prolonged stress. Stress Less, Live More Your mental and physical health are connected, and when you don’t take care of your mind, your body suffers. There are small steps you take that will have
significant impacts on your overall well-being. Sleep is imperative in combating unease, staying sharp, and giving your body the time to recharge. You can create a better sleep routine by turning off any devices at least an hour before bed, doing relaxing activities like light yoga or reading a book, and dimming the lights to signal it’s time for rest. Movement is another powerful tool to quiet your heart and mind. Ensure you exercise regularly, following a safe and effective routine for your specific needs. Aim to work out most days of the week. Even 20–30 minutes of physical activity can reduce stress levels. At Foundations Health and Physical Medicine, we believe in healing from the inside out. Contact us to learn how we can help you find the right treatments and wellness plans to keep your body and mind healthy!
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