Our Women’s Wellness Program provides free screenings for uninsured and underinsured women. We believe no woman should have to compromise her health due to financial constraints. These screenings include:
For more information or to make an appointment please call 406-435-8973 or scan the QR code
• Mammograms (age 35-50)*
• Gynecologic exam (Pap smear)*
• Breast exam (age 18-50)*
• Blood screening, 14-hour fast before appointment (water only)
*If you are 50 and older, please contact the Montana Breast and Cervical Health Program at 1-888-803-9343 for free or low-cost screenings. If you do not qualify, then we may be able to assist you.
❯❯ You’ll feel safe, secure and have a greater sense of peace and so will your family.
❯❯ You’ll feel safe, secure and have a greater sense of peace and so will your family.
❯❯ You’ll have more fun!
❯❯ You’ll have more fun!
We have so many ways to enrich your life: live music, bingo, cards, educational speakers, sightseeing trips, crafting and many more activities.
We have so many ways to enrich your life: live music, bingo, cards, educational speakers, sightseeing trips, crafting and many more activities.
❯❯ We’ll cook, clean and maintain your apartment for you.
❯❯ We’ll cook, clean and maintain your apartment for you.
but when I was growing up and something wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t good enough. I know. Horrible, right? I never wanted to try anything that I couldn’t master. Appearances mattered. If a sweater got a snag, I’d put it in the bag to donate. If a table or piece of furniture got a scratch or dent, I’d obsess about it and want to replace it.
Then came children.
My son, Cal, whom a friend lovingly called “The Calvinator,” created a whole lot of scratches and dents around the house. I’d huff for a bit and then look at his little devilish smile. My heart would melt, I’d realize my “ism” and I’d move on. All would, once again, be well with the world.
As I grew further into motherhood and my daughter, Ellie, came along, those scratches and dents sprouted like spring weeds. But instead of seeing thistle, I saw wildflowers. These flaws became something quite different to me. They were what I now call, “life marks,” little imperfections that happen when you’re busy enjoying life.
Today, I have a glass table that is scratched from my once teenage kids tossing their keys on it as they came in the door. I have a dining room table that’s worn in spots from meals we’ve shared or the family games we’ve played. I have dents in the walls where my son who was carrying his laundry basket took the wrong angle around the kitchen island. Each one means something. It’s a memory.
These days, I’m an empty nest mom. I love that my kids are growing up. After all, isn’t that a sign of successful parenting? When I shared this with my son, he burst out laughing and said, “Mom, do you really want to be parenting a 26-year-old?” I laughed too. No son, no I do not. While I know he’s right, I miss all the things that my kids brought to our home. I miss the lively banter. The snorts from laughing too hard. I miss the kids piled on an upstairs sofa razzing each other over a video game. I miss the socks on the floor. There’s this feeling, a little sadness, that maybe the era of life marks is over.
As I reflect, I see what motherhood has the power to do to a woman. It can turn a perfectionist into a mom who learns to shrug things off. There’s no time to keep up with appearances when someone needs a little love instead. There’s no time for perfection when you are trying to instill in your kids that they are perfect just the way they are. There’s no space for a pristine table or wall when an unsightly scratch or a dent is also a cherished memory.
For all the moms out there, I have one wish for you. Hug your loved ones tight and take time to enjoy all your life marks. ✻
Happy Mother's Day!
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
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ED KEMMICK
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LAURA BAILEY
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Yellowstone Valley Woman PO Box 23204 Billings, MT 59104
Phone: 406-254-1394 www.yellowstonevalleywoman.com
on the cover
42 leading with compassion
Billings woman’s kindness spreads across the world
all in the family
12 the gift of confidence
Father-daughter partnership based on family, education, business savvy
16 family ties
Entrepreneurial spirit runs deep in Alice Frank’s family
22 dynamic duo
Mother-daughter kitchen-and-bath team thinks big, and outside the box
28 beauty business is in their blood
Sandy Schafer joins forces with her daughters to fulfill a dream
Salute to Moms
32 mothers! hang up your capes
Billings coach and podcaster wants you to get real about motherhood
36 living life with open hands
A busy mom’s advice for a life well lived
50 opportunities for more abilities
Billings Mom launches camps for kids with special needs
54 guiding the way
Billings mom walks alongside new moms struggling with addiction and depression
60 Mother's & father's day gift guide
Our picks for the perfect gifts
FEATURES
74 whimsy & enchantment
Andi Thatcher uses homegrown picks for her creative bouquets
82 recipes for embracing opportunity
Chef Megan Jessee brings new flavor to the Granary
home and garden
94 planting for privacy
Using a mix of plants to create your great escape
102 back to nature
Home design trends are taking on an earthy vibe
in every issue
58 karen grosz: A New Ride
66 fashion: Mom's Weekly Wardrobe Ideas
80 down to business with brit: Solving Workplace Woes
88 taste of the valley: Fresh off the Shelf
Your tireless dedication to our well being and happiness is a testament to the depth of your love. Thank you for being our rock, guiding light, and biggest cheerleader. You are not just a mom; you are a hero Visit billingsclinic.com to schedule an appointment.
MEET THE WOMEN WHO MIX A PASSION FOR BUSINESS WITH FAMILY BONDS all in
MEET THE WOMEN WHO MIX A PASSION FOR BUSINESS WITH FAMILY BONDS
ALL AROUND BILLINGS, you’ll find women who are embracing the legacy of entrepreneurship and innovation that runs deep in their families. Meet Alice, a spirited woman whose entrepreneurial spirit burns as brightly as her parents', and whose businesses are mere steps apart. There's Lily, whose journey unfolds alongside her father in the corridors of a high-powered development company, where success is measured by the businesses that now call Billings home. Across town, two daughters stand shoulder to shoulder with their mother, sharing their expertise to lead a cosmetology institute towards new horizons. And let’s not forget the dynamic duo of mother and daughter who took a leap of faith and started a now award-winning cabinet design company. For these women, business and success are all in the family. ✻
FATHER-DAUGHTER PARTNERSHIP BASED ON FAMILY, EDUCATION, BUSINESS SAVVY
written by LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
LILLY CORNING THOMPSON and her dad touch base more than a dozen times a day. The frequent phone calls are more than idle chatter. Rather, they are the fuel that keeps Corning Companies moving forward.
Lilly’s father, Steve Corning, is a long-time commercial real estate developer in Billings. As president of Corning Companies, he has developed more than 1.3 million square feet of properties over the past 45 years. Steve represents the third generation of Corning men who seized opportunities that led to business success. His grandfather, Harry, built Radio Supply Companies, and his father, Jim, expanded that company and later developed Alpine Village. Lilly marks the fourth generation to follow in their footsteps.
Now 32, Lilly has been vice president of Corning Companies for the past six years. Although business savvy runs in her blood, her current position was anything but preordained. Her story is more about family values, education and her knack for juggling many balls simultaneously.
As a young child growing up in Billings, Lilly had little understanding of what kept her father busy. She does remember, however, Steve’s attitude when he came home from work.
“He never bemoaned his job. He was always excited about it,” she says.
She also recalls her father and mother, Jen, instilling self-accountability, confidence and good judgment in both Lilly and her older brother, Joe.
“From my earliest memories, Steve took us seriously,” Lilly says. “And in turn, I felt that if he believed in me, I could do it. That’s a
real gift, that kind of confidence.”
Today, in their roles at Corning Companies, she and Steve complement each other — he tends to be more “old school.” She leans toward data-driven analytics.
FROM MY EARLIEST MEMORIES, STEVE TOOK US SERIOUSLY. AND IN TURN, I FELT THAT IF HE BELIEVED IN ME, I COULD DO IT. THAT’S A REAL GIFT, THAT KIND OF CONFIDENCE.
— Lilly Corning
“I think we’re undoubtedly better working together than independently,” Lilly says, and then smiles. “We’re really good at trading worries.”
Though they have bonded through their business, they both speak less of corporate accomplishments than of the educational opportunities that paved their paths. That commitment to education is generational. Even during his teens, Steve, a 1971 graduate of Billings Senior, hungered to explore the broader world. Accepted at Harvard, he describes his college years there as a “life-changing experience” that impressed upon him the value of a topnotch education. Ultimately, that experience not only shaped Steve’s destiny but that of his children.
Raised in that culture, Lilly was only in the eighth grade when she applied for the merit-based Cook Scholarship. She won the scholarship, which is awarded to only one Montanan each year, and the opportunity to attend St. Paul’s boarding school in New Hampshire.
“I never worked harder in my life than at boarding school,” she says. She likens her years there as the “jet fuel” that propelled her forward.
At St. Paul’s, she not only excelled at her studies but as a mem-
“That was the second time in my life I was separated from what my identity was previously tied to,” Lily says. “It was very humbling but helped me develop a strong sense of self.”
When Lilly left academia, she moved to San Francisco to work for Google. As a “small cog” in an enormous machine, she found herself feeling uninspired. And so, she began toying with a notion, the seed of which she’d harbored for years.
“I always talked with Steve about coming back,” she says.
“It’s really hard to ignore a family business that’s successful, interesting and located in an amazing place.”
When Lilly returned to Billings in 2018, she returned with some
“After living in all of these places, moving back to Billings somehow seemed like the scariest move – perhaps it felt like higher stakes,” she says.
But her time away had shed light on the special qualities of the people and place.
“What I really appreciate is, it’s up to you to determine the shape of your life here,” she says. “That level of autonomy is really interesting and unique to Montana.”
In a whirlwind of life changes, her boyfriend — now husband — Will Thompson proposed on the road trip home. Then, immediately upon her arrival in the Magic City, Steve nabbed her.
“He pulled me into meetings the first five minutes I was in Billings,” she says, laughing.
The tactic embodied Steve’s faith in her capabilities and his philosophy that lessons are best learned by doing.
“I thought it was so incredibly important that she see everything from the get-go,” he says. “When you see your child as an associate, everybody else will, too.”
As both father and associate — not necessarily in that order — Steve admires Lilly for her drive and intellect.
“She obviously had privilege and opportunities,” he says. “But she always utilized those to the fullest. She was full-throttle — all in.”
Both qualities proved invaluable as they navigated the Covid years, reshaping hundreds of deals with lenders and leasees to keep all parties afloat.
“Every Friday I’d come over to their house with a bottle of champagne,” Lilly says. “We’d made it through another week.”
Steve also compliments Lilly’s approach to business relationships — the way she assumes that all parties come to the table with good intentions.
“That’s how Lilly operates,” he says.
Lilly describes Steve as a man with a “capacious mind and ironclad memory.” She holds high regard for his ability to welcome new ideas from everywhere and his flair for connecting with a variety of people and understanding their perspectives.
“In fact, I think that, for him, the happiest place in the world is in the front seat of a New York City cab, chatting with the driver,” she says.
She credits Jen for keeping the family grounded and for encouraging her daughter to proceed with generosity.
“She’s very much the flip side of the coin to Steve,” Lilly says, noting Jen’s slower, more patient approach to life. “That ‘assuming positive intent’? That came from my mom.”
Like both parents, Lilly has also learned the value of civic engagement. Now with a young daughter of her own — Ollie is almost 2 — Lilly has less time but more reason to invest in her community. She sits on the Billings Chamber board, interviews candidates for Harvard, leads the board of directors for the St. Paul’s School Cook Scholarship and serves as executive chairperson of the community advisory board of Rocky Vista University.
If that didn’t keep her busy enough, Lilly recently took the plunge and, with a couple of friends/partners, purchased the Caramel Cookie Waffle Company, a café known for its authentic Dutch offerings and those tasty stroopwafels.
As she juggles her many roles, Lilly strives to assume more of the day-to-day dealings at Corning Companies. That allows Steve a bit more freedom for the long run, she says.
The risks still rattle her on occasion, but she approaches the fast-changing world with conviction.
“I am so confident in our family culture, our broader community and Montana in general,” she says, “especially with Steve as my co-pilot.” ✻
LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA, writer
A long-time resident of the Columbus area, Linda Halstead-Acharya enjoys spending time and learning from her rural neighbors. She has a degree in wildlife biology but for the past 25 years has pursued a career sharing other people's stories in print. She loves riding, writing and traveling.
was a wee one, her mother says not much more than 4 or 5 years old, her entrepreneurial spirit was already starting to bubble to the surface.
“I remember getting dandelions out of the yard and making little May Day baskets and going to nearby houses to sell them,” Alice says with a laugh. Her mother adds, “She also would decorate little lunch bags and walk them around the neighborhood telling people, ‘You can use these for holding things!’” Then, of course, there was the occasional lemonade stand that, at least on one occasion, Alice took to a nearby construction crew to sell off the leftovers.
Since then, Alice has honed her skills and has built a successful salon — Fresh Hair Studio — near the heart of downtown. She’s created a niche for herself specializing in hair extensions and what she calls “modern looking hair color.”
When it comes to Alice’s business savvy, you could say the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Entrepreneurial spirit is woven through the fabric of her family. Her sister is her own boss, working as an interior designer. Her brother is a self-employed photographer. And then there are her parents. Alice’s salon sits just around the corner from her mom’s business, Yarn Bar, a boutique yarn shop, and a little more than a block away from her dad’s business, Heins Creative, a graphic design studio.
“They always say you'll never work a day in your life if you love what you do,” Alice says. “But we do work. We work a lot, and it is not just the days that we are in our studios or in our shops. It’s when we’re at home. We don’t just shut our brain off. It constantly goes.”
There have been many conversations about business around the dinner table. Alice says it’s been a saving grace. The advice started when Alice was contemplating her career path. After deciding against college and culinary school, she set her sights on cosmetology school. She hasn’t looked back.
“My parents have always been really encouraging,” Alice says. “I don't think that I've ever had a conversation with either of them where they said, you shouldn’t do this.”
After graduation, Alice worked at a few salons before deciding in 2020 to go out on her own. The pandemic just started to rear its ugly head but instead of being deterred, Alice — eight months pregnant with her daughter at the time — used the six-week business shutdown as an opportunity to build her business. She found a location, her interior designer sister helped her to create the salon’s vibe, and her dad helped create her logo and consulted on marketing.
“I felt like I was a plant that had outgrown its pot, and it was time to expand,” Alice says. “I'm so glad that I did.” After four years in business, she just signed the lease on a space a few blocks away off North 27th Street that will double her square footage. She’s also taken on a stylist who rents space from her. She is proud to say that since she started her business, she’s dialed into her strengths and quadrupled her income in the process.
As she thinks about the growth and all she’s done to get here, including overcoming what she calls “crippling” debt in the six-fig-
ure range, she remembers not only the sage advice of her parents but a quote she first read decades ago.
“I was in high school when I was introduced to the quote by George Shinn,” Alice says. “It says, ‘Growth involves change and change involves risk and stepping from the known into the unknown.’”
Linda, Jim and Alice have all taken that step into the unknown. Jim did it when he opened his graphic design studio roughly 40 years ago. Linda took the step when she went into business with her knitting buddy, Sue Baker, to open Yarn Bar six years ago.
“I think a lot of it — and my dad repeats it all the time — is you have to have faith,” Alice says.
Despite the fact that all three are in very different lines of work, if you ask them about their guiding principles, they pretty much all say the same thing.
“One of the common threads between the three of us is that none of us are doing what we do because we want to get rich,” Jim says with a chuckle. “We do what we do because we like it and we want to help people.”
Linda nods her head in agreement, adding, “You need to be open to the people that walk in your path and treat them with kindness and respect.”
And Alice, who her dad calls his “firecracker,” lays it out by saying when it comes to goals, “If it doesn’t scare you, it’s not big enough.” Sure, there might be failure along the way, she says, but “You have to be willing to fail and understand that failing is not failure. When you fail, you’re going to see what doesn’t work and you’re going to try something different.”
All agree that being true to yourself is paramount.
“In Billings, there are hundreds of hair stylists, right? I don’t have to be better,” Alice says. “I just need to be different.” She says her specialty is creating just the right atmosphere for her clients. Before your appointment, you get to choose the drink you’ll be served, what music playlist you prefer and if you would like a snack. Parking is taken care of in a nearby parking garage and when you walk in the door, a warm rice bag or blanket will be waiting for you. Want to read a book? Just take one off the shelf of Alice’s small library of page turners.
“I just try to go above and beyond. I think that’s one reason why I really love my job,” Alice says.
All three love the fact that their businesses call downtown home.
“It’s a total community for us,” Linda says. Alice says downtown helps her clients experience more than just a cut and color. They could grab lunch at Sassy Biscuit, check out the latest threads at
Something Chic or feed their sweet tooth at Brockel’s Chocolates before or after their appointment. She loves that.
She also loves the examples her parents have set for her. She never takes them for granted.
“One thing I am really impressed with as their daughter is that I have the best of both worlds,” Alice says. “I have someone who is new to entrepreneurship and someone who has been here for a long time. To see my dad be in business for 40 years it gives me hope and helps me say it’s possible.”
If Alice ever wants a new chapter in her career, her mom has shown her that’s possible too.
“I’ve told my mom before, it’s impressive to me to see someone who, in their late 50s, started over. I think that’s a really beautiful thing to see.” ✻
STEPPING INTO YARN BAR nestled into a quiet corner of downtown Billings, you are immediately hit not only with an explosion of color, but two friendly faces who can’t wait to tell you all about their love of yarn and all the different things you could create with one of the thousands of skeins inside their shop.
It’s that passion that landed Sue Baker and Linda Heins with one of the Small Business Administration’s highest honors — Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year for the state of Montana. The award is given to a business that’s at least 51% woman-owned with a successful track record and a commitment to strengthen other women-owned businesses in the community.
“It hasn’t really sunk in, honestly,” says Sue. “I think in a way it is recognition of our expansion and our move downtown. It’s a huge
honor, a great big pat on the back.”
The pair was nominated by the Billings Small Business Development Council through Big Sky Economic Development. Yarn Bar has partnered with the SBDC since its humble beginnings six years ago. The guidance it received helped the boutique yarn shop not only weather the storm of the pandemic, but to expand. What started as a 900 square foot shop off Grand Avenue in 2017 has grown to a roughly 2,000 square foot store with more space for inventory and classes.
Above the growth and success, Linda loves the community she and Sue created.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you look like, we make people feel like they are already a part of the shop,” Linda
FIBER LOVING BUSINESS NAMED MONTANA’S WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS OF YEAR
says. “It’s so exciting to see people gather. It’s a community. It’s a total community for us.”
Lorene Hintz, the SBDC’s regional director, says it was the pair’s dedication, creativity and resilience that got them noticed.
“I’m so proud of Linda and Sue,” Lorene says. “The sense of community cultivated by Yarn Bar encourages artistic expression and creativity, making it a cherished hub for craft enthusiasts in our area.”
As a part of National Small Business Week, SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman will be making a trip to Big Sky Country. It’s one of four stops she’ll make on her roadshow tour. During the trip, she’ll be paying a visit to Yarn Bar to see Linda and Sue’s enterprise firsthand.
“We asked if she was a knitter,” Sue says with a laugh. In all seriousness, Linda adds, “We are excited, not only for the award, but also the fact that she will be here in the shop. It elevates the excitement.” ✻
WHEN
FERGUSON and her daughter, Kristy Ferguson, decided to start a cabinet company in 2013, it was, not surprisingly, a family thing.
Millennium Construction, run by Debbie’s son, Rob, was in the middle of a big residential project when the cabinet shop they were working with went out of business. They needed another partner fast. As Debbie tells it, Rob approached her.
“He came to me and said, ‘Mom, how would you like to design kitchens?’” Debbie was receptive to the idea, but only to a certain point.
“I’d rather just be on the design end, and I didn’t really want to run a business,” Debbie says. “I wanted somebody who’s young and vivacious and has got a full future in front of them.”
So, she turned to Kristy, who had been working and “traveling the world,” including stints in Nicaragua and Thailand, and was then in Denver. Although Kristy was a little skeptical at first, not having run a business before and thinking maybe Billings already had plenty of cabinet companies, she soon signed on.
With Kristy as the co-owner and CEO and Debbie as the co-owner and designer, their company, Beyond the Box, launched in 2014 and grew rapidly. It now has nine employees, and it was voted the best home remodeling company in the Billings Gazette’s Readers’ Choice Awards in 2021, ’22 and ’23.
“We’ve been blessed,” Kristy says, “so we must be doing something right.”
It helps that both women are hard workers and quick learners. Kristy said her mother had done some design work for her father’s and then her husband’s construction businesses, but mostly in choosing colors, placement of appliances and overall layout, not necessarily in designing kitchens and cabinets.
“She excelled at creating beauty wherever she goes,” Kristy says, and her mother taught herself how to use 2020 Design Live software, the main tool for kitchen and cabinet designers, and then
two other design programs. Such was her progress that Debbie was chosen — as one of just 20 members of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) — to tour some of the leading kitchen and bath businesses in Germany.
Kristy, for her part, was named Businessperson of the Year in 2023 by the SEN Design Group, an educational and buying organization made up of more than 200 design firms around the country. As you might expect, mother and daughter think highly of each other.
“I’m truly amazed and impressed when I watch her and how she deals with some of the complicated business stuff and some of
the complicated customer-service issues, some of the complicated employee issues,” Debbie says. “She always keeps a very positive attitude.”
And Kristy says of her mother: “One of our core values is facing challenges with optimism, and that comes from her. I think that’s something I inherently grew up with, which is why I have the outlook I have. It’s amazing what you can do when you’re supported.”
They do admit to occasional rough spots. How do they deal with them? “We text and say we love each other,” Kristy says, before adding with a laugh, “And then we avoid each other for a few days.”
Debbie and Kristy are also proud of their apprenticeship program, which was certified through the state of Montana. At one point, all of their designers were certified through the NKBA, and their first apprentice, Megan Reed, went on to be selected for the 30 Under 30 award by the NKBA. Megan later was also chosen for an industry tour in Germany.
Kristy deflects when asked about her own accomplishments and awards. “At the end of the day, we’ve had a lot of help,” she says, from customers, contractors, family, employees and the wider community. “I’m always just amazed at how much help we’ve gotten,” she says.
They hope their customers are amazed at the level of service they offer, especially since their recent merger with a custom closet business. They work closely and in depth with their customers,
ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES IS FACING CHALLENGES WITH OPTIMISM, AND THAT COMES FROM HER. I THINK THAT’S SOMETHING I INHERENTLY GREW UP WITH, WHICH IS WHY I HAVE THE OUTLOOK I HAVE. IT’S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU’RE SUPPORTED
—Kristy Ferguson
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from the initial meeting in the showroom to home visits for measuring and creation of a 3-D model, followed by revisions and installation.
Beyond the Box likes to use their own installers, and they recently hired a shop person who does six- and 12-month door and drawer adjustments.
From the start, Beyond the Box has been located in a onetime warehouse at 724 First Ave. N., tucked in behind the Northern Ag Network building where First Avenue meets Main Street in front of MetraPark. The building was originally a part of the Yale Oil Company Refinery and later used as a warehouse by an office-supply business.
With 30,000 square feet on two stories and a basement, the building has proved to be perfect for Beyond the Box. It has 5,000 square feet of showroom, filled with closets, garage organization, hundreds of sample tiles, cabinets, countertops and other accessories, and even a working kitchen. Earlier this spring, they made use of the kitchen when they hosted a social for the Home Build-
ers Association of Billings.
The building is also home to Millennium, which provides construction, transportation and electrical services, and where, in addition to Debbie’s husband and son, another daughter and three grandchildren work. (Still another grandchild works for Beyond the Box.) The sense of being in one big family, where everyone helps everyone else, holds true throughout the building.
“Sometimes you’re going to be the one who works the hardest,” Kristy says. “Then sometimes, guess what, you’re going to be the one who’s doing more life, and somebody else is picking up the ball and carrying it to the next leg of the race.”
Asked about their plans for the future, Kristy says, “Where don’t we want to go?” In essence, she says, they just want to continue growing and to keep making their customers as satisfied as possible.
There is, though, one more specific thing Kristy would like to do: open a speakeasy in the cellar of their building, with a patio on the roof. “It’s such a cool old building,” she says, and the cellar would be perfect for a speakeasy-like taproom or lounge. As for the patio, Kristy takes a visitor to a balcony on the southwest side of the building. From there you can see the Yellowstone River and the soaring Rims above it, as well as the train tracks, the interstate highway, the downtown area, MetraPark and airplanes arriving at and departing from the airport. Billings in a nutshell, or at a glance.
“It’s a long-term dream,” Kristy says of the speakeasy and patio. “This is sort of the blighted area of the heart of Billings, and being that we’re coming in right off the interstate, we do think we could be a foothold for growth and beautification.”
“Billings has gotten a bad rap in Montana and I hate that, because I love Billings,” she continues. “I think Billings has a ton to offer, and we just need to do more with it.” ✻
written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN is in their Blood
SANDY SCHAFER JOINS FORCES WITH HER DAUGHTERS TO FULFILL A DREAM
opened its doors and welcomed its first students in January, 2024, it was a dream come true for owner Sandy Schafer. The beautifully appointed cosmetology school looks and feels like a spacious salon, and that’s just the way Sandy envisioned it.
“We’re preparing them to work in a salon. I wanted it to look like a salon and not a school,” Sandy says. “It has a salon atmosphere.”
As you walk through the space, you might notice several students practicing on mannequin heads in the mirrored mezzanine between classes. Others might join their instructors in classrooms on the lower level. It’s here you can learn the ropes in cosmetology, esthetics, barbering and nails. Some finish the courses to become instructors.
Depending on the certification, students will spend anywhere from 400 to 1,500 hours here learning and practicing before testing to earn their license.
Sandy’s vison was a long time coming.
She also owns Rituals Day Spa and Salon, which she established 20 years ago. For years, she noticed that new hires often lacked essential skills, especially in the business side of the profession. She established a training program in her salon to bring them up to speed, but she always had her sights set on a stand-alone cosmetology school.
“It’s one thing to get a license and pass the test, but to have that business skillset is rare,” Sandy says.
She bought a 34-year-old beauty school in 2019 — the former Blanco Blanco Cosmetology School — and proceeded to renovate nearly every square inch, starting with the interior and ending with the exterior.
THEY SEE THE FUTURE SO MUCH CLEARER. I JUST HAVE TO LET GO OF THINGS AND LET THEM DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
“Every weekend we were doing something for about two years,” Sandy says.
Aveda Institute Montana is one of 64 Aveda Institutes in the United States and the only one in Montana. The franchise comes with the backing of the exclusive Aveda brand, known for being all-natural and sustainably sourced.
Opening Aveda Institute Montana taken commitment and a lot of work, but Sandy hasn’t done it alone. Her two daughters, Kennedy Payne, 24, and Kristina Schafer, 23, have been at her side the whole way.
Sandy, Kennedy and Kristina are all certified instructors and teach at the institute. Kennedy is the campus director and helped develop the curriculum and programs. She handles enrollment as well.
“Whatever you think goes on behind the scenes, that’s what Kennedy does,” Kristina says.
Kennedy started working at the front desk at Rituals when she was in high school, then she trained at Aveda Institute Portland before returning to work as a stylist in Billings.
“I knew from the jump that that’s what I wanted to do,” she says.
Kristina also worked reception at Rituals when she was in high school, and like her sister, knew she wanted to be a stylist from an early age. She followed in her mother’s and sister’s footsteps and attended a local cosmetology school.
Sandy, Kennedy and Kristina all work six days a week between Rituals and the Institute. Sandy is the primary decisionmaker, but they all share in the workload running both locations. Sandy’s youngest, Kassidy, 14, helps out at the Rituals front desk and has also shown interest in the family business.
WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE, I TRIED TO SET AN EXAMPLE, AND AS THEY GREW, I TRIED TO CONTINUE TO SET AN EXAMPLE AND IT’S MADE THEM VERY STRONG, CONFIDENT WOMEN.
— Sandy Schafer
“When they were little, I tried to set an example, and as they grew, I tried to continue to set an example and it’s made them very strong, confident women,” Sandy says.
Sandy will tell you it’s been fantastic working with her daughters every day. She trusts them with everything.
“They see the future so much clearer,” Sandy says. “I just have to let go of things and let them do what they need to do.”
It can be challenging to identify strengths and navigate three strong personalities, but when difficulties arise, Sandy, Kennedy, and Kristina come together as a team. They all agree that they want what is best for the business.
“The blessing is there’s three of us, and the challenge is that there’s three opinions given at once,” Sandy says. “Usually there’s a better solution with three different opinions.”
Right now, their goal is to provide the best possible experience for Aveda Institute Montana students. A benefit to being an Aveda institute is that they can reach out to other Aveda Institutes for support, and prior to opening, Sandy, Kennedy, and Kristina spent time learning the ropes at the Aveda Institute Denver. They came back on fire with ideas for their own business.
“We are really fortunate to be able to bring that level of advanced education to Billings,” Kennedy says. “We’re excited to raise the level of talent for cosmetology in Billings.” ✻
AVEDA INSTITUTE MONTANA is located at 901 24th St. W. in Billings or online at Avedainstitutemontana.com.
hang up hang up your capes your capes Mothers!
IN 2019, Onnie Michalsky left her six kids and husband in Billings and took a solo vacation to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in Florida. She wandered along the beach, visited shops and ate at restaurants alone. She didn’t have to check in with anyone, worry about bedtime, or facilitate any compromises. She simply did what she wanted when she wanted, and when her vacation was over, she returned home feeling liberated and refreshed.
This is not a fairy tale for mothers. It really happened.
“It was a huge exercise in self-discovery to step away from my role and not bend to everyone else’s likes and needs,” Onnie says.
Onnie is a licensed therapist and coach and the founder of Moms Without Capes, an online support community for super-moms who are interested in self-care and self-discovery. She also has a podcast for recovering super-moms. While not every mom can step away like she did, Onnie is a champion of restorative breaks.
Like many mothers she mentors, Onnie felt obligated to do everything for her children and keep the household running, all without help. Not that long ago, she was a super-mom, cape and all. Onnie’s entire identity was wrapped up in her role as a mother, and she was lost in it all.
“I realized that my kids didn’t really know me. I was wearing this mask that couldn’t let them see me fail or struggle,” she says. “When I took off that mask, they got to see what I was interested in and what I liked.”
Onnie and her husband moved to Montana when Onnie was pregnant with their fifth child. They settled in Forsyth and began renovating a run-down motel. Onnie was home-schooling their children, cooking, cleaning and helping with the remodel.
“Everything revolved around my family,” she says.
When a friend invited her to a Zumba class, Onnie instinctively said no, but her friend wore her down and she finally gave it a try. She started going once a week. Onnie’s children were little, and it was hard to get away, but she felt alive and energized when she did. Her experience led her to become a fitness instructor, and she got excited and branched out in other ways.
“It made me a better mom,” she says. “I was able to have space to myself and I gave myself permission to do things that were not tied to family.”
Onnie and her family relocated to Billings to be a part of a larger community, and she earned her counseling license in 2017. She wanted to help women who were struggling, and that’s how Moms Without Capes was born.
Onnie uses a backpack as a metaphor. Everyone has their own backpack full of the things they’re responsible for, she says, but mothers load up their backpacks with the responsibilities of their children and spouse. Their load gets heavier and heavier while the people around them enjoy ever lighter backpacks.
“You deserve to be worthy and equal member of your family,” she
Culturally, women are given more opportunity to nurture caregiving skills, but caregiving is not hard-wired into anyone’s DNA. Mothers, who are expected to innately have the skills to care for children, can become frustrated and experience self-doubt when they struggle or fall short of perfection. This can lead to feelings of failure, shame and isolation. Mothers need supporters who recognize that caregiving is a difficult job for anyone.
Mothers are on-call 24-7 and are not provided with an instruction manual. It’s a recipe for frustration. Yet, mothers who complain are often told they should be grateful, which invalidates their feelings and can keep them from reaching out for the support they need. Mothers need supporters who validate their feelings — all of them — with no caveats.
The truth is that no one can do it all, but one trap of motherhood is that mothers seem to think they can and that they should do it all. The more mothers do, the more they shut out opportunities for others to step in and help. Some mothers so fiercely identify with their role that help from a friend or family member might
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even feel like a threat to their identity. Super-moms need to be reminded to loosen their grip and discover who they are outside of their role as a mother.
Motherhood is the only high-stress job where a person is expected to work without a break 24-7 for years. It’s an unrealistic expectation and mothers are stuck thinking that if they want to take a break that means they are incapable, ungrateful, or don’t care about their children. The problem with this myth is that it doesn’t honor a woman’s identity outside of motherhood. Mothers need a break just like anyone in a high-stress profession.
This myth implies that a mother is somehow not an equal and worthy member of the family. Mothers deserve to have their needs met just like anyone else in the family. By prioritizing their children’s needs over their own all the time, mothers can lose sight of their own needs, interests and desires and lose their sense of self. It’s also a recipe for resentment and isolation. Mothers should be encouraged to explore, grow and develop as individuals so that they can be better mothers. ✻
WHEN KRISTIN STEINGRABER thought of motherhood, she never imagined herself as the mom of five children, all under the age of 6. Her days are full. Feeding, entertaining, educating and caring for her little ones leave her, at times, feeling exhausted. There are times when she questions her skills as a mother. Even still, it’s a life she wouldn’t trade for anything.
“I remember someone asking me in my early 20s, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’, and my instant response was ‘a wife and a mom,’” Kristin says, “My heartbeat has always been kids. I want to impact the next generation, and raising babies allows me to do that.”
In addition to being a wife and a busy mom, Kristin is also a professional photographer. Her specialty is families, stemming from her own childhood. She remembers her mom taking the time to create individual photo albums for each of her five children.
successful photography business. She understands families. Her family sessions are real, raw and sometimes even messy, capturing family members in the midst of their daily lives. Her photographs might show a posed portrait of a family, but they also show families in the kitchen prepping meals or baking cookies. They show them going on hikes and playing in the backyard.
“It’s the daily life that I like to photograph,” she says. “We’re born for connection, and I like to capture families connecting the way they do daily.”
IT’S THE DAILY LIFE THAT I LIKE TO PHOTOGRAPH. WE’RE BORN FOR CONNECTION, AND I LIKE TO CAPTURE FAMILIES CONNECTING THE WAY THEY DO DAILY.
— Kristin Steingraber
“They were beautifully put together and portrayed our early lives really well,” Kristin says. “But rarely was she in any of the pictures because she was always the one taking the photo. That impacted the way I wanted to do photography.”
Having such an active household is also a reason Kristin has a
Kristin and her husband, Sam, also operate a video production business. Sam started out as Kristin’s second camera, and they quickly realized that they could offer another component to their business with video. Since then, Kristin has scaled back her photography to be at home while Sam has expanded the videography business. His flexible schedule allows him to partner with Kristin in the caring and entertaining of the children.
“Sam always had a heart for adoption,” Kristin continues. “God asked us to take care of the widows and orphans and he’s always believed that. When we married, that became my heart too.”
In the nine years they’ve been married, Kristin and Sam have
fostered several children. When their first son, Potter, was just a year old, the Steingrabers took in a foster baby, and just year later, their daughter, Josiejay, was born. Another year passed and their foster son’s younger brother joined them. After that, their youngest daughter, Henrietta, was born. Legally adopting their two foster children, Kristin and Sam became the parents of five children ranging in age from newborn to 4 years old. Today the children and their ages are: Potter, 5, Aaron, 4, Josiejay, 3, Albie, 2, and Henrietta, 1.
“It takes a lot of energy,” Kristin says with a laugh. “We need God daily because parenting is the hardest thing we do.”
The timing might not have been how the Steingrabers planned their family, but with the attitude of always having open hands, the couple didn’t even question the decision to adopt both boys.
“It’s a lot! I have two in diapers, and someone is always needing something,” Kristin says. “But I’m living out my desire as a mom
Billings Studio Theatre presents “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Junior,” January 10th-13th. Brainy and beautiful Belle yearns to escape her narrow and restricted life including her brute of a suitor, Gaston. Belle gets adventurous and as a result becomes a captive in the Beast’s enchanted castle! Dancing flatware, menacing wolves and singing furniture fill the stage with thrills during this beloved fairy tale about very different people finding strength in one another as they learn how to love.billingsstudiotheatre.com
by providing a home where our children will grow and thrive and always feel safe and loved.”
To an observer, it would appear that Kristin has motherhood down. As she interacts with her children, she’s patient, tender and loving. But, she says, “I’m not superhuman, I’m tired a lot of the time. Every stage in parenting comes with its own challenges and is hard.”
She’s quick to ask her kids for forgiveness if she feels like she’s failed in some respect, but most often she realizes that ultimately the good days always outweigh the bad.
“Good days wouldn’t feel so sweet without a few bad days,” she says.
In a West End neighborhood full of families with young children, with a backyard big enough to entertain her children and neighbor kids, the Steingraber children romp freely and chase the
Venture Theatre presents its Fringe Festival, January 18th-19th and 25th-26th.The festival features four nights of shows featuring local and regional performing artists of all types including dance, standup comedy, theater improv, one act plays, musicals, performance art, spoken word/poetry, and puppetry.venturetheatre.org
➨ PAINT BALL & AIRSOFT
➨ SPLAT ATTACK
➨ BAD BEAR LASER TAG
➨ LONG SHOT ARCHERY
➨ GOLPHER GOLF
This high energy show comes to the Alberta Bair Theater on January 19th and presents a new era in dance, while pushing the artistic boundaries of street dance. Soul Street concerts consist of a mix of movement that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The music is combined with an electric mix ranging from hip-hop to classical. It’s a show that will make you laugh and keep audiences of all ages entertained.
2 BILLINGS LOCATIONS! Be the
Billings Symphony presents its Family Concert on January 26th at the Alberta Bair Theater. Four time Grammy nominees, “Trout Fishing in America,” will perform along with the Billings Symphony. Trout Fishing in America is a musical duo which performs folk rock and children’s music. billingssymphony.com
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WE ALL NEED BREAKS. THERE’S NO SHAME IN BEING TIRED AS A MOM. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU HAVE ONE CHILD OR A HOUSEFUL. IT’S HARD WORK.
— Kristin Steingraberopen with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands living life with with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open with open hands living life with open hands living life with open life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open with open hands living life with open hands living life with open living life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open with open hands living life with open hands living life with open living life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open with open hands living life with open hands living life with open living life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open living life with open hands living life with open hands living life with life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open living life with open hands living life with open hands living life with life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands living life with open hands living life with hands living life with open
chickens that the family raises. It’s a home filled with love, busyness and activity.
As devoted as Kristin is to her role as wife and mother, she knows that it’s essential that she take care of herself, too. Both sets of grandparents live in town and often visit to be with the children and to give the parents some alone time.
“We all need breaks,” she explains. “There’s no shame in being tired as a mom. It doesn’t matter if you have one child or a houseful. It’s hard work.”
A sitter relieves her several afternoons a week and she spends that time either editing photos, catching up on business or having one-on-one time with one of her children. Her advice to other mothers is to remember that “you change the world through your living room.”
She and Sam fostered several children before they adopted their sons and she’s open to fostering again when the children are older.
“We try to live open-handedly,” she says. “Even with our kids. We try to make them aware of what’s going on around us. That might mean sharing toys with someone that doesn’t have any or sharing our home with a foster child. We’re trying to teach them that when we share, there’s always more.” ✻
CYDNEY HOEFLE, writer
A fourth generation Montanan, Cydney was raised on a ranch on the banks of the Yellowstone River where an appreciation of the outdoors was fostered. She and her husband raised three children in Billings and are now the proud grandparents of three. The best part of any of her days is time spent with Jesus, family, friends, a good book or capturing someone’s story in words.
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO, Lacey Maloney found herself amid a sea of photographs, each one a snapshot of a child's life trapped in poverty. The photos were sprawled across tables at her church, and for $43 a month, her family could help change the path of at least one.
As Lacey sifted through them, her 3-year-old daughter’s tiny fingers grasped the photo of a girl her age from Ethiopia named Leyuwork. Maggie told her mom she thought the girl’s vibrant red dress was pretty. As Lacey looked at the photo, a wave of compassion washed over her. The girl’s needs were simple — money for food, education and medical care.
Little did Lacey know that this 4-by-6-inch photo would light a fire in her that would bring big and beautiful changes not only to Leyuwork’s life, but to her own.
It was 2011, and in Lacey’s words, her family had just endured “the most horrific year.” She had two children under the age of 3 and one on the way when her son, Sawyer, was discovered in his crib clinging to life.
“He was a near SIDS baby,” Lacey says. “I found him and he had just moments left.” She adds, “Because my son was in ICU, we went from having no debt to having medical debt up to our eyeballs.” On top of that, she says, “Things kept happening. Our cars broke down. We drove into the garage one day and a water pipe had burst with water spraying everywhere. It was just a wild year of financial catastrophes.”
The thought of sponsoring a child during it all felt overwhelming. “I remember saying, OK, Lord. We will sponsor a child because if we are going to go down, we are going to go down for something that matters,” she says.
Lacey’s family started sponsoring Leyuwork in 2011 through Compassion International, a child advocacy ministry that pairs people of means with children living in extreme poverty. To make room in the budget, Lacey agreed to give up coffee — not fancy coffee from a kiosk, but the ground coffee that perpetually sat in her pantry.
She never had to give up a single drop.
After the family said “yes,” Lacey says her husband got a new job that doubled his income, the medical debt was paid off and before they knew it, they were sponsoring more children. “Every time we paid off a debt, we sponsored another child,” Lacey says.
A few years after Lacey felt the pull to sponsor children through Compassion International, her heart started to focus on a bigger commitment — adoption. Her church had been starting to focus on Ethiopia in its charitable works and she was watching as several families started the process of adopting orphans from the war-torn country.
One morning when she was in prayer, she says, she looked to the wall where her kids’ portraits were hung and heard the words on her heart, “There will be a fourth picture here.” She remembers, “I just had this overwhelming feeling of gratitude.”
That fourth picture would be Abraham, a toddler from Ethiopia whom Lacey and her husband would personally travel to pick up in 2014.
“When we went to Ethiopia, I knew we were going to be taking one of their finest,” Lacey says. “They will be giving us one of their
children.” She made a vow to repay that debt.
Since she could only spend two hours a day with Abraham, better known as Ah-bee, she decided to use the extra time in Ethiopia to see as many ministries on the ground as possible.
“Many of these other ministries we visited were being run by adults who had at one time been sponsored as children through Compassion. That was shocking to me,” Lacey says. “Compassion was raising up these strong leaders who were changing their country.”
On one of her tours, she met a little boy in Ah-bee’s orphanage named Yonas. He was one of two little boys who had yet to be adopted. Lacey remembers thinking, “I’ve got to meet them because I need to see if I can get these little guys adopted.” After flipping through Yonas’ file she says, “There was a thumbnail picture of a woman. I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They told me, that’s his mom.” After questioning why a boy with a mother would be in an orphanage, she discovered a harsh reality.
“I learned it’s super common in Ethiopia for women to give their children to an orphanage, not because they don’t love them, but because they can’t feed or educate them,” Lacey says. While education in Ethiopia is free, it costs $30 a year for books and uniforms.
“For a mom that is earning $20 a month washing her neighbor’s laundry — because she has no education or she was abandoned or ended up with a baby and the dad skipped town — her choices are limited. That story, his life, totally changed mine.” Lacey says she remembers putting her head on the desk and crying. “I thought, this is so unfair. Just because I was born in the U.S., I’m taking one of these children and she’s giving hers away,” she says.
Lacey ended up hiring a private investigator to find the woman. She figured out a way to reunite the boy with his mother and financially care for her in the process.
“Most women aren’t going to choose to give up their children,” Lacey says. “It's life circumstances, and if we could prevent that kind of pain for their children or for them? I mean, if the tables were turned, wouldn’t we want somebody to do that for us?”
She started to see firsthand that if she could increase the number of children being sponsored through Compassion, she would decrease the number of children in the country’s orphanages.
“I started shouting it from the rooftops to anybody who would listen,” Lacey says. “When you sponsor a child, you’re keeping them with their birth family. To me, that’s so personal. Let’s keep kids out of orphanages.”
By 2016, Harvest Church offered Lacey a job in global outreach. In addition to organizing mission trips, she could continue the work to increase child sponsorships.
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“Once I started working for Harvest, then I started sending teams over to Ethiopia,” Lacey says.
In 2019, she made the trip with her then 12-year-old daughter, Maggie. It would be the first time Maggie would meet Leyuwork, the little girl in the red dress she had urged her mom to sponsor all those years ago. Lacey grins as she shares a photo of the meeting. The girls were all smiles, and as Lacey tells it, they never quit holding hands.
“It was so humbling,” Lacey says with tears starting to well in her eyes.
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COMPASSION WAS RAISING UP THESE STRONG LEADERS WHO WERE CHANGING THEIR COUNTRY
— Lacey MaloneyDuring the trip, Lacey says she felt a pull on her heart to visit one of the state-run orphanages. One of her contacts in Ethiopia warned her against it.
“He told me, ‘Lacey, I am going to warn you. It will be psychologically hard for you.’” She remembers saying, “I feel like God is asking me to do this. How can I talk about orphan prevention if I don’t really know what the inside of an Ethiopian orphanage looks like?”
She says she’ll never forget walking through the government-run orphanage in the city of Addis Ababa.
“It was the closest to hell that I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve never seen human suffering like that before,” she says. She saw multiple children sharing a crowded crib, filthy conditions and a lack of care.
“You’d walk up to a crib and the child would be staring into space,” she says. “You’d try to get their attention and then they’d finally look at you. Nobody had even looked them in the eyes for who knows how long. It was so heartbreaking.”
She remembers asking those at the orphanage, “Can we hire nannies?” The response was clear. “They told me, ‘Please. We need seven nannies just to be fully staffed.’” She also learned to hire one would be a mere $100 a month.
When she returned to Billings, one of her first stops was to then Pastor Vern Streeter at Harvest Church.
“She comes home and sits down with me and tells me about it,” Vern says. “Well, I’m a puddle. There was a massive need and a lack of resources to be able to help these kids.” So, the next Sunday, he shared the story from the pulpit.
With the money raised that one day, Lacey says, “We hired 14 nannies plus a full-time nurse.” She goes on to say, “The summer before last, I got to go back to the orphanage. The atmosphere was night and day different. It was like a well-run daycare and the kids, even the little ones, weren’t running to us. They were running to their nannies. It was just awesome.” She gets a little emotional as she says, “Those kids have a shot at a future.”
The one thing that stuck with Pastor Vern was that Lacey doesn’t try to solve every problem she sees on her own. “She’s a very good
Meharatab Abate is one of those friends. As a child he was sponsored through Compassion International when his father died, leaving his mom with five children under the age of 6. He met Lacey 10 years ago when she came to visit one of her sponsored children and hosted her on the visit.
“He started this organization where he helps women,” Lacey begins. “His goal is that no woman would be on the streets of Ethiopia begging with her children for survival.”
It wasn’t long ago that she helped give his ministry a major boost. Lacey knew of a woman named Eden who ran a business making leather bags.
“She employs former street teens and prostitutes, and she gives them safe, dignified employment and they make beautiful bags,” Lacey says.
When the pandemic broke out, Lacey says, “She was on my heart. I reached out and asked if there was anything I could do. She just kept saying, Lacey, we just want to work. We need orders. Nobody is buying purses right now.”
Meantime, the women Meharatab was trying to help could no longer beg in the streets.
Lacey shipped several dozen leather bags to the United States, and thanks to a Facebook post, they were sold in record time.
“And then, with the profits, we gave Meharatab’s ministry a bunch of money and he helped over 50 women get off the streets and start their own businesses,” Lacey says. “Without exception, whenever you ask a woman, how did you end up on the streets, they immediately start crying because it is always a story of abandonment or death of a loved one. There are no social systems in place in Ethiopia and so they end up desperate.”
“She doesn't see the poverty in a child or a person's life but the potential,” Meharatab says.
When asked how Lacey has personally impacted his life, he responded by telling story after story of blessings. He shared how Lacey supported him financially so he could get his master’s degree in public management and policy. The degree and the confidence he earned, he says, helped launch his nonprofit and ultimately rescued hundreds of women and children from the streets.
He also spoke of her impact at the state-run orphanage and the renovations she sparked at a dormitory for boys with special needs. Because of a lack of resources, he says the boys used to be locked in a single room without much care. Today, they have new living quarters and have hired a therapist to do follow-up visits and physical therapy.
“These boys are now learning to interact, exercise and even play outside,” he says. “She is making a huge difference in my country and in whatever she puts her heart into.”
In 2022, Lacey started working for Compassion International part-time as a church relationship manager, helping connect churches in Montana and Utah with children in need. And in 2023, she made the leap to a full-time job. She now works to secure large donors who can help sponsor not one child, but hundreds at
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a time by creating Compassion International project sites.
For $30,000, a church in a poverty-ridden area can become a Compassion project, allowing them to enroll 250 of the most vulnerable children for sponsorship.
“It provides so much. It gives all those 250 kids medical checkups. It gets them all their school fees paid and school uniforms and then it hires staff for the first year,” Lacey says. The kids are taken care of with the hope that they will have a permanent sponsor within the year.
Lacey has raised enough money over the years to get 20 churches established as project sites. While she doesn’t like talking about numbers, her grand fundraising total is in the seven-figure range. The timing of it all is not lost on Lacey. Right now, Africa is in the middle of the worst global food crisis in 70 years.
“People are literally starving to death in Ethiopia right now,” Lacey says. She goes on to explain that the war in Ukraine caused grain prices to escalate. That paired with a civil war and the after-effects of Covid mean federal reserves have been spent leaving nothing for emergency needs. “I hung out with a pastor from Uganda for a couple of days in October and on a weekly basis they are conducting funerals for children,” she says.
I GET SO MUCH JOY SEEING OTHER PEOPLE’S JOY IN GIVING AND CHANGING PEOPLE’S LIVES. OUR LIVES HAVE PURPOSE.
— Lacey Maloney
While Africa will always be close to Lacey’s heart, it’s not the only place she’s made an indelible mark. When war broke out in Ukraine, Vern Streeter urged Lacey to look into ways their church could help.
“I basically looked on a Google map and I found several churches in Poland and just prayed,” Lacey says. “There was one church that just kept popping up and it was this tiny 100-person church that gave everything they raised away.”
She sent an email with the help of Google Translate. After convincing the pastor of the small church in Warsaw that this was the real deal via a Zoom meeting, she started to learn his story. Thirty years ago, the pastor and his wife had planted a handful of churches in Ukraine. When the war began, that meant those
five churches that they had deep ties with were in danger. The pastors of those churches couldn’t leave the country, but with Lacey’s help, Harvest ended up renting a home for the women and children. They also sent money so the pastors could bring aid to the war’s frontlines.
“These men, these godly men, are going to the frontlines and giving people water, generators and winter clothes, because the Russians were bombing the electrical grid,” Lacey says. “Through Harvest, through these women, through these pastors, we were getting help into Ukraine.”
In May, Lacey plans to take her youngest daughter, Violet who is 13, to Poland. “We will finally get to meet these guys face to face,” Lacey says. It’s only natural, Lacey says. Maggie and Sawyer have both joined her on trips to Ethiopia, now it is Violet’s turn to see the world in a different way.
“My hope is that my kids will never look at a problem and say that we can’t do something about it,” she says.
These days, Lacey is a frequent flyer to all corners of the world. Sometimes she’s meeting with potential donors. Other times, she is flying to places like the Dominican Republic to see firsthand how those donors’ dollars are being used. Along the way, you can bet she will be hugging on children and making friends.
“I get so much joy seeing other people’s joy in giving and changing people’s lives,” Lacey says. “Our lives have purpose.”
She knows lives depend on each trip. Right now, Compassion International has more than 100,000 children from 29 countries waiting to be sponsored. You’d think that after dedicating more than a dozen years to a cause, she’d slow down or grow a bit tired with the never-ending problem of poverty. Yet, her desire to help never seems to wane.
“It keeps me up at night,” she says. “It's like a fire in my belly. It's never gone away.” ✻
Maddie and Tsegreda
As the daughter of Pastor Vern Streeter, Maddie Madden has always had a heart for helping others. That’s why it came as no surprise when, upon graduating college, she decided to sponsor an 8-year-old Ethiopian girl despite her uncertain finances.
“There was something about her that caught my eye,” Maddie says about her sponsored child, Tsegreda.
Tsegreda is now 13 and the two share frequent letters. Not long after Maddie sponsored her, the two met while Maddie was on a mission trip.
“I immediately broke down in tears. It was the most powerful thing ever,” Maddie says. She learned that the girl’s mom endured some health issues that landed them with financial hardships.
“Her mom was weeping and telling me thank you for all that I had done for her and her family,” Maddie says.
When she thinks of that leap of faith she made going on six years ago, Maddie will tell you she’s the one who feels blessed. “It’s been a life changer.”
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BILLINGS MOM LAUNCHES CAMPS FOR KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN AND CARA FAIRBANKS FOR MORE FOR MORE abilities abilities abilitiesOpportunties
EVIN ZIEGLER may only be 5 years old, but she’s got a mind of her own. She’s spunky, smart, independent and strong-willed. A cancer survivor with Down syndrome, she’s a come-from-behind fighter and a force to be reckoned with.
“She definitely beats to her own drum and is going to do what she wants to do,” says her mother, Caitlin.
When the opportunity came for Evin to participate in a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) All-Abilities Camp last June, Caitlin knew it would be a perfect fit for Evin, and she and her other two children, ages 9 and 11, signed up to volunteer for the two-day camp in Lockwood.
Evin was one of 20 children in the camp. They ranged in age from 2 to 17, and all had special needs of some kind. Some were physical, others were neuro-divergent, and the group as a whole represented a wide variety of ability levels. One-on-one volunteers helped each camper achieve their best performance with lots of encouragement and fun along the way. The camp received support from Fellowship Baptist Church.
As each child entered the gym, their name was announced over the PA system, and they ran through a line of volunteers for highfives. Caitlin’s eyes welled with tears as Evin zoomed through the line.
“Evin loved it,” she says. “She ran around, and just ran and ran. She had fun all day.”
Evin was, in part, the inspiration behind the FCA All-Abilities Camp, which was coordinated by Jenny Dow, a family friend of the Zieglers. Jenny is the FCA director for eight counties in the Billings area.
FCA is a nonprofit sports ministry that is a bridge between faith and sports. It gives athletes of all ages the opportunity to compete and have fellowship with other Christian athletes.
“With everything, I see Evin and think, what opportunities do I want to be sure are afforded to her?” Jenny says. “I want to be sure she gets to play sports and know that God loves her and she is perfectly made.”
The seed had been planted, the kids were registered, funding was there, and the volunteer support came through, but as June approached last year, Jenny wasn’t sure what to expect.
“The goal was to tailor a camp, so these kids have the very best experience,” Jenny says. “My heart said yes, but I thought that if I say yes, would we really be able to do that to any scale?”
Not being a part of the special-needs parent community made the challenge of getting the word out difficult for Jenny, so she connected with local occupational therapists and had a table at the neurodiversity fair. She also had to recruit volunteers to meet the special needs of each child, including a sign language interpreter for a hearing-impaired boy. Some children needed more than one coach/volunteer.
As it turned out, the camp was a huge success, perhaps in part because children with disabilities are often overlooked in extracurricular activities, and when they do make it onto a team or into a club, they’re usually all alone, the only child on the team with a disability. At the All-Abilities Camp, children participated in baseball, football, soccer, basketball and an obstacle course.
“It feels good as a special-needs family to be thought of. That
THE GOAL WAS TO TAILOR A CAMP, SO THESE KIDS HAVE THE VERY BEST EXPERIENCE. MY HEART SAID YES, BUT I THOUGHT THAT IF I SAY YES, WOULD WE REALLY BE ABLE TO DO THAT TO ANY SCALE?
— Jenny Dow
The FCA All-Abilities Camp is scheduled for June 23-24 in Lockwood. Registration deadline is June 1. Volunteers are needed to make the camp a success. For more information and to register, go to montanafca.org/yellowstone.
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doesn’t always happen, so it feels good to be able to have this experience as a family,” Caitlin says.
Caitlin and her family are already looking forward to the next All-Abilities Camp in late June.
“Our goal with the All-Abilities Program is that it will become a yearround program,” Jenny says.
Prior to the All-Abilities Camp, FCA hosted a traditional sports camp for 435 kids and offered seven sports experiences. All-abilities camps are a pillar of the organization’s offerings, which also include sports leagues, campus groups called Huddles, and outdoor and action sports fellowship opportunities.
“Anywhere there is a coach with an interest we would invest to empower that coach to lead,” Jenny says.
Jenny was an enthusiastic high school athlete and played multiple sports, including golf, basketball, softball and ski
racing, but she excelled in soccer and went on to play for the University of Montana Grizzlies. She knows the pressures that athletes face, and the difference Christian fellowship can make.
As a mother of two, she also knows how intense and competitive youth sports have become — even before kids reach high school. As an FCA director she’s hoping to disrupt that trend by making sports accessible to all children regardless of ability. She wants to put “play” back into sports and make them fun for everyone.
“There’s a different way to do it,” Jenny says, “and that’s to make more opportunities for more abilities.” ✻
Complete OB Care
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FOR MORE INFORMATION about Montana Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and its offerings, go to montanafca.org
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BILLINGS MOM WALKS ALONGSIDE NEW MOMS STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION AND DEPRESSION
BILLINGS MOM WALKS ALONGSIDE NEW MOMS STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION AND DEPRESSION
CARSON ZIEGLER spends her days meeting with pregnant women or new moms who have wrestled with substance abuse or struggle with post-partum depression.
Carson, 32, is nine months into the job that lets her function as both a peer support specialist and a recovery doula, to walk alongside women on their maternal journeys. When she tells them she knows what they’re going through, it’s more than just extending sympathy. Carson has walked in their shoes. She was 22 when her daughter, Joplin, was born in 2013, and son Lennon came along three years later.
An autoimmune disorder made the first pregnancy a little more difficult for the Billings mom. What Carson didn’t know was that carrying that life inside her also affected her mental health in a subtle way.
“I just thought that’s how pregnancy made people feel,” she says. “I was going through pre-term labor and constant morning sickness, so that’s enough to make anyone feel less than themselves.”
Things went smoothly with her second birth. But then, in 2017 and 2018, she and her then-husband suffered two miscarriages. For Carson, life became overwhelming. At first, her mind was infected with fear, afraid she might lose the two children she already had. She couldn’t sleep.
“I was starting to hear very negative thoughts about myself, intrusive thoughts, like ‘My family would be better off without me, I’m a terrible mother,’ and it was on a constant loop in my mind,” she says.
Then her sleep deprivation spiraled into psychosis, and she began to experience auditory hallucinations, convincing her that her husband believed she was a bad wife, that removing herself from the family would be best for everyone. Carson isolated herself, not talking to friends or family, not wanting to reveal the dark thoughts that consumed her.
She also used alcohol, her drug of choice since high school, as a way to numb her emotional pain. Then it all became too much. On July 4, 2019, she decided to act on her thoughts, when her husband and children were away from home.
“It’s not like I had a plan, but I saw the opportunity to be by myself and not have my children discover this awful scene,” Carson says.
She prefers not to share the details of the attempt, not wanting to give others any ideas. But her husband later told her he had a feeling something was wrong, and he arrived home in time to get her help.
Carson was hospitalized for about three days, when a psychiatrist told her she was suffering from post-partum depression with borderline psychosis, due to lack of sleep. Counseling and medication helped begin the healing process.
And then in 2020, she was hired by RiverStone Health in Billings as a breast-feeding peer counselor. Since the peer counselors meet with new moms more often than medical providers do, they may be able to catch early signs of post-partum depression.
Toward that end, her new employer paid for her to take part in a training put on by Post-Partum Support International that focused on PMADS: perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
Not only did she glean a better understanding of the many forms post-partum depression can take, from feelings of sadness and anxiety to the compulsion of mothers to kill themselves, and even their children. As she listened to others share their stories, she gained insights into herself and her own journey — as well as a calling.
“It was so eye-opening, and I was like this is what I need to be doing with my life,” she says, a smile on her face. “I was able to work through what I had gone through, and then I was able to share about it in a way to help others.”
She continued her work with RiverStone Health, taking part in other trainings along the way. The more she learned, the more she saw the need for mental health resources in the perinatal population.
Changes also continued in her own life. Carson and her husband eventually divorced. That same year, she gained her sobriety.
“I just hit that next step of really learning about myself, being comfortable with myself, not running from anything, not numbing from anything,” she says.
In 2023, Carson learned about a program in Montana whose focus is on helping women whose experiences in pregnancy and post-partum issues mirrored her own. One Health, a consortium of rural health care clinics in six Montana counties, had developed a team of recovery doulas — individuals who are dual-certified as doulas and peer-support specialists. Training for the position takes a year.
Megkian Doyle, director of the Regional Community Action Team at One Health, who helped conceive the program, said it came out of a very real need among pregnant women and new mothers dealing with substance abuse, depression or anxiety.
“The highest period of time where overdose, suicide and relapse were occurring was right after the birth period,” she says. “We really wanted human bodies in that spot.”
While One Health’s focus is on rural communities, it was able to collaborate with the Montana Obstetrics & Maternal Support (MOMS) program, at Billings Clinic, to create a recovery doula position in Billings.
Carson was hired for the job in August. She has already earned certification as a behavioral-health peer support specialist. In October, she began the extensive year-long training as a recovery doula, which will, among other things, allow her to accompany women in the hospital during labor.
Carson’s client referrals come from a care coordinator at Billings Clinic. They include pregnant women dealing with substance abuse or mental health issues. Carson meets with them one on one, in a coffee shop, in their homes or even in a park where her client’s children can play as the two women chat. She’ll also be with them during labor, sit with them in a waiting room or lend support when they go to get housing or financial assistance.
“I help families, too,” she says. “If a significant other is going through substance use, we can help connect them to resources and peer support so they can be the best support for the mother.”
Carson is also organizing support groups for expecting women, divided up by trimesters, and new mothers. The groups will be open to all women, not just those who have been referred to her by the care coordinator.
“I know they say it takes a village, but not a lot of people have that village,” she says. “We’re creating a space where woman can meet regularly.”
I WAS ABLE TO WORK THROUGH WHAT I HAD GONE THROUGH, AND THEN I WAS ABLE TO SHARE ABOUT IT IN A WAY TO HELP OTHERS.
—Carson Ziegler
Carson hopes that in the course of her work, she can begin to break a stigma that still exists. Women, and others surrounding them, too often assume that pregnancy and the birth of a baby ought to be happy occasions. If expectant moms instead feel sad, anxious, depressed or are bombarded by dark thoughts, they’re afraid to speak about it.
“You know the thoughts you’re having are irrational and if you were to tell somebody, there’s that fear that your children will be taken away or that you’re gonna get committed — which isn’t always a bad thing,” she says. “But you have these fears built up that if you talk to somebody, there’s going to be consequences.”
Carson is glad to be in a position now where she can encourage and support women experiencing those feelings, to let them know they’re not alone or an anomaly. That they can make it out to the other side. That they will be OK.
Asked what it would have been like if she had encountered that kind of support when she was going through her dark days, Carson doesn’t hesitate: “Incredible. Life-changing.”
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But at the same time, she recognizes that what she went through helped lead her to where she is today.
“It is so empowering to know that though I was at the lowest point in my life, it led me to this success and being able to help others through it and not feel so alone,” she says. ✻
TO CONTACT
Carson Ziegler about the support groups she's organizing, call her at 406-679-3483, or email at carson.zeigler@ onechc.org.
SUE OLP, writer
Sue Olp worked for many years as a reporter at the Billings Gazette, covering everything from healthcare and education to county government, tribal issues and religion, not to mention plenty of human-interest stories. Now retired, she is a freelance writer and enjoys gardening, reading and spending time with her family, including her grandchildren.
MY DAUGHTER, Liz, recently bought a new pickup. It’s big, it’s sleek, it’s beautiful and it’s full of comfortable features, including my favorite thing ever, a heated steering wheel. Why heated steering wheels have not been standard since day one, I will never know. This pickup replaces a 1996 Dodge, the first of a new body style that was a big deal back then, that her dad gave her when he finally (emphasis mine as I like new things) bought a new truck.
While I like new things, I was a bit surprised to get a call from him on the day he bought it. He’d gone out for milk and called me all atwitter and in love with a new pickup. We live in midtown Billings; he found it in Laurel. There are several grocery stores between here and there. Several. I’ll never understand how he ended up there, but this column is not going to share details surrounding the way a man’s mind works, but it’s something like this: a man stands pondering. … I’ve got the milk. How will I get it home?
Liz loved that truck and cried when it was clear that the humane thing to do was put it out to pasture. But, as heated steering wheels will do, she fell head over heels for her new pickup and made all of the rules that you and I have made for our vehicles, the ones that do not even need to be stated. Everyone just knows to follow them, or else. Wipe your feet before entry. No burping. No touching the clean screen, the windows or the dash. And, as it is her ride, no one needs to disturb the dials
or the settings or take it for a spin without her supervision. I, the loving mom that I am, support all of those things. New vehicles are never new for long enough.
When she picked it up from the dealer, I got to help her get her old ride home. Once there, she let me drive her new pickup around the neighborhood. I was in love, but I did not want to be the first one to scratch it, so I went the shortest distance possible and parked it carefully, barely touching the brakes, as they are precious, too.
A few days later, she asked if I could collect her pickup from the shop where new running boards had been installed. Her husband was out of town, and her dad and I were having a day off. I jumped at the chance to help her out because that’s what moms do. We jump at the chance to help our children, whether it be with wet diapers, teen romances, or driving new rigs. We live and love to serve our offspring.
Paul and I jumped in his Milk Truck, which is what I just now named his pickup, and headed to the shop. Liz texted, “NO FOOD IN MY TRUCK.” Now, I like snacks now and then, but I figured I could make it home without sustenance, so I replied, “What about bare bottoms, dogs, paint?” You know there is a fair amount of paint in my life, and my trusty van, named Connie because of its beige accessories and reliability, has a few splashes of errant color on the seats. Liz’s response: “NO DOGS EITHER!”
Now, that’s a bit of a low blow to our half-chocolate, half-black secretary. This labrador mix goes everywhere with my husband. E v er y w h e r e. Yesterday, I found her cuddled on his feet in the bathroom. By his side, she has sprinkled hair from here to Timbuktu, usually with a ball in her mouth and a cheery scarf (which she selects) around her neck. But, OK, it’s Liz’s pickup — no dogs. And, bare bottoms were still on the table, which made my husband act like a teenager, but only for a moment because we spied, at the exact moment, a Taco Bell. Two tacos and a lemonade later, I had the picture I needed, a fast-food bag, and he dropped me off at the shop.
I climbed in the cab of her sleek ride, careful not to get dust on the running boards, and settled. Mirror check: My hair looked great, but maybe it was a dab of lipstick. Radio check: maybe I should set a station or two with ’70s rock on every preset. Seat check: oh yeah, I better change all those settings to my preference. Air conditioning? No. Heat. Yes. Lots of heat. Outside mirrors: facing down. Rear seats: folded. Front seats: misaligned. If it moved or had a setting, it got changed, and I was having a blast. Before leaving the parking spot, I texted that I was on my way, and after driving about halfway to her, I pulled into a parking lot and sent a pic of the Taco John’s bag.
My heart was all aflutter as I waited for the response. Her reply? “It’s a good thing I can tell that’s in the Milk Truck.” Dang it. I should have cropped a bit more. She expected it to take me 20 minutes to get to her, so at 12 minutes, I said, “Arrived.” Expecting admonishment for speeding. I thought this was my greatest coup, but she toddled to the front doors of her building and then waited for me to really arrive about eight minutes later. No lecture. Darn it. Little did she know, the stage was set for music and comfort choices beyond comparison, so I didn’t relinquish the driver’s seat until we got to my house. I nonchalantly went inside laughing about my hijinks, knowing my motherly work for the day was done.
But that’s the thing. My work will never be done. It’s our role as moms to nag our children to pick up their toys, not hang out with the wrong boys and to get good grades. Then, when they present us with life’s greatest joy, grandchildren, it is our job to spoil them until they can’t be spoiled any longer and educate them about how things were back in my day before returning them home with bags of toys and tummies full of tacos. Along the way of child rearing, we get to bandage the boo-boos, suggest edits, encourage better choices, and buy more stylish outfits that are probably our taste, not theirs, because we are moms, and our work is never done.
We harass our pride and joy, our reason for living with Taco Bell pictures, so they will know that every single day, in every single way, we are happy to be part of their journey, a witness to their happiness and their pain. It is our job to inflict just enough of that pain that they are resilient but not so much that therapy bankrupts them.
“...SOMETIMES GOD SENDS US PEOPLE SO WE CAN HAVE AN EXPERIENCE OR A LESSON THAT WE WOULD WANT TO TELL OUR MOM ABOUT BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT MOMS ARE HERE FOR, TO LISTEN AND TO GIVE ADVICE.”
KAREN GROSZ
My mom, who is sitting under a tree in heaven, hopefully picking flowers while listening to the robins sing, is still at work in my life. She reminds me that aging gracefully means admitting I look like her, and that not every new friend is going to be a lifelong friend. She would tell me that sometimes God sends us people so we can have an experience or a lesson that we would want to tell our mom about because that is what moms are here for, to listen and to give advice.
She would also agree that when the sun is out and the vehicle is new, it’s our job to drive our children just a little bit crazy so they have laughs to remember and rules that were playfully broken by us so they can relax and do one thing — enjoy the ride that we call life. ✻
KAREN GROSZ, writer
Karen Grosz is a local Team and Leadership Development coach and motivational speaker. She owns Canvas Creek Team Building, is the author of “What’s Next” and “Quiet Leadership” and founding voice of the Facebook group “I’ll Help”- Billings. You can find more from Karen at karengrosz.life.
By Karen Grosz
QUIET LEADERSHIP
www.quietleadership.group
Order your copy today on Amazon!
Noble Outfitters Tug-Free t-shirts and tank tops offer the comfy, sporty look moms adore. Find the perfect color or colors for mom today. Another exclusive brand at Shipton’s Big R. Tops starting at only $9.99. Shop Shipton’s Big R, located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd., and 1908 Main St. in Billings.
This year, create a one-of-akind gift basket for your oneof-a-kind mom, starting at $65. Stop in City Vineyard or give us a call for custom orders 406-867-1491. For other gifts baskets shop online Cityvineyardwine.com/shop
...with French Kande’s Centennial Heart Stack medallion necklace. Layer it with their iconic crystal French Kiss and Sword & Crown pendant, accented with freshwater pearls. Find your special piece exclusively at Neecee’s, nestled in the Shops at Shiloh Crossing. Follow us on FB @neecees and IG @ neecees_mt for more.
Treat Mom with a $125 Gift Card for a massage or facial, and receive complimentary flowers! Sanctuary Spa and Salon at 1504 24th St W. or call 406-655-1701.
Come see why the Yarn Bar has been named Montana Woman-owned Business of the year! Here, you’ll find beautiful yarns from near and far in a full palette of color and see firsthand why making things with quality yarn is good for the soul. They also stock unique gifts for makers and fun cards for all occasions. Supported and loved in Billings since 2017! Located at 2909 2nd Ave. N in Billings or online at yarn.bar
The S65 Standardvac includes all the essentials to clean carpet and bare floors. It’s so easy to use thanks to its lightweight frame and tremendous maneuverability. It’s ideal for quick cleans with great suction. $279.99 from Stuart’s House of Vacuums located at 3127 Central Ave. in
Send mom a beautiful hanging basket or porch pot from Gainan’s. Each one is planted with a unique selection of compatible annuals in mixed complementary colors. See for yourself at either Gainan’s location or shop online at www.gainans.com
Bored with the same old gym routine? Seeking new challenges and connections? Our incredible Montana and Wyoming landscapes beckon, but venturing out solo can be daunting. Enter the herHorizon program by WTX Mountain Fitness, an outdoor skills/fitness program tailored for women ready to redefine their limits. Led by an expert guide, you’ll gain skills, confidence, and an empowering tribe of exploring buddies. Embrace this opportunity with 30% off your first month. Spaces are limited. Join by June 14th! Visit herhorizon.co for details. Get
The Downtown Billings Gift Card gives the gift of options to eat, drink, shop, and explore the over 50+ downtown Billings locations who accept this one card! Purchase today at downtownbillings.com
Mom will love the organic products from Recherch’e Organics, made in Bozeman. Retinol + Hyaluronic Glow Serum contains all the ingredients to wipe out wrinkles, build collagen and tighten pores. Pomegranate Enzyme Facial Peel delivers anti-aging benefits! French Pink Clay Facial Mask is all natural and made to shrink pores and create firm, tight skin. Rowe Casa Organics provides completely natural, high quality effective products. Slow North Herbal Face Tea offers the soothing properties that are calming to both skin and spirit. Perfectly paired with soothing migraine mask to allow you to shut out the world. All priced between $22-$44 from The Northern Hotel Boutique.
This Mother’s Day, give your mom exactly what she wants: the finest outdoor gear for her next excursion. From the coziest and most stylish Vuori basics to On sneakers, Patagonia hats, Cotopaxi slings, Goodr shades, and Badger skincare essentials, The Base Camp has everything moms want. Show your appreciation with the perfect gift from The Base Camp this Mother’s Day! Located at 1730 Grand Ave. Billings, thebasecamp.com
Plush Studios Salon, Day Spa & Medical Aesthetics make it easy to give Mom (or yourself) some well-deserved pampering. From custom gift boxes to specials on spa packages including holistic facial treatments, Botox and IPL treatments, massages, hair treatments, and mani-pedis. We carry Farmhouse Fresh, Osmosis, and Circadia to help you look and feel like your best self! Plush Studios, 406-969-2018, 1423 38th St West, Suite 1, Billings, www.plushskincarestudio.com
What could possibly be cooler for mom than this 45-quart rugged hard cooler that looks good and keeps food and drinks cold for days on end? The glam-style, heavy-duty, easy-locking Outdoor Revival cooler is an exclusive brand for Shipton’s Big R . Priced right at $189.99. Shop Shipton’s Big R, located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd., and 1908 Main St. in Billings.
Repair your hair from the inside out with Mondo Verde Natural Organic Products. Get yours today from Tom Quigly at Park Place Styling Salon, 801 14th St W, 245-8188.
Junkyard 406 is a unique mix of antiques, gifts, lighting and furniture. Located at 2135 Grand Avenue. Find them on Facebook @junkyard406.
Locally crafted, practical gifts not only support local Montana artisans but also provide your mom with something truly unique and heartfelt! Pick from a locally crafted basket, Raw Honey, Stoneware Honey Keeper, Honey Bee Tea towel and even Montana Wildflower seeds for any occasion. They can blend seamlessly into your daily routine, serving as a reminder of your love on Mother’s Day and far into the future. Frae Everyday Goods located at 115 Shiloh Road, Suite 1, Billings. Call 406.200.7429 or visit www. shopfrae.com
Natural Life drying mat $17.99, pillow $26.99, vase $14.00 & Murphy & Daughters goat milk soap $12.99 at The Joy of Living 1524 24th St West.
Powerful enough to cut branch limbs and bush overgrowth, yet lightweight for mom to use, the DeWalt 20V cordless pruner bare tool cleans up the yard in no time. Let the pruner bare tool do the work for $119.99. Available at Shipton’s Big R, located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd., and 1908 Main St. in Billings.
Experience the ultimate in custom jewelry at Berkman Custom Jewelers, where skilled craftsman, Shane, will bring your dream designs to life. The store offers a wide range of luxury items including pendants, earrings, rings, necklaces, watches, and the sought-after Yogo sapphires. Vist them today at 411 24th St W, Suite 111, Billings, MT 59102 or call 406-534-4755.
The White Feather can now bring your fun, unique fashion style directly to you! Our new mobile boutique is available for events, parties, and popups and is fully stocked with all of the clothing and accessories available in our Billings boutique location. The White Feather Boutique for Mother’s Day or any day! Boutique store hours: Thurs & Fri, 10am-6pm, Saturday, 11am-5pm, 131 Moore Lane, Suite C. www. thewhitefeatherboutiquemt.com. To book our mobile boutique for your event, Call 406-860-3044.
Get mom what she needs to look as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside. Tina Steven’s Italian Travel line offers an elevated style with comfort. Made with lightweight and quality materials, these pieces will surely be part of your favorite spring and summer outfits. Pair them with an American Hat Makers creation and Bacci Roots leather accessories made in Montana with genuine leather from the Tobacco Root Mountains, $98 - $150. Find them all at The Northern Hotel Boutique, located at 19 N. Broadway in downtown Billings.
Visit Mule Train Alapaca Ranch! Offering tours, events and photos. Contact them for scheduling and rates. Call 406-6728388. www.mtalpacas. com
This fairly traded jewelry from Global Village is hand crafted using real butterfly wings. Part of a sustainability project in Peru’s Amazon, the Shipibo community raise butterflies to preserve their traditional way of life and prevent deforestation of their lands. No butterflies are killed. They are collected when their life naturally ends. The breeding of butterflies adds to the jungle’s biodiversity. The jewelry is completed in a small workshop located in Lima Peru. Visit Global Village today at 2815 2nd Ave N, Billings.
This vegan leather catchall is perfect for keeping track of change, keys and whatever else Dad keeps in his pockets from Gainan’s. The corners easily snap together with the finished product measuring 6 ½ inches square and 2 inches deep. Find it at Gainan’s Midtown Flowers, located at 17th and Grand in Billings.
Check out Recherch’e Organics’ Bristle and Blade Men’s Line with its Pre-Shave Oil and Aftershave Treatment and its 406 Beer Soap, priced $10-$18. Blue Wing Woodcraft, hailing from the Bull Mountains near Roundup, offers beautifully crafted Cribbage Boards with custom carved pegs. Smokejumper Hot Sauce, made in Columbia Falls, will give a kick to any backyard BBQ, priced $13.99-$24.99. They also have a large array of whiskey glasses, flasks, and any drinkware to enjoy your favorite spirit. See their selection of Butte Copper products, priced $35-$65 all at The Northern Hotel Boutique, located at 19 N. Broadway in downtown Billings
With a gift card to Northland Automotive, mothers and fathers are sure to be very happy this year! From protective floor liners, chrome and stainless accessories, running boards, toolboxes and grill guards, to truck bed covers, spray in bedliners, and window tinting, towing hitches and much, much more! They sell and install all of the trusted brands and have 140 years of combined industry knowledge. Northland Automotive, where they sell everything but the truck. 1106 S 29th St W, (406) 245-0595, www.northlandautomotive.com
Carhartt loose fit plaid shirts in an array of colors make the ideal gift for dad this Father’s Day. He’ll look sharp and keep his cool this summer. You’ll find assorted colors to choose from. A personalized gift for only $34.99 at Shipton’s Big R, located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd., and 1908 Main St. in Billings.
Power up dad’s special day with a Stihl MS 162 gas chainsaw from Shipton’s Big R. These Made in America babies get the job done, are lightweight and robust. Priced at $199.99, you’ll find them at Shipton’s Big R, located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd., and 1908 Main St. in Billings.
This Father’s Day, go beyond the ordinary and gift Dad the thrill of outdoor adventure from The Base Camp! Show him your love with the perfect gear to get him summer-ready. From stand up paddle boards to water shoes, cool shades, hats, water waterbottles and more, we’ve got everything he needs for unforgettable outdoor experiences. Make this Father’s Day one for the books with The Base Camp, located at 1730 Grand Ave in Billings or online at thebasecamp.com
Cutter & Buck make elevating your style easy with easy care shirts. Comfortable and classic designs. Priced $89-$92. Leather gloves from Hides feature Touch Screen technology, keeping style and practicality in mind with each product. $70. Range Hats $38. From The Northern Hotel Boutique, located at 19 N. Broadway in downtown Billings.
...this Mother’s Day and Father’s Day! Treat them to an unforgettable evening with the Billings Symphony, where they can experience worldclass performances by our talented musicians. Share the joy of music with your loved ones and create lasting memories together at the Billings Symphony. Subscriptions and tickets are available online at www. billingssymphony.org or by calling 406-252-3610. Office location: 2820 2nd Ave. N.
Ariat’s Recon country suede casual boots for men features a lace-up front and premium suede upper. These trendy boots offer a removable comfort insole and casual comfort. Dad will feel like he’s walking on air. These boots are $129.95 at Shipton’s Big R, located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd., and 1908 Main St. in Billings.
AMID THE DAILY HUSTLE as a mom, wardrobe choices often take a back seat. Yet, the clothes you wear greatly influence your comfort,confidence,and overall disposition.Here are some suggestions for the busy mom on the move or any woman seeking practical style. ✻
NEECEE'Svisit
French Kande Medallion Necklace, $330
French Kande "O's" Earrings, $66
French Kande "X's" Earrings, $110
Consuela Alita Carryall, $329
Sock Candy Sheer Socks $20/ea
Johnny Was Katie Henley Knit Dress, $230
Sylca Green and Turquoise Wood Bead Earrings, $27
Consuela Millie Uptown Crossbody, $169
Consuela Millie Card Organizer, $69
ANDI THATCHER IS A FARMER. But instead of a crop of farm-fresh food, she creates joy growing beautiful and fanciful flowers. Her fresh-cut blooms take centerstage for all kinds of special moments — birthdays, sympathy and weddings. Life at Rimrock Flower Farm, just south of Roundup, appears to operate at a slower pace. But don’t let the easy breezy nature here fool you. Andi works overtime, dreaming up ways to create beauty in this slice of fresh flower farming.
On this day after a late season snowstorm lingers, I drive the 50 miles from Billings right into the beginnings of the ponderosa pine forest at the edge of the Bull Mountains. As I turn off US 87 toward Klein, I make my way up the road and spy two high tunnel greenhouses and a log home in the background. After I pull up, Andi, a tall woman with long brown hair, slips out of the greenhouse dressed in nutmeg-colored cotton duck canvas overalls. June, a golden retriever puppy, excitedly follows her out.
After our introductions, I follow Andi into her “office.” Inside her greenhouse, it’s a cozy 72 degrees. In the warm air, I breathe in the aromas of earth and forest. Three rows of plastic sheeting form the paths over the dark rich dirt topped with long irrigation lines reaching to the back wall. A white and orange cat, Frankie,
nuzzles my leg in welcome, reflecting the purr I was feeling being in this organic space.
Excitedly, Andi beckons me and says, “Come here, look at this,” as she points to a green shoot just barely pushing through the black dirt. “This is geum, the first signs of life. These are Totally Tangerine,” she shares of the apricot and muted peach-colored flowers with ruffly petals.
Andi grows flowers with the image of a wedding in mind. “As the bride is moving, the flowers should dance along,” she says. This season, her focal flowers will carry the colors of “peach, blush white and blue accents” making for the perfect floral arrangements and bouquets. Her goal is a design that is “whimsical with a loose garden style” that has motion. Tulips, peonies, dahlias, ranunculus, and zinnias are some of the flowers that bloom at Rimrock Flower Farm. Unexpected offerings include cinnamon and lemon basil flowers.
As she leads me through the four rows of growing space with perennials established in three of the rows and bulbs planted in one, she sparkles with hope as she eyes several other tiny shoots. A moment later, her glimmer slightly dulls as she notices a small
HER IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. SHE’S A MODEL ON HOW TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR.— Angela Mayfield
grasshopper scurrying off.
Andi says that being a farmer is not always pretty, as there are bound to be challenges. “We have weeds, hail and grasshoppers,” she says. “If I need 100 blooms, I plant 200.” Aside from the plants that bloom in the greenhouse, she also plants outside. Currently on her three acres of property, only one acre is occupied with plantings.
Andi credits her husband, Owen, for “doing all the heavy lifting” putting in the water lines and helping her establish the threequarter-acre outdoor garden. He helped with building the room in the basement where Andi originally started her seedlings.
For her husband, moving to Klein was coming home to Montana, having grown up in Harlowton. The couple met in Yuba City, California, where Andi grew up among the almond trees. He worked for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a job that kept him busier and busier over time. “He was gone during storm damage,” Andi says. “Then there were fires in the summer. He went from storms to fire. When the kids were super small, he was gone all the time.”
Heading home after a vacation with relatives, Andi remembers asking, with tears in her eyes, “Why do we have to leave your family? I love Montana.” In July 2018, her husband found a job posting, and by November, she and Owen and their daughters, Reese and Maren, were settled in their new home.
This is her fifth season. Although the idea of entering the flower business came before the Covid pandemic, Andi says of her first year of selling flowers, “Everyone was so ready to get out of the house and made us wildly successful.”
She learned her craft from Lisa Mason Ziegler, creator of the online Gardener’s Workshop. “She has been my mentor for the last five years,” she says. Now, Andi is passing her knowledge on to the Future Farmers of America at Roundup High School.
She is coaching four students for the Floriculture Career Development Event that prepares participants to enter the flower industry. “It is a vast curriculum,” Andi says. “There’s flower arrangement and plant identification. They break into real-life situations.” She teaches the students to budget, to make plant health diagnosis and to understand soil science. Already the team has won at the district level.
Angela Mayfield, the head of the Agriculture Department and FFA adviser, says of Andi, “She is one of the most giving, kindest, selfless people I know. She pours herself into our students and community.”
In 2021, with her friends Eric and Kendall Eliasson, Kim Erickson, Sophie Branch and Sara Gustafson, Andi started Market on Main, a local farmers’ market in Roundup. It runs the first Wednesday of the month during the summer.
“Her impact on the community has been incredible,” Angela says.
“She’s a model on how to be an entrepreneur.”
After seeing the heart of this fresh-cut flower farm, I’m hesitant to leave the company of this nurturer of community and flowers. As I step outside, it feels like the day is warmer and brighter. Puppy June bids me adieu as Rosie, the Siamese cat, slides off the hood of my car, allowing me to drive back to Billings with flowing and flowery spirits of joy. ✻
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RIMROCK FLOWER FARM, visit rimrockflowerfarm.com. The farm sells fresh-cut bouquets on site. From time to time, they offer floral arranging classes, fresh-cut flower subscriptions and flower farm tours.
STELLA FONG, writer
Stella divides her time between Billings and Seattle and is the author of two Billings-centric books, Historic Restaurants of Billings and Billings Food. Her writings have appeared in Big Sky Journal, Western Art and Architecture, the Washington Post as well as online at lastbestplates.com.
Dear Britt,
I do my best to engage my employees and keep things interesting. But a lot of our work is, well, work. Granted the work is important, but sometimes boring, and it’s disingenuous to pretend otherwise. How do I motivate my people around these things?
I hear you. No matter how much we love our work there are still aspects that make it feel like a j-o-b. One solution is to gamify. Here are the three principles to gamify anything and reengage with even ho-hum work: target, track, and thank.
TARGET: Set small micro-goals. Your role as the boss is to communicate what success looks like and help your employees identify roadblocks. For example, even a self-proclaimed spreadsheet geek may find that data entry gets tedious. Does procrastination arise and the work builds up? The goal may be to complete the data entry as it trickles in. Is the issue that enthusiasm ebbs and flows? A goal could be to approach the work every day with a fresh mindset. This is where respecting different personalities on your team is crucial. Your employees are much more likely to set meaningful goals and explore efficiencies if they are in some control of the process and what’s relevant to them.
TRACK: We all know you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Every day track progress, with no judgment, whether on a phone app, through a Teams group message, or even sticky notes to the side of your desk. Did you show up with a great attitude? Check. Did you answer important emails right away
instead of letting them linger? Check. Get competitive with yourself and your weekly progress. If you or your employees are having a hard time meeting the goal, block off time and commit. The role of a boss here is to check in individually to see how each person is doing, provide feedback and reinforce the relevance of the work.
THANK: We all crave praise. And keep in mind, younger generations grew up getting attaboys for nearly everything. There’s no point in resisting this, so borrow from positive psychology and focus on rewarding the behaviors you want repeated. Especially if you are gamifying your own job, there is no use in beating yourself up if you don’t meet your goal. But most importantly, find ways to celebrate when you do. Did you show up with a positive mindset every day this month? Sounds like you deserve flowers! (Or whatever feels indulgent to you.) As an employer, your mind often goes to bonuses. However, studies have shown praise and recognition are actually more motivating. Showing thanks doesn’t have to cost a dime or require much time, but again, you have to know the personalities on your team and be consistent with it to avoid favoritism. Gratitude could be as simple as a handwritten note of recognition or a one-on-one lunch with the boss. Just don’t forget to pause and celebrate. In the end, it’s less about big achievements and more about small goals repeated over time that become healthy habits.
Set relevant micro-goals, measure and track success, and then celebrate the little wins. In this way, we become competitive with our past performance and push ourselves to do better. That means learning self-motivation with less motivation coming from you as the boss. ✻
Brittany Cooper is a relentless optimist and collector of beautiful moments. Her superpower is making others feel seen. She is a lifelong Montanan and relishes living in the Beartooths with her husband and daughters. Take a short quiz at brittanycooper.com to discover your leadership and influence style.
MEGAN JESSEE holds the recipe for embracing opportunities, with fate always leading her to new possibilities. Over the years, she has cooked up new adventures under the Big Sky and elsewhere. She honed her knowledge of food and cooking in her journeys, and those ingredients have now guided her back home.
At the end of last year, she took the executive chef position at The Granary. With her reign in the kitchen, she has cooked up a more “approachable” menu, wanting to make this historic restaurant the neighborhood eating, drinking and gathering place.
She says they did “a little bit of baking,” making lemon squares and chocolate chip cookies, but “Grandma concentrated on savory cooking.” With a laugh, she recalls “catching a catfish in the golf course pond” and then cooking it with her grandmother.
As for the menu, Megan says, “I basically thought about things that I would make for somebody coming over to my house.” With chicken as her go-to, Roasted Half Chicken is on the menu, served with garlic mashed potatoes, honey chicken jus and chive lemon oil.
The new offerings are playful, with diverse options highlighting local bounty, including trout, elk, bison and Montana wagyu. Shrimp, ahi tuna and oysters make for the choices from the sea. Nachos have returned, and the Poly Street Pasta has been renamed the Granary Pasta. The Big A** Pretzel and Cauliflower Steak are some of the new options.
“I learned to cook as self-defense,” Megan says. “My mom was a terrible cook, but she’s a good cook now. At 8 or 9 I would do stirfry and my brother would cook hot dogs with mac and cheese.” She admits she “clipped recipes from Women’s World magazine” to expand her cooking repertoire.
Mostly she credits her mother’s mother, Helen Stallard, for inspiring her love of cooking. “I got to go to Miles City to cook with Grandma,” Megan says.
AS THE NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE GRANARY, MEGAN HAS COOKED UP A MORE “APPROACHABLE” MENU, WANTING TO MAKE THIS HISTORIC RESTAURANT THE NEIGHBORHOOD EATING, DRINKING AND GATHERING PLACE.
Over the years, as Megan regularly helped her grandmother prepare roast and make the mashed potatoes that she so loved to eat, she earned the term of endearment, “Mashed Potato Kid.”
“She canned a lot,” Megan says of her grandmother. “I canned with her. She made pickles and relishes – red pepper, jalapeño. My mother now makes the relishes in giant batches. They are a legacy thing.” Her mother, she adds, now is in the habit of gifting jars of the fermented goods to friends and relatives for the holidays.
“I was not a picky eater,” Megan says, recalling only a few specific foods that she didn’t like, one of them being canned chow mein. She jokingly says of her mom’s enticing tactics, “Even when my mother added chopsticks, calling them magic sticks, it didn’t make the dish cooler.”
In high school, she worked in the food world as a busser at a buffet restaurant. When two cooks didn’t come into work, she donned an apron and entered the kitchen. She laughs saying, “I think they didn’t know that women did not cook in the kitchen at that time.”
After graduating from West High School, she began studies at MSU Billings in biochemistry, putting that on pause to head to Washington, D.C., to be a nanny. Her employer, a United Airlines pilot with two children, put the world at Megan’s feet. Unlimited domestic travel coupons and companion tickets took her across the United States and to Europe. At night she bartended at a Pakistani restaurant, and then, once again, a cook didn’t show up for work, sending her into the kitchen.
From D.C., she traveled to San Francisco to take on a short-lived nanny position before returning to Billings. Here, she became the “house manager” for physicians Bonnie and Ed Dean and their two sons. “They hired me to fix dinner for them. I learned to make fresh pasta. I learned to make mussels.”
an education. “Just learn the right way,” he told her. “Go to school.”
Approaching 30, Megan left for Hyde Park, New York, and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America. Older than most of the students, her wisdom and nanny skills came into play when she took on the role of resident adviser in the dorms. In class, culinary instructor Eve Felder, who had been a chef at Chez Panisse, took Megan under her wing. The relationship led her to stodge at Chez Panisse to work at Oliveto Restaurant and Café in Berkeley and Quince in San Francisco.
I BASICALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THINGS THAT I WOULD MAKE FOR SOMEBODY COMING OVER TO MY HOUSE.
She laughs at herself as she admits being surprised that the mussels were live creatures. “I did not know how to debeard them. Bonnie would call me and give me directions on how to handle the mussels.”
— Chef Megan Jesse on The Granary's new menu
Chez Panisse, the restaurant opened by Alice Waters in 1972, created the farm-to-table movement. Later she founded the Rome Sustainable Food Project in Italy. The connection brought Megan to the project, which practiced growing food and supporting local farms and suppliers by bringing local food to the table.
The Deans provided the recipes for the dishes they wanted to be served, which introduced Jessee to the traditional dishes from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” by Julia Child, and cookbooks by Jacques Pepin.
During this time, she was dating a “guy who would take me to Vegas. We ate at Le Cirque and Picasso.” The dining experiences exposed her to elevated food and ingredients. In town, he took her to dine at Carl Kurokawa’s Juliano’s Restaurant. During her visits, she expressed her desire to cook. Kurokawa advised her to pursue
“The cultural experience was really cool,” she says. “I got hands-on experience working the land and creating in the kitchen.”
Missing home and family, Megan made the move back to Montana to work as the executive chef at Sydney’s Mountain Bistro in West Yellowstone for a season before returning to Billings.
For the next couple of years, she helped others join the culinary community. As the manager and chef instructor for the Culinary Arts Program at Passages, a community-based correctional facility for women, she provided classroom instruction and in-house
food service experience for those in the pre-release program. Later she joined the Montana Restaurant Association Education Foundation as the program manager/ProStart coordinator. ProStart brings together the foodservice industry and the high school classroom to teach students culinary skills and restaurant principles.
“I liked pushing their boundaries and teaching them where food comes from,” Megan says.
A job opening for a chef position at the Glacier Park Lodge lured her back into working in the kitchen. When given the chance to be part of the new culinary team at the Sage Lodge, she relocated to Pray to be the sous chef and banquet chef, and quickly took on the interim executive chef position. The frequent changes in the kitchen leadership, however, left her overworked and frustrated.
She departed Paradise Valley to consult briefly for Rock & Brews in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The opportunity to reestablish roots and to close the circle of a nomadic life brought Megan back to Billings and the Granary. These days she finds joy in sharing her knowledge and passion for food with not only her diners but with her staff. Recently she took the team on her own dime on an exploration of Mexican food, tasting fare from Camacho’s Tacos and Los Mayas. She plans on continuing these food journeys to further her crew’s culinary knowledge.
For now, this chef finds comfort in the Granary kitchen. “Every connection I have made,” Megan says, “is coming together right now in this particular time.” ✻
IT’S A FOOD TREND that has been hiding in plain sight on the grocery shelves. On the shelf just past the old standbys of Chicken of the Sea and Star-Kist tuna sits a plethora of seafood: sardines, mackerel, anchovies, mussels, lobster, crab, smoked trout, shrimp.
Tinned or canned fish has been there all along. Let’s see a show of hands of who has a tin lurking in the pantry.
Nutritionists recommend we eat two servings of fish a week and fish in a can is just as healthy as fresh and lasts a lot longer than fresh or frozen. Fish in whatever form is a source of lean protein, omega-3 fatty acids (better than the tablets you might be taking) as well as vitamin D, iodine, selenium and amino acids.
There are things to watch out for. Stay away from tinned fish preserved in BPA-lined cans and varieties with added salt. You also want to eat fish in moderation, both fresh and canned, because fish can be high in mercury. Some of the best choices the FDA recommends that are lower in mercury include anchovy, crab, clam, lobster, salmon, sardine, squid, shrimp and skipjack tuna.
I have a long history with sardines thanks to my dad and Sunday football. His snack of choice while watching the Chicago Bears on a Sunday afternoon would be King Oscar sardines and crackers. As a small child, I would pester him to share his bounty,
which he did. It is a fond, tasty memory.
There is so much more to tinned fish than my sardine memories. Angela Lyle with Raven’s Café D’art at the Yellowstone Art Museum has several recipes that use anchovies (they really are quite good), octopus and mackerel.
For those who like to experiment, in your next tuna casserole, mash up a tin of sardines along with the tuna. Or try the sardine baguette bites.
Be a trend setter. Open that tin.
Enjoy! ✻
Recipe from Angela Lyle
Green pepper in vinegar (guindilla peppers)
Anchovy in brine
Green olive
A generous splash of extra virgin olive oil
Round of bread
DIRECTIONS: Take and skewer the peppers, anchovy and olives, generously splashing with olive oil and serving with round bread.
NOTE: The Gilda is one of the Basque country's most popular pintxos (appetizers). It was invented by Joaquin Arramburu, a frequent customer at a San Sebastian bar in 1946. Customers were given peppers, anchovies and olives with their wine. He started using the cocktail stick to skewer them all together and called it The Gilda after Rita Hayworth's movie role of that name. The name translates from Spanish to raunchy, vivacious and rather spicy.
Recipe from Angela Lyle
2 tins octopus
3 large potatoes, roasted or boiled and sliced and cold
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. smoked paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of hot paprika, optional
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 t. salt
DIRECTIONS: Toss the cold potatoes with the olive oil, paprika, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Gently stir in the octopus. Adjust salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Arrange potato mixture on a serving platter and top with additional smoked paprika and chopped parsley or arugula for color. Serve cold as a salad. If you prefer a warm version, toss the potatoes while still hot. Briefly sauté the octopus in olive oil to warm and then top the potatoes with the warm octopus.
Recipe from Angela Lyle
12 hard boiled eggs
3 T. minced roasted piquillo peppers
3 T. black or green olives, minced
2 T. capers, rinsed and minced
1/2 T. fresh chopped parsley
1/2 T. fresh chopped chives
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 t. smoked paprika
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. white pepper
Extra smoked paprika or chives/parsley for garnish
2 Tins trout, mackerel, or other mild fish
DIRECTIONS: Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks and place in a medium bowl. Set aside the whites. Mash the yolks with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. Add the remaining ingredients. Mash and mix together until well combined. Use a tablespoon or small scoop to fill the egg white halves. Place on a serving platter and top each egg with some of the tinned fish. Garnish as desired.
NOTE: Deviled eggs originated in Rome where they were made with oils and wines and topped with spicy sauces. They were so popular that they had a phrase for it — Ab ova ad mala —meaning from eggs to apples, referring to the progression from start of the meal to the end with dessert. In the 13th century, a recipe appeared in a cookbook in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, made with a sauce called Murri, which is fermented fish, before mayo existed. Present day recipes use mayo and add tinned fish for a more traditional version.
8 slices of baguette (cut on slight angle into ¼ inch slices)
1 clove garlic, halved ¼ c. mayonnaise
1 ½ t. Dijon mustard
½ t. Worcestershire sauce, salt
2 3.5 oz cans of sardines in olive oil, drained with oil saved, set aside ½ c. grated mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub the bread slices with cut garlic cloves and drizzle with the reserved sardine olive oil. Place on the baking sheet and bake 5-8 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and turn on broiler. Blend the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire and salt. Mash the sardines and mix gently with the sauce. Spoon onto the crostini. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil until mixture is heated through and cheese melted.
Recipe from Angela Lyle
1/4 c. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 c. onion, minced
1/2 3.5 oz jar flat anchovy fillets in oil, drained (about 6 to 8 fillets)
2 T. tomato paste
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c. pitted kalamata olives, cut in half
2 T drained capers
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 T. fresh chopped basil and 2T. fresh chopped parsley for garnish
DIRECTIONS: Heat garlic, onions and anchovies on medium low until browned and anchovies are melting into the oil, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add the next six ingredients. Cook until tomatoes break down and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives and capers. Heat through. Remove from heat and add lemon zest and fresh herbs. Serve over spaghetti noodles or other pasta.
NOTE: It was known as the prostitute sauce. During the war, women needed work and some worked the streets (not looked at quite the same in Italy as it was in the Americas). The women would open their doors for business and make this sauce. Story goes that the strong smell as it cooked would bring in the soldiers for dinner and a "dance."
KAY ERICKSON, writer
Kay has spent her professional career in public relations and broadcast news, currently at Yellowstone Public Radio. Her journalism degree is from Northern Illinois University. Her passions include her family, sports and food. Her mom and an aunt taught her the finer points of cooking and instilled a love of good food and family mealtime.
94 planting for privacy
Using a mix of plants to create your great escape
102 back to nature
Home design trends are taking on an earthy vibe
USING A MIX OF PLANTS TO CREATE YOUR GREAT ESCAPE
written by JULIE KOERBER
FINDING MOMENTS OF SOLITUDE in the comfort of your backyard can be precious. With today’s tight-knit neighborhoods, however, that can be easier said than done. Here’s the good news. With a little strategic planting, you can transform your yard into a secluded oasis.
Mick Gainan of Gainan’s Garden Center has been helping customers plant for privacy for decades. He says using trees, hedges, perennials and containers will not only create a spark of interest, but will also help shield your space from prying eyes.
“Seeing your neighbor across the way, you know they've spent a lot of money on a pergola, and their yard is still pretty transparent,” Mick says, adding that greenspace is also a great investment.
“The value of a piece of property, a home, is really based on the amount of privacy there is with established landscapes.”
In fact, Mick says, when it comes to plotting out a landscape, 5 to 10 percent of your home’s value is typically spent on the outdoor areas. That means if you own a $300,000 home, $15,000 to $30,000 should be invested in not only plants but retaining walls, fences, patios and decks.
When coming up with a plan, it’s as simple as picking plants you would love to look at, making sure you incorporate color and texture with the plants you choose, and then, most importantly, read the labels on each one to make sure they are a good fit for the space and sun exposure.
Mick Gainan
If you have a fence line in your yard and would rather look at a bit of nature, Mick loves suggesting ornamental trees.
“They only get about 20 to 30 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide, that gives you an immediate screening for privacy between neighbors,” he says.
Mick has a few favorite ornamental trees that grow well in our climate. The first is the Spring Snow Crabapple.
“Right around Mother’s Day, it is just screaming with all these white flowers. And then when it starts dropping all its petals, they're everywhere, but they shrivel up to nothing and they don’t produce any fruit,” he says. His next two favorite ornamental trees are the Showy Mountain Ash, known for its contrast of dark burgundy foliage and the Autumn Blaze Maple. “The contrast of color and texture is really what is most exciting,” Mick says.
When planting trees, make sure you diversify your landscape and plant a combination of different trees. Planting the same variety not only lacks interest but, Mick says, “If one of the trees gets an illness, the next one is going to get sick, and you are going to lose all of your landscape at once.”
Mick also likes planting deciduous trees with evergreen varieties. He loves Columnar Junipers.
“I like that plant a lot because it is a native plant,” Mick says, and they don’t require a whole lot of maintenance. “But you’ve got to read the labels because there are some that get three to four feet wide and others that will get six to eight feet wide.”
When planting trees, Mick says if you have a good working relationship with your neighbors and they too are planning out their landscape, it’s not a bad idea to get together and stagger trees and plants to create even more privacy between yards. The result he says is a layered landscape that provides functional beauty.
Bushes and hedges can be used to create living walls, offering both visual appeal and a border to define spaces in your back yard. And when it comes to planting one, the options are endless.
There’s cotoneaster with its shiny foliage and small berries. There’s potentilla, a bush that’s perfectly fine without being watered a lot. And then, there’s one of Mick’s favorites, the hydrangea. “You just see them in their glory from midsummer into fall.” With close to a dozen varieties, there’s sure to be one that will fit your yard perfectly.
If you want to create a wall of greenery, Mick suggests Fine Line Buckthorn or Arborvitae. Both plants require minimal maintenance and, when spaced properly, will create a denser privacy screen. Mick does caution, though, to avoid Arborvitae if you have deer in your neighborhood. “It’s like deer candy,” he says with a laugh.
Lastly, if you want a hedge with a pop of seasonal color, Mick says you can’t go wrong with lilacs. There are now 13 different varieties, including dwarf lilacs, perfect for smaller space yards.
“The smell is amazing and boy when they've got a good year, they are beautiful to drive along. You can just see these hedges — established hedges — spanning 12 to 15-feet wide.
Q: Liz, can you tell us a little about your background and why you decided to open CRISP & GREEN here in Billings?
I joined CRISP & GREEN in 2021. I was immediately drawn to their genuine commitment to the community, the efforts they make towards environmental sustainability, and the positive work environment they create for all their employees. CRISP & GREEN has shown me that healthy food can be tasty and easy to incorporate into every meal. Billings lacks options like this, presenting us with an exciting opportunity to fill the gap. I’m so excited to grow partnerships and invite the community to experience my restaurant.
Q: What is the concept for CRISP & GREEN?
CRISP & GREEN is a fast-casual restaurant where guests can enjoy
Q: What can customers expect when they visit?
Upon entering, our guests will be warmly welcomed by friendly faces. Our vibrant menu caters to every lifestyle while providing phenomenal service that keeps them coming back. We offer a variety of fresh salads, warm hearty grain bowls, acai bowls, protein-packed smoothies, and refreshing aqua frescas.
Q: What kind of ingredients are available?
We offer a wide variety of ingredients, categorized into three sections: our bases (including greens and grains), toppings (such as cheese, veggies, fruits, and more), and dressings/vinaigrettes (including options like ranch, caesar, balsamic, and more). While customers have the option to build their own
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If you need a little vertical height, try using trellises and climbing plants for a showy seasonal screen.
Clematis is a showstopper that many green thumbs know and love. But have you ever tried wisteria? Recently, the USDA reclassified our area as 5A for its plant hardiness zone. That means plants we never would have thought to plant — like the climbing beauty wisteria — might now be a possibility.
Another climber Mick loves is the pollinator plant honeysuckle for its vibrant color and sweet scent. There are many varieties of climbing roses and Thunbergia, a quick climber known for its colorful, velvety flowers.
When it comes to creating a place for climbers to prosper, sure, you can use a trellis, but you don’t have to. “It can be anything that gives a plant a reason to climb,” Mick says. When the plant starts looking for something to cling to, simply train the leaf stems by wrapping it around whatever you plan to use. Mother Nature will do the rest.
With Montana’s short growing season, containers have always been a go-to for adding a splash of color on patios and porches. To choose the right combination, all you need to do is remember three words — thrillers, fillers and spillers.
“A thriller is just something dramatic in the middle that says, ‘Oh wow!’ Think of a geranium that is just a prolific bloomer,” Mick says. Fillers are smaller plants like petunias, marigolds or portulaca. And then there are the spillers, the trailing plants like Tahitian bridal veil or one of the many varieties of ivy to draw the plant over the edge.
To make sure your container plants get off to the best start, Mick recommends using a large enough pot so that the soil will retain sufficient water. Using a small pot will require at least twice-aday watering as opposed to a big pot that offers more soil mass.
If you shy away from large pots because of the soil it will take to fill it, Mick says you can get creative and use crushed water bottles in the bottom half to conserve a little of that good rich soil.
For sunny areas,
There are plenty of showy flowers that you can plant in your pots but there are two that Mick couldn’t wait to show off. The first is a new variety of New Guinea Impatiens.
“They used to be just a shade worshiper. But now they're sunpatiens, so they'll take a little bit more daylight and they have this kind of magical sort of sparkle to them,” he says.
The second plant is a new variety of vinca vine. It’s an annual with three shades of green on its leaves.
“It’s got so much contrast,” Mick says. “You put it in a hanging basket and when the wind blows it just dances back and forth.”
think about using a double-walled container. The space between the walls allows the air to flow, keeping the pot a little cooler in the sizzling summer sun.
If you’ve plotted out your dream yard and just aren’t sure if you’re on the right planting track, Mick says Gainan’s is happy to help design bits and pieces for those doit-yourselfers.
“All we need is a picture of the area and the exposure you have,” he says.
No matter what your landscape plan includes, Mick says don’t expect massive change overnight.
“It’s going to take 15 to 20 years for that landscape to mature to where people can really feel like they are in their own little world.” ✻
If you need a little design inspiration, there’s been quite the shift in style over the past year. We tapped into the design expertise of those within the industry and trust us, you’ll want to jot down some of their ideas if a renovation is in your future.
Say hello to warm colors and golden-toned woods and fabrics. The gray and all-white interiors have faded into the sunset.
“The all-white kitchens that have been so prominent are trending to creamer or greige color and bringing in a gold metal finish in the lighting, plumbing fixtures and cabinet hardware as a warmer accent,” says Jennie Kolk of Jennie Kolk Design.
If you made the investment in an all-white kitchen, Jennie says there are ways to keep it current.
“With white kitchens, you are seeing more clients wanting to bring in a wood accent in a mid or light color as a different island cabinet finish or vent hood, shelving or even the flooring choice,” she says.
Even though there’s a trend toward warm tones, that doesn’t mean those who love color have to sacrifice. “Saturated colors are making a comeback, especially greens and peach,” Jennie says. And those colors are playing out in cabinetry, bathtubs, sinks and tile.
If you love a pop of texture, you’ll be happy to know that reeded or fluted surfaces are all the rage in glass lighting fixtures, cabinet doors and even wood accents.
“They give a design nod back to the mid-century design trend that has been so popular the last few years and give another option for accent materials instead of shiplap,” Jennie says.
If the heart of the home is the kitchen, the pulse in this space is, once again, earth tones, lighter woods and multi-function kitchen islands for today’s modern family.
Stephen Wylie with Rimrock Cabinet Co. says rift white oak is a popular wood choice because of its light and airy feel. Homeowners are then accenting it with shades of green or muted blues.
When it comes to cabinet design, look for clean lines without a lot of detail. Flat doors with hidden hardware are trending, along with open shelving for a touch of personality.
The backsplash has often been thought of the “bling” in a kitchen, a place where a homeowner can let their own unique tastes shine through to create an eye-catching look.
“With a large variety of tile choices, it’s my experience that folks can put some of their own flair into their kitchen and make it their own,” Stephen says. “It sure adds to every kitchen.”
The good news is that bold colors, geometric patterns and tiles with tons of texture are all trending, meaning the sky’s the limit when it comes to choices.
Marianne and Troy Kale, owners of Magic City Granite, love watching people walk around their showroom in search of the perfect slab of granite. The look customers are gravitating toward today is a cream base and gold or brown tones.
For a contemporary look, Marianne says some are putting their granite slabs in the spotlight.
“We’ve installed bars, islands and master vanities that have been backlit,” she says. The look adds a subtle glow to a room. “There was one house that backlit their entire kitchen.” She says the evolution of lighting has made this look more affordable than ever.
The Kales are also seeing homeowners move away from a traditional 4-inch backsplash and carrying the countertop all the way up to the base of the upper cabinets creating a bold and solid surface wall.
“This gives the kitchen a polished look,” Marianne says. “Many people refer to it as wall art.”
And gold is king when it comes to veining in granite.
“People want to see gold accents in their countertop material to match their cabinet pulls and lighting fixtures,” Marianne says. “With some of the quartz products, the colors in the pattern or veining are very intentional, which allows the colors to have a gold or metallic appearance.”
A few years ago, waterfall counters came into a trendy focus. That hasn’t changed. They are still popular, especially with islands. An emerging trend, Marianne says, is a change in the granite’s edge.
“We seem to be doing more miter-drop edges on countertops, which makes the stone appear thicker,” she says.
For years, homeowners have been adding wine or beverage refrigerators to their kitchens or entertaining spaces. The trend today, however, is dedicated spaces for coffee, wine or spirits.
“I think people want a clutter-free kitchen,” says Erin McCall of Mcall Homes. Gone are the days when small appliances all had their space on the counter. They are being moved to spaces inside cabinetry, in dedicated beverage centers or butler style pantries.
If you have only a small space, Erin says, you can get a little creative.
“This could consist of a small table that hosts a coffee pot and tea kettle with mugs hanging,” she says, adding that you could also use an existing piece of furniture like a hutch to pull this look off.
Recently, Erin’s daughter, Abby, who is also a designer with McCall Homes, helped a homeowner carve out space in their pantry, adding electrical outlets for not only a microwave but a coffee station, a place for smoothies, a beverage fridge and ice machine.
“Because you could see the pantry from the beautiful arched opening in the kitchen, matching wood cabinetry and quartz was an important part of the design,” Abby says. “This homeowner wanted the functionality of all these components but didn’t necessarily want to see it in the main part of the kitchen.”
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Even though many design trends are pointing to an earthy feel, floors are not. In fact, many people are pairing subdued cabinets and furniture with a bold print of tile or flooring. And, they are turning to laminate to do it for its ease of care.
“Laminate is making a huge come back,” says Kriss Miller of Rich’s Modern Flooring. Luxury vinyl flooring is now taking a back seat.
“Laminate has a very durable surface making it scratch resistant. All of the new laminate is water resistant and so much more affordable.”
Kriss says look for bold patterns in shades of blue or deep green or designs with champagne gold finishes.
Stepping into a master bath is, for some, a great escape. If you want this space to scream serenity, Stephen Wylie of Rimrock Cabinet Co. says there’s been a movement toward vanities that look more like furniture pieces or floating vanities.
Quartz is still the top pick with undermount sinks. If you don’t have a budget for solid surface, Stephen says you can integrate an undermount sink with a laminate surface. It will look like a solid surface without the solid surface price tag.
Another trend he’s seen is one that’s rather sensible — a trend toward aging in place.
“Removing doors and curbs in a shower allows homeowners big advantages,” he says. “First, you don’t have to clean those old glass doors and secondly, removing the curb allows for older folks who may use a wheelchair or a walker easy access.”
Other homeowners are opting to remove old soaker tubs and replace the space with a larger shower with multiple shower heads, linear drains and even seated areas.
If the trend in lighting had a name, it might just be “The Midas Touch.” While black finishes are still popular and timeless, a touch of gold is gaining momentum.
“Adding the touch of gold elevates the look and feel of a space,” says Lauri Patterson, owner of One Source Lighting. “Mixed metals and even mixed styles are definitely a trend right now, and I think it’s a trend that is here to stay.”
When you’re refreshing the look of your lighting, Lauri says, never underestimate how you will use that fixture, and make sure it casts enough light.
“With so many advancements in LED technology and the discontinuation of incandescent, our clients have more choices than ever,” she says. “Lighting affects everything.” That’s why Lauri often asks her clients about the paint or cabinet colors in a room before a purchase is made so she knows how those things will eventually absorb the light.
A plus to a lighting upgrade, Lauri says, is the fact that it is a relatively affordable way to add some pizazz to a room.
“Changing out your light fixtures can very simply change the look and feel of your space,” she says. “Remember, lighting is the jewelry for your home.”
If you’re looking for the latest styles in furniture, it’s all about curves.
“Curved sofas or conversational sofas and barrel chairs have been around for years,” says Summer Montez of Timesquare Furniture. “In the more recent years, I have seen more new and unique curved desks, coffee tables, end tables, dining tables and dining chairs.”
And just as some are mixing metals, she says another trend is to mix woods. Matching tones are a thing of the past, she says.
Sewer line replacement doesn’t mean destroyed yards, ruined driveways or devastated parking lots.
If you want a pop of personality, you’re in luck. Summer says bold accents and statement pieces are all the rage. So is using furniture strategically to create a separation between spaces.
“Using furniture like sofa bar tables to divide a room has been trendy,” Summer says. The result is defining areas in many of today’s open concept homes.
If you are hoping to make small changes with a big impact, Summer has advice for you.
“When a customer wants change in small doses, I would advise them to change accent pieces like pillows, rugs and lamps,” Summer says. If you’re up for a little more change, Summer says, take it slow and “simply tackle one room at a time.” ✻
Selling a home can be extremely stressful. Team Hanel took care of everything which eased our minds so we could focus on the next chapter of our lives. Tom, Robin and Korinne are professional and caring. The entire process didn’t feel like a business transaction, it felt more like family taking care of family. Team Hanel were very patient with us and kept us updated throughout the process. We really appreciated their professional knowledge and guidance. We were extremely blessed to have worked with a wonderful team and we are excited to settle into our new home.
— Darren and Kathy Brockel
