Every adult home should have a working home bar. It's a good idea to have something to offer your guests even if you don't drink, and a home bar can add a unique style element to any room. Learn how to make a space that not only has all the tools you need but also makes you want to try new things, whether you're just starting with cocktails and spirits or have been mixing for years. Before you decide where and how to set up your bar to make tequila cocktails, learn about everything you'll need, like bitters, bar tools, must-read cocktail guides, spirits, glassware, mixers, and garnishes. Take a look at these home bar ideas, no matter how much space you have for a single tray or a full wet bar.

Bar Cart

You can't go without a bar cart. Nearly every beautiful room has one. If you have enough space, bar carts are great places to mix cocktails, and they look good enough that people will feel comfortable walking over and making their own. Keep your bar cart clean if it's out. The pantry may even be an excellent place to keep things that aren't used very often.

Console Table

To turn any console table, sideboard, or credenza into a bar, all you need to do is add a tray on top. Glasses, decanters, bitters, bottles, and more should all be on top of the table, with any bar tools that are needed nearby stored in a nearby drawer or vessel; if you need to keep a lot of bartending tools, this is a good choice. It's essential to make room for lamps and other small decor items so that your console can be both functional and beautiful.

Subtle Tray

You can turn any bookcase or bookshelf into a bar like a console table. Organize it by shelf, with spirits on one shelf, glasses on another, etc. The best way to keep your spirits safe is to put them on a tray on top of other furniture. If you don't want your bartending tools to be the room's main point, add art and wall decor around them.

Wet Bar

Wet bars are bars with sinks. Do you have one at home? Then there is no reason not to improve your mixology skills. Keep a bar towel and a small trash can near the faucet if you need to wash glasses or work with fresh ingredients. It would help if you also had all of the other things you need for your bar (keep scrolling for those). This arrangement is sure to make people happy.

Bitters Corner

People add bitters to cocktails in small amounts to make them more attractive. They are made with alcohol that has been flavored with herbs, roots, and spices. Across the country, there has been a resurgence in cocktails. There used to be just one bottle of bitters on the bar. There are bitters for everything, from rhubarb to coffee, at your local liquor store now to get them there too.

Sentence includes fines, restitution and suspension of privileges

BOZEMAN – A Deer Lodge man pleaded guilty this month to several charges after illegally killing a bighorn sheep in the Highland Mountains.

Harold Horine, 45, shot a bighorn sheep ram on Nov. 22 without a license. He did not report the kill to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and he left the meat to waste. A witness who observed the violation contacted FWP after finding the dead sheep abandoned. Game wardens interviewed Horne, who said he mistook the sheep for an elk.

Horine pleaded guilty in Madison County Justice Court on Dec. 7 to hunting without a valid license, unlawful possession of a game animal, failure to obtain landowner permission when hunting, and waste of a game animal.

Horine was ordered to pay $5,245 in fines and restitution. His hunting, fishing and trapping privileges were suspended for two years, and his ability to apply for special permits was suspended for 12 years.

Montana game wardens rely on tips from people who observe crimes against wildlife. FWP’s 24-hour hotline for reporting these crimes is 1-800-TIP-MONT. Callers could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Since January of 2021, at least 7 of our neighbors passed away while experiencing homelessness. On the first official day of winter, their lives will be celebrated while honoring their memories.


BOZEMAN – HRDC firmly believes everyone deserves a warm, safe place to sleep and actively takes measures to provide overnight shelter and housing navigation services for community members in need. Losing 7 lives in one year calls for greater community awareness, support, and engagement. The general public is encouraged to attend the Annual Homeless Persons Memorial Day vigil beginning at 5:30 pm on the front lawn at the Bozeman Public Library. A candlelight vigil will be held followed by a brief memorial service in which the names of those who passed away will be read.

Traditionally held on the first day of winter, the day with the least amount of sunlight, the annual Homeless Persons Memorial Day builds upon the themes of remembrance, hope, and healing, and is commemorated across the U.S. This event is designed to provide a collective space in which to celebrate the lives of those we have lost while honoring their memories.

Studies across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia have confirmed a direct correlation between a lack of housing and increased mortality rates. On average, people with housing in the U.S. can expect to live to age 78. Our neighbors experiencing homelessness can expect to live to an approximate age of 50 (https://nationalhomeless.org/category/mortality/)

Nearly everyone who finds themselves in this unthinkable situation expresses intense feelings of loneliness and invisibility. This event will shine a light on the realities of homelessness across Gallatin Valley while also commemorating the lives of those we have lost – to ensure they are seen, valued, and remembered.

HRDC and its various community partners who are engaged in overcoming this critical and growing challenge, encourage everyone in our region including those experiencing homelessness, advocates, shelters, faith-based organizations, healthcare providers, concerned citizens, city representatives, and local and state legislators, to join the memorial service and to recommit efforts to prevent any additional unnecessary deaths.

Jenna Huey, HRDC’s Emergency Shelter Services Manager, witnesses daily the crucial need to help our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet. “At our Warming Center, we are prepared to handle double the number of guests we were able to shelter last season and we simply couldn’t do this without the support of the many partners we have throughout our community,” said Huey. Many of those same partners have been involved with organizing and hosting the candlelight vigil and include Continuum of Care, formerly known as the Greater Gallatin Homeless Action Coalition, Dahl Funeral Home, Reverends Connie Campbell Pearson and Roxanne Klingensmith of St. James Episcopal Church, Family Promise, Volunteers of America, United Methodist Church, Vietnam Veterans of America, and other local community advocates.

GVLT has completed its 120th conservation easement on a 200-acre parcel owned by Peggy and Harry Ring of Big Sky, Montana. The parcel is located about three miles south of Big Sky. It is visible to the public traveling along US Highway 191 and Beaver Creek Road. The eastern portions of the land can be seen from several established community centers of Big Sky, including the public schools. Wilson Peak and Beehive Basin can be seen from the property, and viewsheds include both the Madison and Gallatin Mountain Ranges.

The Rings relocated from Bozeman to Big Sky in the early 1970’s so that Harry could open and run Lone Mountain Sports. Peggy owned design and home accessory stores in both the Mountain Village and the Meadow. Peggy, an avid skier, was one of the first people ever to ski the Big Couloir in Big Sky with her poodle trailing behind. She regularly took her employees out for early morning ski adventures along Big Sky’s old logging roads.

“I would take the logging roads to the treeline and ski down,” Peggy said. “We could get 80 - 90 telemark turns down to Beaver Creek Road.”

While skiing, Peggy came upon the 200-acre property that was owned and logged by Big Sky Lumber Company. She was so struck by the scenic beauty of the property that she skied home to write a letter to her husband - who was on a commercial fishing trip in Alaska - to tell him about the “neat property” she had found.

The two purchased the parcel and put a stop to commercial logging on the property. The Ring parcel neighbors another GVLT conserved property owned by the Pessl family, protecting an important wildlife corridor from development. The land serves as both year-round and seasonal habitat for native plants, fish, and wildlife, including elk, grizzly bear, gray wolf, mule deer, moose, mountain lion, sandhill crane, and grouse. Sagebrush grasslands provide valuable forage for elk and mule deer, while the eastern portions and north facing slopes contain conifer dominated forest, providing security cover for the numerous mammals that inhabit the area.

A variety of springs originate on the property and create a large unnamed tributary that flows into Beaver Creek below.  Beaver Creek itself flows through the northwest portion of the serves as an important cold-water input of the Gallatin River which flows less than two miles below the land.

Now, 30 years later, the native grasslands of the parcel have improved dramatically, and wildfire-fuel reduction projects have kept the timber tidy. The Rings graze a few horses on the land and want the property to remain in a natural state forever.

“We’re just happy GVLT is here,” Harry said. “Keep up the good work.”

These 200 acres mark a total of 51,148 acres conserved through GVLT conservation easements. The viewsheds, water resources and unspoiled wildlife habitat of this gorgeous Big Sky property are now protected for the community and visitors, forever. Not only did the Rings donate the entire value of the conservation easement, but they also made a generous contribution to the GVLT Stewardship Fund. GVLT is very excited to have helped bring the Rings’ conservation vision to reality.

What is a conservation easement? The Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) partners with private landowners to conserve working farms and ranches, fish and wildlife habitat, open lands and scenic views.  To protect these special places, GVLT uses conservation easements, which are voluntary agreements with landowners that limit development on a property while keeping it in private ownership.  Each easement is tailored to the specific property and runs with the title of the land in perpetuity. GVLT is responsible for upholding the easement’s terms.  Because a conservation easement limits development rights and therefore decreases the value of the land, landowners may be eligible to write off the difference as a charitable donation. In some cases, landowners receive financial compensation for a portion of the value of the conservation easement.  The public benefits from the protection of conservation values such as prime agricultural soils, wildlife habitat, river corridors and the overall character of our region.

About Gallatin Valley Land Trust

Gallatin Valley Land Trust connects people, communities, and open lands through conservation of working farms and ranches, healthy rivers, and wildlife habitat, and the creation of trails in the Montana headwaters of the Missouri and Upper Yellowstone Rivers. For more information, visit www.gvlt.org.

Whether it’s the spring wildflowers that grow on the hillsides or the colorful flowers of local gardens, Montana is rife with beautiful floral splendor.

Seeing Montana’s flowers up close will take your breath away. So, for the most incredible flora in the state, make sure you visit the following six amazing destinations.

1. The National Bison Range and Other Locations in Montana

For breathtaking wildflowers, drive around the open slopes, ridges, and low-elevation grasslands of Montana during the month of May to see the infamous arrowleaf balsamroot transform the state’s landscape.

The gorgeous yellow flowers particularly transform western Montana’s hillsides during the springtime and they can grow up to three feet tall.

Once upon a time, tribal nations used the arrowleaf balsamroot as food and medicine.

The best place to see the flowers is at the National Bison Range around May. 

2. Montana Arboretum and Gardens

Although relatively small, the Montana Arboretum and Gardens in Bozeman feature many native plants that grow in the north Rocky region and the drier parts of the state.

Located at the northwestern corner of the Montana State University campus, you will discover many established specimens of trees and the beautiful flower-filled Xeriscape garden.

Springtime is the ideal time to visit the gardens, as you will find numerous beautiful spring flowers, but the arboretum and gardens are worth visiting any time of the year. 

3. Old Lexington Stamp Mill and Gardens

In Butte, you will find the city’s first stamp mill, which dates from 1867. Surrounding the mill are beautiful gardens with various plants and flowers.

The Old Lexington Gardens are most well-known for the re-creation of a floral butterfly, which was originally in Butte from 1899 to 1973. 

4. Memorial Rose Garden

Located in Missoula is the Memorial Rose Garden, which serves as a memorial to the casualties and veterans of modern wars and conflicts that the United States has been involved with.

The beautiful and inspiring garden contains over 2,500 colorful rose bushes. They tend to begin blooming in mid-spring. 

5. Glacier National Park

While Glacier National Park is most well-known for its wide variety of coniferous trees, such as the Douglas fir, the Engelmann spruce, and the western larch, it also contains some of Montana’s most beautiful wildflowers. 

You’ll find dense human-tall beargrass plants in late May in the lower country and into August in the higher country, although beargrass only blooms every five to ten years. 

But if you visit Glacier National Park in the summer months, you can find a variety of flowers, including the Indian Paintbrush, which has rich scarlet or yellow hues. You can also locate them in the subalpine meadows and mountainous slopes of Montana. 

6. Tizer Botanic Gardens and Arboretum

The top destination for a wide variety of glorious flowers in Montana all year round is undoubtedly Tizer Botanic Gardens and Arboretum, in the heart of the Elkhorn Mountains of Jefferson City.

You can see beautiful roses, annuals, wildflowers, perennials, herbs, and vegetables in some extraordinary settings.

There are several gardens to visit. Kids will love the fairy and gnome garden. In fact, moms and dads will too. You will also want to check out the sheltered secret garden and the serene Buddha garden.

Sweet Pea Festival is seeking artist submissions for their first-ever Winter Art Show. The Art Show is open to all Montana-based artists both amateur and professional. Submissions are due January 13, 2022.

The Sweet Pea Festival Winter Art Show will take place February 1-28, 2022, at the ERA Landmark Downtown Visitor’s Center located at 8 East Main Street.

All artwork media submitted must be original 2D or 3D and created 2018 through present. Though there are no size limitations, works smaller than 40” X 40” will be given priority.

To enter, please forward one to two digital images of each entry to artshow@sweetpeafestival.org. Please include your name, title, and size of artwork for each submission.

The entry fee for submissions is $15 for one entry, $25 for two entries, and $30 for three entries. Payment can be made online via the Sweet Pea Festival website store or by cash or check mailed or hand-delivered to the Sweet Pea Festival office located at 424 East Main Street, Suite 203B, Bozeman, MT 59715.

Awards and cash prizes for this inaugural art show are: First Place-$500, Second Place-$250, and Third Place-$125. An appointed juror will select the winners.

The Sweet Pea Festival Winter Art Show will also include a People’s Choice Award. The winner of this award is determined by the community. The winning People’s Choice Award artist will receive a gift bag of Sweet Pea Festival merchandise.

Artists may elect to sell their work. Sales will be directed through the artist exclusively.

For more information and further entry specifications please visit the Festival’s website at https://sweetpeafestival.org. Or contact the Sweet Pea Festival office at 406-586-4003.

ABOUT SWEET PEA FESTIVAL:

The Sweet Pea Festival is a three-day festival of the arts held in Bozeman, Montana, since 1978. Festival dates for 2022 are August 5, 6, 7, 2022, with other events such as Chalk on the Walk starting off the festivities of Sweet Pea Week August 2nd. The festival includes everything from music, theatre and dance, to children’s activities and adult painting workshops. The Sweet Pea Festival is committed to its mission statement of “promoting and cultivating the arts.”

Hundreds of volunteers run and organize this annual event, a testament to the community’s desire for its ongoing success. All monies raised above what is needed to operate the festival is given back to the community in the form of grants for the arts, art education, and special projects in the Bozeman area. Where art and community meet.

CBD is the new health trend on the rise, and for good reason. Derived from cannabis plants, CBD has been shown to provide a variety of health benefits with no intoxicating effects. From relieving anxiety and depression to reducing chronic pain, CBD seems to be a miracle drug for many people. With the increasing legalization of cannabis, it’s no wonder that CBD is becoming more popular every day. More than this, there are a variety of ways to consume CBD so it matches the consumption styles of many people. If you’re curious about how CBD can help improve your health, keep reading to learn more about this misunderstood cannabinoid.

CBD is a natural remedy One of the main reasons why CBD has become so popular and is now considered to be a health trend is because it is a natural remedy. This means that CBD is directly extracted from hemp flowers, and is not created artificially. Another reason for the rise in popularity of CBD is that it is safer to use than opioids. If you aren't aware, opioids are a broad group of pain management medications that interact with the opioid receptors in your body, which can be addictive and have many negative side effects.

CBD doesn't have as many side effects, and offers a few benefits, although it is mainly used for pain management. Some of the other benefits include helping people to sleep, treating anxiety and depression, protecting against neurological disease, and treating opioid addiction, and many more.

There are many different ways to take it CBD also has gained popularity because there are many different ways to consume it. This is important because different consumption methods can produce different effects and also have different onset times for these effects, as well as durations.

If you are wanting to consume CBD and experience the effects for a prolonged period, then you should consume edibles since they have a duration of between 6 to 8 hours. If you just need it to help you fall asleep, then you could try a tincture, a dab rig or e-nail, such as these, or a vaporizer, since the duration of effects are roughly between two to four hours.

CBD is not intoxicating Before we continue, it's important to note that CBD is psychoactive. However, it is not psychoactive in the way that THC is, in other words, it won't get you high. The reason for this misconception is because many people associate the word psychoactive with intoxicating. To be classified as psychoactive, a chemical needs to alter brain function and interact with the central nervous system, which CBD does.

Our bodies have something called an endocannabinoid system, and within this system, there are two receptors, CB1 and CB2, which are responsible for the regulation of pain, appetite, coordination, inflammation, and more. The main difference between THC and CBD is that THC directly binds with CB1 receptors, mimicking anandamide, which results in intense euphoria and the inhibiting of other neurotransmitters.

CBD on the other hand loosely binds with CB1 receptors, modulating the intensity at which the receptor sends signals, which causes the body to create more CB receptors, and in turn, increases the natural amount of anandamide in the body.

CBD has very few side effects  CBD has also become quite popular because it is impossible to overdose when consuming CBD, much like THC. This makes it very different from opioids and other pain medications which can lead to serious consequences if too much is consumed. The only thing that would happen if you consume too much CBD, is that it might be ineffective.

Having said that, CBD does have a few side effects, although they are rare and not exactly life-threatening. A few of these side effects might be fatigue, changes in your appetite or weight, and diarrhea.

It's also incredibly important to discuss the use of CBD with your healthcare provider. This is because CBD has been known to interact with other medications, such as those used to treat diabetes, anxiety and depression, pain, and seizures. CBD might also be mixed with a variety of different herbs in herbal products which you might be allergic to, so always read the ingredients of a product containing CBD.

BOZEMAN – HRDC’s tiny home supportive housing community, Housing First Village, welcomed its first 13 residents at the beginning of November. Thanks to a partnership between HRDC and Habitat for Humanity, seven more homes will be completed in the Spring of 2022 providing more community members with the opportunity for stable housing and supportive services that address individual barriers to maintaining housing.

HRDC and Habitat are both committed to creating homes residents in our region can afford across the housing continuum from emergency shelter to homeownership.

“Having a home is more than just a convenience; it’s a sense of belonging. It’s a sense of place that every income level understands. Habitat is grateful to partner with HRDC on Housing First Village, because having a home can change a life. Doing much of the work with volunteer labor is simply a further illustration of the many wonderful partnerships arising from our community to accomplish this

project,” said Gale Heide, Development Coordinator Habitat for Humanity of Gallatin Valley
With a severe lack of available affordable housing in Gallatin County, Habitat and HRDC are pleased to collaborate with volunteers toward long-term solutions for people experiencing homelessness. This partnership aligns with the mission of both organizations to build homes, community, and hope.

The Housing First model directly addresses chronic homelessness by pairing single-residency, trauma-informed designs with the best practices of supportive housing. Once housed, community members who have been most at risk will be better positioned to increase community belonging, enhance mental and
physical well-being, and further complete their transition out of crisis into safety and stability. Supportive services include behavioral health, substance use, and employment support. Central to this model's success is a resource hub, which provides access to health resources, case management, and other support services.

"Nearly all of the community’s residents have been long-term customers of HRDC. We have known there is a need for this kind of evidence-based solution to chronic homelessness for a long time and we are excited to see residents move in and begin building community at Housing First Village,” stated Tracy Menuez, HRDC’s Associate Director, Community Development.

Menuez continued, “And we are so grateful to Habitat for Humanity and the volunteers for leading the construction of additional homes. A chance to swing a hammer on site is something we've been asked about for years and we are thrilled Habitat can make that happen. People really want to help with this project because they believe in the mission. Thanks to the partnership of Habitat, seven more residents will be able to join Housing First Village in the coming months and will have a warm, dry, safe home as well as a system of support to help them succeed."

"HRDC and Habitat are both committed to creating homes residents in our region can afford across the housing continuum from emergency shelter to homeownership. With a severe lack of available affordable housing in Gallatin County, Habitat and HRDC are pleased to collaborate with volunteers towards long- term solutions for people experiencing homelessness. This partnership, targeting a critical need, aligns with the mission of both organizations to build homes, community, and hope."

Since 1975, HRDC has served communities in Southwest Montana by addressing hunger, homelessness, education, financial opportunity, transportation, housing, and other challenges faced by our community members.

Habitat for Humanity of Gallatin Valley has built homes and fulfilled dreams in partnership with hardworking families and individuals for 30+ years. Additional information can be found at: https://thehrdc.org/?s=housing+first+village https://www.habitatbozeman.org/get-involved/volunteer/