So, you want to start a lifestyle blog or vlog but don’t know where to begin. Don’t worry, many successful bloggers felt just like you. When you decide you start a blog, there’s a right way and a wrong way. That’s where this guide comes into play. Read on to learn the steps to setting up and running a lifestyle blog or vlog.

Define Your Niche

Before you write your first word or record your first video, you need to define your niche. Think about your passions. Do you want to focus on frugal living hacks or tips for the perfect home garden? One choice isn’t better than the other it just depends on where your passions lie since you will have to discuss your niche topic constantly.

What do you look forward to doing in your free time? It’s these activities you should consider when defining your niche. It’s also important to mention that no one niche is oversaturated. Yes, there might be others talking about the same thing. However, you can zero in even more to reach a more specific group of people.

Have the Right Equipment

Having the right equipment is just as important as knowing what you want to write or vlog about. While you don’t need to have an elaborate setup to get started, you do need to have a computer, video equipment for vlogs, and pay for a domain. If things take off and you become a full-time content creator, you’d need to invest in high-end equipment. If you’re ready to give it your all and really want to have everything you need, like a recording room or designated office space, you’ll need to have the money to set it up.

While many don’t recommend investing thousands at first, you still might not have what you need to get things off the ground, especially if you prefer video over traditional blogging. If this is the case, you could consider getting a personal loan to buy everything you need. On the Navient Marketplace Blog, you can find a variety of information about personal loans. After checking it out, you’ll be able to decide if applying is the right decision. Keep in mind that it’s usually better to hold off a bit before spending a lot of money. However, there’s nothing wrong with researching and weighing all your options.

Choose Your Platform

You also need to pick a domain name and platform. WordPress offers free packages; however, you won't be able access other customized features or make the domain name your own unless you pay. If you plan on vlogging, then YouTube is where you want to be. But let’s go back to the blogging platforms for a moment.

In addition to WordPress, you can also use SquareSpace. Both platforms have their pros and cons, including feature accessibility and price. Your domain name is also important. You’ll want to choose a name that stands out from the rest. Don’t worry if this takes a little time to finalize. Your name should be one that people quickly associate with your brand. You can always use a name generator for ideas if you can’t come up with one you like on your own.

Branding and Design

Albeit a YouTube channel or website, you’ll want to create a visually appealing place for your audience to visit. On YouTube, create an interesting thumbnail and banner. Be sure to keep things classy and avoid copying others. If you have a website, think about your niche, and apply color theory to evoke emotion. If you plan on starting a blog about mindfulness and positivity, you’d want to use a color palette that’s calming and happy. The goal is to create a reason for users who visit to stick around and read what you’ve written.

Create High-Quality Content

Your content should always be worth reading or watching. While some influencers might be able to churn out low-brow content and still get views, it probably won’t work for you. Especially when you’re just starting out, your content needs to entice people to follow along. It needs to resonate with them on a deeper level and convince them to come back for more. Truth be told, creating content that continually delights the masses takes work. You should already have at least two weeks, if not 30 days, worth of content ideas mapped out before you go live.

In-person classes offer hands-on learning opportunities for new hunters 


BOZEMAN – Hunter and Bowhunter Education classes will be offered in several locations throughout southwestern Montana this year. Many of these classes have been scheduled and will soon be opened for registration.  

Hunter and Bowhunter Education classes are taught by skilled volunteer instructors, offering hands-on learning experiences and opportunities for students to ask questions of experienced hunters. Students learn how to handle firearms and archery equipment safely, basic survival skills, hunting ethics, wildlife management, game identification, landowner-hunter relations, and Montana hunting laws and regulations. 

Montana law requires that anyone born after Jan. 1, 1985, complete a Hunter Education class or qualify as a youth apprentice hunter before purchasing a Montana hunting license. All first-time bowhunters must complete a Bowhunter Education course or show proof of a prior year’s archery license from another state or province.  

All classes are free. Students must be at least 10 years old to take a Hunter Education class. Students must be at least 12 years old by Jan. 16, 2024, to take a Bowhunter Education class.  

The following courses have been scheduled in southwest Montana: 
• Whitehall: Hunter Education, starting March 14 
• Twin Bridges: Hunter Education, starting March 20 
• Clancy: Hunter Education, starting March 30 
• Twin Bridges: Bowhunter Education, starting April 3 
• Helena: Hunter Education, starting April 14 
• Butte: Hunter Education, starting April 17 
• Bozeman: Hunter Education, starting April 24 
• Logan: Hunter Education, starting May 8 
• Helena: Bowhunter Education, starting June 2 
• Belgrade: Hunter Education, starting June 9 
• Helena: Hunter Education, starting June 16 
• Logan: Hunter Education, starting July 17 

Hunter and Bowhunter Education courses are being planned in other areas. FWP’s website will be updated periodically as classes are arranged. To see what classes are available or to sign up, visit fwp.mt.gov/hunt/education.

Scott Monfort, middle, with Jim Becker, left, conducting research in MSU's Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab. MSU photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

BOZEMAN — A Montana State University researcher whose work is focused on reducing knee injuries and improving rehabilitation was recently featured in The Washington Post.

The Feb. 27 article, “Researchers are exploring how the brain helps prevent knee injuries,” extensively quotes Scott Monfort, co-director of MSU’s Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory, and cites two recent papers he co-authored.

The article summarizes recent findings about the role that cognitive processes play in the risk and incidence of knee injuries. According to the story, roughly 200,000 people in the U.S. strain or tear the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, in their knee each year, and Monfort’s research is at the forefront of understanding new ways those injuries can be prevented and recovery from them.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear that how people mentally process the environment around them can affect their risk of sustaining a musculoskeletal injury,” Monfort said in a recent interview. “Understanding that allows us to develop new and more effective screening tools and training and rehabilitation methods.”

The basic explanation that’s emerging is that when cognitive process are stressed — such as when a soccer player is processing the movement of players around them and making quick decisions about the game — the brain has added difficulty planning safe and effective movements in the split second before a ligament is strained or torn, said Monfort, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.

One of Monfort’s papers cited in the story and originally published in 2019 in the American Journal of Sports Medicine measured cognitive factors related to risky knee movements — in which the leg bends sideways at angles approaching the point at which a ligament strain or tear could occur — in 15 collegiate club soccer players. Monfort and his collaborators used specialized cameras to track leg movements while the players conducted movement exercises, including some that involved concentrating on the task of dribbling a soccer ball. Separate tests were used to measure the players’ cognitive abilities, including visual memory and reaction time. The researchers found that participants with the worst visual-spatial memory had the largest increase in risky knee movement when they had to move while also dribbling the ball.

In another study, published last fall, Monfort and his co-authors measured single-leg balance among athletes who were recovering from ACL injury and found distinct differences in balance control compared to the control group when a cognitive challenge was added during the balance task. That study further reiterates the potential for cognitive interventions to reveal lingering neuromuscular impairments after injury, he said.

Currently, Monfort is leading a project funded by $300,000 from the National Institutes of Health that’s aimed at refining understanding of how integrating cognitive tasks into rehabilitation exercises could improve recovery of ACL injuries. The project is co-led at MSU by Keith Hutchison, professor in the Department of Psychology in MSU’s College of Letters and Science, and James Becker, associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Development in MSU’s College of Education, Health and Human Development, who co-directs the biomechanics lab with Monfort. The study also includes Ohio University researchers Janet Simon and Dustin Grooms, who was also quoted in the story in The Washington Post.

The MSU Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory is equipped with sensors in the floor and specialized cameras that can track and measure participants’ motions. The lab also has devices to measure participants’ strength and even how certain parts of the brain are activated during tasks.

“We have an interdisciplinary research group and a unique facility that allows us to explore some of these new frontiers of injury prevention and rehabilitation,” Monfort said. “This is a great place to work on this and an exciting time to be working in a growing research area.”

“Our vision is to take what we’re doing and make a positive impact on injury prevention and rehabilitation,” Monfort said.

Three Forks, Montana – No-Coast Entertainment presents - ‘Rappin The Rivers Festival”, taking place August 18th & 19th 2023 at The Bridge near Three Forks Montana, where they have held the legendary Rocking TheRivers Festival every summer for the last 23 years. This event is a two-day festival of live Rap / Hip Hop and EDM performances, as well as camping options and many of your favorite merchandising and food vendors.

List of acts includes Asher Roth w/a live band, Mac Lethal, Dirtysnatcha, Chevy Woods, Stevie Stone, The Luniz, OG Nixin, Total Devastation, Odd Squad Family, Carnage The Executioner, Stagga Lee, Statik G, Filth and Foul, and many more to be announced.

No-Coast Entertainment is proud to bring Rappin The Rivers Festival to Three Forks Montana for the first-ever Montana Rap and EDM festival. Rappin The Rivers will provide an entertaining and safe summer atmosphere for concertgoers, combining live music and the great outdoors with camping and RV spots available. Providing 2 stages with live music on Aug 18th from 5pm-3am and Aug 19th from 12pm-3am.

As well as the music, RappinThe Rivers will host numerous other awarded events within the event including MC Battle, Dance Contest, Comedy Contest, Best Moustache, Best Belt Buckle, and Beauty Pageant including awards for King & Queen of “Rappin The Rivers Festival 2023”.

All tickets for the festival are available on Eventbrite. “Early Bird” two-day concert passes are currently on sale for just $80 each, and two-day “Early Bird” camping passes are on sale for just $70. Ticket prices will go up on May 1st when No-Coast Entertainment announces the fully completed lineup.

Rappin The Rivers Festival will be the ultimate experience of the summer if you are truly a lover of live music and the outdoors. Please come and be a part of history at the inaugural ceremony that will be Rappin TheRivers Festival 2023.

Nickel Barney of No-Coast Entertainment has been booking and promoting live concerts and events across the northwest since 1998 and has worked with many of the best in the business. Now No-Coast Entertainment has teamed up with the folks at legendary Rockin The Rivers to help bring you something new this summer. We have only announced a portion of our full line up so stay tuned.

On March 11, 2023, at 3:46pm Gallatin County Dispatch received a 911 call for a cross country skier on the Highland Glen Ski Trail who had a possible broken leg.  The patients skiing partner stayed with them and provided updates to responding units but needed assistance getting the patient off the trail.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers from the Valley Section responded to the trail after Bozeman Fire personnel requested their assistance transporting the patient.Search and Rescue volunteers deployed with a tracked Side by Side to the skier’s location.  The patient was transported off the ski trail and transferred to an awaiting AMR ambulance. The patient was ultimately transported to Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center for further evaluation.

Sheriff Springer would like to remind recreationalists that accidents can happen anywhere and anytime.  Always recreating with a partner and having a communication device can greatly help emergency responders, should your adventure not go as planned.

On March 9, 2023 at 4:44 pm, Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue was requested to assist Yellowstone National Park with an avalanche search in the Bacon Rind area on Gallatin Road near mile marker 23. The reporting party was concerned that the slide was recent, and someone could be trapped, so they conducted a search from a safe distance with their avalanche beacon. The skier’s beacon picked up a signal indicating a person with a beacon was possibly in the debris.

To assist Yellowstone National Park, Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue (GCSSAR) activated the Big Sky Section, West Yellowstone Section, Valley Section, Heli Team, SAR Dogs, and SAR Comms. A hasty team of National Park Service Rangers and GCSSAR volunteers responded to the avalanche debris field. The hasty team conducted a thorough beacon search and searched the area with a dog trained for avalanche victim detection. An investigation was conducted to identify vehicles in the area and check on the status of the owners. The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center was contacted for recent avalanche history in the area. The ground search did not find any indicators of buried victims and the investigation determined there weren’t any vehicles with unaccounted for individuals. With all of these factors considered, the search was concluded.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to thank the reporting party who saw reason for concern and brought the information to the attention of the National Park Service. With the multitude of recreational opportunities in this area, it is often a member of the public who first recognizes a potential emergency and brings those facts to our attention for investigation. Sheriff Springer would also like to thank the Search and Rescue volunteers who were ready and willing to dedicate their time and effort to conducting a detailed search, ensuring a safe conclusion to this event.

You won’t find anyone pulling a rabbit out of hat, but you will meet furry magic monsters, and experience a zany show created right before your eyes! The only offering of its kind in Montana, Random Acts of Silliness (RAS) presents a delightfully quirky performance that combines the whimsy of puppetry with the high jinks of improv comedy. Each show is hosted by one of RAS’ adorably fuzzy Silly Monster Mascots: Roxy, Boomer and GoGo, with propelled by a team of adult actors who improvise silly scenes and stories inspired by suggestions gathered from the audience.

“In a world where kids’ wacky ideas are sometimes ignored, the Magic Monster Show embraces and delights in them. “Young people love to see adults taking their suggestions seriously, and the results are hilarious,” says director Sarah Henderson.

This storytelling style is freewheeling and spontaneous, not linear — and both children and adults delight in it. In a recent Valentine’s-themed show, suggestions from the audience resulted in a grumpy monkey falling in love with a cupcake, magical dough in a bakery yielding a unicorn, and a timid daisy befriending a terrifying snake-like sprinkler in a garden.

The show regularly hits maximum capacity, demonstrating a clear need for more family-friendly theater experiences in the Gallatin Valley. RAS wants everyone to have access to the show, so tickets are free, with a suggested donation of $10/ticket for those whose budget allows. RAS is able to offer free tickets to more than half of all attendees thanks to generous support from sponsors Dino Drop In and Rialto Bozeman.

“At the Rialto, our mission is to provide a welcoming venue and event space that enhances the adventurous nature of our community. We are thrilled to be able to support Random Acts of Silliness as they make family-friendly theater and art accessible to all members of the community,” says General Manager, Kristen Neithercut. “On top of that, their shows bring lots of laughs from kids and adults alike—and let’s be real—life is better when we’re laughing.”

Each show also features live musical accompaniment by Cody Henderson, with puppeteers Wren and Michael Garverick bringing Roxy, Boomer and GoGo to life. Well-known local performers Naomi Shafer, Hannah Smith, Elizabeth Noonan, Bennett Drozic, Isabel Huston and John Townsend-Mehler make up the cast of silly improvisers.

Intrigued? You can catch an outer space-themed Magic Monster Show at the Rialto on March 25th , a wildlife-themed show at the Earth Day Festival on April 22nd , and an enchanted kingdom-themed show on April 29th, all at the Rialto. These shows are fun for all ages, but best suited for a K-5 audience.

For more information about the Magic Monster Show, Random Acts of Silliness, and to reserve seats, visit www.randomactsofsilliness.com 

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office would like to alert the public to a mail scam that has been reported by the Gallatin County Motor Vehicle Department.  Residents have received a mailing like the one posted, claiming to be from the “Vehicle Services Division,” that alleges a person’s vehicle coverage is about to expire and includes a “registration fee voucher” that looks similar to a check.   This is a SCAM and a sly way to get you on the phone to sell you something or gather your personal information. Do not respond to the letter! Our motor vehicle department does not send any such vouchers.

Wellness in Action (WIA) is pleased to announce the start of their building remodel to expand the counseling hub.  The demand for reliable and accessible behavioral health services continues to increase in Big Sky.  To meet this demand, WIA has undertaken a remodel project to add more in person and telehealth counseling rooms, bring the building up to ADA compliance standards and overall increase the capacity for counselors to see more clients.  

“We are so fortunate to have the support of the Big Sky Resort Tax Board to help us fund this much needed remodel as well as the building owner Jeff Helms” said WIA Board President, Michelle Kendziorski.  

Danielle Osti Chenoweth, one of the counselors on the WIA platform, says “It is very exciting to see WIA expand their vision for the overall health and wellness of Big Sky. They have been incredibly helpful and supportive for the community. This expansion will provide even more resources for Big Sky residents and members of the workforce.”

Construction, overseen by Todd Rossier of Two Bear Construction Company, started on February 23rd with an anticipated completion of summer 2023.  If you are interested in touring the site during the remodel process, please send an email to info@wiabigsky.com.

WIA is dedicated to community well-being by connecting individuals to a network of resources.

WIA is a registered 501c(3) nonprofit. If you would like to learn more about our programs please visit https://bigskywia.org.