Arts + Culture

Made by "Maid"

Stephanie Land shares a snippet of her world with MVL Article by Susie Wall | Photography by Rick Szczechowski You may recall a certain Netflix mini series called “Maid,” which aired in 2021 and quickly became wildly successful. The series follows a young mother who fled a bad relationship and finds a job cleaning houses to provide for her daughter. Her dream, though, is Missoula—pursuing an education here and building a better future. While the series strays from the accuracy of real life...

Local Services

The Mother of All Maps

Xplorer Maps puts out a new Missoula map featuring four notable anchors in our community Article by Emma Trotter | Photography by Rick Szczechowski Read this article, and start seeing them everywhere: Xplorer Maps. The hand-drawn story maps feature epic locations around Montana, the United States, and the world. From prints and home or office decor to clothes, games and more, Xplorer Maps products are hiding in plain sight around Missoula, once you know where to look. “We actually have an...

Food + Beverage

The Woman Behind Wild West Chocolate

A chocolate bar that feels like home, pure and simple Article by Marko Capoferri | Photography by Rick Szczechowski Sometimes a chocolate bar is more than just a chocolate bar. For instance, a chocolate bar can mean coming home. Around the time BJ Howard was developing the idea and formula that would bloom into Wild West Chocolate, she was, she says, “going through a personal journey of coming back home” to her native Western Montana, “reconnecting with my roots, which is really cowboy...

Food + Beverage

The Bounty of Baking with Mom

Local pastry chef shares the memory of her mother and how it inspired her career in baking Article by Chelsea Lyn Agro | Photography by Rick Szczechowski and Melissa Nordberg “Getting together at my dad’s house—the backyard, on the patio—just getting the family together and all the grandkids running around, screaming and having fun.” Melissa Nordberg, who goes by Missi, describes what the one-year anniversary of her mother’s death might look like this month. She’s been a pastry chef for a...

Health + Wellness

Navigating Menopause with Confidence at Aralia Health

Dr. Marissa Cavalier’s holistic approach to restoring vitality and empowering women Article by Arielle Wilson | Photography by Renske Photo For many women, the journey through perimenopause and menopause can feel like navigating uncharted waters—unpredictable, turbulent, and, at times, isolating. Conflicting information regarding the safety and efficacy of hormone replacement therapy, short visit times with doctors, and a limited understanding of the full impact this transition can have on...

Arts + Culture

A Decade of MVL

Meet the Missoula Valley Lifestyle team as we celebrate 10 years in this community Article by Chelsea Lyn Agro | Photography by Rick Szczechowski Michael Tucker Being a Montana boy through and through, my roots run deep in this beautiful state. I was born in Havre, and over the years I’ve called many Montana towns my home. Yet, Missoula has always held a special place in my heart. The community here is unlike any other, and that’s something to be immensely proud of. After years in the media...

Health + Wellness

Investing in Movement

Alpine Physical Therapy believes in letting your values be your compass Article by Marko Capoferri | Photography by Rick Szczechowski Talking to Samantha Schmidt, co-owner and managing partner of Alpine Physical Therapy, one begins to get a sense that the word community can operate on multiple levels, and at multiple scales of inclusion. And that’s another key word— inclusion —that has been a guiding principle for Alpine since they opened their doors in 2004. For instance, Samantha likes to...

Health + Wellness

Your Body is a Bank

Recognizing the mind-body connection means investing in whole body health at Aralia Health Article by Shelby Humphreys | Photography by Renske Photo When symptoms persist, despite all you’ve tried, the doctors and care team at Aralia Health in Missoula can work collaboratively with physicians to find solutions when all else has fallen short. Dr. Stephanie Raven recounted one patient’s remarkable journey to healing. "She came to us after years of debilitating pain. Initially, her discomfort...

Travel

50 States to Home

Missoula Valley Lifestyle writer shares her story on traveling to all 50 states before planting roots here in Missoula Article and Photography by Emma Trotter My journey home to Missoula put about 35,000 miles on my car. It started with a cross-country move for grad school. Having lived all my life in California, I was determined to go elsewhere to continue my studies. New York University’s scholarship offer was both an academic investment and a chance to experience life in a new place. So my...

Home + Design

Mountain Modern

Modory Home Furnishings offers heirloom quality items and local expertise Article by Susie Wall | Photography by Rick Szczechowski “We like to say we’re furnishing the new West,” says Lea, owner of Modory Home Furnishings and Amira Rug Gallery. She’s passionate about helping make a house a home, and her 4,000 square-foot showroom and design center offers everything you need to bring style and comfort to every room with furniture, rugs, wallpaper, and window treatments. “I would define our...