My Everyday Featuring ... Meg Russell

[#1] Share with us a snippet of your story.
My mom-story begins when I married my husband 8 years ago and immediately became "Mimi" to my now teenage stepson. It is a city mouse marries country mouse romance story. We now have four kids and counting. We lived in Africa for three months while I was pregnant with our first baby. I payed a lot of attention to the mamas and babies there. Previous to being a play at home mom I was a self employed massage therapist and full time massage instructor at a local college. My husband is a jack of all trades but provides for us through carpentry. We hope to one day have a little farm and an RV. All of those things are major influences and inspirations to us. We strive to make life slow and simple, finding our purpose and calling where we're planted and with who is in front of us.

[#2] What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]?

I really try to enjoy every moment. Having several small children is challenging and so I like to involve them in everything I do, from cleaning and cooking, to crafting and DIY, to gardening and so on. Of course we play and laugh and sing before, during, and after. Not all the moments are cheery but I try and love even the hard times because they provide growth. We have a little saying that always changes the atmosphere, "I choose joy!". Life is precious and we try our best to embrace that. Singling out one moment would be our daily devotion time. It's about five minutes of a children's devotional and prayer time and it is so special and essential. I love the questions and the roll play that come out of that time.

[#3] Name Instagram MOMS who inspire you.
This is why I love IG. There are so many mamas that are an inspiration to so many, and yet they're just like you and me and we get to see that. All the mamas I follow are inspirations to me. A dear friend I know in real life who inspires me to do more, Meg Martin @figandfauna; a dear friend I know through IG who inspires me to love more, Flossie O'Reilly @flosshea; and a mama I don't know as well but admire and who inspires me to take better pictures, Michelle Nicoloff @michellenicoloff. 

[#4] The chores are done, there's nothing expected of you & you've got 45 minutes of personal free time ... how would you spend it?
I have three small children. When they aren't around, I take a long shower AND shave my legs! Ha! If my husband isnt working though I usually spend what time I can with him. If he isnt around, I craft! Or clean or read, or whatever. It really depends on what I couldn't get done with my little helpers. I probably in all honestly just zone out. And if other adults are around, I bore them by talking about my kids.

[#5] What are your staple go-to pieces from your closet this month? 
It's pretty much the same all year round: leggings, dress, cardigan, belt. The dresses my mom made as well as the ones my future sister in law gave me are my favorites. I'm usually barefoot unless I go out in public. I plan on adding an apron to my daily attire.

[#6] If you could give us a peek inside your home - what image would you share and why? 
Our house was built in the 40's and has lots of cute charms. This room is where we are most of our time indoors because of its great light show.

[#7] Share a photo you wouldn't typically post on Instagram but depicts real life happenings. 
Photo I don't typically show on IG? Photos of my children sleeping. We need a nice dark room to get to sleep soundly but those moments are so precious. I try to capture them with the flash but never post those. They aren't that appealing to the eye but still are treasures to me.

Be sure and follow @megrussell on Instagram! You can also keep up with the series by following @kelliandvanessa or #myeverydaymoms