With a lot of children at home, it's really important, I think, that each child feels he or she is treated fairly, including on Christmas morning.

So, we usually hold off on all the gift-wrapping until all the shopping is finished. Which, invariably, is Christmas Eve.

Then we make a pile of presents for each child. If it looks like one kid isn't getting as much as the others - perhaps it's a girl with lots of "little" things, which maybe cost as much as the other children's presents, but just doesn't look like as much - then, we'll add something more substantial-looking from the extra presents and toys that we pick up just for "evening out" purposes.

This has really helped, because there have been years when we've realized that one child just didn't get as much as another. We've always got a couple of flashlights, or balls, or Beanie Babies that can be re-distributed at the last minute.

A distinct disadvantage to this method is that the gift-wrapping doesn't start until AFTER the kids are asleep on Christmas Eve. Which means I'm always up so late that I get to meet Santa in my living room at 3 or 4 am. Which means I'm generally sleepy on Christmas morning!

But it sure beats having a child feel less appreciated than his siblings on Christmas morning!

We honestly have a tendency to go overboard at Christmas. Perhaps it's just because my husband and I are really just big kids ourselves. I love toys - he loves gadgets. And we love seeing our kids' faces light up on Christmas morning.

We don't buy much of anything the rest of the year, in terms of toys and stuff for the kids. It's mostly just birthdays and Christmas, so I feel a bit justified in really piling the presents under the tree.

More tips to come!