by Whitney Barthel posted in Parenting

As my family is still swimming in gifts of birthdays and Christmases past, I am seriously dreading this coming holiday season. With four boys pretty darn close in age, it's been a trend to get four of everything for a while. And while I totally get the mentality behind this, it actually created a disaster. Because even if my boys have four identical toys, they will still fight over just one of them.
Not only that, it led to an overwhelming amount of stuff. So grandparents, pay attention here. We love you so, so much. And, we are eternally grateful for all the thoughtful gifts of holidays past. You have not once failed to fill our hearts -- and our homes. Seriously. Enough with the gifts, our house is full.
A quick glimpse of the "kiddie corner" in our basement before moving.
And, I know I am not the only mom feeling this way. So please, family, friends, and neighbors, listen to us when we say "our kids need nothing." But, if you do insist on getting my boys something, please try your hardest to follow these suggestions.
1. No toys. No exceptions. I promise, it doesn't matter how many times Frankie says you will be his favorite aunt if you get him the "new and improved" version of the Batman toy he got last year, in a week he probably won't even remember where it even came from.

If you want to get something for my boys that they will remember, get them something they will use all the time. For example,...