Cue the shock and outrage that Target is already full of Christmas decorations and the fact that I saw the Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend available the week before Halloween and then watched it get switched over to the Christmas Blend the first week of November…ahh yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Before you settle down to create a wishlist to send around to family members this year for the little ones, I’ve got a few suggestions to help you in your planning, both for the big day and for the days leading up to it.

• Request donations to a charity you feel is important. Lots of people know about Heifer International already, but there are other groups doing good work that could use a little love too.  For example, if you care about literacy, Milk + Bookies is a great choice.  Want to share some warmth?  Operation Warm gives kids new winter coats.  If there’s something important to you and your family, look for a charity that aligns with that, and redirect your holiday wishes to them.  There’s an easy “Add to Amazon Wishlist”  browser add-on that lets you add things to a universal Amazon wishlist from any site, which makes adding charities to a wishlist easier than ever.
• Create an Advent Calendar of giving. Everyone loves counting down the days, and with this method, you can actively do something every one of those days that helps others.  One day you might take canned goods to the food bank.  The next, you might shovel a neighbor’s walkway.  There are soup kitchens and food banks to volunteer with, charities to give to, meals to take to people who have new babies, babysitting you can offer to a frazzled friend. You can think of the good deeds yourself, or if your kids are older, work with them to brainstorm them ahead of time.  Include the whole family!  Thanksgiving might be the perfect time to go around the table and collect everyone’s giving ideas.

• Donate a baby carrier to a charity that specifically is looking for them. Don’t just pack away that carrier when your little one outgrows it!  We all know how useful wraps and slings can be, and what better time than the holidays to share the joy of babywearing. For example the non-profit group 21 Carry “provides carriers at no cost to caregivers of babies and children with Down Syndrome.”  You can donate money, or a physical carrier, wrap or sling (new or gently used).

• See if your local women’s shelter could use any baby or breastfeeding supplies, like diapers or nursing pads. If a woman needs one less thing to worry about while being at a shelter, this seems like an easy way to help, especially if you recently weaned or potty trained and still have an unopened stash of supplies.

• Tell people you don’t need more stuff. The most radical idea!  Of course, full disclosure, I am 100% certain if I tell my parents this, there will still be presents marked “from Grandma and Grandpa” for my daughter…so your mileage may vary!