Christmas Ideas

I read an article in the WSJ about how Santa (and his mall helpers) are hearing wish lists of socks, clothes and "a job for my dad." I related the story to my children. Alex understood. The point completely escaped Cole..."I don't even want socks, Mom. I just want an XBox."

Anyway, if your want to give a cool gift and contribute to a cause, I have a few recommendations:

**Rubi J (surprise!)- making contributions to organizations like First Book for each sale from the READ collection and offering Animal Tales t-shirts to increase awareness of endangered species.

**Beads for Life - chic and rustic jewelry made by Ugandan women trying to make a living. Check it out at

**Last but not least, if you're completely out of ideas, save a hamster. They're low maintenance, cuddly (when not exposing their choppers) and (best of all) PORTABLE!