It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Does everyone love the holiday season as much as I do? My husband jokes constantly that I turn into a big kid around Christmastime. It’s basically true. I cruise through neighborhoods just to see the lights, it a lot of gingerbread (sometimes without baking the dough, haha) and there is NO SUCH THING as too many ornaments. We also celebrate Hanukkah in my house, and let me tell you, I should find more reasons to bust out the latke recipe.

Anyway, I was musing over my Christmas shopping list tomorrow when I realized I had yet to buy anything for Toys for Tots. Suddenly it hit me how many families will be going without one thing or another this Christmas. Either without presents, without basic living essentials like diapers, without family, or without their home… Does it ever hit you how lucky you are? I had that feeling tonight. And before the warm fuzzy faded away, I rushed to my computer and bought something for Child’s Play. And then sat down to type this post.

If you’re able to give this holiday season, consider one of these worthy causes. They’re not all diaper related, but they’re all close to our hearts here at Fluff Love University.

Child’s Play – www.childsplaycharity.org – This charity was started by a group of video gamers, with the intention of giving some presents to some kids who were stuck at a hospital over Christmas. And it EXPLODED. Since the charity’s inception it has raised over 28 MILLION dollars for children’s hospitals. The best part? You don’t have to leave your desk. The charity is based around Amazon Wish Lists, which the hospitals set up, and you buy an item from their wish list and it is shipped directly to the hospital. Make a kid’s hospital Christmas a little more jolly!

Operation Homefront – www.operationhomefront.net – Operation Homefront helps and supports our military families all year long by helping them reintegrate after deployments, assisting with financial needs, and providing extra support and events for deployed spouses and children. During the holiday season they really step up and show military families the love. They do a huge toy drive each year, known as Operation Jolly Holly. They also provide full holiday meals for families. They bring deployed members together with their family’s by helping to provide video calls home and they even have a program in some locations that allows the deployed member to read a book to his or her children and record it on video and that video is sent to the child along with the book that was read. They do so much to support the families that are left at home while their loved ones are deployed all year long and their efforts really do make a difference.

Worldbuilders – www.worldbuilders.org – This charity benefits the global organization Heifer International. The money is raised through auctions and sales of books and book paraphernalia, including signed and rare editions (so basically, an English teacher’s dream!) and the money goes towards buying livestock animals and other life changing supplies for people in villages in developing countries. Having a small flock of chickens to lay eggs for you, provide meat, and make more baby chickens is absolutely life changing when you’re living in a native village in the Amazon rain forest. Reading some of their stories will really show you how we take simple pleasures – like washing machines – for granted!

The Rebecca Foundation – www.clothforall.com – Do you or does someone you know need diapers? One in three families with babies will struggle to afford diapers. The Rebecca Foundation seeks to change that by loaning diapers to moms and dads in need. Cloth diapers, of course! If you have some diapers you’ve been trying to destash but they just aren’t moving, consider sending them to this very worthy cause and having them go to a momma in need. We love cute fluffy bums, and EVERY baby deserves clean healthy diapers to wear!