What a Monday .. and already thinking about Christmas

Today was my first day back to school after a week long study break from my fulltime massage therapy course. Yep I was hit with a physiology test at 8:20am sharp! I would be lying if I said keeping up in school, running a home, taking care of the kids and trying to keep my fitness up is easy (oh and feeding my deal hunting addiction!).. it is alot o' work! I love to be busy but today .. ohhhh ... today was tiring. Thoughts of the busy Christmas season are in the back of my mind .. every other year I have always bought presents along the way, stocked them up neatly in my furnace room and felt so content to know I was prepared. ummmm yeah ... not sure that is going to be the case this year. And actually .. I'm not sure if I want to do it that way anyway. I think I spend more money and time this way. This year I think I will shop one day for the kids, and one day for family. That's it .. when it's done, it's done .. when the money is spent .. the money is spent. No more running out for this-and-that .. yep two shopping days and it's done. I don't have a big family and either does my husband so this is easily done .. especially since I will preplan my trip to make the most of my time and gas money. I'm hoping hubby will want to come along this year (he never gets in on the Christmas shopping!) and it is really nice to go out Christmas shopping with your spouse. Luckily I bought lots of wrapping paper last year on sale after Christmas so that is one thing I don't have to buy! One thing I have been thinking of doing as a family .. and I know this is going to sound very very corny ... but I really want to do something charitable and enable my kids to experience the good feeling of giving. My kids are old enough (7 & 11) to really get this experience and I'm looking for some ideas! Has anyone else done something like this as a family?