I married into a HUGE family, who loves to give Christmas presents.  We buy for our 21 nieces and nephews and for more than 15 adults.  It’s absolutely crazy, but in a good way.  I love to shop, and I actually like to wrap too.  The one thing I hate to do is ship.  Since NONE of our family even lives in the same state as us, we ship everything.  Unfortunately, standing in line at the Post Office seems to suck the holiday spirit right out of me!

So outside of my “Bah Humbug” attitude about shipping, I love checking gifts off my Christmas list.  Especially when I can find something that is not only a great gift, but benefits a charity or non-profit too.  What better way to get into the holiday spirit, than buying gifts that actually give something back too!

Here are some local and national options for gifts that give twice.  If you know of any other great holiday gifts that give back, please share them via the comment section below.

Bright Endeavors is a Chicago non-profit social enterprise, manufacturing and marketing eco-friendly home and bath products, helping adolescent parents (aged 17-24) transition into economic stability.  Bright Endeavors is part of New Moms Inc., an amazing organization truly changing the lives of young mothers here in Chicago.

Blackstone Bicycle Works is a bustling community bike shop, offering repairs and sales of refurbished bikes on the South Side of Chicago. It is also the only bike shop in Chicago that offers over 150 youth the opportunity to work in a retail setting, learn the art and science of bicycle mechanics, to learn about how a business works, to discover the satisfaction of a job well done, to be safe and free of the pressures of the streets, and to have fun.

Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe offers tasty treats perfect to bring as a hostess gift or to serve at your next holiday party.  Not only are their baked goods delicious, but they are a non-profit.  The Blue Sky Employment Program provides homeless and at-risk youth with employment at the bakery. Youth gain valuable experience in cooking, baking, customer service and cash-handling.

Ten Thousand Villages offers handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art and more.  All are handmade from artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. They are one of the world’s largest fair trade organizations. The company strives to improve the livelihood of tens of thousands of disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries. They have stores in Evanston, Oak Park and Glen Ellyn.  I shop the Evanston store each year.  They have great Christmas ornaments and jewelry.

Neighborhood Parents Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting Chicago families with the resources they need to navigate parenting in the city.  I have been a member for almost four years, and on the board for close to a year.  It’s a great organization, and membership to NPN makes a great gift for urban families or those expecting their first child.

Unicef’s Gifts that Give Back – From finger puppets to jewelry, they have a wide range of gifts to choose from.  All money raised through UNICEF’s holiday “Gifts That Give Back” program will help in its mission of reducing the number of daily, preventable deaths of children under five from 21,000 to zero.

Toms Shoes operates on a one-for-one business model. For every pair of shoes purchased, founder Blake Mycoskie donates a pair to a child who would otherwise be barefoot. They even make adorable kids shoes now, including these glittery ones I saw recently at Nordstroms.

The Rainforest Site preserves at least 1,145 sq. ft. of rainforest land for each item you buy. Your purchases help great charities: The Nature Conservancy, Rainforest Conservation Fund, & World Land Trust-US.  They offer a huge variety of gifts for everyone on your list.  I especially love this adorable bumblebee hat and mittens.

World Wildlife Federation offers these great adoption buckets.  For $50 you get a wooden bucket with a plush tiger, panda and polar bear, adoption certificate and information about the animals.  Its a great gift, the proceeds go to saving those animals, and you can teach your children or nieces and nephews about conservation.

Our amazing museums here in Chicago also have wonderful gift shops.  The proceeds from the gift shops help to support the museum and its programs. Plus, if you are a member, most of the stores give you a discount.

Museum Shop at the Art Institute of Chicago offers everything from Christmas ornaments and Christmas cards to jewelry and home decor.

Museum of Science and Industry has a great selection of gifts for the inquisitive ones on your list.  From models to games, your sure to find something for science lovers of all ages.

Bring Sue home for the holidays at The Field Store .  The Field Museum has a huge selection of dinosaur related and other out of the ordinary gifts.

Chicago Children’s Museum offers a nice selection of creative and educational toys.  I especially like their dress-up selection.  They offer more than the standard princess and policeman.

Neighborhood Parent’s Network is one of our favorite kid-sized organizations here in the city. Over the past three years of navigating motherhood and urban life with kids, I have turned to NPN for everything from help finding our amazing nanny to how to choose the right pre-school for our family.  Not to mention the incredible friendships I formed with moms from my NPN working new moms group I joined shortly after having my first daughter.

Given all we’ve gotten from NPN, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to give something back to the organization.  NPN’s Spring Auction is here, and on the go has partnered with some of our favorite kid-sized businesses in Chicago to create two great packages. In addition to our two packages, the Spring Auction has more than 170 amazing items up for bid including everything fromWiggleworms classes to Cubs tickets.

Following is a sneak peak at our two packages.  Bidding begins May 6th, but you can get a sneak peak at all 170+ items by clicking here.

On the go Chicago’s Kid-Sized Fun Package - This package is designed to help you rediscover the city through your child’s eyes, and will give you a taste of some of our favorite places to play, eat and shop with your wee ones!

• Sing & Dance the morning away at the June 11th Old Town School of Folk Music Playdate in Lincoln Square (4544 N. Lincoln). You’ll receive a family four pack of tickets to this fun and hands-on family concert.
• Go on a shopping spree at Building Blocks Toys (3306 N. Lincoln). Receive a $25 gift certificate to Building Block Toys.  Whether you are looking for eco-friendly, arts and crafts, or toys for a specific gender or age, their friendly and knowledgeable staff will guide you to the perfect toy.
• Enjoy some southern style cooking at Wishbone in Lakeview (3300 N. Lincoln). Receive dinner for two at one of our favorite kid friendly restaurants (LOTS of highchairs, kids menu, crayons and a full bar).  Your kids will love the corn cakes, you’ll love the delicious southern comfort food, and you’re sure to run into another family from the neighborhood while you are there.
• Get your body back while playing with your baby at Bloom Yoga (4663 N. Rockwell). Receive one free Mom & Baby Yoga class.  We love this class because not only do you work on building strength and flexibility, but the instructor incorporates the babies into the poses.
• Right Start (2121 N. Clybourn) will ensure you have the right gear for every urban adventure with their on the go Survival Kit:
  • Be prepared to change diapers anywhere with the Pronto Changing Station which turns any bag into a diaper bag, is perfect to hang from your stroller or keep in your car.
  • Say goodbye to plastic bags, and hello to an eco-friendly Itzy Ritzy Snack Happened reusable bag.  This bag is perfect for snacks on the go or to hold binkies, band-aids or other diaper bag essentials.  We love the zipper top, BPA-Free materials and the fact that you can toss it in the washer!
  • Always have a clean surface for you baby to eat off of with the Neat Solutions’ Disposable Placemats.  We love that the double stick tape backing makes sure little hands can’t toss them on the floor!
• It’s a big city.  We make it kid-sized. onthegoChicago.com will be upgrading to a comprehensive and highly searchable membership site this summer. The winner of this “on the go’s guide to kid-sized Chicago” will also receive a free one-year membership to on the go Chicago ($49 value).

On the go Chicago’s Mommy & Daddy Need a Break Package - This package was designed to give  you a well-deserved respite from meal planning/grocery shopping, cleaning and finding new ways to entertain the kiddos.

• Take a break from the grocery store and meal prep for the week! Dream Dinners (740 N. Damen) will prepare 6 delicious and nutritious dinners (3 servings each) for you.  Instead of grocery shopping and preparing meals, you can spend that time enjoying your family or simply taking a little time for yourself.
• Put down that sponge and put up your feet up. Let Merry Maids (7536 N. Ashland) make your house sparkle with a complete Deep Cleaning of your home.  You’ll step into a home cleaned to your complete satisfaction, and knock a major chore off your to do list without lifting a finger.
• It’s a big city.  We make it kid-sized. Stop spending hours searching for fun things to do with your kiddos or the perfect class for your toddler. onthegoChicago.com will be upgrading to a comprehensive and highly searchable membership site this summer. The winner of this “Mommy & Daddy Need a Break” package will also receive a free one-year membership to on the go Chicago ($49 value).

Inside Scoop:

• What – NPN SPring Auction  www.biddingforgood.com/npnparents
• Preview week: May 1-6; Bidding: May 6-15
• Event is open to the public – tell your friends, post it on Facebook, and don’t forget to set up your quick & easy Register to Bid account so you are ready to go!

Looking for a great gift for the cook on your list?  Or maybe your like me, and can use a bit of help coming up with new things to cook the kids each night (even better, can someone come over and cook it for me too!).  I recently ordered a great new cookbook developed by my fellow fit moms at Stroller Strides & Luna Mom’s Club Chicago with over 100 healthy and easy recipes.

Even better, 100% of the proceeds benefit Bundle of Joy Diaper Bank. Bundle of Joy is an amazing charity started by a local family to collect and provide diapers to the more than 30% of Chicago’s Children living below the poverty line.

• Stroller Strides and Luna Mom’s Club Chicago Cookbook
• Cost – $40
• To order - Contact Jackie Dorris at jackied@strollerstrides.net or click here to order directly from PayPal.  You must order by Wednesday, December 8th to ensure delivery before Christmas.
• Insider Tip – Stroller Strides members who purchase a book will get $10 off their January Membership as a thank you!