A number of my online friends are doing this, so I thought I'd participate.

Step One

Make a post (public, friendslocked, filtered... whatever you're comfortable with) to your blog. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fun ("I'd love a Snape/Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _____ on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.

If you wish for real possible things, make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your e-mail address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.

Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your blog, or link to this post so that the holiday joy will spread.

Step Two

Surf around your friendslist (or friends' friends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here's the important part:

If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use — or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free — do it. Once a wish has been granted, it will be crossed off my list.

You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out; it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf — to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not — it's your call.

There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just... wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

My List

1. Used winter maternity clothes, in good condition. I can especially use warm tops and dresses. I'm pretty set on pants. In maternity clothes I would take a medium in tops (U.S. size 8) and a large in bottoms (U.S. size 10 or 12). In dresses, a medium should usually work (size 8 or 10).
2. Used infant clothing for boys, in good condition. We can also use bibs and baby wash cloths and towels.
3. A good pregnancy portrait of me (a bit later in my pregnancy).
4. Practical advice, based on experience, on introducing a dog to a newborn baby.
5. Recommendations for useful baby items to obtain, including brand names, if possible.
6. Advice on which print-on-demand publisher is currently the best selection. I've heard reports that Lulu.com can be unreliable when it comes to paying authors.
7. Original artwork or photography appropriate for hanging in a little boy's room. Original poems and stories appropriate for children are also welcome.
8. A reliable babysitter in the Philadelphia area.
9. Donations to Friends of Martin's Tavern, an organization seeking to maintain as a historical site a Revolutionary War-era tavern once owned by my great-great-great-grandfather, Abraham Marshall. Or, donations to a charity of your choice.
10. A photograph of you (yes, you!) in a Santa hat or other holiday clothing.

If you can provide any of these, contact me at my e-mail address. If you need a snail mail address, e-mail me and I'll send it to you.

I tried to keep my list achievable. Of course, world peace is always at the top of my list, but I doubt any of my friends can secure that in the next nine days. Working towards peace would be a great start, along with respecting other cultures and religions, supporting the dreams of your loved ones, and taking care of yourself so that I can continue to know you for many years to come.