It's worth a try.

It has come to my attention that Christmas is around the corner.
I have made my wish list easier for you all this year: don't buy me anything.
INSTEAD....

Donate money to www.worldvision.org or www.fmsc.org or www.invisiblechildren.com.
That would be awesome. Seriously.

Then, if you absolutely must buy me something tangible, get me a CD.
Okay, I hope that's easy enough.