You might have noticed a few hints on television, in print ads or in retail stores that Christmas is coming. We hesitate to say “just around the corner,” but nonetheless the busiest shopping time of the year seems to arrive earlier each year.

And, as has been the tradition for a number of years, this newspaper rolls out its Holidays Cash in the Hills Contest this week. It’s our version of promoting local shopping during the Christmas season. You may have seen the television commercials promoting “Shop Small” Saturday on Nov. 30, sort of the small business industry’s answer to Black Friday.

We have our own local version of that national promotion.

While we don’t normally promote thinking small, we are urging homeowners, winter visitors and others to “think small” this holiday season. Besides the malls and the big box retailers, think about shopping in our smaller stores in the coming days and weeks.

Small business is really the lifeblood of Fountain Hills, and we have many retailers and other merchants who depend on the holiday season for a larger percentage of their annual sales, just like the national retailers.

So check out the holiday ads in our paper this week and for the coming weeks. Check out the smaller shops in town. “Think small” when it comes to holiday shopping – it could benefit you in many ways.