Nicole Richie and Joel Madden enjoyed their L.A. afternoon shopping together without little Harlow today.

The couple held hands and stayed very close to one another, looking very much in love!

Nicole and Joel are currently preparing to host UNICEF’s 2008 Beverly Hills Snowflake Lighting ceremony scheduled for Friday at the intersection of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard.

The ceremony highlights the City of Beverly Hills’ “Light the Night” annual holiday event where the UNICEF Snowflake and the 20 Baccarat chandeliers that grace Rodeo Drive are illuminated to kick off the holiday season.

Joel was named UNICEF’s newest Goodwill Ambassador back in July during CNN’s broadcast of The Survival Project: One Child at a Time. His first field visit as an ambassador is scheduled for the fall. Nicole is also no stranger to social and humanitarian causes as she and her babydaddy recently formed the Richie-Madden Children’s Foundation, a charity which provides funding to groups focused on improving pediatric health, education and human rights, both domestically and abroad.

[Fame]