Following a fit of rage in which Lois wrecks the family car, Lois and Hal are strapped for cash for Christmas and resort to declaring that this year all gifts will have to be handmade, not bought. But after receiving beautifully crafted presents from the boys, Hal feels humiliated and loses the courage to present what he has made. Instead, he goes out on a limb spinning a bigger and bigger lie about a nonexistent mystery present he has in store...