1. Reuse last year's cards by replacing names and sending them to your friends. This can be justified by pretending you care about the planet.

2. Wrap something your brother doesn't know he has already and pretend you bought it for him (tip from Jed who does this with his human)

3. Give gifts you want that you know the other won't want. (tip from my cats who always buy tuna for the man human)

4. Use newspaper to wrap gifts. (caring for the planet, blah blah blah)

5. Give donations to a charity instead of gifts. Especially good idea if the charity is yours. (Tweak's wine fund)

6. Attend as many Christmas parties (invited or not) to save on food and drink bills.

7. Re-gift things you got last year that you didn't like. Be careful not to gift it to the person who sent it to you. Keeping a log of unwanted pressies is advised.

1 lb butter (can use margarine if ya likes)
1 cup Berry Sugar (much finer den regular white sugar)
4 cups of flour

Cream butter and sugar together gradually. Add da flour a bits at a time. Knead dat dough real well until it has like little cracks in it when ya punch it. Dis is hard work. I thinks it should be a Olympic sport....but it be worth it in da end! I guess if ya gots a cookie making machine you could use dat too!

Divide da dough and roll into tubes for slicing about da size you want da cookie. You could roll da dough out and use a cookie cutter if ya wish. I likes to make some little stars. I roll dem in extra icing sugar and add a lil sliced almond on top.mmm....but Da roll cylinders is way faster for da rest. Puts dough in da fridge to chill awhile. Den slice and bake. If ya likes you can add a bit of dried fruit or cherry in da middle of da cookie to makes dem festive.

Oh da baking is da tricky part. The shortbread cookies will burn if ya don’t keeps an eye on dem...usually its about 15-20 mins but maybe test your oven out fer a small first batch. Temp 350F

Store in an airtight container. EAT and Be Merry xoxo