Podcast Summary: "Everything’s Perfect…Except It’s the Holiday Special! 🎄"

Podcast: Everything’s Perfect
Hosts: Autumn Calabrese & Donald Stamper
Date: December 23, 2025
Episode: Holiday Special

Episode Overview

In this festive Holiday Special, Autumn and Donald (joined by guest/co-host Kaylee) take a deep dive into their Christmas and holiday experiences, mixing nostalgia and real talk about changing family traditions, handling the holiday blues, navigating solo holidays, food, movies, and the quirks of Christmas pop culture. The episode is laced with humor, honesty, and the duo’s signature candidness, providing plenty of laughs, a hint of pathos, and plenty of “messy middle” moments that fans love.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Reflecting on a Tough Year & Holiday Loneliness (02:00 - 06:00)

• Year in Review:
  Kaylee is blunt about how challenging the year was:

  "No, fuck this year. That's how I feel. I'm done with this year. I say that every. That's been, like, every year for, like, the last four years. And I'm like, come on, 20, 20. One of these years got to be my year." (02:50, Kaylee)

• Coping Solo During Holidays:
  Kaylee opens up about choosing not to travel for Christmas:

  "I’m not doing anything. And honestly, I will say it, because I’m not the only one…I know it can be very, like, lonely and sad." (04:32, Kaylee)
  With her son Dom visiting his father, she plans quietly taking down decor and “making Christmas disappear.”
  Donald supports her with humor and shared experiences — he’s spending Christmas in Puerto Rico:
  "This is the first island Christmas I’ll ever have. I’m really excited. Their Christmas spirit is very different than how I grew up." (06:01, Donald)

Embracing New Traditions & Doing the Holidays Your Way (06:55 - 07:28)

• Being Proactive About Joy:
  Kaylee references a friend, Nell, who inspired her to make her own memories rather than waiting for others:

  "If you sit at home by yourself, you're always going to be by yourself…you have to go do things." (07:12, Kaylee)
  She considers going to Disneyland alone for holiday cheer.

Holiday Food Traditions: Italian Feasts, Chinese Takeout, and Family Cuisine (07:28 - 13:00)

• Christmas Eve vs. Christmas Day:
  For Kaylee’s Italian-American family, Christmas Eve was the big deal, with "Feast of the Seven Fishes."

  "Christmas Eve was always at my grandma’s house…so everything, like shrimp appetizers to linguine pasta with squid in it and calamari. My Grandpa would do an eel...seven different fish." (09:18, Kaylee)

• Christmas Day Dinners & Traditions:
  Both recall lasagna, ham, and sometimes steak, with pasta more prominent for Christmas than Thanksgiving.

• New Traditions:
  Donald mentions wanting to make duck or goose one year and considers the classic "Chinese food for Christmas" as in Bad Moms Christmas (12:06 - 12:24).

Notable Quote

“I think part of the fun is...what is this? And I have another one…there was usually, like, one bigger present that wasn’t wrapped under the tree. And then all his other presents were wrapped. Also, my kid is smart…and was like, mom, this handwriting looks like yours. And I was like, you’re seven. Shut up.” (25:10, Kaylee)

Holiday Treats & Sweet Nostalgia (13:05 - 15:15)

• Unique Treats:
  Donald fondly remembers homemade popcorn balls (13:05), and Kaylee talks about pizzelles and frosted Italian cookies, mainstays in her family (13:54 - 15:02).

• Neighborhood Traditions:
  The warmth of community and visiting family homes where these treats were always available.

Christmas Decorations, Real or Fake Trees, Ornaments and Tree Toppers (15:25 - 19:41)

• Decor Discussion:
  Both share stories about colored and clear lights, making ornaments as kids, popcorn garlands, and tinsel (16:47, 17:11).

• Tree Topper Struggles:
  Debating between angels, bows, and stars, with input on practicality and family tradition:

  “That's actually why I like the bow. The bow doesn't go on...It's a twist tie that wraps around it so you're not trying to...Everything else star, all those things, they don't stay on top.” (18:53, Kaylee)

Santa, Childhood Discovery & Parenting The ‘Magic’ (21:00 - 27:16)

• When the Magic Ended:
  Kaylee, as the youngest with older siblings, learned Santa wasn’t real very early:

  “I was probably only four, five...my dad and my sister...talking about Santa not being real because they thought I was asleep...I flipped over and I was like, Santa’s not real!” (21:00, Kaylee)

• Funny, Painful Reveals:
  They recount kids discovering hidden Easter baskets, leading to a domino-effect of lost magical figures.

  “And then it hit him like dominoes. And they were like, wait, does that mean Santa’s not real? And we’re like, well…well, okay. Well, I guess your childhood just ended.” (23:24, Kaylee)

• Parenting Tactics:
  Discussion about how to differentiate gifts “from Santa” (handwriting, wrapping paper, etc.) and the existential moment when kids figure it out (25:26).

• Religious Overcorrection:
  Donald recalls a time when his family saw Santa as a “devilish” distraction:

  “My mom is embarrassed about this now, but she said that Santa Claus was just basically like Satan’s claws gripping the truth in life out of Christmas.” (27:11, Donald)

More Traditions: Shoes in the Hallway for St. Nick, Elf on the Shelf (27:55 - 30:37)

• Catholic School Memories:
  Putting shoes out for St. Nick to fill during school (27:55, Kaylee).

• Elf on the Shelf:
  The modern tradition’s timeline, its initial joy and eventual parental fatigue:

  “At first it was...the best gift ever given to parents…Then it became a nightmare because you could get your kids to behave for a solid three months.” (29:41, Kaylee)

The Ultimate Christmas Movie Countdown (30:53 - 46:44)

Hosts’ Top 10 Christmas Movies (Samples and Standouts, with Timestamps)

1. Kaylee’s #10: A Christmas Story (31:11)
2. Donald’s #10: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (31:14)
3. Classics & Wildcards:
   • Muppet Christmas Carol (Donald, 34:00)
   • The Santa Clause (Kaylee, 34:07; Donald’s #6, 38:17)
   • National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation ("the shitter’s full" scene, Kaylee, 35:52)
   • Die Hard (Donald’s #7, 36:15; Kaylee’s #5, 38:25; long-running debate—Christmas movie or not?)
   • Home Alone (Kaylee’s #7, 36:28; Donald’s #2, 45:01)
   • Elf (Kaylee’s #4, 41:42; Donald’s #1, 45:43)
   • Christmas musical classics: White Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life—plus candid admissions that neither has ever seen Miracle on 34th Street.
   • Kaylee throws in Daddy’s Home 2 (“Can we go to IHOP? The little girl’s drunk. It’s so good.” 44:45) as her surprising #2 pick.

Notable Quote

“I would have paid all my dollars…I would have sold every feet pick that it took to be first front and center.” (60:49, Kaylee, on her devotion to seeing an NSYNC reunion over Backstreet Boys)

Christmas Music: The Good, The Meh, and The Playlists (50:29 - 60:54)

• Debating Holiday Hits:
  The duo react to the biggest Christmas playlist staples:

  • “All I Want for Christmas is You” (Mariah Carey) – universally acknowledged, not enthusiastically sought out but never skipped (51:20).
  • “Last Christmas” (Wham!) – “When I resonate with the fucking song, I guess I like it more.” (53:51, Kaylee)
  • “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree,” “Santa Baby,” “White Christmas,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” etc.—both hosts sing, fumble lyrics, and bicker over personal favorites.

• Personal Song Shoutout:
  Donald briefly plugs his own original holiday single:

  “I have a Christmas song…it’s called ‘Santa, If You’re Listening’…because I wrote it and it reminds me of family and stuff I might listen to at any point if I want to lift my spirits.” (52:47, Donald)

• NSYNC & Nostalgia:
  Mutual love for NSYNC’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” (59:47) and laments that Backstreet Boys reunited before NSYNC did.

Navigating The Holidays Alone & Embracing Imperfection (63:35 – 63:57)

• Reassurance for Solo Listeners:

  “If you are alone this holiday season, you’re never alone. You are always here with us.” (63:40, Kaylee)

• Encouragement to Find Your Own Fun:
  Donald: “Make a duck. Never done it.” (63:55), Kaylee: “Duck, duck, goose.” (63:58)

• Looking Ahead:
  Teasing next episode about New Year’s resolutions and the next “challenge.”

Highlights & Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “One of these years got to be my year. Listen, I know every year is always going to have some ups and downs, but this one really felt the need to kick me repeatedly while I was down.” — Kaylee (02:50)
• “We made it. It’s Christmas.” — Donald (04:19)
• “If you sit at home by yourself, you’re always going to be by yourself. You have to go do things.” — Kaylee (07:12)
• “I am not Uncle Bobby. I love the recipe’s really easy. Maybe I’ll do it for our Sunday dinner.” — Kaylee (11:49)
• “That's actually why I like the bow…Everything else—star, all those things—they don't stay on top.” — Kaylee (18:53)
• “Santa Claus was just basically like Satan’s claws gripping the truth in life out of Christmas.” — Donald (27:11)
• “At first it was...the best gift ever given to parents…Then it became a nightmare because you could get your kids to behave for a solid three months.” — Kaylee, on Elf on the Shelf (29:41)
• “I would love for [NSYNC] to get back together, but instead, we got…98 Degrees.” — Donald (60:54)
• “If you are alone this holiday season, you’re never alone. You are always here with us.” — Kaylee (63:40)

Structure and Flow

• Warm, relatable banter dominates, with topics moving organically from food and family to music and movies.
• Periodic “top ten” lists energize the episode, complete with good-natured debates and laughter over rankings.
• The hosts’ vulnerability in discussing holiday blues, family changes, and the imperfect reality of celebrations keeps the episode authentic and inviting.
• The episode closes with listener engagement prompts (sharing favorite songs, movies, and traditions), and a teaser for a New Year’s resolutions discussion.

If You’re Short on Time: Important Segments

• Coping with a hard holiday/solo Christmas: 02:00 – 06:05
• Holiday food nostalgia & new traditions: 07:28 – 13:00
• Revelations about Santa & family honesty: 21:00 – 27:16
• Christmas movies countdown: 30:53 – 46:44
• Christmas song rapid-fire: 50:29 – 60:54
• Words of encouragement for solo listeners: 63:35 – 63:57

Tone & Takeaway

Light-hearted, honest, occasionally salty, always affectionate. Autumn and Donald bring real-life messiness, a healthy dose of humor, warm nostalgia, and encouragement to make the holidays your own, perfect—or not.

Listener Assignments

• Share your favorite Christmas songs, movies, or unique family traditions with the show via email or social (@everythingsperfectofficial).
• Tune in to the next episode for a deep dive into goals and resolutions for 2026.

Everything’s Perfect proves that “perfect” is overrated—especially during the holidays.