Podcast Summary: "The Lautners: A Squeeze-mas Special"

The Squeeze
Host: Taylor Lautner (Tay Lautner)
Co-host: Taylor Lautner (actor, Tay's husband)
Release Date: December 24, 2025

Overview

In this festive "Squeeze-mas" special, hosts Tay and Taylor Lautner celebrate the season by reflecting on holiday traditions, memorable moments, and mental health growth over the past year. They engage in warm, sometimes hilarious, Christmas trivia and invite past guests (including notable celebrities) to share their own holiday experiences and traditions. The mood is light-hearted and cozy, overflowing with nostalgia, laughter, and genuine encouragement for listeners (“Lemon Drops”) to create their own meaningful holiday intentions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Reflections on the Year & Mental Health Growth

• Season Recap & Gratitude:

  • Tay and Taylor celebrate the end of their third season, having produced over 150 episodes.
  • Tay acknowledges feeling the year flew by and expresses gratitude for the community.
  • “Thank you, Lemon Drops. We’ve done over 150 episodes, which is actually kind of crazy to think about.” – Host (01:37)

• Reliving a Year with New Wisdom (Citrus Got Real):

  • Tay (Host) and Taylor are asked what year they'd relive with their current knowledge. Both choose pivotal years that shaped them through adversity.
  • Tay: 2021, after leaving nursing during COVID, was a turning point for her mental health and growth.
  • Taylor: 2012, referencing a time of personal struggle and rejection, now seen as transformative.
  • “[2021] was when I really left the hospital. That was when all of the things really started happening. So probably makes sense.” – Host (03:19)
  • “I’d probably go all the way back to, like, 2012 … felt the most rejected and, like, unwanted, now that I have the knowledge that I am and … made it through and I’m here.” – Taylor (04:09)

Setting Intentions for the New Year

• Choosing a Phrase or Word for 2026:
  • Tay encourages listeners to pick a word or phrase to guide their mindset for the new year.
  • Hers: “I can do hard things.”
    • She wants to challenge herself professionally and personally, seeking further growth and healing.
    • She suggests writing down intentions or setting calendar reminders to stay focused throughout the year.
  • Taylor jokingly (but perhaps not entirely) picks: “I can do easy things” and “I can do harder things.”
  • “I’m going into this new year with the phrase ‘I can do hard things.’ … I want to challenge myself … personally and professionally. I’m excited for a challenge.” – Host (07:09)

Lautner Christmas Traditions & Trivia

• Favorite Holiday Traditions:

  • Pajama exchange on Christmas Eve, a tradition from Taylor’s family.
  • His mother’s elaborate year-in-review scrapbooks (which took years to complete).
  • New tradition together: gifting one another ornaments commemorating the year.

• Tree Preferences:

  • Taylor is nostalgic for real Christmas trees (from Michigan days), but they’ve mostly used a fake tree in California.
  • Both muse about possibly making the switch to a real tree next year for the experience.

• Holiday Foods & Memories:

  • Taylor’s holiday special: prime rib roast.
  • Tay treasures her grandmother’s mashed potatoes and mother’s butternut squash soup.
  • Both love Christmas cookies, with a soft spot for sugar cookies (specifically those with Reese’s or Hershey’s Kisses in the middle).

• Christmas Songs:

  • Taylor’s pick since childhood is “Feliz Navidad” – even without understanding all the words.
  • Tay enjoys Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, and Mariah Carey (noting Mariah for the “beginning of Christmas” vibes, Buble for winding down).

• Other Fun Traditions:

  • Matching pajamas: Yes!
  • Movie Traditions: Santa Claus is Taylor’s must-watch, while Tay loves The Grinch.
  • Ornament exchanges, quiet staycations, and whimsical mentions of accidental late take-downs of Christmas decorations (March!).

• Gift-Giving Styles:

  • Both pride themselves on keeping gifts a surprise; Tay’s mom struggles, often blurting out details out of excitement.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “We can do hard things.” – recurring sign-off and encouragement from both hosts (24:25, 25:26)
• “I’d probably go all the way back to, like, 2012. … Now that I have the knowledge that I am [wanted], and I made it through and I'm here.” – Taylor (04:09)
• “My phrase heading into the new year is ‘I can do hard things.’” – Host (08:17)

Christmas Q&A with Celebrity & Special Guests

(Full names were not specified, but voices and context suggest high-profile guests including Pete Davidson, Heidi Klum, and others—each sharing unique family traditions.)

Guest 1 (possibly Pete Davidson)

• Favorite Tradition: Decorating the tree and telling stories tied to each ornament with family (26:52).
• Holiday Food: Wife’s pumpkin chocolate chip cookies ("I’m gonna send some to your house!" – 27:38).
• Song: “O Holy Night” (28:15).
• Pajamas: This year: spouse-matching, kids “independent” (28:27).
• Tree Setup: Details an elaborate system for Saran-wrapping and storing entire decorated trees (29:03).
• Wish List: New bowling ball and bag (30:19).
• Shopping Style: Spreadsheet master for family budgeting (31:19).
• Cookie Preference: Gingerbread over sugar (32:17).
• Most Excited about: Hosting Christmas in a new house; “It’s not your house until you have the holidays there” (34:54).

Guest 2 (Alex)

• Tradition: Making egg rolls on Christmas Eve—a quirky Italian-American tradition from her family (35:15).
• Holiday Food: Costco croissants (“goodbye French patisserie!”), family lasagna (38:42).
• Best Gift: Taylor-brand guitar treasured since childhood (36:57).
• Least Favorite Food: Turkey, finds it bland—“Maybe I’m a ham girl” (42:49).
• Music: Prefers classic crooners (Buble, Frank Sinatra) and Josh Groban ("if you want to cry", 43:34).
• Wish List: Cherished family time in a new home (45:40).
• Christmas Films: Deep love for The Grinch and Elf (49:00).
• Decorating: Supportive of pre-Thanksgiving lights for a festive mood (49:44).
• Gift Surprises: Self-admitted weak secret-keeper due to excitement (50:46).
• On Mariah vs. Buble: Mariah opens and closes the season; Buble “carries us through” (51:21).

Guest 3 (possibly Heidi Klum)

• Tradition: Family fondue with meats (not just cheese/chocolate) on Christmas Eve (52:20).
• Holiday Food: Utah-style funeral potatoes ("cheesy potatoes that are diced up … you'd love it" – 52:56).
• Least Favorite: “Great stuffing” (Thanksgiving side – “I need more bready!” 53:16).
• Music: Ariana Grande's Christmas album (“Is everyone gonna judge me for that?” – 53:42)
• Matching Pajamas: Yes, absolutely (53:56).
• Tree: Real, cut themselves in Utah (54:35).
• Wish List: Spray tan machine—plans to teach her partner how to use it (54:20).
• Gift Surprises: Loves keeping gifts a surprise, opposite of her husband who can’t hold in the secret (57:12).
• Film/Decor: Star on the tree; holiday decorating starts after Thanksgiving for her (56:41, 56:48).
• Most Excited About: Being home with friends and family after months away (57:32).

Notable Segment Timestamps

• Season Reflection & Mental Health: 01:23–04:18
• Setting Intentions for 2026: 05:08–09:09
• Lautner Holiday Traditions: 09:54–13:01
• Christmas Song Preferences: 14:11–15:13
• Rapid-Fire Guest Q&A (Pete Davidson): 26:47–34:54
• Guest Q&A (Alex): 35:11–52:09
• Guest Q&A (Heidi Klum): 52:20–57:32

Memorable Moments & Listener Takeaways

• Tay’s encouragement to “set intentions” for the new year and revisit those intentions monthly.
• Taylor’s vivid recounting of keeping the Santa myth alive for his sister—including faking “Rudolph” flying by (19:16).
• Recurring theme: family time and creating traditions (from elaborate scrapbooks to homemade egg rolls or fondue).
• Comedic debates over real vs. fake trees, the “correct” time for Christmas lights, and gift-wrapping mishaps.
• Guests sharing unique, sometimes surprising, family traditions (egg rolls, Italian food, funeral potatoes).
• Light-hearted reminders that joy, presence, and togetherness trump any one tradition or gift.

Conclusion

The Lautners wrap up season three of The Squeeze with warmth, humor, and heartfelt reflection. They (and their guests) invite listeners to embrace their own unique traditions, set gentle intentions, and savor the magic of being together—reminding all that “we can do hard things.” The episode is both a loving conclusion to the year and a pep talk for whatever comes next, filled with relatable moments, encouragement, and the deep sense of connection that defines the best of the holiday season.

Closing Quote

“We can do hard things.” – Tay & Taylor Lautner (24:25, 25:26)

For listeners:
Expect to feel uplifted, inspired to cherish your traditions—or start new ones—while also feeling equipped to head into the new year with hope and a little more self-compassion. This Squeeze-mas Special truly offers the comfort that you are not alone, whatever your lemons may be.