What do Christmas songs, a simple harbor-style cod dish, and people of very different beliefs have in common?

In this episode of Layer by Layer Go!, we gather everyone around the same table for The Perfect Christmas Party — a warm, thoughtful, and surprisingly practical look at what makes Christmas resonate across cultures, religions, and even non-belief.

We explore the real origin stories behind classic Christmas songs like Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Silent Night, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and O Holy Night — not just what they mean, but how they were born and why they still move us.

Along the way:

• We talk sensation, memory, and longing in songwriting
• We bring food to the table with Chef Whiskers’ Golden Harbor Cod
• We look at how Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Scientology, atheism, and more peacefully coexist during the Christmas season
• We close with a grounded, hopeful reflection on how Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all humanity might actually be possible in 2026

This episode is calm, inclusive, practical, and deeply human — the kind you finish feeling a little warmer than when you started.

Pull up a chair.
The table’s big enough.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Opening: The Big Table
00:40 – Meet Donnie Dawg (The Host)
01:05 – Meet Melody the Muse (Music & Story)
01:25 – Jingle Bells (Origin & Sensation)
02:23 – Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
02:48 – The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
03:17 – White Christmas
03:45 – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
04:16 – My Favorite Things
04:32 – Away in a Manger
04:43 – We Three Kings
04:54 – Silent Night
05:13 – O Holy Night
05:44 – Meet Bubba the Silly Squirrel
06:13 – Meet Whiskers the Kitty Chef
06:36 – Recipe: Golden Harbor Cod
07:54 – Meet Dreamweaver, the Wise Owl
08:02 – How the World’s Beliefs Welcome Christmas
09:04 – Dreamweaver’s Journaling Prompt
09:32 – Meet Fairlite (Mediator & Closing Perspective)
10:25 – Close: Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All
Total Runtime: 10:41

In this warm and uplifting Season 3 opener, we slow down for a simple Christmas moment — sugar cookies, childhood traditions, a little holiday history, and a reminder of what makes real human creativity so powerful in a world full of artificial noise.

You’ll learn the surprising origins of Christmas cookies, get a classic homemade sugar cookie recipe you can bake tonight, and hear the story behind the best-selling Christmas song of all time — “White Christmas.” And inside that story is the heartbeat of this entire season:

AI can imitate a voice… but only humans create traditions.
Only humans create meaning.
Only humans create Christmas.

Layer By Layer GO! Season 3 begins right here — with warmth, humanity, and the spark only you can bring into the world.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Opening
00:28 – Holiday Music Thought
00:54 – History of Christmas Cookies
02:12 – Homemade Sugar Cookies
03:44 – White Christmas Fun Fact
05:16 – Journaling Prompt
05:37 – Outro

This week on Layer By Layer GO!, we wrap up the Smooth & Easy trilogy with an episode I’ve been itching to create — The Wall of Don. Today, we’re going deep into the lineage, the legends, and the production DNA behind my vision for finishing “Smooth & Easy” at the next level.

In Episode 22, The Spark, we opened the vault and brought an old idea back to life.
In Episode 23, Laying the Lyrics, we shaped the words and the story.
And now, Episode 24 brings everything together.

We’re exploring the iconic producers whose vocal layering shaped generations — Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, 10CC, Roy Thomas Baker, Mutt Lange, and Donnie Iris — before turning the spotlight onto what I’m building now: a massive, modernized vocal production philosophy I’m calling The Wall of Don.

Plus: two festive holiday kitchen goodies, a life lesson about layering your life, and a journaling prompt to help you see the big picture of your own creative journey.

Full recipes for today’s dishes are available at:
👉 https://LayerByLayerGO.com/recipes

00:00 – Intro
01:43 – Part 1: Recap — Where we left off
02:54 – Part 2: The Lineage of The Wall of Don
03:16 – Phil Spector
03:58 – Brian Wilson
05:20 – 10CC
05:39 – Roy Thomas Baker
06:06 – Mutt Lange
06:34 – Donnie Iris
06:52 – And then… Me
07:24 – Part 3: Required listening
08:15 – Part 4: Smooth & Easy — The Dream
08:41 – Scrumptious Holiday Goodies
09:16 – Homemade Egg Nog
10:17 – No-Roll Pumpkin Pie
12:02 – Life Lesson: Layer your life
12:30 – Journaling prompt
13:06 – Outro

Total Time: 13:29

Layer your life.
Just like great vocal stacks, your life becomes richer when each layer is intentional — your habits, your goals, your relationships, your creativity. Build upward, build outward, and let every layer support the next.

“What is one layer of my life I could strengthen this week — and what would the next layer look like once that’s in place?”

1️⃣ Homemade Egg Nog

A warm, cozy stovetop classic with whole eggs, milk, cream, sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla.

2️⃣ No-Roll Pumpkin Pie

Rustic, easy, and charming — mix the crust right in a reused pie pan, press it with your thumbs, and mix the filling in a bowl. Pour, bake, and enjoy.

Full written recipes here:
👉 https://LayerByLayerGO.com/recipes

If you enjoyed today’s episode, consider supporting my work at:
👉 https://coff.ee/layerbylayergo

Your support helps keep the podcast growing layer by layer.