Look Out World! We Have A High Schooler!

Dave and I are really proud of Mason. He let things slip toward the end of the school year and found himself having to really hustle to be able to promote with his friends from middle school to high school. He had 18 days to raise some seriously low grades. Keep in mind, they were only low because he wasn’t doing some of the work and some of the work he did and didn't turn in to his teachers for credit! Who does that? I cannot process the ides of it, to me it's like showing up at work and not collecting one's paycheck. We made an appointment with the school principal and reviewed his situation and she assured him if he met with his teachers and buckled down and did the work he could make it happen. I'm very proud to say he did it! He worked really hard, he worked with his teachers, he spent lunches making up runs in PE and math assignments he missed, he did some extra activities and he promoted today. I can’t believe we have a high-schooler. LOL! Next up, drivers education!

Mason's last day of school celebration is wakeboarding with his friends. Do you think they had fun? Here comes summer!

Kid Entrepreneurs Making a Difference

Many of you know that Mason has started an Entrepreneur Club at his school. There are kids in grades 6-8 in the club and it's been super fun hearing their ideas and watching them take action to make their own money. Mason was asked to put something together for the Kids Expo so we put together a panel of young entrepreneurs for a Q&A on Saturday at the expo. TJ who is the young founder of the expo, Layla and Mya who have a business called Suga-Babes body products and of course, Mason with Mason Made Products.

They did the media rounds leading up to the big day with Morning Blend with Mark S. Allen on ABC News 10 on Friday, and then Saturday morning they appeared on Good Day Sacramento. These kids are AMAZING!! Really, they are learning and growing at such a rapid pace, speaking more articulately and presenting themselves as polished and professional with each new appearance. The day of the expo, they answered questions and were spot on with the correct information and advice. I am so proud to be on this journey with Mason and I love seeing other kids making these impressive strides as well.

Listening to the news and hearing all the negative news, it's easy to think that this world is going to hell in a handbasket, but I'm here to tell you, we are raising young people who will make this world a better place, heck, not will, they are making this world a better place right now.

While Mason was making the media rounds I was hearing people say, "Mason is so well spoken. He really has a gift for speaking and being on camera. He's a natural." I agree with most of that, the part about being a natural reminds me of how often people will note that someone is an overnight success, someone who has been playing or performing for years! Mason is a "natural" who has been practicing being on camera since he's been 8 years old. He's 14 now, so that's six years and over 130 videos on Youtube that make him naturally experienced! LOL! I have been feeling more and more proud of Mason and I see him finding wild success in his life.

I Want Success For You!

Has it really been a year?

It's hard to believe that it was a year ago this week that Mason made his national television debut on The Steve Harvey Show. It was a fun excursion for Dave and Mason as I was on my own adventure with Lisa Anderson in NYC. It's amazing to me that we get to live this life, yes, I work hard for it, I earn it to be sure, but I also know that I have people on my team who root for me, help me when I need a hand, and encourage me to go for it when I'm not so sure of myself. I look around and see bullies in the world, not just middle school kids, but full grown adults, and I think to myself, how awful do you have to feel about yourself to pick on others, and even worse, adults who bully children? When Mason is struggling with middle school drama, I remind him that it doesn't end with middle school, or high school, or college, or the workplace, or, or, or... The fact of the matter is that there always will be people in this world that not only find joy in hurting others but thrive on chaos and pain. It's sad but true. I advise him to do his best to eliminate these kinds of people from his life and when he can't, he's best off to not engage in the drama. Be forthright, honest, & practice the golden rule and things should work out just fine. Who was I talking to, him or me?

With that said, let me tell you I want to see you succeed. Not just reach the goal, reach far beyond what you can even imagine is possible. You see, it's not you OR me, it's you AND me, there is more than enough for all of us.

Enough of what you ask? Enough jobs, enough opportunities, enough open doors, enough leading roles, enough first places, enough abundance, enough prosperity, enough money, enough friends, enough party invites, enough love. It is not necessary to tear down those around you who are seeing success, stand up and cheer for them! Maybe if you stand up for them, you can stay on your feet and take the action you need to see what you want to come to fruition. If you do, I'm already standing and taking action, but I will cheer for you, I will cheer as loud as I can and say, "I'm so glad you are making this happen for yourself, how can I help you?" I will be there for you, lifting you up so you can do the same for someone else. What a wonderful world this would be if more people could see the good. I see the good, I see you. 

Rough Start, Happy Ending!

This week started with me feeling so, so tired and beat up - dare I say defeated? I’m not always sure how people you thought were your real friends can be mean, without even an inkling that an apology would mean so much. Maybe it's because they aren't sorry and don’t value the relationship as much as I do. I’m writing this and realize it’s not my best form, but man, I'm really hurt. Suffice it to say that the friendship clearly meant much more to me than it did to them. It's likely that this is far more about them and what they are going through in life, but it baffles me when people just drop friends and loved ones for words and acts that a simple, sincere apology could mend. Sometimes you just want "the way it is" to not be the way it is. But sadly, it is.

At the same time, a small group of us in this community organized a project for backpacks for kids going back to school who may not have what they need. To give so much money and time to a project that is intended to help so many and those who say they are in need can't even keep the appointment to meet you and collect what was put aside for them. That’s unbelievable to me. Would that person/those people who didn't get picked have shown up? Really? I think I need to start new tomorrow and hopefully my rose colored glass will be clean and clear for a new week.

Things perked up when Mason and I got invited to go stay overnight in Monterey and see the Bobby Bones stand up comedy show. For those of you who don’t know who he is, he’s a syndicated radio host on country radio stations. He has a great story and is really funny. Mason and I enjoy listening to him in the morning on the way to school. Tanya invited us to join her and her son Jakary and the four of us had the time of our lives! Bobby was funny, really funny, and so authentic. There were so many “best parts” of the night, we had great seats, 3 of us in the 2nd row and Jakary in the front row, we got to meet Bobby and take pictures, but the best part of the night was at the end of the show, Bobby asked Jakary to come on stage with him. He spent a good 3 minutes interviewing him - it was off the hook amazing! The night wrapped up with Mason taking some serious initiate making me so proud of him. Walking up to exit the theatre after the show, Mason picked up as much trash as he could carry and asked the other 3 of us to do the same. We did. Just being helpful without being asked, that’s one of those moments when you get a glimpse into who your kid is becoming and who they likely are when you are not with them. It was the perfect way to end the week. Look for the good, expect the best and I bet more often than not, you will get it. 

The OC Fair and SweepsCon17

Last week was pretty epic. Mason and I took a road trip to Southern California where he was scheduled to cook at the OC Fair and we were both booked to speak at the SweepsCon17, a convention for people who Sweep (enter lots of sweepstakes). The drive was long, both ways, but it was so much fun. 

Mason rocked three cooking challenges at the fair, cooking against a MasterChef Junior contestant Sean Le making the best burger, a 4H Master Food Preserver Isbella Vegh making garden omelettes, and Mason teamed up with Liam Waldman finalist from Food Network Star Kids and French Pastry Chef Stephane’ Treand to make the best macaroni and cheese. Talk about a jam packed day! We made time to go with the kids to ride some rides and play some carnival games but then it was time to head back to the room to get some sleep. 

On Friday, Mason and I got to the convention and had a blast sharing our stories. Mine were all about the crazy ways I’ve won so many prizes on the radio through the years, and Mason shared his tips for winning in the culinary arena. Mason has won recipe contests, cooking competitions, and of course, competitions on television. People are always so blown away when they hear Mason speak in front of large crowds. It seems the number one fear for most people is public speaking, and it’s clear that Mason does not suffer from that fear.

On Saturday, Mason and I took the day to just have fun and headed to Venice Beach. It was lovely! It was just about 80 degrees and the water was really warm. Mason had a blast riding in the waves and I just took in some sunshine and the smell of the salt air and the sea. Being at the beach, an ocean beach is just what I needed to rejuvenate my soul. In fact, the long drive home on Sunday was filled with so many ideas for things I want to create and some of the projects Mason and I have been working on for him. And speaking of Sunday, we had to get home because Food Network moved up the air time of Mason’s Guy’s Grocery Games. It aired on Sunday and it was really fun to watch Mason compete. All of those kids are incredible and it’s just such a cool life that they are getting to live. It tickles me pink for Mason to have these experiences at such a young age. Some day he will look back and realize how lucky he really is. All of this speaks to my post last week about getting in the game. If you don’t play, you can’t win, and sometimes winning is simply that you are playing.

Say Yes, Play!!

I won Disneyland Tickets

I’m fine tuning my speech for SweepsCon17 where Mason and I will be speaking later this week. I’m not going to share all of it here, but while preparing this talk, I realized something about the way I live my life. Here’s a little snippet of my speech, see if you can see where I’m going with this. 

Everybody here is a winner so I’m sure you've all been asked, “How do you do it? How is it you're so lucky? You win all the time." You've also all heard, "Oh, I never win. I don't win the lottery, I never win raffles, I don't win anything." You've all heard that right? Well I know I have, and my very first response is "Do you play?" It makes me chuckle, how can you expect to win if you don't play? I won my first contest when I was 12 or 13 years old. I was listening to our local radio station and the DJ said be caller number nine, and I grabbed the phone and I called, and I was caller number nine and I won a cassette tape. Yes, it was that long ago. But what happened that day set in motion a lifetime of winning for me. An opportunity to win was presented and I took it, I played. What was most important about that win was that it was effortless. I heard the announcement and made the instant decision to win the prize. It just takes one win to see that you can win, you do win. From that day forward I was a winner.

But back to the question, “Do you play?” I know you all play when it comes to a sweepstakes or contests, but do you play in life? We all say yes to that entry, or mail this many cards in, or set reminders to enter once each day online…but isn’t life more fun when you play? I say yes! In fact, I say yes a lot. I say yes when invited to a party where I don’t know anyone other than who has invited me, I said yes when asked if I wanted to fill in for someone who got sick and couldn’t go to Vietnam for 2 weeks, and I said yes when my son asked me if he could raise $25,000 to improve his school kitchen when he was just 9 years old. 

To live a full, happy life, I believe you have to participate. Saying yes, accepting invitations, calling the radio station to try to win the prize, jumping off the rock into the lake, agreeing to go on a blind date, renting the bikes to ride, and any number of a gazillion other things that might enrich your life, if even just a little bit. The truth be told, being willing to play will enrich your life by leaps and bounds. Go ahead, say yes and play!

Tough Business, Tougher DIY

This week, I had to turn down one of our favorite cooking demos/fairs as we just can't do it this year - great people to work for. It’s hard to say no to things we love to do especially after the exchange I had with another organization who wants Mason to perform at their fair. It was several communications over the last two weeks that ultimately (with what they were willing to do) would have had me to paying for Mason to cook/perform at their event.

I got the sense that they thought I was being unreasonable asking them to pay for the supplies for the cooking demo and samples. They said it just wasn't in the budget...really, less than $100 isn't in your budget for entertainment? I got a twinge of the possibility that they may say not-so-nice things about Mason Made and the Partaks. Here is how I explained to them where I am coming from and why.

“Let me explain why we ask that the events pay for this. We are not a restaurant, we do not make our livings in the culinary industry. Restaurant chefs will often do live cooking demos, at no charge, as a means of promoting their restaurant(s). They have groceries at their disposal, and they can write those supplies off. They also expect that by promoting their establishment and their brand (if that's the case), they will make more money by gaining new customers. 

Mason is a Chopped Junior Champion - he won the competition on Food Network and people come to see him. He had a woman this weekend who paid to come into KidsExpo to see him in April, and then traveled to the Auburn Spring Home Show to see him cook again - he has many fans who travel to see him in person. I'm sorry we did not coordinate this sooner to be able to really promote and do a video to share on social media, but it is only fair that Mason make something for his talent and performance. The events that hire him use his image, typically use the wording that includes "Food Network," and I'm sure you'll agree, those things are a draw. 

As far as supplies go, it adds up to buy all the things one needs to do a cooking demo even for a small crowd. Even if I bring things from our kitchen/pantry, by the time I purchase what is needed, take time off work, and get Mason to and from an event, I've now paid for him to do your event. I think you will agree that this does not make sense. 

I'm sorry that this is not working out this time, maybe we can plan with more advance for future fairs and properly promote Mason's appearance so as to justify what would likely equate to about $100 (or so) more that what Mason makes as an entertainer.”

This woman put him on her promotional calendar to be there without confirming with me or finalizing our agreement. With that said, the email I received from our other event planner asking if Mason was planning to attend this year is what’s real, they get it.

"I really hope you and Mason have made plans to join us again for the Chef Showcase during the Fair on July 4th. He’s one of our fan favorites and both of you are such a pleasure to work with."

All of this had me ready to throw myself into a hands-on project in the backyard. Dave and I have many things on our list of things to do, but one big project was prepping and paving a 21 x 5 ft area in our backyard. I was determined to complete the job over the weekend while Dave was gone and I did. But not without the help and support from 2 girlfriends. 70 pavers, 112 bricks, 12 bags of sand, and 2 double shots of tequila at the end. My back was shot and I was crazy tired, but I feel like I accomplished so much! Gaining over 100 sf of patio space in a very small backyard is a big deal. It’s not done, but it’s well underway. Have a great week and just get it done, whatever it is, start. You will be amazed how fast your to-do list turns to done!

Happy Mother's Day

On Friday Dave and I worked at Mason’s 7th grade Renaissance Faire. It was really neat, the teachers that organize this each year do a really great job. It is their intention that it be as authentic as possible, they even make it clear that if the kids do not put together a real costume (not a hoodie that says, “this is my costume.”), they cannot attend. My space was the pouches booth in the merchant’s row. They had pre-sewn pouches that the kids had to string twine through the tops and make a double closing draw string. I had two 7th grade interns in the morning, and two in the afternoon after lunch. The kids had to come early and get their training and then they had to help their classmates with the instructions to complete the task. There was a flower head-wreath booth, in addition to jewelry making, braided fabric belts, and embroidery. I was impressed with the games, stilt walking, real chainmail vendors, and jousting! See the photos, it was a really awesome event for everyone who attended. 

This was year 5 for Mason to be cooking at BerryFest. It was great because it wasn’t too hot, but the weather was nice enough that families wanted to be outside. Since it was Mason’s fifth anniversary, he demonstrated how to make strawberry cream and then showed the audience five different recipes they could make with it. The five recipes were, a parfait, little strawberry pies, a trifle, brownie cheesecake bites, and strawberry shortcakes. He sampled out the trifle that he made with the strawberry cream, fresh strawberries, old fashioned donuts, and whipped cream. It was really good! You can see a bit of his demo on my Facebook page, we did some of it Facebook Live. Oh, and another cool thing, Mason did his first radio interview to talk about BerryFest. They liked him so much, the host coming on after his interview asked him to stay and to do another interview. Not bad, I've always told him he has a face for radio! HaHaHa!

So my Mother's Day was pretty ideal, I slept in a little, I did a bit of light housekeeping, Dave brought me coffee and then Mason and I went to BerryFest. When we got home, we dropped Mason off to play racquetball and Dave and I went to Petes for a drink. After Pete’s, Dave made my favorite dinner, it seems it’s becoming our traditional Mother’s Day dinner, barbecue crab, steamed asparagus, a lobster cake, and a cocktail. Mason finished it off with a strawberry shortcake zested with lime and he added caramel. #SoGood.

Funny story, while eating dinner on the patio an old country song came on, one of our favorites from the day and I grabbed Dave to dance with me. We were doing the horseshoe and Gunner was having no part of it! He was jumping on me and pushing Dave away from me as if to say, "No! She's mine!" We laughed, like that laugh that you share with few people in life. Magical, really, the stuff that makes life amazing. However, the morning did start with Mason being so eager to give me my gift that he was barely able to wait for me to finish shaving my legs! Happy Mother’s Day.

Mason on the Pat Walsh Show

That's A Wrap!

Grayson and Mason (don't mind the makeup residue)

Mason is done shooting the movie. This has been an epic experience on so many levels, mostly because Mason got to see that so many of the things I’ve been saying to him are true. I’ve shared with him how casting works, what producers and directors expect from talent, and proper etiquette through the casting process and on set. This shoot was not a big budget production, but it was big enough for Mason to note, “If this is how it is making movies, I want to make movies for a living!” I assured him there are all kinds of opportunities and sometimes the smaller productions offer more to new talent. I think that was true in this case. 

Even more interesting, Mason got to see what happens when talent behaves badly. I’ve worked diligently to impress upon him to be on time (early), to be willing to do whatever it takes, to listen more than he talks (we both struggle with that one), and to bring light and positivity to the set. Not only did we see someone “released” from the production, but we also met someone who everyone loved! Grayson Russell is a talented young actor (started at 8 and just turned 18) and to say he was a joy to meet and work with wouldn’t do him justice. You might know Grayson from his role as the young son of Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, or as Fregley in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films. He was just so polite, friendly, and genuinely interested in every one he met, including Mason. An amazing role model for sure! Good job mom, although I know, some of it is what we do, and some of it is the character of these amazing people we call our sons. 

This impressive and spooky castle is the location where Mason had the experience of a lifetime, Preston School of Industry in Ione, CA. We met amazing people, he got to do a stunt, he had to shave his head, and he got to be made up by real Hollywood makeup artists. I've expressed my gratitude every step of the way and I still feel like I need to say thank you a million more times. I know Mason will make more movies and I can't wait to continue this journey with him. He's a good kid and makes his dad and I proud every day.

So Much BIG News!

Dave and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary last November 9th and Dave bought me Bon Jovi tickets. Not only did he purchase the tickets, he made plans for us to stay in Sacramento for the night. I was such a fun day and night. Some days I have to pinch myself to know my life is real. I am married to a guy who finds so much joy in surprising and spoiling me. I just don't have the words to express how grateful I am and how lucky I feel. I ❤ you David Partak, thank you for loving me like only you can. But wait! There’s more.

Dave didn't want our time "away" to end so he made reservations for Date Night at Bootleggers, one of our favorite local restaurants. Every Wednesday is “Date Night,” it’s $29 for two people, three courses. Ty Rowe dinner was off the hook! The tri-tip with chimichurri was mouthwatering and the chicken Marsala left me wanting to lick my plate - I didn't but that was only because Dave moved it out of my reach before I could. My only complaint is that when I ordered more Marsala sauce, there wasn't any!! 

After Dave and I had such a great date night with Bon Jovi, we've decided to go on an overnight once a month. Sacramento, Apple Hill, Nevada City, Alameda, San Francisco... just something different, and away from the distractions at home. Don't get me wrong, it's really good at home, but plugging in to us is important and it's more fun on an adventure. So now we get to have fun deciding where we should go. There is a treehouse place in Northern CA, and the Safari spot in the Sonoma area... it will be fun, to plan and go! Remember, the best gift you can give your kids is happily married parents. And we stay happily married when we spend a little time without our kids. ❌❤⭕❤❌❤⭕❤

I get pretty consistent requests for Mason to donate a cooking class from different organizations and service clubs. I've always said no because I didn't know if he could actually do it. Since he turned 13, I finally agreed and on Saturday he taught his first cooking class to nine kids.

He taught basics, knife skills, misen place, clean-as-you-go, baked chicken ziti, salad, strawberry roses, a mocktail, and ice cream in a bag. He had a special needs child who he handled like a pro, and got all the kids to eat things their parents assured us they would not eat. It was unbelievable what that kid did. I was pretty blown away.

I was also tired. The class had me donating $40, 23 hours of my time and over 100 miles traveled. I'm not complaining, just evaluating how this all pans out for the future.

So now the big news, Mason just got cast in his first film role! Sally at Forcier Casting, has given Mason an incredible opportunity considering he really has no real film experience. I would say this is what we call in the business, “a big break!” Her coaching and guidance have been invaluable to Mason and I'm certain she and her team are contributing to his success in a big way. John Howard Swain and Marsha Mercant, I’m not leaving you guys out! You two are the voices in my head that Mason gets to hear once in a while, too. Okay, all the time, but he may only listen once in a while. This is very exciting on so many levels, I can’t wait to write this journey as it unfolds. 

With all of this cool news, go out and get one step closer to making your dreams come true. Seriously, it feels amazing when things come to fruition. 

You Still Win When You Lose

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday and what a day it was! Of course, if you saw the game, you know what I’m talking about, but that’s not all I’m talking about. Mason had two spots yesterday morning on Good Day Sacramento where he was to share snacks for the big game, and the second spot was food for a crowd. The difference this time is that Good Day came to our house! Well, that made it easier to do the food, but that also meant cleaning, and being camera-ready to go live at 7 AM. Saturday we spent prepping, food and the house. Dave did the majority of organizing a creative menu and so much of the prep on Saturday. Mason helped, but truth be told, Mason didn’t have a fighting chance this time, Dave got so excited about game day food and being on the news, he totally commandeered the whole project. Mason sous-cheffed and showed up to be the front man when the cameras were rolling and I might add, did a fabulous job on both accounts. As you can see from the spots I’ve linked here, we had a massive amount of amazing food. We took much of it to Pistol Pete’s where we watched the game with our friends, it was a fun time, but after a crazy busy Saturday and a 4:30 wake up on Sunday, we were all pretty tuckered out by the end of the game. Congratulations to the New England Patriots! They were down 28-3 with just 20 minutes left in the game and came back to win in historic overtime. As I watched the game, I said to Dave, “Can you imagine how tough it is to keep playing a big game like this while you are having your butt handed to you?” Yeah. I was rooting for Atlanta because they’ve never won a SP, but I kept thinking, come on New England, don’t give up. Tom Brady proved what a leader he truly is yesterday, he didn’t let his team quit and by pushing them, he took them to the win. The Falcons came so close, but they didn’t appear to be over confident, but they just couldn’t match the experience of Brady and a team the the New England Patriots. I can’t say what’s happening in the Falcon’s camp today, but disappointment has got to be running high. 

Watching Mason train for and compete in cooking competitions, I see these same kinds of situations, okay, not the same as the Super Bowl, but significant to Mason and when Mason doesn’t win, he’s not happy. If I could bring the Falcon’s together today, I would tell them what I tell Mason - you won when you got to the game. In the big picture, you were better this year than you were last year so you know you can do it. Will you let this loss make you better or will it make you bitter? This is your choice, and it is a choice. The Falcons lost to a team who has played in more Super Bowls and won more championships, and if you’re going to be beat, be beat by the best. There is a lot to be proud of when you lose, and if you find the lesson’s in the loss, you didn’t really lose - look up, look ahead, and be better. 

With all of this said, Mason is heading into another big competition this week. I can’t share the details yet, but I’ll be sure you all are the first to know when I can. Mason has been studying and practicing and he has what it takes to win. Will the stars line up for him? We’ll see! Happy Monday and I want to leave you with a quote from my hubby this weekend as he was watching Mason practice cooking, “Instructions are for people who lack creativity.” I would have said, “Recipes are for people who lack creativity” as Mason rarely uses one, but either way, Mason is crazy creative and I hope he never loses that electric color of his. 

Mason On Good Day Sacramento Pt. 1

Mason On Good Day Sacramento Pt. 2

Do You Still Feel the Excitement of the New Year?

We are almost half way through January and what do you think? Just another day or are you still rocking the “Fresh Start” vibe that comes with a new year? I’m somewhere in the middle. I think the fresh, new vibe is waning but I still see so much possibility ahead for this year. 

We are told when we are young how fast time flies as we age, boy is that the truth! Last time I checked, Mason was a sweet little boy, playing with trucks and wanting to lick the spoon when I bake a cake. Okay, he wanted to bake the cake, but it was still in a sweet, little boy way. Now he’s more like a man than a boy! I sometimes stop cold in my tracks as I’m looking at this person who is nearly an adult and see, that’s Mason! He still does not have the manly hair that some of his friends are getting, but he speaks so eloquently, and just presents himself in such a way that is not the little boy that I used to know. I’m glad to say he still wants to cuddle with me and he even kissed me good-bye in the office at his school and told me he loved me - out loud as he walked away. People tell me that will stop, but maybe I will get lucky, you all know I tend to be luckier than most. 

So something fun coming this week, the project we did for Johnsonville Sausage in Wisconsin in December will be airing on their website this week, it’s called The Sausage Dome. Here is the trailer, it’s in true Johnsonville form; campy, silly, and fun. Episode one will air later this week (1/12), and Mason’s in episode two that will air on Thursday 1/19. I’ll be posting it on his social media accounts and if I have time, I will send out an email blast. Otherwise, you will see it in next week’s Monday Motivator.

I guess that’s all for now, I will be working this week on my list of things to do to try to get some of my projects under way. I want to start marketing regularly to veterans about using their VA loans to buy a house and get my pipeline back to full. I also think I have the cookbook project idea worked out. I will be mapping out that plan as well. What are your projects and plans for 2017? Do tell and Happy New Year!

Welcome Week #52!

It’s the last week in 2016 and can you believe how fast it went? I know, it’s totally cliche’ to write about how time flies, but it does! I don’t remember that being the case when I was a kid, but Mason said to me half way through this year, “Man mom, time is going so fast!” He was 12, but I suppose when you live a life like his as a kid, it would feel more grown up. Today Mason did his last television appearance of the year in Sacramento. He talked about how to make New Years Eve festive and fun for kids…he would know. 

It’s funny how much things can come around in just a few days. Last week I was really struggling with the whole gift situation that comes this time of year. Mason has been a normal 13 year old and all about what am I getting? It’s been driving me nuts because I want him to be more aware of the spirit of giving and how the magic of Christmas and Santa is really about giving and making other people’s dreams come true. The bottom line is, he’s a kid and as amazing and mature as he is in other realms of life, he’s still a little boy who is loving video games and gaming systems, and he wants more air soft stuff than he can likely use, he wants to go to the movies and he wants to eat crap food, and as his mom I need to just let some of this stuff be. It will pass and I really do not need to worry that he will grow up to be an entitled, selfish human, I don't think that's the case.

While I reflect on our year, how can I feel anything but gratitude? Mason worked a lot this year and by the looks of this last television appearance, it’s showing. After his segment while we were cleaning up, the anchor called to us to say, “In my ear, producer just said, “THAT WAS AWESOME!” that never happens! Good job Mason, you know how to do this and your set looked great!” That’s high praise and even Dave said to me, “Good job Kath, tell John Howard Swain he taught you well…so well, you’ve been able to teach Mason.” 

We were in Chicago in January shooting a pilot for a kid cooking show, Mason did his usual live cooking demos for the Home Shows, fairs, and festivals through the spring, summer and fall. I went to Las Vegas for the licensing show where it looks like I may have landed a gig for my RiverLights Originals art work in 2018, and we came home to get Dave his most favorite of all birthday presents, his Bernese Mountain dog puppy, Gunner. Mason and Dave then went back to Chicago where Mason filmed a spot with Steve Harvey while I was on a girls trip to NYC with Lisa Anderson. No sooner did we all touch down the same day in Sacramento, just two days later, Mason and I were back down in LA to shoot another spot for the pilot show we shot in January. That one will be interesting when it airs in 2017. From there we were back on a plane to Sheboygan, WI where Mason did a job for Johnsonville Sausage. That was a great trip! Not only did we have plenty of down time, we got to meet the good people at Johnsonville, and it looks like there might be more collaborations in the future. That project will likely be revealed next month, so stay tuned! 

Bring all of this full circle with Saturday Thanksgiving surrounded by our friends in the (not so) new house, I turned 50 (how the heck did that happen?!), and we shared another epic Christmas. There just isn’t room for anything in my heart except love and gratitude for this amazing life with my little family. 

Thank you for being on this journey with us, it wouldn’t be the same without you. Happy New Year, may you find this same kind of awesomeness in 2017!

2016 Mandarin Festival is a Wrap!

Another Mandarin festival is in the books! Thank you Gary Gilligan for all the hard work you put into this event and for including me as part of your team. I am honored to run the cooking stage and work with amazing home cooks and professional chefs side-by-side teaching people, having fun, entertaining, and most of all making good food. So many people make this happen, there's no way to thank you all. But just let me say, I'm just so honored to be a part of this event and the group of people who make it happen. It’s interesting to me as I travel the country with Mason as a kid cook, how many people don’t know about live cooking demos. Oh sure, they know Food Network and the celebrity aspect of a culinary show, but it seems that live cooking demos at fairs and festivals is not the norm. I think we are so lucky to be able to do what we do on cooking stages and the more I travel, the more I realize we really do create unique and special culinary experiences for foodies, both novice and professional, and the audiences who sit and watch us.

One more thought on this years festival, I want to congratulate Rachel Griffith for sweeping the recipe contest today at the Mountain Mandarin Festival. For those of you who know, the Griffiths and the Partaks have an ongoing rivalry to see who can win more with the recipes. It's been fun through the years and I could justify that Dave and Mason did not win anything today because I work the cooking stage and Mason mans a booth. However, if I were to do that it would be a complete copout. Rachel also mans a booth at the festival and I'm here to say that it is a challenge beyond belief to prepare a recipe, or two, or three to have at the festival before it opens when they're not due until noon. Rachel did that today and swept the contest winning three awards. Yes, three awards! I believe she won a first, a second, and the Snow's Citrus Court award. Rachel, correct me if I'm wrong. I just want to tell you that I'm so proud of you, you worked really hard, you earned it today and I'm so happy to call you friend. You go girl! Check her out at Polkadot Dinners.

Mason Appeared on The Steve Harvey Show

It's been an exciting week, not only did Dave and I celebrate 15 years happily married, but Mason made his first national network television debut on the Steve Harvey Show. He did a great job and when I posted the link on his social media sites, so many of our friends and his fans commented about what a natural he is on camera. I agree, he certainly has that thing, some call it, "it" but I'm here to tell you, for all the natural ability one may have, the more they practice, the more natural ability they appear to have. Mason has been making videos since he was 9 years old (just turned 9) and here he is having just turned 13. He has 137 videos on his Youtube channel, he's done dozens of live television appearances, 52 live cooking demonstrations (not including the ones he's done on TV), competed in many recipe contests and cooking competitions. He has quite the resume and most of it before he turned 13. I took several years of acting classes, mostly commercial classes and John Swain told us again and again, "If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Keep doing it, and make it look easy." Mason makes it look easy!  Here's his spot if you didn't get to see it air on last Wednesday.



Be sure to follow him on social media, on Facebook he is Mason Made (facebook.com/masonmadeit), and on Youtube, Instagram and twitter he is Mason Partak. There are some new things coming in 2017 so follow along, it will be entertaining to be sure!

In other news, Dave has a new job with the Guard. I'm not sure what his title is but he is heading up a group to advocate for soldiers who have bonus issues. Now keep in mind, Dave has been doing this for years and is only now being recognized for all he knows. He has saved the deal for so many men and women, he deserves a Real Hero award. I know he won't be holding his breath to see anything from the Guard, but I'm here to say, the work he does makes a difference. If you could speak to those he's advocated for, they would tell you as well.

The Mandarin Festival is this coming weekend and Mason will have a booth in addition to two cooking demos. He has a limited number of bottles that he has signed and we have packaged for gift giving. They are just $1 more than normal price, but they are really pretty, ready to deliver to your host or hostess for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas. I'm running the cooking stage and all three of us Partaks have recipes for the festival recipe contest. I'll let you know how that all pans out next week. Have a great week and practice love, it feels better than the other things people are practicing right now.

Happy Anniversary Month

Happy Anniversary Month David Partak! Who could have predicted that for all the fun things and experiences I've won on the radio through the years, the most fun would be you (Circa 1996)? As we approach 15 years married (15 years?!), we laughed earlier this week when we should have been sleeping, we laughed so hard we both cried. The next morning when the alarm went off, we were still giggling through sleepy eyes. There have been a few bumps in the road over the years, but nothing worth talking about. Our union has been easy as far as the marriage gauges go, wouldn't you agree? Way more laughter than tears, and even some of those tears have come with belly laughs. I am grateful every day for you, our marriage, our family, our life, and I'm the first one to say, "I won the lottery when I won this guys heart." 

November 9th is the day (our actual anniversary) and wouldn’t you know it, we have a wonderful gift coming this week. Mason will be appearing on the Steve Harvey Show! Yes! In early October while I was in NYC on a girls trip, Dave and Mason were in Chicago taping the segment. Check your local listings, it will be on NBC. For us, it’s on at 2 PM on channel 3. If you miss it, don’t worry, I will record it and create the segment for his social media channels. Follow on Facebook, that’s where you will see all the updates first. He’s also on Instagram, twitter, and of course at MasonPartak.com. 

I’m celebrating our anniversary month on Facebook and I was going to write something every day, but you all see how crazy our life gets and there just don't seem to be enough hours in each day. This was my post to Dave today:

Today you are not home, not that that is unusual, we know what it means to be separated all too well. People ask if it's hard being apart and the answer is no. We are independent adults, we have separate interests, and in fact, I think our time apart enhances our marriage. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I want to do another 18 month deployment, but a week here, two weeks there, those are just opportunities to miss each other. When we are apart, we not only get to have experiences outside of our family life, we get to appreciate each other a little more. When I was in NY, I had many thoughts about wanting to come back to the east coast with you, wanting to show something to Mason...and coming home is always wonderful. To come home to each other, the boys, our smells, our kitchen, our bed & pillows, it just all feels good. We have stories to share, new things to talk about (Have a Zib Zoob day!), and it just shines a different light on things. I love that we have trust, and we can travel and know the one keeping the home fires burning is doing it with love and the anticipation of the happy homecoming.

I'll leave this post with the memory of your return from an Annual Training or an Arkansas trip (I think). You did everything you could to get home earlier than planned after being gone for 2+ weeks. It was dusk and you walked through the door, took me in your arms and kissed me. You poured a shot of tequila, took my hand and lead me to the kitchen table where you sat down, pulled me on to your lap and drank the shot. You then went on to serenade me with a new Alan Jackson song that had something to do with being happy to be home, your beautiful girl on your lap, and a shot of tequila. Do you remember that? It was in the Aeolia house and it was the corniest, best kind of "I love you" ever! 15 years later you still sing to me, we still dance in the kitchen (not often enough!), and you still drink tequila. I hear new research says it's a probiotic. Laughing! I love you Flower, for as crabby as you can be sometimes, you are equally schmoopy, and show me you love me in ways that no one else could.

*This is clearly not the photo from that memory, there isn't one, but this image shows the love and joy we still feel all these years later. This was in Mexico in 2002

Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween and you all know that this holiday rivals Christmas for Dave and Mason. They go all out decorating and even though we really downsized our landscape real estate with our new house, they did not let that stop them from creating a great display!

Dave and I dressed up as Dorothy and the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz and Mason went as Edward Kenway, a character from one of his video games. We also went to several haunted houses, which I have to say, are not my thing!! I don't like to be scared. It was all fun though, we got compliments all night long and even won a costume contest.

Mason went trick-or-treating with friends and being 13 now, he was able to go with a group without parents. I think if they didn't have cell phones I would not have let him go without an adult. Then I think about how we were as kids, we were out way late and no one worried - we don't live in times like that anymore.

Over the weekend, Mason and I made our fall pumpkin sugar cookies and can I tell you, Mason has made massive improvements in his decorating ability! In fact, you tell me, which cookies did I decorate and which ones did Mason do?

And last but certainly not least, Mason has fully restocked his line of sauces and has them for sale for Thanksgiving and Christmas. He will offer a select number of each sauce with autographed bottles gift wrapped for gift giving. Instead of wine for your Thanksgiving host or hostess, take a bottle or two of Mason Made sauces! Email me or reach out via Facebook to place your order. I will be happy to ship if you will be willing to pay for the flat rate charges.

New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and More!

Mason's View in Chicago

I’m running behind but if y’all could run in my shoes for a week, you would be not only behind, but tired, too! So last time you heard from me, Lisa and I were in NYC having the time of our lives on a girls trip. That was Monday the 10th and on Tuesday the 11th, Mason was back home in Auburn meeting a crazy busy schedule as well. Our family friend Gary picked him up very early to travel to Grass Valley where Mason did several live cooking demos at an elementary school who does a tasting week each year. While Mason and I were out for lunch a number of months ago, the woman who organizes the event recognized Mason from Chopped Junior and asked if he would be a guest chef. Well wouldn’t you know it, the event was the same time I was to be in NYC and Dave could not take him so Gary offered. 

In the meantime, while I’m planning my trip to NYC, the call comes in that Mason has been invited to appear on a national television talk show and needs to leave for Chicago on Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday afternoon? You mean the same Tuesday that he is cooking in Grass Valley in the morning? UGH! So Gary took Mason in the AM and delivered him to Dave by noon so the two of them could catch a plane in the afternoon to Chicago. The two of them had a whirlwind trip and all of us Partaks landed at Sacramento International airport on Thursday, tired and ready to all be home sleeping in our own beds. We made it home, got the laundry in the washer, did the dishes from the cooking demos on Tuesday, paid bills, returned calls, took hot showers, and got a good nights sleep. 

Friday Mason had to practice two recipes as we were putting those clean clothes back in suitcases to head to Los Angeles where Mason is competing in another big cooking contest. It will be televised so I can’t share the details yet, but as soon as we know when, we will share with you. Up, up and away we went and here we are in Burbank, CA and Mason is competing today. Send good vibes our way and I’ll do my best to post on time next week. Happy Monday!

Let it Slow!

Isn't this a pretty gift?

I'm late, I know. But the good news is, things have slowed down a little and I can take a breath and look around to see all the minutia that needs my attention. How is it that I have two escrows that closed (one a week ago Friday and one today) and as I map out my bills, I'm broke again? Really?! Laughing! I know, I know, it's the American way! Hopefully though, as I pay off our bills from our move and the months I went without a paycheck, I will open and close some more transactions and start to rebuild our savings. So one of my favorite parts of my job is giving my buyers the keys to their new home, but sometimes it doesn't work out for me to do it. I would never make them wait for me so when I can't the listing agent will meet them. This happened with my buyers a week ago Friday and I was bummed. As it goes with life, I got to give keys to the buyers of my last listing, so that made up for it...a little. 

"Zoodles" or zucchini noodles made with the spiralizer.

In other news, make sure you are wearing your sunscreen! I have been very diligent about wearing it and I even took a 10 year hiatus from intentional tanning for 10 years (between 30 and 40). I have hounded Dave and Mason to wear it and Mason has been far more receptive than Dave through the years. Dave has been better of late, but this week he gets to go get a painful treatment for pre-cancerous melanoma. As much as we all like to be outside, it is so important to protect our skin, not only with the hope of growing old gracefully, but to prolong our lives and stay healthy.

In other news, Mason has his sauces back in stock and we are prepping some ready-made gifts for the holidays. I'm thinking two bottle sets with a recipe or two and a big bow. He also has a handful of spiralizers (turns vegetables into noodles) in stock, $45 out the door, they make great Christmas gifts! I I need to ship to you, we can work something out. I'll post pictures on his Facebook page as we put them together. 

So now I'm off to wrap up my file and look at all the stuff that needs doing, and there's plenty!