Auburn Ghost Tours

Auburn has an amazing history and we want to preserve all of it for all generations, including that of our dearly departed souls who have stayed on in our little town. Every year we all can’t wait for October! One of our good friends Melany Hall was born and raised in Auburn, she left when she became an officer in the US Army, she traveled the world and came back to Auburn where she is raising her family. She started the Auburn Ghost Tours to share Auburn's rich, spooky history. This year, Dave and I got to participate by telling another part of Adolph Webber's story and I helped by sharing some of the spooky stories of more present day oddities in one particular building in Old Town Auburn. If you are going to be in our neck of the woods in October, try to get tickets and do the tour, it's incredibly interesting and so fun. Even more fun, Mason helped do makeup this year! I so love our little town!

Placer County Youth in Action Awards

Congratulations Mason! Mason was selected as an honoree of the 2019 Placer County Youth in Action Council. He was honored in the category of Community Service and as you all know, he's been proactive from an early age. They went back to him raising over $26,000 for the Alta Vista School Kitchen Project, the upgrades to the kitchen in addition to the construction of a Culinary Science Lab and the reimplementation fo the school garden. They noted that he won Chopped Junior and donated back a portion of his winnings to the Culinary Sciences Lab to purchase groceries to keep teaching kids to cook. They noted that he started an entrepreneur club in the 8th grade and his middle school, EV Cain, and finally, that he was instrumental in the launching of the Placer High School Snowboard Booster Club selling ads on 2019 calendars and then selling the calendars themselves. I know I am biased, but I think this kid is something pretty special. Love you Mason!

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.

Mason Shot His First SAG Film

Okay, this is a total “Proud Mom” moment and it’s going to embarrass Mason so I won’t tag him. HE’S IN THE CREDITS!!! I love seeing my boy’s name on the screen, I think my mascara is running. Thank you Mark for giving Mason this opportunity, sincerely, thank you. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻     It was fun watching Mason do his TV-thing for an episode of Extra Butter earlier this week with Mark S. Allen, Alexa Renee, Kelly Savanna Deaton, and Bruce the VR Evangelist. What an awesome day it was. They were talking all things Ready Player One coming out later this week.

And since we are talking about Mason and show business, one year ago this week, he was spending his very first day on a movie set filming his first movie. #APParition I know editing is darn near done, and I can’t wait to hear when it’ll be out.

This was Mason's first film and it was a doozy! He had to wear white zombie contact lenses, he got to wear and learn how to apply Hollywood makeup, he swam in a creepy 55-degree concrete swimming pool which means he did his own stunt, and he shaved his head! Seriously, this kid is living the dream making movies, but the real question is, whose dream is he living? LOL! Yes, he's living my dream and I am living vicariously through him. With that said, he is also living his dream as well, at least as far as he's been dreaming thus far.

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!

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

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

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!

The "Kids Can Cook" Cooking Stage

The Gold Country Fair was a wild success! The “Kids Can Cook” Cooking Stage was a big hit and all the kids followed through and did their cooking demos. Abby, who is just 6 years old didn’t back out and my oldest newbie Blake, did a great job, too! Ryan and Dylan who are normally shy kids, did their demos and though they were on the quiet side, they followed through and served up some yummy bites for the audience to taste. 

I wanted to do the kids cooking stage because so many people tell me how extraordinary Mason is, and to some degree, I agree. I also believe that Mason has excelled because of the opportunities he’s had and I wanted to give other kids an opportunity, too. What I learned last weekend is that yes, there are other kids who can cook, but I also learned that Mason is extraordinary. He has a gift and he puts on a show (even from his very first demo) that the other kids lack. Yes, he’s gifted, in the kitchen and as a young entertainer and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

Now we have a little lull before the next big push on the cooking stage with the upcoming Auburn Home Show (Sept 30 - Oct 2) and then we go right into developing recipes for the Mandarin Festival (Nov 18-20). Dave is getting a new job with the Guard so his scheduled is in more flux than usual so it’s hard to know what he will be doing with us. I’m hoping he won’t have to be gone as much in December with the new position, but that remains to be seen.

Mason will be a celebrity judge at the Hot Chili Cool Cars event this Saturday in Rocklin and then we are looking at another opportunity with a television show. I’ll keep you posted here, but it you want up to date info as it comes out, be sure to like his Facebook page, that’s where updates are posted first. Have great week with lots of love! Kathy

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

It's Labor Day which to most people just means a day off from work and an opportunity to barbecue. Dave and Mason have been at Pacificon, a game convention in the bay area. Dave has been at a game convention during Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends as long as I've known him and now it's Dave and Mason. There are times when something special comes along that I wish we could go as a family, but for the most part, I look forward to having the long weekend to myself. 

This long weekend I worked, showed houses, ran errands, helped dig out the kitchen cooking stage supplies for the upcoming Gold Country Fair, I took care of a project in the backyard (that one was tricky by myself), got Dave's car washed, cleaned the house, and I took myself out to dinner last night and then relaxed in the hot tub. 

Speaking of the fair, I am running the cooking stage again this year, but the difference is I've got almost all kids doing the cooking demos. How fun is that? I know Mason has something special in his love and ability to perform and entertain, but I think we know this about him because he's had opportunities that other kids don't normally get. I want to give kids the opportunities to do a cooking demo, perform, entertain, and be in the spotlight. It's the perfect venue in that the local fair is smaller in scale and attendance but it's bigger than the stage in their living room. I've got four kids other than Mason, Abbey is the youngest at 6 years old and Blake is the oldest at 15. Ryan is 11 and Dylan is 12 and both have never done anything like this, but they really want to. Who knows how this will all play out, but I think it's really cool that we are creating an environment to empower our local kids. They may not keep cooking and performing, but they are going to move on in life knowing they can do it. I've arranged for each child to not only get rides at the fair, and our good friend Gary has donated Pampered Chef gifts to put in their goody bags as a thank you gift. The Auburn Journal did a story and included each of the kids photos and I will have lots of pictures next Monday after the fair. 

Dave and Mason are on their way home and I have to get the kids recipes formatted and printed for next weekend. I also need to get the schedules put together to be printed. It's going to be a busy week, but hey, what's new about that?! I hope you had a great weekend and as the new week approaches, target one thing you can do to move your dreams forward. It can be as small as starting to play your perfect holidays, or bigger, putting a down payment on your dream vacation for next year. Do it, you won't be sorry!

He Doesn't Want A Kids Menu

Having an accomplished kid cook provides for some interesting experiences dining out. Tonight we were out and the first thing they ALWAYS ask, "Do you think you want a grown-up menu, or a kids menu?" I get it, but it doesn't matter that he's a kid cook (of course they don't know that), he looks more like a teen than a child. Then when he orders, most of the time the server gets that he has a better understanding of food than most kids his age. Not last night. Mason ordered like this, "I would like such-and-such burger, absolutely pink, all the produce, with sweet potato fries with a chipotle aioli please." The server, "Oh honey, are you sure you want pink, you know that's rare? And we don't have chipotle aioli, we have Sriracha, they are the same, I bet you will like it." Mason replied politely, "Yes, thank you, I know pink is rare." he looked at me and rolled his eyes as she walked away. 

My favorite part comes when they ask him how his meal was... "The burger was seasoned beautifully, but well done, absolutely not pink like I ordered. The sweet potato fries were cold, but the mozzarella sticks provided an epic cheese pull! My mom had to take it for me because my arm was not long enough to keep it going. Other than the meal taking a really long time to come out, which is probably why the fries were cold, it was okay." 

I guess I'm just trying to say, if we give our young people a little more credit, listen to them, I bet they will rise to whatever the occasion is and impress the heck out of us adults. #SayYes #EmpowerYourKids#HeDoesntWantAKidsMenu

Just Keep Paddling...

This week has been OFF THE HOOK! I have been so busy getting Mason back on a schedule for school and guess what else? Football! Yep, #52 is back in action. He got the all-clear to play and not a moment too soon. His team really needs kids, so much so that they were in danger of needing to dissolve the team. Mason goes to his first practice tonight and I know it won't be easy. He's been sitting on his butt all summer long eating snacks and playing video games, to say he's out of shape would be an understatement. All the other boys have been practicing for the last few months, so he will have some catching up to do. If I were a good football mom, I would get out there and practice while he does, practice = work out at the park next to his practice field.

In the meantime, I am getting more work. I am still stuck in an escrow from hell (one bad seller/agent, same person can spoil the whole shebang) and all I pray for every night as I close my eyes is, "Dear God, please let all the lender conditions be met so my buyer can finally sign, close escrow, get their house, and I can get paid. Amen." I really shouldn't snivel, I have another one that has been a dream, great people, smooth process and in reality, may pay me before the other one that started before it. Either way, I love what I do and the people I do it with.

Now I gotta run, I have a crazy busy week and I'm setting my intention for no more problems to crop up on that one, you know, THAT one? Yeah, you know. :)

Getting Paid To Blog. Really?

It’s Monday again and I am back from Los Angeles where I attended a blogging conference. As you all well know, I’ve been writing this blog since 1999 although since it started out as a weekly email, I did not know it was a blog. In 2007 I decided to create a web presence for this little weekly journal and was able to collect 60 of the original emails between 2002-2006, while writing an opening post explaining how this all started backdated to 1999. Who would have thought that I should have archived those emails? How could I have known I would (mostly) stay on top of a weekly writing? Oh well, it is what it is and for the most part, Mason’s whole life is documented week by week - that’s cool! 

So the conference was really interesting and I absolutely took a lot away in terms of how bloggers actually make a living writing about everything under the sun. Yes, I met bloggers who write about lifestyle, food, fashion, Disney, and even a Dominatrix! Yep, she blogs about sex and the uh, interesting things people ask her to do to them for money. Writing about sex, and not just love making, her challenges have been even more than most. Can you imagine what kind of images she wants to post, or put on her marketing material? She’s even had servers shut her site down for explicit material, but what? Aren’t there porn sites all over the internet? I digress, the point is, there are many ways to monetize a blog or website, it’s just a matter of building a following and knowing what it is you are really trying to do. The next step is knowing the avenues for revenue, who are they, how do you implement them onto your site, and finally, start waking up to some newfound money in your accounts. Seriously people, it really does happen! Now all I need is an extra 3-4 hours in my already busy days to put these practices into action. Well, not for the Monday Motivator, I’ve concluded that this blog is okay just going to those of you I know and maybe a few people here or there who find it. It’s awfully personal and since it has so much of Mason’s life in it, I don’t think it’s a good thing to advertise, especially if he continues his life to be more in the public eye. People can be really mean and there is so much in this blog that could be misconstrued and taken out of context to hurt him. At some point, it may become completely private which won’t affect you, you get it via email anyway. 

In other news, this week we are celebrating Mason’s one year anniversary of winning Chopped Junior. I have been sorting through my notes and photos of all the behind the scenes stuff and posting this week on Facebook. I have the whole post in it’s entirety on Mason’s website that will be live later this week, hopefully on the 11th, the actual one year anniversary. If you don’t subscribe to his website, pop over and follow, we don’t post there a lot, but it’s good stuff when we do. Of course, Facebook is the place to be, along with Mason Partak on Instagram and @MasonPartak on twitter. From the blogging conference, I learned a ton of stuff to pass on to Mason, if he played his social media cards right, he could make a boatload of money just blogging and being a social media superstar! Let’s see if he can listen to me long enough (after all, I am his mom!) to get how simple it really is.

I’m off to a full week, Mason is back to school on Wednesday (7th grade), and I have a new listing coming on the market by the end of the week. This is in addition to the two escrows I’m working through right now, one is sailing along famously, while the other seems to have glitch after glitch. Real estate is a fickle business, the commissions appear big, but keep in mind, these are gross paychecks that require we pay taxes on them (which means, save some of that cash Kathy!), and it’s been almost five months since my last paycheck. You all know what that means, it means I have credit cards to pay off. What many of you do not know, in December/January, I was working on a listing/purchase for clients I had been working with all last year. Just when they decided at Thanksgiving to take the house off the market and try again in the spring, they got an offer. We hustled and found them a house (lots of qualifying criteria to make this happen) and while I was nearing past the middle of the escrows, their house did not appraise and the buyers walked. Well, this meant we had to cancel their purchase and that meant in one day I said good bye to two really substantial paychecks - WHILE I STILL DID OVER 12 MONTHS WORTH OF WORK. Oh, was I shouting? Yeah, still a little bit of a sore spot, but people don't understand that when it's good, it's good, but it can be bad sometimes, too. Those paychecks were planned to pay for our move, buy our new washer, dryer and kitchen appliances, and other things you need when you get a new house. Suffice it to say, all of those expenses went on credit cards so all the big bucks I may have coming in the 4th quarter will pay those bills, get me new tires on my 4Runner and I’m hoping to have some money to pay my taxes next year. Yep, I’m broke again, but it’s all good, the business is getting stronger and I will get to the point that I have a cushion and do not need to rely on the credit lines. Oh, and I can blog, too! Laughing! Happy Monday, thank you for being in my life and listening to my weekly rambling. I wish we had more time to spend together in real life, but I will take what I can get - replies to my Monday Motivator! 

Let me leave you with this from Mason’s journey to win Chopped Junior:

It was about this time one year ago that Mason, Janie, Hannah, and Dylan were having breakfast and then on their way to the Food Network studio to compete on Chopped Junior. I think my most favorite memory from this whole experience was earlier in the morning while Mason and I were getting ready to walk out the door to go down to breakfast, I said to him, "So really listen to me. I'm so proud of you, and I know you have the skills to win this competition. With that said, I want you to know you have already won by just being here and more than anything, I want you to have fun today. Take it all in and enjoy the journey. No matter what happens, set your intention to have fun." Mason replied, "Winning is fun.”

We went down to breakfast and we were all sitting at a long table and at the end was a smaller table just for two pushed up against the longer one. Mason was sitting there with Hannah's mom across from him. The kids were all nervous and really not eating or talking much when Mason piped up with, "Do you all realize that the next Chopped Junior champion is sitting at this table?" They all chimed in, "Yeah!" and Mason said, "No, THIS (as he placed both of his hands on the smaller table edges only he was sitting at) table." The room had an odd quiet for just a second and I got chills as I realized, he just really set his intention, like really SET HIS INTENTION.

More Busy...

It's Monday again and though August is not even here yet, I can feel fall coming. Dave and I drove some country roads yesterday morning and some of our trees are starting to change colors and it just smelled like summer is winding down.  I don't think Mother Nature is in any hurry and it fact, I think it's just that I love fall so much, I start to look for the signs when it's the next season on deck. Yes, we see what we want to see, as we still have lots of summer left. This week it is forecast that we will see 103-106 through Friday and then we will get a break with 98 on Saturday. I was just reminding Dave that it's not on common for us to make a trip to the river to swim the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. Yeah, we have plenty of fun in the sun left to enjoy here in Northern California.

Last week was jam packed with cooking demos, state fair fun, and friends. Mason cooked on Tuesday and Saturday and both demos were well done. The state fair is fun because there are always good audiences with lots of people. On Tuesday we got there early and spent the day with my friend from social media, Carolyn and her daughter Nicole. We had so much fun meeting in person and spending the day together. I've heard people say that Facebook is a time suck, and twitter is a waste of time, but the fact is, I've made real, life long friends via social media. Certainly, one could squander hours away just chiming in on posts, but I've not only made meaningful connections, I've followed them up with real-life meetings. Julianne in Minnesota, Carolyn in Canada, and Rhonda in Texas to name just a few. Social media does more good than bad in my opinion, but it does require intent and discipline. 

This week is busy, too. Mason has a two day acting workshop in Sacramento and a speaking engagement with Kiwanis in Folsom. Thank goodness he is finally walking. He's still in the boot, but he can walk short distances and we have the knee-scooter for when we have to go a little further. We see the ortho on the 11th and hopefully the X-ray will show that he's healed enough to walk without the boot. As it is, school starts on the 10th and he'll have to wear it on the first day of school.

Real estate is busy, busy, busy! I have one family in escrow who have finished their inspections and we are expecting the appraisal back today. Providing that is where it needs to be, we will remove contingencies and work toward closing in the next 10 days. I have a great property coming on the market on the 10th of August, and I’m hoping that I get an offer accepted today for another couple I am working with to become first time homeowners. I only have one other family to work with to buy in September so I think I need some more clients! Who do you know? :)