Kate O. Lynch's Blog

Happy Birthday Mom! What I wouldn’t give to be able to say that to you one more time. For all of us to gather together at your house for dinner with all of your grandkids running around playing and one of us girls trying to last minute fix the meal so we could eat at the scheduled time. Followed by you starting to clean up as soon as everyone has finished eating.

There are so many things I miss about you, way too many to list out here. So instead, I’d like to say thanks.

Thank you for being such an amazing Mom. I know there were so many things you did for each of us over the years that we never thanked you for or maybe even acknowledged. But you always went above and beyond, often filing the role of second Mom for so many of our friends.

Thank you for all of the family gatherings you organized, especially after the grandkids were around. I may not have always looked forward to them and may have even complained but I am so grateful for them now and all of the memories they created. From “Chocolate Day,” to birthday scavenger hunts to just because, each one holds such a special place in my heart.

Thank you for teaching me the importance of prayer and being such an amazing example of how to pray. I always knew no matter the circumstance you would be praying. Whenever anyone told me about a hard time they were having that could use some prayer, I could tell you because I knew you would be faithful to pray for them.

Most of all, thank you for being my confidant and friend. That is what I miss most of all. When something good happens, you’re the first person I want to tell. And when something bad or hard happens, you’re the only one I want to talk to.

The only thing that makes today a little bit easier, is knowing all of the amazing people surrounding you. I doubt celebrating birthdays are a thing in Heaven but it makes me smile knowing today you’re with your Mom and Dad and many other amazing people.

Tonight as we gather together for dinner and enjoy one of your favorite meals to celebrate you, you will be missed more than I could ever even attempt to express. But we will come together with gratitude that you were our Mom and that we had the honor of doing life with you for as long as we had you.

Love you forever Mom and Happy Birthday! Until we meet again one day…

Back in November, Beth and I talked our sister-in-law Tiffany into letting us throw her a gender reveal party.  Knowing my brother and Tiffany like we do, we knew it HAD to be Beatles themed.  I used an invitation I already had but tweaked the design and came up with this:

This was our starting point for decorations and food ideas.  To see more of the products I designed head on over to the KateOGroup blog.

Beth and I began brainstorming and coming up with food ideas.  We decided to stick with just desserts.  Beth made cakes and got all the supplies to make twinkie yellow submarines.  I made cookies.

Not that long ago I discovered, thanks to Instagram, Sallys Baking Addiction Blog.  Sally has a ton of awesome cookie recipes like the Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies.  The fun thing about these cookies is you can really change up how they looked based on the sprinkles.  I thought these were perfect for a Beatles theme gender reveal because they look a bit psychedelic with all the colors.

I also made a long time family favorite Cut Out (or Sugar) Cookies.  If you were ever in my house as a child, more likely than not my mom had some reason to make these cookies.  And, because I get asked about these cookies all of the time I wanted to share the recipe with you.

The Best Ever Cut-Out Cookies

2/3 C Shortening

3/4 C Sugar

1 t Vanilla

1 Egg

4 t Milk

2 C Flour

1 1/2 t Baking Powder

1/4 t Salt

Cream shortening, sugar and vanilla.  Add egg and beat until light and fluffy.  Mix in milk.  Add dry ingredients a little at a time.   Divide in half and chill in fridge for an hour.  Roll to 1/2″ thickness and cut into desired shapes.  Bake on greased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for about 6-8 minutes.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies; but is determined by the size of the cookie cutter.

Of course you can’t have the Best Ever Cut-Out Cookies with out icing (my brother’s favorite part)!

Buttercream Icing

1/2 C Crisco

1/2 C Butter

1 t Vanilla

2 T Water

4 C Powdered Sugar

Cream butter, Crisco, vanilla and water.  Gradually add sugar.  Beat at high-speed until light and fluffy.  Keep in airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.  Makes approximately 3 cups.

If you’re going to leave it white you might want to try to use clear vanilla but if you’re going to color it don’t worry about clear vanilla.  To color the icing we’ve always used Wilton Coloring that you can get at Michael’s or Wal-Mart or I’m sure a ton of other places.

I used an Easter Egg Cookie Cutter and turned these into Walruses.

They aren’t the prettiest cookies ever; I’m way better on digital designs then icing designs.  And yes, I made grey icing but I didn’t want to make black icing too so I stuck with white for the details and a skittle for the nose.

This theme made putting the party together easy and fun.  But the most exciting part of the night was when we found out.

It’s a . . .

I’m so excited to have a niece and can’t wait to meet her this spring!

To see more of the Beatles Theme Gender Reveal Party click here.

Now that we’ve said Hello to 2015 I thought I’d take a minute to talk about my goals and hopes for this upcoming year.

I’ve never been one to make resolutions for a new year.  I tried it once and then didn’t ever revisit them.  But this year things are changing.  My sister, Beth, hooked me up with a Day Designer for Christmas and it has jump started my desire to be organized going into 2015.  As an entrepreneur with a growing business, I find myself not only wanting to be organized but needing to be so that I can maximize my productivity.  Getting ready for the new year has been my main focus for the last few weeks.

I’m not going to post specific business goals here because I am afraid I would bore you a bit, but I am excited about all the possibilities that 2015 holds for myself and most importantly KateOGroup.

I was ecstatic as soon as I opened my Day Designer because the very first quote I saw is one that I LOVE.

“If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough!”

I can’t even put into works just how much this little quote resonates with me.  There are more times than I’d like to admit that I have had to stop and ask myself if I’m crazy.  Any other small business owners out there know what I’m saying?

Whitney English encourages you to not only set yearly goals in the Day Designer but monthly, weekly and daily.  For me, being able to track goals and check them off when they are reached really helps me stay motivated and on track.

I also think if I can keep myself organized then reaching all of the goals I have set for next year will just be that much easier to attain.

Are you getting ready for the new year?  Did you make any resolutions?  And more importantly do you have a Day Designer; what do you love about it?

With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, I find myself in a unique position.  This year Thanksgiving will be a bit different.  Turns out it will only be my immediately family instead of a few cousins, aunt and uncle and a few others.  Since things will be smaller and different I’m thinking of changing up my contributions to Thanksgiving day.

As I start my Thanksgiving Menu Planning I’m going to start with the most important item: The Turkey!

For the last few years I’ve been using the same recipe because it always turns out amazing and I spend the day being complimented on how great the turkey was.  Check out the recipe here.  This recipe requires brining and I want to try one that doesn’t.  Still doing a bit of research, but feel free to send any suggestions my way!

A required item on the Thanksgiving Menu is the Homemade Apple Crumble Pie I made last holiday season:

You can find the recipe for the Homemade Crumble Apple Pie here.

Earlier in the week I was watching the Today show and saw a recipe that looks not only delicious but fun!  Did you see the multi-color Tie Dye Mash?  Check it out here.

What dishes are you adding in your Thanksgiving Menu Planning?

Winter has arrived, or is at least making her first appearance in Dallas today and I can’t help but think about my favorite winter comfort foods.  I’m ready to get busy in the kitchen, if I can just get myself out in the cold to hit up the grocery store for all my ingredients.

I already made a giant batch of Turkey Chili that I’m almost out of.  I absolutely love this recipe because it freezes really well.  I doubled the recipe (which meant a whole lot of chopping) and then divided it up into a few containers and stuck two in the freezer for later.

Next I’m going to make this Sweet Potato Crockpot Beef Stew.  I’ve spent the last few years trying to not really eat beef but after a few conversation recently I’ve been trying to work it back into my meals every once in awhile and this recipe is a really easy way to do that.

And of course I need to roast a whole chicken in the crockpot and make up a batch of chicken noodle soup!

What are some of your favorite winter comfort foods?  Share your links to recipes below!

I meant to post this on Friday and since I didn’t maybe I should skip this post but I just can’t!  I want to make the Internet explode with cuteness from all of our fall fun.  You’ve been warned!

A few weeks ago we took my two youngest nephews to the pumpkin patch.  It’s the same pumpkin patch we went to last year and it is a little special because the pumpkin patch is at school where my brother, sister and I attended pre-school.  It’s a big pumpkin patch with lots of photo ops available.

This year my dad came along and handed me one of his fancy shmansy cameras to play around with and we captured some really cute moments.

The following weekend we decided to follow in the tradition of torturing tiny humans, we stuck my littlest nephew in a pumpkin.  We started this “tradition” (it’s happened twice which to me means it’s a tradition) with E when he was almost 4 months old.

E wasn’t a huge fan and we had never put a child in a pumpkin before so we had a few things to learn.  This time around with M it almost went too smooth!  We started out cleaning out pumpkins and carving them.

Then we put a baby in a pumpkin:

Are these not the cutest 3 dudes you ever did see?

Here are all the finished pumpkins:

Now that Fall is officially here and we’re in the month of thankfulness head over to KateOGroup for this free fall decor print:

Online networking is a great way to expand your reach, but ultimately nothing can top in person networking.  If you’re like me, networking in person can be intimidating as all get out.  Personally, I like to have one person I know in the room even if we are on opposite sides of the room and never talk.  They act as my comfort blanket if you will.

But these days, thanks to the internet, there are a ton of ways for you to network from the comfort of your home.  I don’t recommend solely networking via the internet, but do not underestimate the power of social media (I know, we’ve heard it a million times).

Finding Your Online Communities: Networking Online

Find the space that works best for you.  You don’t need to be on every social site but you’ll definitely want to be on a few sites.

I  am currently obsessed with Instagram.  Last Sunday I had so much going on, I sort of felt like I vomited all over everyone’s timelines with posts, sorry about that if you follow me! But that isn’t all I did while on Instagram.  I spent time being a part of my community; I commented on other people’s pictures even if I didn’t know them and I liked other people’s pictures.  How can you expect people to like or comment on your posts if you aren’t doing either?  You aren’t Kim K are you?  If you are, hi there!

Another excellent source of networking  online is commenting on blogs you follow.  You don’t want a bunch of silent anonymous visitors to your blog do you?  Don’t answer that, I already know what your answer is.  So, comment on the blogs you read, especially if they are blogs that are in the same niche as your blog.  Besides, those comments are links back to your blog that may introduce you to a whole new audience.  Also, be sure to respond to comments on your blog, if people take time to ask you questions you should take time to answer them.

Where do you like to go for networking online?  I want to know where you spend time hanging out!

Last week I tagged along with my friend Veronica to the Lexus Presents Uptown Uncorked event at Seven for Parties.

 I didn’t know much about the event but was excited for the excuse to hang out with Veronica.  The venue, Seven for Parties was a really cool space with   For this event it was set up around the Lexus parked in the center for us to check out.

It was a fun night of wine tasting and food.  Tre Wilcox and Chris Williams were serving up some of their delicious food for us to enjoy.  We found a tall table to park ourselves at to make it easier to sample  the food and wine that just happened to not only be perfect for people watching but was right in front of Tre Wilcox’s table.

All of the food was delicious but one of our favorite things was this biscuit from Chris Williams.

I’m not sure what all was in it but it was stuffed with some meaty goodness!

This was another dish by Chris Williams.  I swear I took pics of Tre Wilcox’s food too but the lighting was just not that great so most of my food shots didn’t turn out so great.  But I did grab a picture with Tre Wilcox which is way better than pics of his food, right?

Thanks for letting me tag along Veronica!

Deciding on a name can often be the hardest part of starting a business, a brand or even a blog but it is also one of the most important decisions you will make when getting started.  So, what’s in a name?  Do you want the name of your business to be literal and tell everyone exactly what you do? Or do you want to go with an abstract name that uses curiosity to gets people to ask what you do?  There isn’t really a right or a wrong way to go; you have to figure out what works for you.

Initially when creating KateOGroup, I thought the sole focus of my business was going to be helping other businesses with social media.  While KateOGroup does do that, it is in no way our only focus.  Even though I thought KateOGroup would have a singular purpose, there was still a part of me that didn’t want to confine my business to simply the social media realm.  Three years later, I’m so glad I followed my intuition because KateOGroup’s main focus is wordpress website design and graphic design for marketing materials and custom invitations.

My dad gave me some of the best advice about picking a name, he told me to come up with 3 or 4 that I liked and not be set on one until I checked to see if the name was available with the state.  Once we checked availability with the state, I wanted to make sure that I could get the matching URL (or web address) and the availability on social media.  Having a cohesive URL and name on Social Media is VERY IMPORTANT.  Making sure your name is the same everywhere helps current and potential customers avoid confusion.  There are many sites that will help you check availability but to make it easy on you I’ve added quick links below.

Once you decide on your name, go ahead and purchase your domain (URL) and the social media accounts in that name.  At the very least, having the social media accounts set up with a link to your domain will help with SEO Rankings because each of the social sites will be a referring link to your domain giving it more significance with search engines.

If you absolutely cannot decide on a name or decide whether you want a literal versus abstract name, I’d love to help you determine what’s in a name for your business!  Head on over to KateOGroup and fill out the contact us form.  Empowering small businesses was the main motivation behind the creation of KateOGroup and what keeps us going!

I seriously can’t believe that October is only a few days away, mainly because it makes what I’m about to say completely embarrassing….I finally finished reading my first book of 2014.  I have 110% missed reading this year but I’ve been too busy with KateOGroup to slow down enough to really read. I’m pretty sure I’ve started 6 or 7 books, I just haven’t finished any until now.

For my September book club meeting  we read All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue.  Donohue is the author who wrote How to Eat a Cupcake; a book I read and loved last year, you can see the review here.

I just love Donohue’s style of writing, she really knows how to make her characters relatable and likable.  Not mention, if you name one of your character’s Kate, you’re almost instantly guaranteed to make me a fan of your book!

All the Summer Girls is the story of three life long friends, who as normally happens have gone their separate ways, Kate, Dani and Vanessa.  About 8 years before we meet them, the girls spent the summer before their senior year of college at Dani’s dad’s beach house.  Each girl walked away from that summer carrying guilt they never discussed with one another over the death of Kate’s twin brother, Colin.

At 29, for the first time since that summer, the girls are heading back to the beach house to spend some time together reconnecting.  Of course each girl is forced to deal with the demons they carry from that summer 8 years earlier.

All the Summer Girls is a quick and easy read.  If you were a fan of How to Eat a Cupcake, you’ll be a fan of this one too.

Keep your fingers crossed for me that I can carve out enough time to read next month’s book club book before our meeting.

What are you reading?

* This post contains affiliate links, by clicking on them you are supporting this blog!