Kate Oczypok
Pittsburgh based freelance writer
Welcome to my world! I am a woman who wears many hats—teacher, photographer and the purpose of this site, writer. I've loved writing ever since I was young and I am delighted to be doing it professionally now. I encourage you to read some of my work below to get a better idea of what I write.
A Bit About Me
My Bio
I was born in Pittsburgh, PA and moved to D.C. for college. After 20 years in the D.C. area, my husband Brad and I moved back to Pittsburgh in September 2022 to be closer to family (and cheaper real estate!). I currently freelance for various publications in the mornings, teach piano to around 20 students in the after-school hours and do family and portrait photography on occasional weekends. I live just west of the city of Pittsburgh with my husband and dog Thor. I love movies, reading (not just novels, I subscribe to around 10 magazines!), binging TV shows and entertaining friends and family.
My Latest Work
Here are some of my latest pieces.
*Updated March 2025*
The 3 Best Showerheads for Upgrading Your Bathroom Routine, According to Our Testing
The 3 Best Upright Freezers for Your Home
Upgrade Your Kitchen with One of the Best Side-by-Side Refrigerators of 2025
Noah Wyle takes us inside The Pitt and his family’s local connections
You can take Joe Manganiello out of Pittsburgh but ... you know
Rainn Wilson, AKA Dwight Schrute, Visits the Warner Theatre
5 Local Date Ideas for Romantic Comedy Fans
Today I Feel...
Released August 28, 2022
Many of you remember my old dog, Moe. He was an English Bulldog who was the complete opposite of our current dog, Tito—he was slow, quiet and preferred to just chill rather than play and run around constantly. He was certainly a character too, just like Tito!
Over the five-and-a-half years my husband and I had him, I took probably thousands of photos of him. I felt compelled to turn them into a picture book for kids to advocate for animal rescue and dog ownership in general. Not to mention, one of my bucket list items to publish a book is checked off! Special thanks to J & I Publishing LLC, owned by a former high school classmate of mine. This never would've happened without her incredible illustrations that helped make my book come to life.
The book is available on Amazon and if you're interested in working out buying multiple copies or selling at a bookstore or school, feel free to email me!
My Writing: National & International Publications
Here are some highlights from national and international publications that I've written for. Want to see more? Get in touch below!
The 7 Best Mosquito Traps of 2023 to Keep Pests Under Control
The 9 Best Dishwashers of 2023 to Cut Down on After-Dinner Cleanup
The 10 Best Fabric Shavers of 2023 to Make Your Clothes Look Like New
The 8 Best Bath Mats of 2024, According to Testing
The 11 Best Patio Furniture Pieces of 2024 to Upgrade Your Outdoor Space This Summer, Tested by Us
The 8 Best Patio Umbrellas of 2024, According to Our Tests
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Dogtime:
TikTok Star Spotlight: Tatum Talks
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Glamour UK:
How I learnt to love my new body after gaining two stone on antidepressants
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Insider:
Interview with Eataly's Executive VP of North America
My husband and I dated for 9 years before getting married. I recommend it to those with anxiety
We love being a mixed weight couple. I outweigh my husband by 50 pounds.
I thought I had IBS my whole life — it took almost 40 years to discover I had a gluten sensitivity
My grandmother just turned 95, and she's still thriving. Here are her 3 secrets to longevity.
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My New Pandemic Friendly Routine that's Just as Good as Going to Starbucks
The Frozen Pastry at Trader Joe's That's Even Better than Homemade
This Trader Joe's Staple Freezes Surprisingly Well (and is the Key to Easy Dinners)
This Trader Joe's Freezer Find I've Been Making on Repeat Every Monday Night
This Cheese Has Been a Permanent Fixture at My Family Gatherings for Nearly a Decade
The 6 Best Freezer Finds We Tried in 2022
The 8 Best Grocery Shopping Tips We Learned in 2022
These Air Fryer Liners Are a Huge Time-Saver — And They’re Only $12
The Underrated Aisle That (Finally) Convinced Me to Sign Up for a Sam’s Club Membership
The $4 Store-Bought Dessert My Grandma Has Been Serving for 30 Years
These Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches Taste Even Better than McDonald’s — And Are Way Cheaper
This “Cowboy” Chili Is So Good, I Started Buying 6 Bags at a Time
The $2 Pantry Staple I’ve Been Buying for 17 Years (Perfect for Nights When You Don’t Want to Cook)
My Mom’s Smart Tip Is Saving Me $82 on Groceries Every Single Month
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Teen Life:
The Benefits of Taking Arts in High School
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The Disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
The Unsolved Evansdale Murders of Lyric Cook-Morrissey and Elizabeth Collins
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The New York Times:
5 Cheap(ish) Things for Cold Weather Running (scroll down for my section as I was the tip of the week)
You're Tracked Everywhere You Go Online (scroll down once again as I was tip of the week)
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Nicki Swift:
What the Cast of Clueless Looks Like Today
The Untold Truth of The Office
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Paste Magazine:
Food and Drinks Made Famous By TV Shows
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Who is Anne Hathaway's Husband? All About Adam Shulman
Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley's Relationship Timeline
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RealSimple.com:
Why Financial Opposites Attract
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We Own the Laughs:
Catching Up with Comedian Samuel J. Comroe
Yahoo:
These women don't have (or don't want) children. Here's how they handle questions about it.
My Writing: Local Publications
From Pittsburgh to DC to LA, here are some locally-based pieces of mine.
Check out a sampling of my published articles from local outlets below and get in touch for more.
Yvonne Strahovski on Season 3 of The Handmaid's Tale
Kelly McCreary on Season 16 of Grey's Anatomy
Game of Thrones Star Hannah Murray on the Final Season
Tony Shalhoub on his The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Role
Dancer Derek Hough on his DC Show
Game of Thrones Star Gemma Whelan on the Series
Actress Hannah Zeile on the Season 4 Premiere of This is Us
Dylan McDermott on Netflix's 'The Politician' & Why He Loves Working with Ryan Murphy
5 Great Female-Owned Businesses in the DC Area
Washingtonian, The Georgetowner, Northern Virginia Magazine , The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review & The Pittsburgh City Paper
How I Found My Purebred Bulldog—and Adopted Him
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Mean Girls Heading to Broadway
Buttercream Bakeshop: Classic Sweets With a Twist
Georgetown Boutique Owners Remember Kate Spade
Art & Fashion Mix at Lynn Louisa
Jenna & Barbara Bush's "Sisters First"
Waitress Serves Up Laughs at the National Theatre
The Office Experience Immerses Fans in Dunder Mifflin
Have Yourself a Cozy Holiday Season—Without Leaving Georgetown
This Boutique Gem Has Flourished—Despite Opening Mid-Pandemic
This Designer Stationery Store Is Taking Off In A Digital Era
Broadway’s Megan Hilty Discusses Upcoming Performances in Town, Shopping in Georgetown
Summer 2023: When Women Saved the Economy
Film: Are We Living the Plot of 'Barbie?'
Review: ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Is Swift at Her Most Grown Up, Mature Sound
Richie Moriarty of CBS’s ‘Ghosts’ Previews Appearance at Library of Congress
National Dog Day: How My Dog Helped Us Find a Sense of Community
Lynch and Flannery Swing into Christmas at Strathmore
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Judy Greer Dishes on 'White House Plumbers'
Caroline Aaron Chats About Final Season of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
How To Build Your Own Business In 2021
From Christmas Cookies To Roasted Chestnuts, Where To Get Amazing Holiday Treats In NoVA
The Biggest and Best Holiday Trees in Northern Virginia
NoVA’s Pets Of The Month: Garrett And Kemler Are In Search Of Their Forever Homes
These Fairfax County Teachers Journeyed to the Ukrainian Border to Make a Difference
25 Things to Do Around the DMV Before the End of Summer
Homeward Trails Rescuers Travel to Ukraine to Work with Shelters, Rescue Animals
NoVA Pets of the Month: Meet 10 Cats and Dogs Looking for a Home in the New Year
Virginia Native Jason Mraz Calls First-Ever Wolf Trap Show ‘Exciting’
6 Virginia Towns That Feel Like a Hallmark Holiday Movie
Impractical Jokers’ James ‘Murr’ Murray to Take Stage in Tysons
Meet Arvind Manocha, the CEO of Wolf Trap
Ben Platt Talks About New Album, Coming Wedding Ahead of Wolf Trap Show
Zooey Deschanel and Zachary Levi to Talk in DC About ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’
Kristin Chenoweth Chats About Her Upcoming Wolf Trap Concert
Charles ‘Chip’ Esten Talks About Creativity, Community, and Coming Home to Alexandria
Bret Michaels, Former Poison Frontman, Dishes Ahead of Leesburg Show
Catch Up with ‘The Voice’ Winner and Virginia Resident Huntley
9 NoVA Hallmark-Like Holiday Itineraries
5 Ways to Be a Better Pet Owner
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Brothers' daily routine inspires kindness at McAnnulty Elementary
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month — and the disease is hitting people younger
Review: Taylor Swift shakes Acrisure with a show for the ages
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10 Perfectly Pittsburgh Things You Have to Do at Least Once
Classic Pittsburgh Moments Millennials will Remember for the Rest of Their Lives
Pittsburgh native Chloe Rae Kehm "manifested" her dream job in Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Move over, Pittsburgh Dad, “Cig Mom” is here
Pittsburgh native Loren Allred is the greatest showwoman you’re about to see a lot more of
Kevin Nealon talks caricatures, comedy, and SNL's 50th ahead of Pittsburgh shows
Love Island's Kaylor Martin discusses the show, viral fame, and her local roots
The legendary Sheila E. is throwing “one big party” at City Winery Pittsburgh
Walmart Yodeling Kid Mason Ramsey is Coming to Pittsburgh
TikToker Joe Long's mind has swirled with addiction and psychosis, but now, there's “Don and Deb"
How a tribute to her late father got Sloane Simon on The Voice
What if Pittsburgh had its own Hallmark holiday movie?
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Pittsburgh’s low costs saved me from a D.C. desk job and kept alive my creativity
My family is made up of healthcare workers. Here's my tale of anxiety and lots of prayer
Interested in learning more? See below on how to contact me.
"I know, you're probably one of those cheerful people who dot their "i's" with little hearts."
- When Harry Met Sally (aka my favorite movie!)
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