Effortless Entertaining with Katie Maynard
by Allie Spletter
When she stepped away from her career in education three years ago to pursue her dream of being a content creator full-time, Katie Maynard (@simplykatielynn on socials) knew she wanted to use her content for one purpose: to make things simple for mamas and families alike. After graduating from The University of North Texas, Katie served in education for over ten years, many of those right here in Frisco, before pursuing her passion.
She started her blog and brand to share lifestyle, home decor, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects, and her favorite Amazon finds, and uses her platforms to offer practical tips and inspiration for busy moms and families. Her popular content often features creative DIY home projects, stylish yet functional decor ideas, and affordable products that make everyday living easier. In sharing her content, Katie’s aim is to help others feel empowered while keeping things simple and life adventurous through her social media platforms with an engaging and relatable style.
As a mama of three beautiful babes and a 120-pound baby-giraffe Great Dane puppy, Katie knows the importance of keeping things simple. “I know how hectic day-to-day life can be for parents and families, and I wanted to be able to share things that might lessen the load, teach them a simple life hack, or even just give an idea,” Katie admits. “One of my most popular reels [on Instagram] to date is a Crayola mess-free paint set. My online community loved it because it is an easy, low-cost option to keep kiddos busy and happy while ‘painting’ – minus the mess.”
While her aim is to make life simple, Katie admittedly loves the fun and chaos of a full house, which furthers her desire to find ways to simplify where and when she can. “I love it when my house is busy! I love being the house everyone loves to be at, so being able to both help myself and my followers keep things simple is a priority, for sure,” she explains.
Through sharing tips, tricks, ideas, and simple hacks, Katie is able to connect with her online community, see their successes, and further build that community when her followers share their favorite content of hers. “It’s always so fun to see someone in the comments that stops by to say, ‘Tried this, and it was amazing, thank you!’ – to know someone has taken what I’ve shared and woven it into their lives is to make things easier makes my heart smile,” she admits.
Three and a half years later, with over 900k+ followers across multiple social media platforms, Katie couldn’t have imagined the growth and following she’d gain, but she also can’t wait to keep going. “I’ve just been so blessed and have had so much fun. To have content go viral, to connect with so many people, to find really simple ways to help people…and to be able to share them? It’s crazy. I’m so excited to keep creating and sharing what I love with others,” she shares.
Charcuterie Board Bliss
A go-to option for entertaining as charcuterie boards are easy to make and can be put together around any occasion or food type! S’mores boards are my favorite in the summertime, given that pretty much any salty or sweet snack works and this little tabletop fire pit makes s’mores night even easier! (Visit @simplykatielynn on Instagram to find the tabletop firepit)
Easy Outdoor Décor
Grab a cordless hot glue gun and decorate to your heart’s content! Hot glue sticks to brick without damaging the brick, so you can hang decorations easily. Use a popsicle stick to hold the decoration and glue in place until it dries, and pop it right off when the party’s over! (Visit @simplykatielynn on Instagram to find the cordless hot glue gun)
You can find Katie on Instagram, TikTok, and LTK @Simplykatielynn and shop tons of deals on her Amazon storefront at Amazon.com/shop/simplykatielynn
