This summer, Baton Rouge home organizer / my friend Sara Landry of South Coast Organizers spent 3 really productive hours in my kitchen to help me declutter — and here’s what I learned!

Sure, I read the Marie Kondo, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” a few years back, but then the book itself became clutter. So I knew I needed some extra help and one-on-one attention!

Honestly, I’ve never thrown much away out of the fear of needing it someday or because of an emotional attachment, so it helped having someone there to walk me through the process (and to judge me when I needed it… because let’s face it… no one needs 7 Crockpots.)

Having Help Is Better!

It’s perfect timing that the Marie Kondo show just released on Netflix because everyone’s hopping on board the tidying trend! But one thing holds true for me… I always have good intentions to start tidying. It’s when I get right in the middle that I become overwhelmed and give up — so that’s why having someone there with you not only helps you and encourages you, but it makes the process much more fun and bearable — and you can’t really quit when someone’s helping you! You don’t quit til you’re DONE — and its such a good feeling.

Hello, I’m a millennial — junk gives me anxiety. So it was so refreshing to know that everything was decluttered… I could feel the difference even with the cabinets closed.

I had 6 key takeaways from working with South Coast Organizers that I’m sharing below, but first here are a few services Sara offers here in the Baton Rouge area!

ABOUT South Coast Organizers

 

1- Take everything out + sort

Sara started by helping me take everything out of the kitchen cabinets. Seriously EVERYTHING — one cabinet at a time.

By taking everything out, you realize how MUCH you have — and how much you don’t need. You also find things you haven’t seen in a while!

When you take everything out, it’s much easier to put back in and organize your favorite things and let go of the things you don’t need.

2-Clean as you go

Sara was on point with cleaning as we went. We vacuumed the drawers and cabinets and Cloroxed everything, which made the space not only feel decluttered but CLEAN!

Seriously, how often do you hardcore clean the inside of your kitchen?!

We also took this time to rinse out any glassware or dishes that may have gotten dusty over the years.

3- Use Containers You Already Own To Organize

Before Sara came over, I texted her to ask if I needed to purchase any organization containers or bins. She told me to hold off because we could probably use things I already owned… and she was RIGHT!

So not only did I save money, but I found use for things I already had. This includes using bigger containers/pans/pots to store smaller things and even larger Tupperware to store ALL the lids (which always ended up a hot mess before!)

4- Allow yourself a junk drawer

Sara let me keep a junk drawer — and a koozie drawer!! In fact, she encouraged it. Everyone has little things that don’t have a designated space (like batteries, matches, random dice, etc). We created an organized space for the unorganized things — that way they’re all in one spot.

But we still cleaned it out and threw away anything that I didn’t need. Now my junk drawer is full of all the little things that I actually use!

5- Keep everything visible in your cabinets

How often do you shove things into the back of the cabinets? Chances are those are the things you don’t really need. By decluttering, I was able to have everything visible when I opened each cabinet — meaning nothing was hiding behind something else or stacked in an unorganized way (like all those pans!). It makes finding things in the kitchen much easier when you can open your cabinet and see everything without digging anymore!

6- Do it together + Drink Champagne

Decluttering, cleaning and organizing is so much more fun with a buddy — plus, it holds you accountable! Opening a bottle of champagne makes it feel more like a party too! And no lie, the more you drink, the more willing you are to part with your junk! lol

In fact, one of Sara’s services is called Uncork & Unclutter! She’ll bring the bubbly and help you get organized!

Ready To Get Organized!?

Head to South Coast Organizers to check out all of Sara’s services!

HUGE shoutout to Sara for helping me get organized!

Disclaimer: I received complimentary services for this blog post. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Southern Flair happen!