Hello friends!
This little mini makeover was all because of my dear FIL who had a terrible case of the heartburn! Bless his heart! I don't have those kinds of troubles but my Shug does and I knew he had some relief in the shape of a pill somewhere but where!? I took off to all the different locations that meds were stashed: kitchen cabinet, bathroom, the other bathroom, nightstand drawer. Finally, I went to his pickup and there found some in the door just in time for dear ole' dad! :)
Whew! What trouble that was!! And all that searching was all it took.
The Medicine Cabinet Makeover began!!
But can I call it a cabinet makeover if I don't actually have a medicine cabinet?! I digress...
Today I'm here to talk about the medicine cabinet/storage.
If you have one, congrats! Stay tuned and we'll get cracking but first...
When you don't have one you have to be a little creative deciding where you'll stash those medications. Now, before we had kids we just stuck them in the bottom of the bathroom cabinet. But as those of you that have littles know, that's just not acceptable. So we get more creative and just a little smart.
So I asked myself, what is the highest place that I can reach that they can't? Well, for my house it works out to be a small space inside my kitchen cabinet. That might seem strange to some but it's pretty natural feeling now.
So now, my dear friend, let me show you what I did super quick and easy that you can do too AND you won't be digging through a number of cabinets before you find what you need!! :)
Let's get started!
#1- Find all your medical paraphernalia (where ever it may be or got left) and dump it out!
Just dump it right out on your counter, floor, kitchen table, etc. Just be mindful if you have littles to keep it out of their reach.
Trash- This is the easiest and surprisingly enough, what I had the most off. Empty medicine boxes, bandaid trash, empty packets. All of those are super easy to say goodbye to and they leave your spot looking much better right from the start.
Unused Items: For instance, infant tylenol or diaper rash cream. Hmm...since I have 6 year olds, I think I'll give them to my friend who still has an infant! :) Brilliant!!
Expired meds: Here's where I had some reservations since I'm a pack rat at heart. I found medications that had expired but were unopened. I really wanted to save them but they were out of date by 6 months or so. And really if I had kept them that long without opening them, will I need them again? Meh. Probably not. So toss 'em!
#3- Sort!
Now that all the surplus has been removed, let's sort what you have! These are the categories I used but, please, customize this to fit your needs.
Baby
Kids
First Aid
Tummy/Heartburn
Headache
Supplements
Prescriptions
Cold/Cough
Misc.
#4- What's missing?
This was the perfect time to take a mental inventory of what I have and don't have.
A few things to consider:
Past Experiences: This is a good time to think back to those late night runs to the convenient store or that time you had to wake up your sick kids after leaving the emergency room to go inside and purchase {fill in the blank}. Also, I'm super guilty of not having sprite and saltines on hand. My kids throw up in a heartbeat and I've found from personal experience, that having those two things on hand make life so much easier!
Seasonality: My husband and kids suffer from allergies so if it's allergy season right now...might want to pick up an extra bottle. Or say it's cold/flu season, this might be the day to scoop up some extra cough meds or throat lozenges.
Currently: I obviously needed heartburn meds!!! Also, I noticed the peroxide was close to empty, could use more large bandaids, and the only headache medicine we had was acetaminophen and we normally use aleve. So I wrote those things on my shopping list and continued to step 5!
#5- Organize!
Now, there are a couple of things to consider here before throwing it all back where you found it and calling it a day: location and container.
For me, I used a Dollar Tree rectangular box in my kitchen for the cold/cough, headache, and supplements. This makes the most sense for my folks. Then in the bathroom on a tall shelf, I have another decorative container full of scripts, heartburn/tummy meds, and misc items (think bulb syringe, eye drops). Finally, I have a decorative basket in the bottom of the bathroom cabinet that holds first aid items. The kids are old enough to get their own bandaid if needed and they feel independent in doing so.
So consider those two factors for your medicines. It might make sense to keep yours altogether!
Whatever works for you and your family is what matters most! But most importantly--whatever you decide, put it into action!! I mean it...go put your meds away now! :) Even if you need something to make your plan happen, like a box or bag, just toss it in something for now. I know you've got a bowl around the house that you can use for a short time or an Amazon box where you just got something shipped in yesterday...or is that only me?
#6- Purchase!
Just add the containers to your list and scoop them up (along with the missing items you wrote down from step #4 next time you're out shopping!
#7- Put the Away!
Now that you have missing meds and possibly different containers, go put them away! Next time you're needing something like TUMS you'll know exactly where to find them! :)
BONUS: Vehicles
If you really want a gold feather in your cap, think about items you often need while your traveling (and I mean anytime you're away from home!). Things I like to keep on hand are headache meds, and heartburn for Shug, and a homemade or purchased first aid kit. Just a quick tip, I don't travel with liquid meds. If I need those while traveling, I just stop and pick them up. No risk in spilling!
With a little effort and a little planning, I have found that I am better able to keep my family happy when I am prepared for many minor medical issues. This can keep your stress levels and whoever needs your care down to a minimum when a crisis strikes. Preparing allows you to focus all your attention on healing and comforting. A much better situation that a panic and rushing to the store while littles are bleeding or vomitting!
So now that your medicine cabinet/storage is stocked and madeover...bring on the accidents!
Oh wait...NO!! Don't bring on the accidents!!!
But...if they arise my friend, you'll be ready!
I hope this was helpful to you and your family! Drop me a line if you can add helpful advice!
I'd sure love to hear it!
All the best!
Polly
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