Yesterday I was determined to start getting my house organized! We worked on taking down all the Christmas decorations, and I focused on cleaning the kitchen and laundry rooms. I was also inspired to tackle my medicines/first aid supplies bin.
This bin is where I store all those medicines we pick up at the drugstores – cold/flu, pain relief, children’s medicines, and more. It had really gotten out of control. I had no idea what was in there any more. I’m glad I decided to tackle this project.
Here’s what I did to get it in order:
1. Checked and removed every item. Expired items were thrown away, items were sorted, and cataloged.
2. The bin was cleaned thoroughly. It looks like I’d managed to spill some pink cough syrup in there and it had all settled toward the bottom! EW!
3. Small items were grouped and bagged. I had some Ziploc storage bags handy (thanks WinCo for the sale and tearpad coupons!), so small items could get a new home within a home. For instance, loose bandages/gauze got a bad. I also discovered I had two tubes of Neosporin and a Neosporin spray! Those all went into a bag together.
While this may still look messy to you, it works for my head. I generally grouped items in the bin, plus my baggies helped immensely!
I found this to be a really helpful task. Some items I thought we were good on were actually low or non-existent, and a few items I realized we really did have a good number of, and there would be no need to stock up further.
In order to keep things tidy for 2012 (and beyond), I decided to make an inventory list. I noted for each item the category, description, quantity, and expiration date. I also created a column to note if I need a particular item.
I just made one very simply on Excel so I can go back and update it as need be. I’m actually thinking of going through a similar process for health and beauty items and household/laundry, and maybe even a modified one for food. What do you think?
If you wanted to do something similar, I made you a quick worksheet you could download and jot down your own inventory!
Stockpile – First Aid Inventory Worksheet (free pdf download)
I’ll keep you posted on my progress on other parts of my stockpile!
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The inventory list is a great idea. Thanks.
My family members are bandaid-aholics. So I just ended up putting band aids into a round glass container with a lid and putting it on the counter in the bathroom. It’s working great! AND I don’t come in, in need of a band aid and realize the box is empty. I can see how many we have left.
Got a bit off topic and forgot to add: the inventory list is GREAT! And baggies too
I have my first aid supplies organized by when I need them in plastic boxes from the dollar store. I have “Kits” ready to go for me. In my “Cold Care Kit” I have cough suryup, a couple bags of cough drops, a box of Emerance C, and a box of tissues. I have one for the flu, aches and pains, ouch care, spa night, and hangover. When I’m sick I being able to just grab a box. I do an inventory in August to see what needs to be replenished. (Somethings like tissues I usually have in other parts of my stockpile).
A hangover kit? What’s in that kit some Taco Bell coupons? LOL
No it’s coconut water and alka seltzer. The best cure for a hangover.
I love that idea! I’m so swiping it! Thanks!
Speaking of organizing…my kids share a room and since the “fancy” bunkbeds seem to be too expensive there isn’t much room for dressers, etc. So we have one large sized dresser with 6 drawers on each side and 3 small middle drawers and then we’re also using a 3 drawer plastic thing for a dresser as well.
My kids have sooo many clothes that most of the time we just fold them and leave them in the basket and let them pick out of it rather than wasting the time to put it away.
But I got into an organizing mood and decided to put them all away. After filling a few drawers to the top to where I had to struggle to close the drawer I was about to give up because it doesn’t help them find their clothes and their room would just end up a mess again.
My kids are girls so they have a ton of leggings and I thought of the idea to roll them up (the way I wrapped my sister’s dress socks for xmas), and it freed up soooo much space! So i did it with the jeans, then I did it with the pajamas (taking pajama shirts and rolling them up with the pants that match)…I hung up most of my older daughter’s shirts, but I was able to fit all my younger daughter’s shirts into one drawer when they were almost filling 2 before!
This idea not only frees up space, but it also helps keep them more organized too! I don’t know if all kids are the same, but mine will empty out a drawer looking for something to wear…with the rolled up clothes, they are able to move them around, look around and take one out without unfolding the rest of the clothes in the drawer!
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