how do you organize your medicines/vitamins?

[esperanza]

We have a narrow hall closet where we have our medications, first aid supplies, etc. I have one basket that is mostly things for ds, but then there are also things in the kitchen. Since of course everyone gets sick in the middle of the night, it seems to be this scramble in the dark to find what we need. I started thinking today it would make more sense to have things separated. Like a box for stomach problems, a box for colds/allergies, a box of first aid, etc. Except that one, the closet is small and two, there aren't all THAT many things to require something the size of a shoebox. Considered gallon size ziplocs, but it would be nice to have something like a box with a label on the end (especially when dh is looking for something).

Anyone have any good ideas on how you organize medications/remedies so you can find them quickly?

[Virginia]

You could use clear plastic shoe storage containers and label them? https://www.target.com/p/utility-sto...ph1|48625629|3


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[esperanza]

Yeah, that is what I had initially thought. The problem is that I don't really need boxes that are that big. The closet is pretty small, and the number of potential boxes seems like a lot. Almost wish I could put a plastic set of drawers. But maybe that's my best option.

[MegMarch]

Ours are spread out a bit.

Bathroom cabinet has kid stuff and oils and "dirty hippie remedy stuff." I keep a small, clear box in there that has our children's travel stuff as well. The thermometer lives there, and small packages of allergy, fever, pain and gas meds, along with samples of diaper rash cream, general ointment and some bandaids.

The hall cabinet has a little drawer organizer with those plastic drawers that can slide all the way out easily. We have one drawer for skin stuff - burn compress, moleskin pads, blister guard, wart remover stick, ointments, etc. One for colds and allergies and related funk. And one for anything else that is rolling around - thermemeter and bandaids and stuff. Advil and Alka-seltzer are our go-to meds and those stay out in front of the drawers. Beside the drawers are wrist braces, knee supports, etc. On top are backup toothbrushes, flossers, paste.

In the master bathroom are DH's and my own daily meds for depression, his allergies, eye drops.

[Virginia]

Originally Posted by esperanza

Yeah, that is what I had initially thought. The problem is that I don't really need boxes that are that big. The closet is pretty small, and the number of potential boxes seems like a lot. Almost wish I could put a plastic set of drawers. But maybe that's my best option.

They make plastic drawers. Would those work? https://www.target.com/p/sterilite-1...E&gclsrc=aw.ds



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[Aerynne]

I have one of those drawer organizers in our linen closet. Three drawers labeled "pain and fever" "cough and cold" and "stomach remedies". Then I have a caboodle for first aid supplies (those old school cosmetic organizers. My Grandma and Grandpa bought me mine in 1993). My herbs are in a medicine cabinet (herbal extracts and essential oils). My loose leaf herbs for making medicinal teas are in the kitchen in a shoebox in what we call our cleaning closet.

[MaySunflowers]

Wow, you ladies are so organized... or have a tone of meds and stuff.

I have a basket in the top of a cupboard (pain relief, imodium, vitamins)... we don't buy anything else.

I have two small clear plastic containers for first aid shoved in with the coffee cups (one is main supplies, the other is the extra bandages).... I am too prepared for that... we use maybe five bandages a year. Lol

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[AngelaVA]

Top of the fridge in a labeled tote is first aid stuff. Small cupboard in the kitchen for OTC medications. I have a basket on my dresser for my supplements/medications and one of those day of the week organizers for keeping track (I no longer have kids young enough were this is a safety issue). The kids supplements and DD2's medication I keep on the kitchen counter because it's the only way I can reliably remember to give them. I would like a better system for these, but this is what I do currently. DH actually keeps his in his work bag because he takes them during the day at work.


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[esperanza]

I thought about the plastic drawers, but I wasn't sure if they would fit in the closet. The closet is narrow but deep. I feel like we have things in too many places. I have all kinds of plastic storage from when I was teaching in the classroom, but it isn't all the right shape or easily labeled. I'm going to have to try some different options. Of course this is all prompted by ds' first week of school and getting sick this weekend. Welcome to the germ pool!

[Aerynne]

My plastic drawers are tiny. They would fit in any closet (unless there was too much other stuff in there). They are maybe 8 inches wide.

[tempus vernum]

We have a plethora of natural remedies and meds. And there are different areas that have developed over the years.

1 Our weekly supply sits underneath where the kids keep their pill boxes w daily things to take. That area is where I keep herbs and symptom remedies we use regularly. It's in the kitchen and a long narrow area so we have plastic organizers that are narrow and deep. I like the kitchen for this since we take most or make most w filtered water

2 homeopathy area is kept away from everything as it can be affected by aromatherapy and herbals

3 aromatherapy I have a shoe box and I keep carriers next to it

4 upstairs in the bathroom medicine cabinet I have things we often get up and use (a bunch of allergy remedies and sleep remedies as well as oils for bedroom aromatherapy). This allows people to stumble into the bathroom without searching for things at midnight.

5 teas are kept in my spice cabinet because it's the perfect width to have them put in such a way their labels can be easily read.

There doesn't seem to he any organization to my chaos at first glance but there actually is it's developed over decades of natural treatment.

For example, my child who gets heartburn on the night keeps a bottle of papaya enzymes on her bedside table.


Over the years as we've used things we've slowly moved to what's convenient And what makes sense. When I see things are always put ina certain spot, I don't fight that, I let it take over, control it into a bin and then find a place in a cabinet

[Aerynne]

Originally Posted by SonshineMama

When I see things are always put ina certain spot, I don't fight that, I let it take over, control it into a bin and then find a place in a cabinet

This right here is genius and applicable to all areas. It should be in the large family hacks thread. I need to do this more.

[charla]

I hate having stuff all over the house, but that is how it ends up. I agree that having stuff where you need when you need it makes the most sense even if I don't like it. I have two bins in the bathroom - one for internal meds and one for topical meds and items. These are more long-term storage for meds/supplies not needed very often and are stored on a top shelf. I have a basket in the kitchen for things taken with food like digestive enzymes, and even the cat's medication. A few years ago, I put together a first aid kit that goes with us on trips in a clear plastic tote. I was caught one year away from home and dd got sick and I had nothing with us. I won't leave home without it and it contains meds that are used most often like tummy meds, pain reliever, bandaids, topical ointment, vitamin C, zinc lozenges, thermometer, thieves oil, etc. Then I have a drawer in my dresser in the bedroom where I keep my daily meds and supplements so I can take them first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Dd also has her supplements in a drawer by the bed so she can do the same thing. Obviously some of those ideas won't work in a home with small children so would need to be adapted.

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[Lena O.]

I have two small baskets on top of the refrigerator. One is for first aid/cold/flu/vitamins/etc. and the other is for my daily meds.