Staci, from the very cute blog, Laughing Mommy, emailed me to ask how I organize my medicine cabinet. First let me start by saying that I wish I could say that I have the most organized cupboard going but let me assure you that this is not always the case.
Case in point….when I got sick a couple of weeks ago, this Organizing Junkie, got caught being not so organized and boy did I pay for it! That first day when I was so sick with the flu/cold I dragged my sore aching body to my medicine cupboard only to discover that we didn’t have any drugs that would allow me to stand up for longer than a 2 minute period without collapsing from exhaustion. I was devastated and clearly looking for a miracle. This wouldn’t have normally been a problem but unfortunately hubby was sick at the exact same time, which is just a whole other story, and so I couldn’t send him out to get more. Let’s just say that the only thing he wasn’t sick enough to do was argue with me about who was sicker! I didn’t even have the strength to pick up the phone to call a friend for help so I suffered and wallowed in self pity. Anyway my point is I learned my lesson the hard way.
Usually I’m on top of these things because I have a expiry date fixation and therefore constantly checking the meds. I absolutely enjoy finding an expired item in my house….whether it be my fridge or in my medicine cupboard….I love being able to yell “jackpot” when I find one. Seriously I get that excited to throw something out. Just a little more “freak” trivia for you.
So back to my medicine storage. I don’t use my medicine cabinet in the bathroom to store my meds, I use a cupboard in my kitchen. I do this for a number of reasons:
a) because my main bathroom is upstairs and it just always seems that we are on the main floor (where the kitchen is) when we need the meds and I’m too lazy to have to go all the way upstairs to get them.
b) I feel safer with the meds in the kitchen because they aren’t as accessible to the kids.
c) because of my other small (okay not so small) fixation to contain “like with like” I like having the kids vitamins in the same place as all the other meds. My exception to this is my vitamin bottle which I keep upstairs in my bathroom because the only way I can remember to take my vitamin is as part of my bedtime routine right after I brush my teeth. Bet you were dying to know that right!
d) I like having the meds in the kitchen so they are right there whenever I have a free moment (while waiting for water to boil, while sneaking a cookie, you know that type of thing) to go through and check expiry dates and quantities (although I messed up on this last time but you can be sure I won’t do that again!).
Here is a picture of my medicine cupboard:
Bottom shelf is for the kids. The round container holds the medicine cups and syringes and the other container holds the meds. The middle shelf is for the adult meds. Normally I like to make sure to have both pain and cold medications on hand for all of us. The dedicated shelves work to help me establish my boundaries and not buy more than what would fit on each designated shelf.
There you have it…for a story that isn’t too exciting I sure managed to ramble on enough. As always there are many different systems to use to organize an area, this just happens to be one of them. Please feel free to share what works for you in the comments.
Have a great day!
Linsey says
Well, Miss Laura, I was just going to email you and ask you this very same question!
Right now my med storage is 2 storage containers with kids med in one and adult meds in the other. That sounds good in theory but after I take out a med I just throw it back in ANY box. The containers are on the top shelf of the bathroom closet and it is hard to tell which is which!
AHHHHHH….it just dawned on me…I should buy 2 different colored boxes! LOL
Thea says
I keep most of my meds in the kitchen, too. I keep all the kids meds with their vitamins in one cabinet (I have a little container for the droppers and cups and stuff also), and all the adult meds go in a different cabinet.
Another thing I do is to seperate my meds by the time of day thatwe take them. All the daytime non-drowsy meds are downstairs in the kitchen, but all the nighttime, sleepy meds are up in the bedroom so we can take them right before we hit the sack.
momrn2 says
Ours are also in the kitchen… and amazingly look similar to your picture.
Hope you are now feeling much better from a couple of weeks ago!
Sandra says
Mine are also in the kitchen and actually look like yours LOL It’s a very big thing for me cause you’re my Organizing Hero, so to have something that is like yours is just awesome LOL
Jenny says
I laughed at, “Just a little more “freak” trivia for you.”…too funny.
I actually have a little white box that I keep the medicine in. It has the Neo Citran(which I can’t take), the Tylenol, the kids tylenol, garlic capsules, echinacea,the kids vitamins, vitamin c…and that’s probably it. That’s all we tend to use. I keep 2 syringes and 2 measuring cups in the cutlery drawer. Everything else I throw out.
Thanks for sharing!
Proverbs31 says
I like this. I have some of my meds in our bathroom, some of the kids meds in their bathroom, and some of both in a basket on top of the fridge. Mostly it’s the most common stuff on the fridge, like the tylenol. But still when I need something and can’t find it, I have to go check all three places to be sure it didn’t just get misplaced and that’s a pain. I like your idea of grouping them all together. I just have to find the right place. 🙂
Stacitee says
Thanks for the info and the pictures. Looks great!
I have my meds in the kitchen too and they are taking over the cupboard where we keep our drinking glasses. I’ll see what I can come up with and maybe even post a picture.
Thanks again!
Laughing Mommy
P.S. I have to leave this message as Stacitee (my old blog) because I can’t figure out how to do it any other way. Can you tell I’m fairly new to blogging?
Cathy says
I too keep all of our medications in the kitchen. I also have a separate basket/cabinet close by in the kitchen for things like bandaids, Polysporin, thermometre etc.
I try not to have too many medications kicking around, just the basics so that I know I will use them up without having to throw out wasted.
Great thread!
GiBee says
So, first of all, I’m sooooo glad to hear that you are too lazy to go upstairs to get medicine. It gives me great joy to know that while extremely organized, a sprinter you are not. hehehe. Gives me a sense of normalcy.
Next — just how many cabinets do you have in your kitchen? Mine have so many things in them, and I use all of them, so I can’t bear to be without them, and all my cabinets, which are plentiful, are jamed, cramed, and stuffed full-o-stuff.
Finally, I’m feeling your pain about the cold/flu — have it, hate it. Hope you feel better real, REAL soon!
Kara says
My medicine cabinet is a mess. I really should organize it so next time I’m feeling sick I don’t have to go through it all, not find what I need, and 2 days after I get better finally find the cold medicine under a stack of junk on the kitchen table. Maybe I’ll tackle that today. Or not. I might just tackle a nap.
Jennifer says
That is a great idea. I actually have Advil and kids’ cold medicine in the kitchen (randomly at the front of my dishes cabinet–see I’m really NOT at all organized), because it does seem that we are on this level when we need something. I’ll have to think about making room for the whole stash.
JennaG says
I need to tackle my medicine. I have some in the kitchen like you do and some in the master bath. I really need to purge the old stuff and figure out what I need!
Dustanne says
We keep ours in the kitchen to and then I have my own special cupboard where I keep my medication.
They both are messy messy messy though.
When we moved in to our house we found that we had more cupboard space than we knew what to do with…some are still empty.
By the way, I am so happy that I came apon your blog. I am in big need of organization and love the pictures and ideas. :o)
Judi says
I have my meds in the kitchen too. I only have one shelf in the cabinet for medicine. I have the long organizing bins like you use for silverware or something. One holds the children’s medicines. One holds my hubby’s and one holds mine and another holds misc. stuff like thermometers etc.
Lucy says
You are a Godsend!!! I read your post and said (outloud), “I want to be a freak.” My husband said, “Honey, you are.” I don’t think he meant it the same way, though. I will be visiting your blog often. Thank you.
Kimberly says
I use one of those white plastic three drawer thingummy’s I picked up at Walmart – made sure to get a nicer one so the drawers slide nicely. I sits on a high shelf in out bathroom closet. The top drawer has analgesics, the second drawer cold meds, etc…and the third drawer has the kids meds and thermometres. Works great!
Lindsey @ Enjoythejourney says
We have friends who work as health-care missionaries abroad and they often take EXPIRED meds to the countries to use. Why? Because expired meds (most OTC and prescriptions but not all prescriptions) are good for at least a year past the use-by or expiration date.
So, don’t get too upset if you take something out of date! 🙂
CJ says
I keep our vitamins and any current medication we may be on in the kitchen. HOWEVER, other medication and first aid care is kept in our linen closet. I use a clear over the door shoe organizer over the inside of our upstairs linen closet. Things are sorted by ailment/symptom. Cold medicine in one shoe pocket. Bandaids in another pocket. Indigestion in another, etc. It works perfectly. We can easily see the pocket we need to look in and find the appropriate remedy we need.
Savvy Momma
laughing mommy says
I organized my meds and posted pictures (with a link to this post of course). Thanks!
laughing mommy
Tamie says
Great ideas. I especially like Savvy Momma’s idea of the shoe pocket. I can’t do that with little ones in the house…they’d have easy access to them…but I am going to remember that for when they are older!!
~Tamie