While I’m away this week my sweet organizing friend, Angie from Echoes of Laughter, has stopped by with a post all about preparing for the cold & flu season. Do this today and the next time you have sick kids you will be so glad you did. Thanks Angie!
Hello Org Junkie readers! I am so happy to be visiting here with you! I have been reading Laura’s blog for at least 5 years and I am so tickled to be guest posting for her.
Today I want to share with you a seasonal organizing project which is especially important for this time of year…cold & flu organizing. Let’s face it…there is nothing worse than needing fever medicine for a sick child at 3 am and discovering that the bottle is almost empty. It’s happened to me before and I’ve been left driving around town in my pajamas and bad hair looking for the 24 hour drug store. It surely is not a fun chore to do at 3 am, so I got my act together and have been organized and ready for the cold & flu season for the past few years.
Now is the perfect time to go through the medicine cabinet to take stock of the cold & flu supplies and make a list of things needing replacing/replenishing for winter. I would suggest gathering everything together and checking ‘best before’ dates and discarding those medicines which have expired. Now you are ready to make a list of items you need to pick on the next trip to the store.
One thing that I like to use to organize our cold & flu supplies is a handy dandy carry-all. I found this one at the dollar store and I love it because it holds everything that might be needed for a sick patient and is easy to carry to whichever room its needed. Or, when you have more than one family member sick, it’s great for running from room to room without losing your mind! I call our handy carry-all “The Nurse”.
“The Nurse” is stocked with:
* Fever medicine. Liquid medicine for my youngest child and tablets for everyone else.
* Gravol. Both liquid and tablets.
* Vicks Vapor Rub
* Sinus/Decongestants
* Thermometer
* Tea
* Honey Sticks
* Throat Lozenges
* Tissues
* small pad of paper and pen for recording doses of medicine and times given {because when you are sleep-deprived, it can be hard to remember,}
The only thing not in “The Nurse” is ginger ale, saltine crackers and chicken noodle soup. I used to buy a case of ginger ale for the winter, but this past summer we got a Soda Stream and I love it because we can make ginger ale anytime that it is needed. I have stocked up with a couple of boxes of saltine crackers and a case of chicken noodle soup.
This organizing project should take no more than 15 minutes {not include shopping time}, but you will be so happy with yourself for being prepared for whatever comes your way this fall & winter. There will be no driving around town in pajamas and bad hair at 3 am…which is always a good thing! And now you are ready to kick some serious ‘cold & flu’ butt!
Susie E says
I send a similar package to college with my kids. They have found it so helpful, for themselves and for their neighbors!
Angie@Echoes of Laughter says
What a great idea to send it to college kids! I am sure that they SO appreciate it! Angie xo
Nicola says
I absolutely love jakemans throat and chest sweets and im so surprised to see them over in the USA. I have a medicine box and just had to throw out all my cough and cold syrups because they had like 2009 dates on them (oopse lol) so just had to buy some new stuff. So helpful. Thank you!!
Angie@Echoes of Laughter says
I’m actually in Canada and I found them at a British Import store. I love them too! Angie xo
Sarah says
May I ask where? I’m also in Calgary.
Donyell says
What are honey sticks?
Angie@Echoes of Laughter says
Honey sticks are straws filled with honey…they are great for a child’s cough or a tickly throat. Angie xo
MelanieL says
Yay, so fun to see you here Angie:) Great suggestions for your traveling “nurse”! Stocking up on crackers, soup and ginger ale/7-up were never part of my plan but they will be now. We ALWAYS have to run out for 7-up when the bug hits!
Angie@Echoes of Laughter says
Thank you Mel! You are so sweet! Have a wonderful weekend! Angie xo
AJ Thomas says
Honey sticks would not survive my house. They are the straws filled with honey. Honey in the bottle is fine, but put it in a straw and it must be eaten.
Angie@Echoes of Laughter says
Haha. My son loves honey sticks too! Angie xo
Donnie says
These are great ideas even when there are no little ones at home. Hubby & I are retired and when we’re ill this will really come in handy.
Angie@Echoes of Laughter says
Thank you so much! Have a lovely weekend! Angie xo
Shirley says
Wow, love this idea! Thanks for posting about it!
courtney says
What is gravol and where do you buy it ? Thank you
Laura says
Gravol is a anti-nauseous medicine that works similarly to Dramamine in the US.