*This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HealthySavings #CollectiveBias
Organizing the medicine cabinet is LONG overdue in this house. First off the drawer that houses all of our over-the-counter (OTC) medicines is way too low. My kids are taller and stronger now, so more likely to be able to get into that drawer. Also, nothing really seems to have a place. Lotions, shampoos, towels, medicines, skincare… it’s all randomly tossed onto any old shelf. It’s not okay, and gives me anxiety when I look at it.
Because it’s back-to-school time I’ve decided it’s time to get at the medicine cabinet. My goals for this reorganization are (1) purging expired medicines, (2) putting all medications up high, (3) organizing kids meds and adult meds into separate areas and (4) making the cabinet space more functional as a whole.
The obligatory but painful before picture:
(1) Purging Expired Medicine. Sadly, this was a heavy task. Before we administer anything (which is thankfully pretty rare) we always check the expiration date as well as dosing directions. If I happen to see that it’s expired that med gets tossed and tbh it usually means a trip to the store to pick up a new one. By doing this purge and organizing I can make a list of what we need to have on hand before the school year starts and the cold/flu season is upon us.
(2) Putting All Medication Up High. Regardless of the child-proof caps all meds should be out of reach of little hands. I’m embarrassed I haven’t done this a lot sooner. My kids have never been ones to go anywhere near things that aren’t theirs (unless it’s makeup and my daughter is involved… she cares nothing about boundaries in that respect) but that doesn’t mean they won’t start. There are a lot of things in the bigger part of the cabinet that we never use or that are meant for babies. Seriously. My kids are 8 & 6 and I still have some baby things. That’s how often I don’t go through this stuff.
(3) Organizing Adult Meds & Kid Meds Into Separate Areas. Have you ever been awakened in the middle of the night by a coughing, sneezing, miserable child? Or a husband rummaging loudly in the bathroom? Separation of the medicines will make it easier for everyone to quickly find what they’re looking for.
(4) Making the Cabinet Space More Functional. This is just something that needs done. As much as I love to organize it’s surprising I haven’t touched this space yet. I want to move the towels around a bit and get some of the taller shelf space for shampoos, lotions and skincare products.
The much happier after pics:
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I had to throw out. I found one bottle way in the back from 2009. You can’t make this stuff up =\ It’s much more organized and accessible now. I packed all of the ointments and creams in a gold and purple travel bag and put them on the top shelf. All of the kid medicine is in the middle basket and the adult medicine is in the bag beside it (because I couldn’t find a basket that was perfect yet) and the bigger bottles beside that. A place for everything and everything in it’s place makes me a happy person.
It helps to save some money while you’re replacing all of those expired products and stocking up on new ones. At Walgreens if you spend $30 on Pfizer products, you’ll receive 10,000 Balance rewards points! Look for the endcap (pic below) at your local Walgreens store for products and pricing!
How do you organize your medicines? Leave tips for me in the comments so I can make sure I’ve got all the bases covered!!
*This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HealthySavings #CollectiveBias
Thank you for sharing the amazing tips with us. Yes, it is very important to keep the adult and kids medicines separately in a separate cabin. Also, the cabinet should be of good height so that it is not accessible to kids. Looking some tips on how to be safe of medical frauds. Thanks in advance!
Hey Brooke, Thanks for the medicine cabinet idea. My sister also suggested me to buy a separate cabinet for medicines and all because my drawers are all messed up. I travel a lot that’s why I have medicines in bulk and sometimes I couldn’t find them at the right time which makes me mad. I am gonna buy it soon.
Keeping our medicine cabinet in order is hard in our house… we are always in a rush when trying to grab what we need. lol
Honeygirlk recently posted..Josie Maran Argan Balm and Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter
This was me recently. Every six months or so I organize my medicine cabinet and drawers and think “ok this time they’ll stay like this!” Surprisingly … They never do 😉 Woopsies
Good tips, I need to organize–I have medications in 3 different cabinets!
Every time I clean out a drawer, my husband messes it up! Hahaha
Mandy Chameleon Stampede recently posted..What’s in my August ipsy Bag?
They’re good for that!!
I know half of the meds I have stashed are probably expired… I so need to do a clear out before the winter cold season.
Bailey recently posted..Demeter Mr. Bubble | My Scent Memory
Great post! Thanks for the inspiration and fantastic tips!!
Lola recently posted..Colbert MD Nutrify & Protect Day | Review
After photo is good for one week only, trust me haha! It’s like fixing my vanity only to get messy after makeup looks and whatnot
Kath TheFabZilla recently posted..BEAUTY JUNKEES LARGE KABUKI SET | Review + Giveaway
UGH don’t tell me that. I get you tho.. esp with the vanity lol
Oh my gosh, my bathroom area is so full of stuff! I really need to purge but I’m a little afraid to. 😛 Your after pictures are giving me hope though!
Jessica recently posted..Pahlish Little Bread and Butterflies skittelette manicure
It was nice because with the extra space I was able to move extra back ups out of my beauty room and into the bathroom where they belong!!
I’m getting paranoid about medications and products that can be reached by little hands. While my babies aren’t ever alone there is always the chance that they could get into things. All my storage is low but luckily my linen closet has higher shelves that I can still reach and they can’t. Tossing old meds is such a good thing to do.
MarciaF recently posted..Where does your state rank in wrinkles? RoC Deep Wrinkle Serum will help you out (giveaway time)
The after is so much cleaner! I really need to go through and update mine. These tips will definitely help!
Tashina recently posted..Pacifica Future Youth Enzymatic Resurfacing Mask Review
A lot got tossed and a lot of beauty products got sent to my inlaws house (which serves as a central location for people that need toiletries because everything ends up there and everyone always visits her… easier for turn around LOL)
I TOTALLY need to do this! Those white plastic containers look like they will help with organization.
Kristina recently posted..Too Faced Stardust Palette, Essie 2015 Fall Collection, Giveaways and More!
I need more of them for sure.
My medicine cabinet is a bit of a mess too. This is totally encouraging me to go in there and get to work so I can stock up and get those extra Balance Rewards points! #client
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom recently posted..Chevron’s Game Day Chef Challenge
The points were a MAJOR bonus for me. Especially stocking up on the ThermaCare!
Looks great! You can come do mine now haha
Julie recently posted..Endless Summer Tan with Cocoa Brown!
I organize it in drawers in my bathroom.
Phyrra recently posted..NARS Audacious Mascara Review
Do you want to come over to organize mine?! I need lots of help!
Eugenia recently posted..Luminess Air Review
YES! I love to organize! I’m embarrassed this one went so long!
I am not great with organizing medicine, I gotta admit that. I usually try to keep it all locked because of my toddler and then it kind of gets forgotten (I know, terrible!).
NORAH recently posted..Thierry Mugler Scents of Summer :: InStyle Magazine’s Summer Social
I actually just reorganized my medicine cabinet recently and I definitely need to do that again before I move!
Jamie recently posted..#ManiMonday: Nail Polish Nail Art from The House of Polish in Beverly Hills
Moving is a PITA but omg it’s SO GOOD for organizing!
We have a basket that we keep in pretty good shape, but yes to this! You really have to keep purging to make sure you don’t “hoard” expired meds! Excellent post! <3
Shipra recently posted..Japonesque Liquid Light #1 and BB/CC Cream Brush Review
I couldn’t believe how many were REALLY expired. As we would pick something up to use we’d throw out if it was expired but it’s clear we had a lot more meds than we needed.
What’s the fun in being organized, especially when you are sick. I like to hear my husband mumbling WHY GOD WHY hehehhe when he has a man cold. We bought some bins for our linen closet and labeled them for each symptom so he could find them easier heheheh
Heather recently posted..Bite Beauty Frozen Berries Lipsticks
Men are the biggest babies! LMAO! I love the labeling idea! I can’t even start with labeling.. I’ll end up labeling everything… dog… lamp… printer… lol
Boy, do I feel guilty. My medicine cabinet and the bin under the sink are a wreck. Maybe in the winter I’ll get to it. But now I’ve gotta search for my Bedhead No Frizz in all that mess!
Allison recently posted..Peter Lamas Spa Sensuals Body Care Products
I’m glad I’m not alone LOL!