Organize + Energize: Be Prepared. Organize a First-Aid Kit

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalWorcester Organizing Expert

We are beginning to spend more time outdoors and with more time outdoors you may find yourself getting acute injuries, bug bites or sunburns. Are you prepared if there is an accident, a bee sting, a scrape or burn? Do you have a first aid kit, and does everybody in your household know where it is located? Do you panic when you can find a Band-Aid but can’t seem to locate the antiseptic spray, or bee sting relief pad?

Money and time will be wasted when these items are scattered all over the home. You want to be able to locate an item and locate it quickly when an accident occurs. You don’t want to have to rush out to the store to purchase something you know you have in the home, but just don’t know where it’s located and don’t want to waste time searching for it.

Now is a great time of year to create a first-aid kit. Keep one in each bathroom or a designated spot in the house. You may also want to keep one in the car, just in case. Notify everybody in the household where to locate the kit if an accident were to happen.

If you are confused as to which type of first-aid products to purchase, I have provided a list of suggestions to include in your kit.

• Tweezers & magnifier for removing splinters

• Small scissors

• Benadryl

• Neosporin/bacitracin

• Disposable ice pack

• Alcohol wipes

• Insect sting relief wipes

• Peroxide

• A box of all different sizes of band aids

• Gauze pads- 4x4 pads or a gauze roll

• Tape

• Ace bandage

• Gloves

• If anybody is allergic to bees, keep a spare epi-pen in the kit

• First-aid guide

• Anti-inflammatory medication

• Any trial size products that you find in your travels that you think you might benefit from if they were in your kit.

While you are preparing your first aid kit, also prepare an area to keep sunscreens, SPF lip balm, bug spray and any other items you need to put on before you head outside.

Gather all the first-aid items that you already store in your home. Check for expired items. Categorize and itemize the items you are keeping. You can store your first-aid products in a see through or colorful container, a basket, zippered pouch, or whatever type of container will fit in the area you are storing the kit. Label if you must.

Again, keep these contained to one area and be sure everybody in the home is aware of where they are stored. Once these items are used, they will be put back in their place and that is how organization will be maintained.

This is a quick organizing project that you can tackle and feel great after you accomplish it. Get prepared now and be ready for when that accident happens. When an accident occurs, you won't be stressed or frazzled looking for items; you will be organized, prepared and you will save time and money.

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on talkstreamradio.com.

Related Slideshow: 5 Organizing Blunders

Avoid these mistakes and your project will take less time than you expected. You won’t be as stressed or as overwhelmed as you anticipated. You will be amazed at what you have accomplished. You will be motivated and energized to tackle another project.

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Not planning ahead

Getting organized is a process and you have to have a plan on how to conquer your project. You can’t tear apart an entire room all at once. You need to break the project down into small pieces. Plan to tackle your project in 3-hour increments. If you work longer than 3 hours at a time, you are setting yourself up for burnout. Plan ahead to try to avoid distractions and stay focused.

Click here for more tips on how to avoid distractions.

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Purchasing the incorrect supplies

I know you are excited to get organized, but don’t rush out to the store and purchase products just because you like the way they look. Get organized first. Figure out what you need to contain, and then purchase your container to match the items you need it to hold.

Click here for more on choosing the right container.

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Not letting others know about your system

Once you set up the organized system, you have to get everybody in your home on board. Show them the systems and how you are going to function with this system going forward. Label everything if you must, so everybody gets in the habit of putting items away. Remember, the simpler the system, the easier it’s going to be to maintain.

Need help creating those systems? Go here.

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Not maximizing your space

Use every inch of space and use it well. Take everything out of the area you are organizing. You can’t get a clear visual of the space if it is filled with clutter. Shifting items around is not going to work.

Here are more tips on maximizing your space.

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Repeatedly clearing spaces

You are creating more work for yourself if you continue to clear spaces once a month. Create a system and allow everything in your home to have its own place, and you will never have to clear a space again.

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