Have ever asked yourself this question, or a similar one, such as, Where is the thermometer? Tylenol? Pepto? If so, you’re in need of a first aid module (and maybe a few less trips through the Taco Bell drive-thru).
What exactly is a “module,” you ask? Dictionary.com calls it “a separable component, frequently one that is interchangeable with others, for assembly into units of differing size, complexity, or function.” Or as I like to call it, “a place to put your stuff.” Easy as pie. (Is pie really easy? I made one once. It was hard.) You can create modules for all sorts of things – craft supplies, filing materials, or as I did, first aid.
Modules are great for one main reason: they are contained. No more wandering around looking for gauze pads. They are right where they should be, nestled next to the thermometer. An added bonus is that the container automatically sets limits, helping you avoid the dreaded clutter spread. You can’t continue to buy more craft paper when your craft module is full. (Well, I suppose technically you can, but you really don’t want to after you’ve created some beautiful clear space in your life!)
The inspiration for this project was two-fold: 1) I read about modules in Francine Jay’s The Joy of Less and have been itchin’ to create some ever since, and 2) My first aid supplies ranged throughout my house like medicinal nomads. If you fell down and scraped your knee, you’d need to go to one cupboard for peroxide, another for a bandage, and yet another for some aspirin. By the time you rounded up all those supplies, you could have bled to death! It was time to modulize.
My first step was to gather all the errant first aid supplies in my house. Here is what I found:
I then went through these supplies, ditching expired meds and duplicates. I eyeballed the size of the remaining items and headed to the store for an appropriate container. Here was the result:
It pained the minimalist in me a bit that my large bottles of Tylenol, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide didn’t fit into the tub. The next tub size up was really big and I wanted to keep my module petite. But it really doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that my first aid supplies are finally all hanging out in the same cupboard!
And I had scientific proof this past weekend that modules work. My sister came to visit and during the term of her stay she had need for Tylenol and Neosporin. She was able to find both products easily without my help!
Another great byproduct of this project was my newly sleek bathroom cupboard. Because I was able to remove many of the first aid supplies, it went from looking like this:
To this:
I decided that the bathroom cupboard, since it is used every day, should only contain items that are used every day. After moving my toothbrushes and drinking cup into the cupboard, my sink went from looking like this:
To this:
It may not look like a huge difference, but I no longer knock that pink cup off the sink every time I lean down to spit out my toothpaste and that makes my life better! There is just a sleeker look and feel to my bathroom now, which I notice every day.
What can you modulize in your home? Do you have crayons and stickers running wild? Are your antacids in a long distance relationship with your cough syrup? Is your checkbook longing to snuggle up close to your stamps and address labels in a neat, cozy module? You bet!
