What a title, huh? Let me just tell you right now, if you don’t have one, you need one! Well, let me explain what I’m talking about first, how’s that?
Once, during our first year of marriage, we got good dose of food poisoning. (And NO, it was nothing I cooked!!!) We had gone to one of our favorite BBQ restaurants for a late dinner, and at about 2:00 the next morning, my poor hubby woke up SICK. He didn’t mean to, but he woke me up, too, and once I was awake, I realized that I was feeling pretty nasty, too. I knew it was only a matter of time before I started to get as sick as he was, and I also knew that I was supposed to go to the grocery store that day. So we had NOTHING at home to make us feel better at all. I made a mad dash for our 24-hour Walmart, and just in time, if you know what I mean.
As we lay there feeling miserable, I promised that I would never let the same thing happen again. And so was born…
The Sick Box
Here’s what it’s stocked with:
- Gatorade
- Bottled water
- Crackers
- Soup
- Applesauce
- Pain reliever
- Vitamin C
- TheraFlu
- Pepto Bismol
- Ginger tea
- Throat Coat tea
- Decongestant
- Tums
- Jello
- Cough syrup
We always have bread in the freezer (for toast for hurting tummies) and popsicles, too (for sore throats) so we’re good there. I also always have plenty of bleach, Lysol and Clorox wipes at the house, too, to kill all the germies! And we are always well-stocked with tissues and general first aid stuff. But my main concern was, if we both ended up sick at the same time again, it’s no fun to try to get in and out of the store for supplies without…well, getting sick! And if I kept these things in our regular medicine stash, then we would use them and forget to replenish them, and they wouldn’t be there in an emergency situation. We can’t have that!
The Sick Box is especially important during this time of the year, when the weather is wacky and EVERYONE is sick. They’re dropping like flies around us, and I’m just hoping that we’re not going to come down with anything! Ain’t nobody got time for that!
And we don’t have kids yet, but when we do, let me assure you: each one of them will have a Sick Box, too! Because as parents, I’m sure the last thing you want to do is have to pack up your sick baby in the car and go to the store for feel-better items! (Especially if YOU aren’t feeling good yourself!)
So there you have it!
What about you? Do you keep a stash of things on hand in case anyone gets sick? Or are you planning your Sick Box right now? Can you think of anything I’M missing in my Sick Box?
That is a really good idea. Once I had kids, I kept a stash of stuff for them with tylenol, boogie wipes, etc, but I don’t really have much for the adults in the house.
Adults need to feel better, too! 🙂
I don’t keep a sick box because my family tries to be as holistic as possible. We use essential oils for our healthcare/medicinal needs to stay healthy and heal our bodies if we get sick. I just go to my “oily cabinet” and grab one of my Young Living oils depending on what the problem is. I don’t want to combat an illness by loading my family’s bodies with chemicals.
That’s great, Sherry! I’m not as advanced and healthy as you are 🙁
Experience is the best teacher. We do have items on hand for such auspicious occasions. I remember one time, a good many years back, all 3 of us had a nasty stomach virus at one time. My husband had a test in one of his college classes that morning and went to school anyway. Strangers were offering to help him, it was obvious how sick he was, he made an A on that test! We were out of sick supplies at home so my niece brought them. She placed them in between the storm door and the big door and left, LoL. Yes, a sick box is a good thing!
Oh goodness! That’s great that you had so much help, though!
Great idea! Sherry, i’m holistic too, and have a shelf in one of kitchen cabinets that is my “sick shelf”. Honey, Elderberry, Garlic, Oregano, etc.
Oh dear…I have ginger tea! That’s holistic, right?! 🙂
Great idea! We have a sick closet shelf. I seriously have more medications around than anyone else I know. But the Gatorade and tea are a great idea! I need to get some. It never fails, I get sick and have to ask someone to go get me some drinks. My husband can’t drive because he is disabled. If I put the Gatorade in the back of the shelf, the kids won’t snatch it.
You make a good point…my hubby has snatched the Gatorade twice so far LOL
I have a small box of medicine on a high shelf in a kitchen cabinet (so the grands can’t accidentally get in it), but thankfully we rarely have to use it. Because of that, I’m constantly having to check the dates and dispose of medicines that have expired. Great idea!
That’s a good point, Alli! Checking expiration dates. We haven’t used ours yet…but the experience was so bad the first time around that I was bound and determined not to repeat it LOL
Really great idea to have it all in one place. Our meds are here and there and everywhere…..
I lose everything that way LOL But you have to do what works for you!
Great idea! I love that this means no emergency trips leaving the house. I always hate having to decide whether to venture a trip to WalMart in the middle of the night just to pick up Gatorade.
Yes, I hate emergencies of all kinds…
My husband maintains the “sick box,” the first aid bag, and all the detailed stuff I’d never think of keeping. Big picture gal married to a very detail oriented guy. But then again, he’s ex Army infantry and very good to have in a crisis!
Be Fabulous!
Peggy
***
Peggy Nolan
Frazzled to Fabulous
https://frazzledtofab.com
And that’s why y’all make a great team! 🙂
I was laughing when I read this because I too have a sick box! I find it is so important, especially since we have had kids. Nothing worse then being tired, sick and miserable then having to go to the pharmacy to stock up on medicines (not to mention the insane costs when its not on sale!). Thanks for sharing this post!
Yay for the sick box!!! And yes, a great point – good idea to get them while they’re on sale!
You must have read my mind as I wrote about a mom is sometimes sick as well! This is a great idea. We don’t have a box, but we do have all these supplies on hand. I always stock two extra bottles of pedialyte (generic).
I saw your post and I laughed! (Not because you were sick, but because we were on the same wave length LOL) I wonder, can adults drink Pedialyte, too?
Great idea! Nice to see someone else to have medications in a box. Thankfully we rarely have to use it. Because of that it is full of medicines that have expired :(.
Oh dear!
I do keep the sick dash stuff in stock. 🙂 Smart that you learned early, it took me years!!
It only took once of being sick and stuck LOL
I need to do this. We don’t get sick often but when we do I never seem to have what we need on hand.
Exactly my problem before I did this!
Sick Box is a neat idea! We don’t have one right now other than the advil or tylenol lying around. But I need to make it professional like the one you have. Thanks for this 🙂
Aw, professional! Wow! 🙂
I love the idea of a sick box. There is nothing worse than rummaging through the house trying to find medicines when you just aren’t feeling well! It would be great to have a quick box to run to for all your needs!
Exactly!
Smart idea! I keep most of our medications together, but hadn’t thought about adding drinks and snacks to it. Thanks for the inspiration
Sure thing!
Oh gosh, that is such a great idea! With six people in our household, including four kids, it seems like sicknesses never ends!
Oh yeah! I’ll bet y’all pass it around 🙁
We don’t have a “Sick Box” per se but we always keep bottled water, powerade mix, and plenty of medicine around the house, just in case. My daughter also keeps squeeze applesauce in case she is too sick to cook.
That’s good – always good to be prepared!
We don’t have a sick box, but we have a sick cabinet. It’s a small three shelf cabinet we keep in a corner and is filled with pretty much everything you mentioned in your post, as well as cough drops, sore throat spray, ginger ale, inhalers, and pedialyte. I learned the hard way.
Ginger Ale, I need some of that in the box for sure!
Oh I have a sick box too! It’s such a helpful idea
Kindred spirits we are 🙂
I have never thought about a sick box actually. But love the idea. I will copy your list and add some extra for our sick boxes. Thanks for a great idea!
You’re quite welcome!
What a great idea! We don’t have a sick box, but I do keep chicken bone broth in the freezer for such occasions.
Oh, that’s a fantastic idea!
Very smart idea. If I had one, I would do the same as you only with the addition of benadryl.
Oh yes! (We always have Benadryl – we are big allergy sufferers at our house, unfortunately. Even our pets have allergies LOL)
I have one of those Sterilite pull out drawer thingies and that’s where I keep all my sick supplies. It’s so nice knowing you have one set spot for stuff like that! Oh, and you poor guys with that food poisoning at the same time…awful!
Yeah, hopefully that never happens again LOL
What a great idea, my parents actually have something like it – me on the other hand, I need to get something like it sorted. x
You can do it! 🙂
I wish I’d found your blog a few years ago. I’d have found the best ideas here for when the kids were younger. I never had things together in one place.
I want to say I will now, but that’s probably not true! I’ll struggle through the sickness with what I randomly have in the house.
Hey, as long as you can find what you need!
We also have a sick box, I started it when I was a single mom. Kids always get fevers in the middle of the night and nothing is worse than dragging your child that does not feel well to the store for medicine, gatorade, etc. It is such a great thing to have on hand.
Oh, that’s true!
Good idea to have it all in one place so it is easy to find.
Especially when you’re feeling dizzy and nauseous LOL
When mom is sick, everything falls apart, hugh? This is a great idea. I wish I had a sick box last weekend when our son was vomiting with a stomach virus.
Oh yes 🙁 I do hope he’s feeling better!
Sure makes this easy to find your items when someone was sick. My middle son is getting over a nasty flu bug so this is going to come in handy thanks for sharing.
Oh boy! I hope he’s feeling better!
The sick box is a very clever idea! All mommies should have one of those on hand! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your kind words!
We do have a cupboard stocked with items that we can use when we get sick. Gatorade is a great idea because that is one thing we were missing last month when we all got the stomach virus going around.
Oh yeah, that’s no fun 🙁 And water doesn’t help things in that case 🙁
I generally have a stash of items around just in case and you just reminded me to check it out in case I have run out of something! It really is a good idea to have these types items always on hand just in case.
Yes, I’m a big fan of the “just in case” 🙂
Oh, I’m old, we have a sick closet. Well, shelves dedicated to grab n go. Just yesterday I had to grab something so I could settle my belly long enough to make it into work. I just hate being out sick. Although, I have to replenish the ginger ale. That is a must have in our house if there’s a stomach bug. I have been known to have a small stash in my desk drawer too. You just never know when illness is going to strike!
That’s so true, Kim! I figured if I start dosing myself with stuff asap I can get over it asap, too!
Great idea, I’ll probably make one of these too. The only thing I wouldn’t put is Gatorade (not sure if Pepsi did eliminate the brominated vegetable oil from it or it’s still added?), and I’d replace it with Lugol’s iodine, Perfect for anything, as an antiseptic and even to take internally.
The more I look at this box, the more I want one too now in my house!
Oh, I’ve never heard of Lugol’s iodine! Thank you!
We just dove into our sick box yesterday. our whole family is passing it around!
Oh dear 🙁
Great idea! I’m a naturalist type, so I would probably have herbal tea’s, essential oils and other herbal remedies like echinacea, chamomile, brochosan, etc.
I really, really love this idea! I should make myself a list of things to start collecting. 🙂 Pinning!
I do have some herbal supplements and teas…but I’m not quite as good as you with the oils 🙁
what an awesome idea i need to do this for my family we are always looking for medicine when sick
Hope it helps!
Tweeting this one for you 🙂
Thank you, Theresa!
This is a brilliant idea! I always realize I’m out of supplies at the worst possible time.
Yeah, me too 🙁 This has helped me with that a lot, though!
This is a great idea! I do something similar to comfort us when we’re sick. I need that right now 🙁 I need to get better!!
Oh dear 🙁 I hope you feel better soon!
I like this idea. I keep a bunch of stuff on hand just in case, but only because I’ve learned the hard way that it pays to be prepared.
Yes 🙁 Those hard-learned lessons are easiest remembered 🙁
Brilliant idea here. its better than the Cabinet. I like the tidiness of it too.
Thank you, Eliz!
GREAT idea! I need the sick box right now! I have cold, dizzy and upset stomach! Do you mail them? lol
Oh no! I don’t think I could mail them, no…you have to check that “is anything in this box liquid or perishable” LOL I hope you’re feeling better!
I love this idea and actually have one for my family; too… Thanks for sharing and reminding me to check if mine are expired or if I need to refill any of the items…
Yes, that’s important!
This Sick Box is such a great idea! I definitely want to make one for each of my family members, so we are prepared for ugly sickness!
Thanks, Courtney! It sure does pay to be prepared!
You have a well stocked sick box! It sucks being sick but you are so prepared there, you’ll kick that bug in no time with the items you have listed. That’s if you ever get sick. 🙂
I’ve been better than normal, actually…surprisingly so. Normally I’m sick rather often. (Now that I’ve said that…watch me get sick LOL)
Hot tea is a staple in our sick box. I really couldn’t make it without it when I am sick.
Agreed! It really does help!
That is a really great idea! I would have never thought to put it all together (instead I’m scrambling around trying to get it while sick!).
I just hate that, Ashley! (Well, I hate scrambling around for most things even when I’m NOT sick!)
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