the junk area.

My German-descended grandmother had an awesome junk drawer. It had things like batteries and red-handled scissors, and also container a plethora of candy and candy bars. It was quite an organized junk drawer. I like to attribute her organization skills to that German heritage.

Since she is my blood relation, I also happen to have that German streak in me. I like an organized junk drawer. Mine is pretty organized — neat little containers holding all sorts of things from coins to tape to dry cleaning receipts. I studied hard and learned well.

Thing is, my grandmother didn’t own a cell phone or digital camera or mobile messaging device. She left me no clues on how to make that area so orderly, evidenced by Exhibit A:

Exhibit A: Junk Area

My “electronic docking system” has been overrun by prescription and over-the-counter meds, jewelry and any other miscellaneous item that either doesn’t have a home or whose home is simply too far away. Here’s a closer look:

Exhibit B: Close-up of Junk Area

This area needed quite some bit of pruning, which I quickly realized hinged on the re-organization of how I store medications. It’s as though medicines simply spilled from the cabinet above onto the counter.

Oh my word, do we have medications!

Heaps of Medication

Here’s what’s in the brown paper bag in the picture above:

Close-up of Brown Paper Bag in Picture Above: Allergy Meds

Since I seem to organize sheerly around the availability of brown paper bags, a half-cut grocery bag serves as the home for our first aid supplies…:

Brown Paper Bag Serves as Storage for First Aid Supplies

…most of which were purchased when this happened:

Flip-Top Finger

Is it any wonder we put our impulsive child on meds — the meds which are now causing me such organizational grief — at such a young age?

(Don’t worry, he was fine):

A Hurt Finger Freshly Bandaged is a Happy Finger -- and don't you dare rip this off!

Anyway. Back to organizing.

Let’s dump out that bag of first aid supplies, shall we? For the record, we shall note that there exists (1) enough  gauze and tape to stop a maimed elephant from hemorrhaging, and (2) so many alcohol swabs, I could send a year’s supply to that ear piercing kiosk at the local mall :

Gauze and Tape Galore

Oh, wait. What did I just see on the counter’s “Junk Area” as I’m taking the picture above? Another brown bag filled with this:

Prescription Meds E-Niner No Longer Takes. Whoa. That was a lot.

So. Meds, gauze, electronics, miscellaneous. We can get this organized in no time!

Let’s just toss out all the meds we no longer need or are expired:

Expired or No Longer Needed Meds

Get rid of the old flower pot base:

What's Growing Here?

Put all the first aid and medication back where they belong now that there is room:

Brown Paper Bag and Empty Box of Chicken Fries Used for Entirely Organizational Purposes

Two hours later………..

Voila!

Medicine Box Stored in Velvet Lined Drawer

Jewelry (all purchased from Target and formerly kept in a flower pot's saucer) Stored in Velvet Lined Drawer

I think my German grandmother — hell, all my grandparents and Martha Stewart — would be proud.

The only thing is, where should I put that enormous black tray too big for cabinets that used to hold everything? I know!

The Oven