Oh, mom life! A wonderful time to be sure, but a lifestyle that constantly asks you to be ready for anything. Personally, I try to tackle the demands of motherhood by preparing myself as much as possible for what I can anticipate while knowing I must always be ready to roll with the punches of the day. (Read more about my philosophy of motherhood in this blog post.) Now that my kids are a bit older, they are in school a good portion of the year, but as we all know that sweet quiet time has ended and the kids are HOME FOR THE SUMMER! Summertime also spells time to reinvigorate my mom game. Time to get organized and prepared for the intense mothering of summer.
Going through my purse I noticed my first aid kit was more than tired looking, it was rather grungy and disorganized. Ew! I can do better. I sew for a living. I can definitely make something much better than that grungy plastic box, I thought. And so I did!
In my purse first aid kit I like to keep a bountiful supply of band-aids in a variety of sizes, travel size ointments, eye drops, Alka-Seltzers, and a small pill tube or two with Tylenol and Benadryl or similar allergy medication. Allergies are as rampant in our house as skinned knees, so being equally prepared for both is tantamount. To be completely honest, I used this plastic box for probably eight years with no issue. However, it was only one compartment, which meant everything got rather jumbled. I thought a system with separate pockets for everything would make it much easier to find just the right ouch fixer that much quicker. In addition to the cute factor that can be achieved through fabric (as well as it being a supply I have a large amount of) I am trying, like a lot of other people, to lessen my plastic usage and consumption overall. Renewable items for the win, amiright!?
My First Aid Ready Roll prototype is 6in. by 11in. with pockets at 2in., two at 3in., and one at 4in. I found a piece of Hawthorne Supply sample strip in Roam to use as the color and pattern, as well as pocket size inspiration. Stiff medium to heavy weight Pellon interfacing gives a firm foundation for the backing and stability to the pockets. The exterior and some of the pocket fabrics use fat quarters or a combination of various widths by WOF to create the exterior. I then used pieces of elastic cord and bias binding tape to create the closure and finish the edges.
Not only is the Ready Roll great for updating my mom purse first aid needs, I am also finding it has a lot of other cute organization applications. Check out how I used the smaller three pocket version as a grocery shopping organizer!
Slip a thin notebook in the pocket, add your club card and coupons if you’ve got them, a pen and you’re all set! I can’t guarantee you won’t forget something you needed and realize it the minute you check out, but it will help you on a quick, yet organized trip through the store.
Since I am finding a lot of applications for the Ready Roll in my life, I’d be willing to bet you have a few needs too. A friend recently took one of my Ready Rolls on a camping trip and was able to enjoy the ease of use when her young daughter got stung by a bee. I can see these as great thank you gifts for teachers, to tuck into backpacks for camp, or to hand off to grandma for summer babysitting. Really, I can think of so many reasons to have or make one of these Ready Rolls. Now get out there and explore boldly and get Ready to Roll into summer! xoxo, Janice
If you have additional comments or questions about the Ready Roll (purchase here!), please leave a comment below or share a by tagging me on social media @laruedefleurs. All written work and photographs are original content and are copyright protected; kindly give due credit by linking back to my website if you use or share.
(©2019, Janice Bailor // laruedefleurs.com)