Takes a while. Even longer for your family members. Mom, where is the xxx, honey, where is the yyy. Annoying.

Then my husband made really nice drawer dividers and things got their final homes. We're just now used to where everything is (1 year later!).

The first things that got unpacked were the ones I needed to make Seder. On the way to finding them, I unpacked some large decorative items and my grill press. Everything has been unpacked for over a year. I still haven't found the grill press, even after much searching. :)

Hoping you have better luck finding your stuff. ;)

Marcy-drawer dividers are next on my list. I've sort of set utensils and things in the drawers waiting to see if they will be happy there. I expect to hear from the utensil union any day now on negotiations.

plllog-my daughter lived in a Jewish neighborhood in LA for the first two years of my grandson's life. Baby and I are early risers, but daughter and son-in-law just weren't, although I think Baby has them pretty well trained by now. When I visited he and I would go out for early morning walks. His first solid food was bagels from the fabulous bakeries in the neighborhood. Now they're north of SF, and there's not a decent bagel to be found. Bummers.

I think after a year AWOL, it's safe to say that your grill press has left the building. The next time they go on sale, buy a new one. I've found that is a sure fire way to find the old one.

LOL!!! Suzanne, I'm sure you're right. My mother wished her Cuisinart griddler on me, and that didn't do the trick, but having it, I'm not sure I can do the buy a new one method. :) Maybe I could heat up one of the grill plates from the electric one and put a brick on it. ;)

There aren't any good bagels in L.A. anymore either, just the bready ones. Same with the pita. There used to be these amazing pitot that were firm and sour and had an interior texture like stiff terrycloth, that were absolutely wonderful. No more. Just the risen kind. And don't even get me started on the filo dough...

This thread is so true! I just recently had to hunt fown some rarely used items for Thanksgiving dinner! The regular stuff got easier after about 1 week, but those "infrequent" items of mine found strange homes as DD helped me unpack into the new kitchen!

It takes a while. You'll get the hang of it. Marcy is right. It takes forever for everyone else to catch on. Its just me and DH but I feel like I have ten kids because I've been asked so many times about where stuff is. The worst part is when it comes time to unload the DW. A pile to put away waits for me on the counter. I say "worst part" but being back in the kitchen is so amazing, that these aren't really complaints just observations. :)

Well, there is an immediate upside. Now that we have a pantry, I've gotten a bunch of clear Oxo storage containers. On the shelf right about upper arm level is the box with M & Ms - so convenient for a pass-by while racking my brain for the location of a lost item.

When we moved back into our kitchen I, of course, unpacked everything. A couple of days later I would rearrange things and a couple of days later move something else... My DH told me that I could move anything I wanted to anywhere I wanted but I HAD to stop moving the breakfast stuff. He didn't wanted to go on a scavenger hunt first thing in the morning looking for food.

A year later he still doesn't know where half the stuff goes when emptying the DW. He's good with the dishes/glasses/cutlery. But when he empties the DW he leaves the sieve, colander, grater etc on the counter.

blfenton - it is my theory that husbands feign ignorance about the location of such things to get out of kitchen jobs. I love my husband dearly, but I have a hard time believing that he doesn't know where X goes after 37 years in the same small kitchen. Other than that, he's a really smart guy.

P.S. He gets a pass on this issue for the next month or two.

Oh indeed. What I want to know is: where on the Y chromosome is the cant-find-it gene? Honestly, these people are ridiculous with their stuff-helplessness and the similarity of so many of them with the syndrome. whatever.... so annoying though!

Plllog - this isn't the forum for this old saw, and I can't imagine you're not familiar with the Bagel Factory. I know it's popular to bash the place, and it's also likely I've become inured and can no longer distinguish the undistinguished features of these, but the fact is, I like these bagels, chowhound and yelp complaints notwithstanding. If you haven't had any recently, I suggest trying them again.

LOL! I know all about the Bagel Factory. They do make delicious bread circles. But they're not real bagels.

The grill press is becoming a bigger and bigger joke as the last details of my kitchen get finished... I'm wondering if it got into the TV cupboard or something. ;)

Speaking of bagels, I just discovered that a NYC transplant is opening up a real bagel shop in our little downtown. Now that is exciting stuff! I've made bagels before and they are an awful lot of work, so to have access to "real" ones is going to be great.

It's a bit overwhelming at first to really figure out the organization of a new kitchen, especially if you'd had the old one for some time. I'm laughing at Plllog not knowing where the grill press is. I've hidden gifts before only to find them years later in very strange places. And it seemed like such a good idea at the time.

My family too has trouble with the new organization and when they do happen to try and put things away, I end up searching and searching for it when I need it. We have kitchen scissors that are rather nomadic and I'm still never quite sure to which drawer they have wandered!

Well, I am in no way in the organizational mode at present. In fact, most of my kitchen belongings are in boxes, in a grand pile in the basement, but I woke up this morning with that sinking feeling in my gut! The pumpkin carving utensils are in one of those boxes!!! And I need them starting today. I knew I'd forget a few things in my grand pack up. I'd better get out and find a set this morning since carving begins at 1.

Other realization is that there will be no fresh roasted pumpkin seeds. Bummer! I could use the toaster over which I've done before, but I can't imagine separating pumpkin inners from seeds in the bathroom sink. Take out and eating out are ok, but no pumpkin seeds . . .

Suzanne

It's been 5 months and every now and then I still keep going to the drawer where we used to keep the utensils! duh! I look like a ballerina spinning around in the kitchen trying to correct my direction.
And yes, after the dishwasher is emptied (thank you!) certain larger items also just get left on the counter because, "I don't know where they go. . ." These are not stupid people, open a door, open a drawer and learn!!
Sigh, have to go empty the DW myself now!

You're not the only one. I haven't unpacked everything yet, so I still don't know if stuff is in the kitchen, dining room, or living room...That and I keep moving stuff because I when I unpacked many items, I put them in places they just don't belong. Still trying to get used to the new layout.

Best bagels I've ever had were in Brooklyn, NY. I agree with plllog's funny description. They are good bread circles, just not the real deal. Buy a new press, don't unpack it, save receipt and the new one will miraculously appear. At leat that's been my strategy :)

It helps if you have mini zones for things, such as one for spices, one for baking things, one for Tupperware (ok 2 drawers in our house, 1 for round shaped ones and one for square/rectangular, lol), another for baking pans, dishes, etc.....
Having drawers helps a lot with keeping things separate and in categories. I used post its on the drawer fronts for a short while to give others a feel for the new system. Being able to have baking things nears the oven and dishes near the table has made a real difference. I tried to figure out things logically and having an explanation why helps others understand my methods.

One thing I love is having 2 designated spots for scissors. I had them all in one spot for the first week or 2 but I noticed they were often getting used on the other side of the kitchen near the garbage pail and being left on the counter, so I put some on that side too and now they get put away more often since it is not a walk back across (young healthy boys can be so lazy, lol). I also have potholders kept next to the oven and one over on the other side of the stove. I may not have a separate sink or potfiller, but multiple scissors and potholder places has been a true luxury ;)

I still need some tweaking as some spaces are filled with non kitchen essentials and will someday hold other things. For example, one drawer currently has manuals and asstd small reno items, so those will clear out and be put away. Another drawer has medicines in a shoe box because we don't have shelves in our master bathroom medicine cab (were out of stock previously, and have to remember to try again). Even without everything set up ideally, it is still so wonderful compared to our old kitchen. Nothing is jammed in or falls out when you open a door or drawer. I still have not fully organized our uppers on top of the fridge/freezer, tall pantry, oven cab, etc... I have the vertical holders for cookie sheets but they have not been installed yet. i think I will pick up one stationary shelf for another cab and a pullout or 2 for the others. I can only imagine how much better it will be when 100% complete!

It's not that men have a chromosome difference. As Rosanne once said it's so true. They think the uterus is a tracking devise. Women can find anything so they don't have to even try. My husband and my sons think that if the tee shirt they are looking for is not the one on top, it must be lost or I have hidden it.

As a NYer, I really appreciate our bagels and not bread circles. Our Costco has fairly good bagels, but I do not know if they are the same nationwide. We got through approx 18 bagels a week from different sources but approx half are from Costco. I love the parmesan ones and the boys love the cinnamon raisin ones. The local bagels places now make "flagels" which I love even more. They are flat bagels with more crust and less bread inside. Since I am all about the toasting and crispy parts, they are heavenly. I have to cut them in half like normal and then slit the "o" into be a c so that they fit in the toaster since they are more spread out than a bagel. Yummmm...
We may pay higher taxes here and have higher cost of living, but our bagels and pizza crusts are the best you will find. I guess those are a comfort while we overpay for things, lol.... I think if we transplanted someday elsewhere when our nest is empty, we'd still be buying NY bagels and freezing them.... Most visitors, esp those who used to live here, go home with a stash of bagels to eat back at home....

If you come to Baltimore, Gregs in Belvedere Square. He got eccentric hours and eccentric flavors and nearly 12 types of fish (lox and smoked salmon).

Just to be clear, since we're talking about things we can't find, this is what a real bagel looks like. I grew up on them in So. Cal. They're not exclusive to New York (though some claim the water there makes for superior bagels, I'd be happy merely for the real way of making). It has a thick, hard crust that's chewy to the tooth, and a dense interior. It's not fluffy, moist or soft. The only real toppings are seeds, onion or garlic. Savory. Never, ever fruit or jalapenos. Ever. Never. I first saw the purple and pink "bagels", and the ones with bugs in them (raisins or chocolate chips), in a gastronomically horrifying part of the Midwest where a lot of places had very strange food.

Oh a toasted everything bagel is just calling my name now, but I am trying to resist, lol.... Dinner is soon, but have to wait for dh to get home...sigh..

NY does have the best bagels because of our water. I don't know how it is different, but for pizza crust and bagels, it just is. It also helps that the public here would not stand for mediocre bagels, so it is survival of the fittest/tastiest.

I have to disagree about never anything sweet in a bagel, because the cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese is a classic too. I agree about blueberry or strawberry bagels being weird... I tried a jalapeno one once and was not impressed.

The parmesan ones at Costco are crazy good if you toast them dark, put whitefish spread on them(also from Costco) with fresh tomato and red onion with a little salt (only add salt if you put the fresh tomato on). Adding cheese as a topping is not classic, but omg does it taste good! Just toasting it makes the entire house smell amazing. That is one of the best meals one can ever eat. It is the perfect combination and what heaven must taste like. Man, I am hungry!

I've been packing for our big move (which happens tomorrow!)into our new house and labeling EVERYTHING. Seriously, the sides of my boxes have labels detailing almost everything in it. I'm hoping to place an order for my cabinets in a few days and once those arrive in a few weeks, our kitchen will be gone. I have no idea when I will be able to see my cooking and bakingware again, thus the obsessive labeling.

These posts are getting me excited about what's to come... our new kitchen will have so many more drawers and cabinets as well as a dedicated coffee/wine space and walk-in pantry. I have no idea how I'm going to reorganize myself, but I suppose that is part of the fun! (2 "homes" for scissors... what a brilliant idea!)

BTW, I'm originally from NY (therefore, I'm a total bagel-snob) and have yet to find any bagels elsewhere that compare. On my list, however, is homemade bagels to satisfy those cravings... now if I could just find some lox around here...

Oh, and I, too, am totally confounded about men... my husband's excuse for never unloading the dishwasher is that he can't figure out where things go. After all these years... the hilarity of this is that by the time my daughter was 15mos old, SHE was telling HIM where to put the colander, measuring spoons, etc.

"Oh, that's okay, honey. You empty and I'll sit here and tell you where things go." And I'd make a list and put it on a clipboard hung at eye level. Learned helplessness is no more attractive in men than in women (EEK! A spider! Kill it!!)

Worse comes to worst, take a page from If a Man Answers and get a dog training book. :)

Dragonfly, all the best with the remodel.

Hey!! Not all women freak out about spiders! Not all men are totally clueless, either.

I am using the packing and unpacking of the kitchen as an excuse to get rid of the stuff that should have been gone long ago that DH wouldn't part with.
"I don't know where it is. It must have gotten lost in the move".

I think it is Y chromosone related. My 12 year old DS is actually a big help in the kitchen and will do dishes and empty the dishwasher and dry things that didn't fit in the DW. He even likes to wash dishes (and yes, his room is neat too). He invariably asks me about the mixing bowls, grater, and colander as well as the pots and pans (those are in 2 drawers). Not complaining because he is a wonderful helper, but just observing. His sister never asks where anything belongs (but she does like to bake so has the experience on the other end).

When we moved to this place from our last apartment, I had to redo my kitchen. To avoid the "Where is this?" I was able to put a whiteboard on each cabinet, where I wrote down what I put inside of it. Since I did a lot of changing of what went where at first, as I tested things, the whiteboard was really helpful to let me know. Once I'd settled on where everything went, it was almost no time at all before I just found myself never looking at the whiteboards, so I took them down.

Of course, I was young and had more of a "Don't like it? Don't visit" attitude, so I didn't care if people thought it looked funny to have white boards on my cabinets. Now though, I do care. But, I also know that when we move, I'll really have my memorizing work cut out for me, so my plan is to have a diagram of my kitchen (I actually have a base, line drawing from the kitchen store) and to make several copies, put them in a protective plastic sleeve when I'm not using them, but to write down where I'm putting things. This way, I can grab it when I need it and look, but tuck it away when not needed.

The biggest drawback to this plan is remembering to always write down when you put something away or change it.