I would start with your eating utensils and plates. These are usually kept near the dishwasher. Most people put plates in cabinets and utensils in drawers (the shallowest drawer at the highest part of the base cabinet). Some people put plates in drawers, and this might be best for you if you have weakness in your arms and/or hands.

Next, drinking glasses can go near the dishwasher or near the refrigerator.

I keep my coffee mugs and coffee/tea supplies near the stove, where I heat my water.

I keep pots, pans, cooking utensils and hot mits in cabinets and drawers next to the stove.

Food items should be stored in cabinets or drawers in an area of the kitchen that is outside of the work triangle (not in the way of the cooking or cleaning). I keep food storage items (bags, containers) near this area of the kitchen.

I admire you for asking here for guidance. You're in the right place for it!

You can do it, just take one thing at a time.

First, get the pots and pans together, and put them in the cupboards or drawers by the stove.

Come back when that's done. One thing at a time!

And don't feel silly labeling where everything goes.

Do you still have a diagram of your cabinet layout you can post?

i do, i will dig it out and post. thanks, all.
good people out there...

MS just sucks.

I have had it for going on 25 years now.

It is finally starting to hit short term memory.

Have a drawing of the cabinets blown up to 11x17 and then label it with locations.

Fold it in half and stick it in a drawer right on top.

I go through 3x3 self stick note pads like crazy.

P-touch label makers are your friend.

Think "point of use" as a guideline (not a law, but very useful) for determining where to store things.

Folks on the "Cooking Forum" can be very helpful with organization and placement, too.

This post was edited by kitchendetective on Mon, Apr 8, 13 at 16:44

Do you have adjustable shelves in the uppers? I measured the tallest glasses and set up one shelf to accommodate them.

I put those long boxes of saran wrap, zip bags, tin foil etc in a shallow drawer right near where I pack up leftovers. But in my old kitchen I had a holder that screwed onto the inside of the door under the sink. That worked well, too, if you don't want to devote a drawer.

you can probably find an organizer , either through craigslist or the professional associations fo $30-$50/hr, a kitchen will probably take 4-8 hours. I have done both and they are worth every penny in helping to set up storage in a very logical way. Good luck!

To help you find things once they're placed, I highly recommend paper/"washi" tape. It removes easily and shouldn't damage wood. I use it on the outsides of drawers or cabinets to tell me what's on the inside, or on the front of shelves inside cabinet doors (I write on it with a sharpie). You can find it in a variety of pretty colors/patterns; the cheapest that I've found it is at Target in their office supply section.

Depending on your aesthetic sense, you might consider some open shelving? I'm extremely visual and tend to forget anything I can't see right away (my partner claims I never quite conquered the 'object permanence' stage in child development, lol -- the one where they have mommy leave the room and see if the baby remembers if she still exists).

It really helps me to have to most-used items like glassware, coffeemaking supplies, etc, out in the open where I can just see and grab them.

Labels are also your friend. There are many types, from the paper label tape up to custom-made brass plaques with tiny nails you can affix to the drawer and cupboard door front. Or use file cabinet label holders, they come in a million pretty designs and finishes & would be a bit more flexible than engraved labels.

Here is a link that might be useful: file cabinet label holders

thank you all, lots of great ideas here...williamsen, can i find that diagram? silly me, thinking i could....i am going to try to digest all of this info and maybe come up with a quick drawing...be back asap!