How do you wash dishes sustainably -- and compactly?

Our kitchen counter (fridge on the right, stove on the left)

Suggestion time! What would you do? Or even better, what do you do?

For as long as I can remember, my home has had a medium-sized, single-bowl sink, and no (usable) dishwasher. In our current apartment, we also have very limited counter space.

Now, I've always washed dishes by running hot water while I individually scraped, soaped and rinsed each item. I generally balk at the filling the sink method because of the ickiness of the water after a while. But I know my method uses a ridiculous amount of water. There's got to be a more reasonable way.

PCIMOS: Week 2, Day 5 & 6 journal

I've had a significant work-related triumph this weekend. Finally solved a problem that's been bothering me about my math program!

Week 2: Project CIMOS and The Reason

Well, I haven't been able to really write anything down since figuring out the plan for recording thoughts! However, there are a few things I've noted down, to put up when I got the chance.

First, where my motivation to teach is concerned -- through talking it out with several helpful people, I realize that maybe my motivation has felt low because I've been contradicting it with another, more external. I mean, who wouldn't want to be friends and have fun with the kids they work with? But you have to get the academic and official stuff done too, and sometimes it seems like too much fun might "get in the way" of that. I think I was working on the assumption that until I had fulfilled all the curriculum/reporting requirements, I had to shelve the idea of doing the fun, simple things. With a serendipitous change in perspective brought to me by the very kids themselves (my true motivators, of course!), I realize that this doesn't have to be the case.

In search of a reason: Something to work for this month

My first GIMP creation: Teaching Time
I need to find something motivating to work for this January.

 

 
I find myself really unmotivated to go back to school Monday. I know, we all do, twas the season and all that. But this past term was actually the most painstaking, stressful four months of my life so far, and although I keep trying to tell myself it'll get easier, my body and soul don't believe it yet.

Project CIMOS: Week 1, Day 3 journal

Today's exercise proved much more fruitful than yesterday's. Goes to show, things are easier to pinpoint when you write them down.