Gnarly man-hands, on me.

Irish Pixie · #41 04/27/13, 08:12 AM

I loathe men that think that a woman is so delicate a flower that she can't do manual labor and needs a man to help her.

An olive oil and sugar scrub works well to get the dead and rough skin off and then a good hand cream. Gloves help a lot too.

fffarmergirl · #42 04/27/13, 09:23 AM

Even we most undelicate of flowers are willing to let someone else do the work if they're willing! Says me - who married the handyman LOL.

ErinP · #43 04/27/13, 09:26 AM

I got a mechanic!
I haven't changed my own oil since 1993.

Yvonne's hubby · #44 04/27/13, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish Pixie

I loathe men that think that a woman is so delicate a flower that she can't do manual labor and needs a man to help her.

And I am amused by many women who actually think that they are capable of doing a days work. Very few men can either, so dont take it personal.

If you will note I said a "handyman", that is someone who is used to and capable of doing the hard labor. MOST men in our country today would not qualify for the job either. Myself included since my body gave up on me a few years ago. Can a woman do manual labor.... some can, most do not... just like most men.

Yvonne's hubby · #45 04/27/13, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fffarmergirl

Even we most undelicate of flowers are willing to let someone else do the work if they're willing! Says me - who married the handyman LOL.

Thats just plain old smart on your part!

Irish Pixie · #46 04/27/13, 11:18 AM

Well pish I just married my husband for his money not his handyman or mechanic skills.

ErinP · #47 04/27/13, 01:06 PM

If you have money, you can hire a handyman and mechanic...

TheMartianChick · #48 04/27/13, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grandma12703

Saw a recipe today for sugar scrub made with dawn dish soap with olay and sugar. Supposed to be similar to Mary Kay's Satin hands but a lot cheaper. Interesting and they say it works great. I think I will try it. You make it in a mason jar 3/4 full of sugar fll the rest of the way with the dish soap and mix till you get a paste that is not too runny. If it needs to be a little thicker add more sugar.

I'm going to have to try this recipe. I'm a big fan of Satin Hands. I might try swapping Palmolive for the Dawn dish soap. It might make it a bit milder.

Dolly · #49 04/28/13, 01:23 AM

My hands are small, but very strong. It's hard to wear gloves when doing most chores, although I have gotten better about wearing leather ones while splitting and stacking firewood. I got tired of digging splinters out of my hands all the time. In the winter I get those terribly painful splits in the ends of my fingers and the only thing that helps me is to super-glue them shut. Same with those splits that happen along knuckle creases--glue them shut.

Sometimes I have nice nails, most of the time I don't. I just don't care anymore. I have too much to do in a day and too few days to get things done in.

ChristieAcres · #50 04/28/13, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish Pixie

I loathe men that think that a woman is so delicate a flower that she can't do manual labor and needs a man to help her.

An olive oil and sugar scrub works well to get the dead and rough skin off and then a good hand cream. Gloves help a lot too.

My DH is an incredibly strong tough guy and never expects me to do anything more than I am physically capable of. He found out shortly after we were married how strong I am, but still would rather do most of the lifting. I do plenty of work around here, but I greatly appreciate being married to a man who loves and cares enough about me to do the harder work. I'd be silly to say I didn't need my DH to help me and he does ALOT. In return, I do plenty for him. I love the fact I am married to a man like this and he can cook, clean, and does his own laundry, too. I do most of the gardening work, except for the harder manual labor (DH can do it better). We are a team

Still remember the last time I split firewood 5 years ago... I asked DH to show me how to do it, so he did. Then, I took my ax and began chopping firewood. After about an hour, I started getting better at it. He had been busy, so wasn't watching me. I called him over to show him how good I was getting at it. He stood there smiling while I chopped firewood for a couple of minutes, then stopped me. "Honey, let me show you something," he said. DH proceeded to line up over a dozen rounds, then quickly went down that line, splitting every one with just one whack. I started laughing, and told him, "Okay, I am fired from log splitting, I'll stack it instead!"

I can do all sorts of work and still have nice nails (gloves are critical). They got stronger when I began eating Paleo/Primal and also using Pork Lard to cook with! I keep my hands nice not due to any vain reason, but to go along with wearing professional clothing. I am a Managing Broker in Real Estate, so have to dress nice. There is nothing wrong with any of us gals doing any physical work we are capable of. Also, nothing wrong with trying to retain nice looking hands/nails, if you want to or need to for any reason.

Irish Pixie · #51 04/28/13, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorichristie

My DH is an incredibly strong tough guy and never expects me to do anything more than I am physically capable of. He found out shortly after we were married how strong I am, but still would rather do most of the lifting. I do plenty of work around here, but I greatly appreciate being married to a man who loves and cares enough about me to do the harder work. I'd be silly to say I didn't need my DH to help me and he does ALOT. In return, I do plenty for him. I love the fact I am married to a man like this and he can cook, clean, and does his own laundry, too. I do most of the gardening work, except for the harder manual labor (DH can do it better). We are a team

Still remember the last time I split firewood 5 years ago... I asked DH to show me how to do it, so he did. Then, I took my ax and began chopping firewood. After about an hour, I started getting better at it. He had been busy, so wasn't watching me. I called him over to show him how good I was getting at it. He stood there smiling while I chopped firewood for a couple of minutes, then stopped me. "Honey, let me show you something," he said. DH proceeded to line up over a dozen rounds, then quickly went down that line, splitting every one with just one whack. I started laughing, and told him, "Okay, I am fired from log splitting, I'll stack it instead!"

I can do all sorts of work and still have nice nails (gloves are critical). They got stronger when I began eating Paleo/Primal and also using Pork Lard to cook with! I keep my hands nice not due to any vain reason, but to go along with wearing professional clothing. I am a Managing Broker in Real Estate, so have to dress nice. There is nothing wrong with any of us gals doing any physical work we are capable of. Also, nothing wrong with trying to retain nice looking hands/nails, if you want to or need to for any reason.

My point was that I loathe men that will pat a woman on the head and something such as "Sit right there little lady and don't worry your pretty little head or damage those lily white hands- you'll need to go make me a sammich soon." I can do heavy work and my husband can make his own sammich.

We have a wood splitter- wonderful machine.

**Ross** · #52 04/28/13, 06:55 AM

I only know two things about skin care. Protect it from too much sun and stay hydrated. Maybe i don't care much how they look but it is interesting to read some of the replies because nobody likes dry cracked skin that hurts or annoying fingernails that split. How far a person takes that from comfort to appearance is their decision. I'm not sure I've ever looked down on someone who has hard working hands.

sewsilly · #53 04/28/13, 08:16 AM

I live on a farm and work at a state park. I also play a piano and teach fine needlework like knitting, so people are sometimes looking at my hands. I've never thought of them as manly or girly, but mine. At 52, they're not as pretty as they were at 22 or at 32, but they began to remind me of my nannie's hands, who at 98, were the picture of wisdom and age. I photographed her hands, holding that of my infant daughter, before the old lady died and it remains one of the most prized possessions that I own.

I don't wear gloves when I work out, unless I'm dealing with briars. I love the feel of dirt. I believe in simple... I wear a plain gold wedding band and I wash my hands with safeguard soap, the bar kind and when the skin feels dry, I use whatever moisturizer I have on hand.

ChristieAcres · #54 04/28/13, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish Pixie

My point was that I loathe men that will pat a woman on the head and something such as "Sit right there little lady and don't worry your pretty little head or damage those lily white hands- you'll need to go make me a sammich soon." I can do heavy work and my husband can make his own sammich.

We have a wood splitter- wonderful machine.

Thing is, however, not all women are capable of heavy work. Those who can should feel free, consider that a blessing. I make dinner, otherwise, we each prepare our own food for all the other meals (we are each self-employed on different schedules). If I get too busy with work, DH prepares dinner, too.

DH built a great hydraulic log splitter, which is vertical/horizontal, that same year I quit chopping wood (lol). The reason he built it was due to having access to mostly larger diameter rounds (2nd growth). He still splits plenty of the smaller stuff.

I don't mind guys taking over the harder tasks, if done so respectfully, not in a patronizing way. The last time DH invited his 3 DS's over, they put up a year's worth of firewood in one day. My job was to prepare the food for everyone, as I would have been in the way trying to help them. DH is 6' tall, but at least three times as strong as I am (wrists are almost twice the size of mine). His sons are 6'2", 6'5", and 6'6" (all very strong men). I was thrilled to see all that work done and quite happy to prepare lunch and dinner for them each day. We were all happy with the arrangement.

Women who aren't able to do much heavy work are still capable of doing a lot of other very necessary types of work. All of the work is important.

MDKatie · #55 04/28/13, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ErinP

I got a mechanic!
I haven't changed my own oil since 1993.

Me too, except it's only been about 7 years for me.

I hate gloves, and try never to wear them unless it's super cold out or I'm making soap. I hate gardening in gloves, and I hate washing dishes with gloves. My hands definitely take a beating, but I manage to somehow keep my nails looking pretty good most of the time. I get cracked, chapped hands in the winter. Summers aren't terribly bad, but then I get scrapes and cuts from gardening. Oh well, as long as my hands look better than my husband's I'm fine.

barnyardgal · #56 04/28/13, 06:24 PM

My hands/fingers are cracked/split & stay that way most the time & most the time i wear gloves outside working-i have not found anything that helped-except natural honey put on the cracks & leave for about 15 minutes then wash it off....seems like it starts the 'healing' process for some reason-then i put any kind of lotion i have on my hands every night before bed-

**Tiempo** · #57 04/28/13, 08:02 PM

I used to have beautiful hands, I worked as a hand model in my 20's, then I became a farrier and now I have gnarly work hands, can't bear working in gloves, I need to feel my work IYKWIM

I don't try to get rid of my callouses as I need them or I'll get blisters, but I hate, hate hate them feeling dry and rough in the places where I don't have callouses. I've tried every lotion under the sun, but the best by far is my homemade solid lotion in bars.

I make it with beeswax, unrefined shea butter, olive oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil and vitamin E oil.

I'll send you a bar if you like, though the last batch I made using a discarded lego container from my friend's sons as a mold, so it's not fancy looking

Caitedid · #58 04/28/13, 09:19 PM

I had the best laugh of my recent past when my hair girl suggested I get a manicure for my upcoming wedding. Poor sweet thing even offered to trim my calluses. Don't think she really got why I told her she could do that over my dead body, as it would mean building them all right back up afterward.

My fiance and I work as a team, with me actually doing more manual labor. I started at 4:30 this morning, milked 100 cows by myself, cleaned the chicken coop, made lunch, did laundry, threw down a full wagon of hay for the goats, and milked again.

I love my wide, strong hands. They are probably hideous by a lot of women's standards, but they suit me. I belong in that camp of only wearing gloves if I'm rising frostbite or thorns.

Glad to see the recipe for the knock-off Satin Hands, got some as a wedding shower gift, but it's a ways out of my price range for daily use.

I also Super Glue the cracks in my hands shut, especially the ones that happen at the top corners of the nails.

grandma12703 · #59 04/29/13, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMartianChick

I'm going to have to try this recipe. I'm a big fan of Satin Hands. I might try swapping Palmolive for the Dawn dish soap. It might make it a bit milder.

Sounds like a plan. The recipe that was posted said to use the Dawn with Olay in it.

mountainman59 · #60 04/29/13, 08:49 AM

two things.
first coconut oil is magnificent. totally non allergenic. the cheap kind is available at Wal Mart.
second is allergenic materials in almost all store bought hand and skin lotions. the thing about allergenic materials is that even if you don't think you are showing allergy symptoms, you are probably still being affected by them in negative ways. here is a good link for a list of bad things in lotions. it is from a site that makes lotions. FYI, i have no connection with them. their information is really good. take your favorite lotions and read the labels and compare item by item with that list. here it is:
http://lotionsecrets.com/glossaryharmful.html
advice: i think olive oil is good. grow your own comfrey, the best stuff is in the roots and Aloe Vera for the juice in the leaves.