I'm definitely a girly girl, but I pitch in and will get dirty when I need to. I could never live surrounded by boys otherwise.
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Ladies - do you get your hands dirty?
- Thread starter AbbysMom
- Start Date
I totally get my hands dirty. My dad raised all of us girls to be able to do everything and my mom is like that as well. In fact she lays tile way better then my dad and can get the grout into the spaces without making a mess!!
I am able to handle myself in any situation and dad made sure I have all the skills to never have to rely on anyone but myself. in fact I acutally taught my fiance how to change a flat tire!!
and I LOVE to paint...I can't paint my apartment so I have to settle on helping my mom repaint their house.
My friend needed some help painting and was SHOCKED when I was able to cut in the corners of the room without using tape. I told her...it just takes pratice with a paint brush and expereince.
In fact I have many good memories of repainting rooms with my mom and sisters and brother...like the summer my sister and I decided to repaint the downstairs bathroom a soft peach color and it ended up being cantaloupe! And while rolling the ceiling we accidently put the pole through the glass light fixture and decided to not tell Dad to see how long it took him to notice the hole in the side of the glass globe.
He wasn't mad in fact my mom was very happy since she wanted to replace the fixture for years and she finally had an excuse!!
I am able to handle myself in any situation and dad made sure I have all the skills to never have to rely on anyone but myself. in fact I acutally taught my fiance how to change a flat tire!!
and I LOVE to paint...I can't paint my apartment so I have to settle on helping my mom repaint their house.
My friend needed some help painting and was SHOCKED when I was able to cut in the corners of the room without using tape. I told her...it just takes pratice with a paint brush and expereince.
In fact I have many good memories of repainting rooms with my mom and sisters and brother...like the summer my sister and I decided to repaint the downstairs bathroom a soft peach color and it ended up being cantaloupe! And while rolling the ceiling we accidently put the pole through the glass light fixture and decided to not tell Dad to see how long it took him to notice the hole in the side of the glass globe.
Although I tend to stay away from electrical work from a bad experience I do work with power tools - drills, power saws and even a chain saw.
I fix things around my house, stain, power hose the siding, garden, and paint the inside and outside of my house myself. I have changed a flat tire 3 months ago, I have put up drywall and mudded, remove and lay carpet and have helped build a sundeck. I just replaced my screening in my slider this morning. I don't have a hubby to depend on so it's just me and taking care of my mom.
I grew up with 2 brothers and it wasn't fun if we weren't paying in the dirt. We caught tadpoles, frogs, snakes, fished, and played most all sports together. I was always a tomboy.
Yep, I get my hands prettty dirty
I fix things around my house, stain, power hose the siding, garden, and paint the inside and outside of my house myself. I have changed a flat tire 3 months ago, I have put up drywall and mudded, remove and lay carpet and have helped build a sundeck. I just replaced my screening in my slider this morning. I don't have a hubby to depend on so it's just me and taking care of my mom.
I grew up with 2 brothers and it wasn't fun if we weren't paying in the dirt. We caught tadpoles, frogs, snakes, fished, and played most all sports together. I was always a tomboy.
Yep, I get my hands prettty dirty
I usually pitch in.
If I can't really help, I at least hand Mike the tools. I don't have a problem getting dirty...I practically lived in horse barns as a kid/teen. My first jobs were mucking stalls & feeding in exchange for board. I pitched in when we had to remove carpet glue from the hardwood in our house (that was some serious prep work) so we could refinish the floors. We haven't had to paint (yet) but I'm sure I will be right in there helping out.
When my MIL asks my DH if he needs any tool for Christmas, he turns to me and says, "Do we need any tools?"
I love power tools.
Last week I totally rebuilt the bottom tier of our outdoor fountain using fiberglass mat and resin/hardener.
I do everything---I've changed car batteries and cables, I've tarred a roof, I had my own chainsaw and split wood back in the day, I've installed cabinets, fixed plumbing, installed a ceiling light fixture, wallpapered every room of my home (some several times over), I refinish furniture and build shelving, replaced my porch floor, etc., etc., etc.
I have 3 older brothers; when I was growing up my Dad often told me, "Girls aren't supposed to do that kind of stuff." As I got older Dad realized I was basically just one of the boys, and that if they could do it, so could I. He was actually proud of everything I could do. In fact, once when he was sick and my sister's car needed winterizing he asked me to drain and flush her radiator and make sure the antifreeze mixture was right for her.
No girly girl here.
I love power tools.
Last week I totally rebuilt the bottom tier of our outdoor fountain using fiberglass mat and resin/hardener.
I do everything---I've changed car batteries and cables, I've tarred a roof, I had my own chainsaw and split wood back in the day, I've installed cabinets, fixed plumbing, installed a ceiling light fixture, wallpapered every room of my home (some several times over), I refinish furniture and build shelving, replaced my porch floor, etc., etc., etc.
I have 3 older brothers; when I was growing up my Dad often told me, "Girls aren't supposed to do that kind of stuff." As I got older Dad realized I was basically just one of the boys, and that if they could do it, so could I. He was actually proud of everything I could do. In fact, once when he was sick and my sister's car needed winterizing he asked me to drain and flush her radiator and make sure the antifreeze mixture was right for her.
No girly girl here.
I refuse to wear gloves when I am working in the garden - I prefer to feel my way around in the dirt.
I am not fazed by doing dirty work - I love it. I have painted a house, worked on landscaping, helped out with the repair of cars, I do the maintenance work on my motor scooter myself. I actually prefer to do the dirty work than housework.
David didn't even know he had to change the oil in his car till he met me! Needless to say that car has a CRAP engine now. I also end up doing all the house work in both our apartment and his mothers.
I come down somewhere in the middle. I watched my Dad D-I-Ying, with no skill to speak of, but nonetheless getting a necessary job done, and somewhere in all of that came to the conclusion that I was not going to be useless at that stuff -- even though it held no fascination for me, I knew I did not want to be dependent on anyone to do the basic fix-it stuff.
So, by the time I set out on my own, I was perfectly capable of doing the small electrical stuff, running wire, simple carpentry/woodworking. Gardening didn't really figure in the picture because we never had one when I was growing up.
Then, along came Rob, off a first marriage and living on his own for the first time in his life at age 38. He, also refused to be useless, but his area of concern was cooking. We had been friends for a number of years and at that point started seeing each other off and on, and I taught him what he needed to know to fend for himself in the kitchen.
And so it went for another nine years. When we decided to merge households, we made an excellent team, because each of us could fend for ourselves perfectly well in both spheres, but we had opposite preferences, so he does what he enjoys and I do what I enjoy, and we each reap the benefits.
Which doesn't mean we never venture into each other's comfort zone: I'm happy to do some deadheading in the garden, he's happy to fend for himself at lunch time when I'm not home.
ETA: Neither of us works on cars.
So, by the time I set out on my own, I was perfectly capable of doing the small electrical stuff, running wire, simple carpentry/woodworking. Gardening didn't really figure in the picture because we never had one when I was growing up.
Then, along came Rob, off a first marriage and living on his own for the first time in his life at age 38. He, also refused to be useless, but his area of concern was cooking. We had been friends for a number of years and at that point started seeing each other off and on, and I taught him what he needed to know to fend for himself in the kitchen.
And so it went for another nine years. When we decided to merge households, we made an excellent team, because each of us could fend for ourselves perfectly well in both spheres, but we had opposite preferences, so he does what he enjoys and I do what I enjoy, and we each reap the benefits.
Which doesn't mean we never venture into each other's comfort zone: I'm happy to do some deadheading in the garden, he's happy to fend for himself at lunch time when I'm not home.
ETA: Neither of us works on cars.
I have to laugh..... The only tools I stay away from are table saws... I'm ok with our mitre saw, and the circular saw....but won't touch the table saw.
My family has a history of losing fingers
Again, I have to laugh.Originally Posted by libby74
When my MIL asks my DH if he needs any tool for Christmas, he turns to me and says, "Do we need any tools?"
I love power tools.
One of our wedding presents: a torque wrench
What a perfect partnership Fran
Me too! I usually just dive right in.Originally Posted by Kiwideus
I refuse to wear gloves when I am working in the garden - I prefer to feel my way around in the dirt.
I'm definitely not a girly-girl. I'm quite handy to have around the house and am comfortable with power tools. Just not electrical or car engines.
my DH took my wedding ring in last year to have the prongs checked and get it cleaned. when the jeweller saw the ring he said 'good lord, what was she doing? digging for rocks and mixing cement?' hubby goes 'that's exactly what she was doing. so yeah, my hands get dirty.
That would be a big NO for me
I can, and will, if needed. But, there are certain things (taking out the garbage, cutting the grass) that I absolutely loathe doing, so I usually designate those jobs to the BF. As for power tools, I will drill a rare hole here or there, but I get no enjoyment out of it, and the BF does, so why not just let him do it.
I do most of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc., so I figure I might as well give the jobs I don't like doing to him...
I do most of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc., so I figure I might as well give the jobs I don't like doing to him...
I've been very happily single for 20 years, and I'm quite comfortable with most home repairs (basic plumbing, electrical and carpentry work.) I pay my neighbor to mow the lawn, because it triggers my asthma, and I pay to have my driveway and sidewalks plowed in the winter.....but I do everything else myself. I love to work in my garden, but I have to admit that I wear gloves at all times. Since I scrub surgery, I am extremely particular about getting my hands dirty and cut or scratched. Dirt under my fingernails just geeks me out completely!!!
My father taught me and my sister all about tools when we were growing up. My mom thought anything that wasn't a hammer or screwdriver, was called a wrench....actually, she still thinks that! My dad said he wasn't going to raise daughters that couldn't tell an adjustable wrench from a combination wrench, lol!
When I was dating my ex-husband, he taught me how to work on cars. I did my own oil changes, brake jobs and tune ups (under his supervision, of course...I was just a woman, after all!) At the time I thought it was fun, but now I firmly believe that I make enough money to pay someone to do that crap!
My father taught me and my sister all about tools when we were growing up. My mom thought anything that wasn't a hammer or screwdriver, was called a wrench....actually, she still thinks that! My dad said he wasn't going to raise daughters that couldn't tell an adjustable wrench from a combination wrench, lol!
When I was dating my ex-husband, he taught me how to work on cars. I did my own oil changes, brake jobs and tune ups (under his supervision, of course...I was just a woman, after all!) At the time I thought it was fun, but now I firmly believe that I make enough money to pay someone to do that crap!
I do. I'm not afraid to get dirty, however I'm not exactly "dive right in" when it comes to the more "masculine" jobs, such as powerwashing a deck. And that is simply because I am the most clumsy person ever. I would powerwash my foot. As far as painting or anything like that, I'm all game. As long as it doesn't involve something electric, I'm usually okay,
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Originally Posted by white cat lover
Dad taught me to be self sufficient - he says he could see from the start I would be single for a loooonnnngggg time, I'm too much for a man to handle!
My mum was widowed when she was young and never remarried. She has always been a strong, independent woman, so I've grown up with her as my influence.
I am definitely one to jump in and get dirty. DH has the mentality that certain things are "man's work" and feels he has to do it which drives me mad!
I'm about to start a project making a drop trap for my kitties which will involve using all sorts of power tools, and I'm very excited
When we were first married and the car needed some work, I was out there helping Mike. That was before cars got all computerized and technical. A friend at our complex came up when I was helping once and was shocked that I had black grease up to my elbows on both arms!
Dirt washes off and I was helping, so what the heck.
Dirt washes off and I was helping, so what the heck.
Same here.
