No wonder we all love to get dirty in the garden!!

Can getting dirty lift your mood?

I guess it can!! LOL

http://www.thatsfit.com/2007/04/02/can-getting-dirty-lift-your-mood/

Oh yes -- I do try - sometimes - to remember to rake my nails over a bar of soap first as I hate to wear gardening gloves for most things. If only I could rake my toenails in the soap too LOL !

I knew there was something theraputic in dirt!! I go barefoot, and gloveless, and I wouldn' want anybody to see my feet and hands. That's why I don't mind doing dishes, I can soak some off in the dishwater!!

Well, I have to admit I always DO wear gloves AND wooden shoes (since I'm from Holland) but other than that I look a mess, soil smear in face, hair all over the place, old dirty clothes in spite of the fact they get washed (honoustly) every 2 days! We always have to laugh wheneber I see a garden show or catalog ad or something, you see woman with incredibly clean blouses, little hats, clean hands or gloves! big smiles just holding a pruner and some flowers! I wonder... will my time come too????

I rarely garden w/ gloves on and sometimes I couldn't get every single bit of "dark" out from under my nails. Well, now I'm the bather for a groomer (gloveless) and my nails are always clean, except on weekends!

It is the heels of my feet that are so gross. I need sandpaper to grind them down. And the dirt gets in the cracks. Gross you out? LOL I have to soak them in a pail. My husband hates to see them.

Kell,

I've had horrid cracked ugly heels for years. I've ruined many a pair of hose with those unsightly heels. The only time they were "presentable" was when I'd pay to get a pedicure and they would shave off the cracks. Shaving them is illegal here in Texas, but the pedicure folks will do it, if you ask them too.

Then my sister Connie bought a foot file by Che'ci from the beauty supply store. It comes in 2 grades of coarseness. It can be used on dry feet or damp feet from a bath or shower. It's great for calouses also. I couldn't believe all of the stuff that the file got off my feet. Looks like DNA in powdered form! HAHAHAHA Connie bought me a box (with the 2 files) for my birthday last year. It works incredibly well. Leaves my feet incredibly smooth and soft.

My hubby confiscated one of them to scrap off his athlete's feet because it's so easy to use.

Here is a link to the product that I found on Google. http://www.beautyofasite.com/product-4282.html

If you have a beauty supply store close to you, check them out. Can't say enough good things about this marvelous tool.

I've seen them cheaper at Walmart, but I think it might have been a different brand.

Janet

THANKS. I need the severe grade! LOL

I walked barefoot all my life until we moved into this house. There are little prickly things from pine cones all over the place and they hurt when you step on them. For the first time I am wearing shoes and my feet don't look so bad. Now, they still don't look great or even close to it, but they do look somewhat presentable. I even wear red nail polish sometimes and I would never have done that before. The feel of fresh earth under my toes is something I profoundly miss.

I've read that cutting a lemon in half & scraping out most of the innards, and then putting THOSE (empty) halves on your heels will help clean 'em up. Now, just something stylish in lemon to go w/ the toes!

A pumice stone in the shower, use it at the end of every shower all around the heels, makes a WORLD of differance. Use a good, thick lotion with socks at night or for awhile out of the shower while the skin is moist. * I LOVE Philosophy Handmade* If you do this regulary your heels will come back to human form and no more crackling snags. I cannot handle dry or cracked skin. I am a lotion junky.

I enjoy playing in the good dirt, but for the chunky stuff, gloves please.

I have found that having3 pairs of crocs...one at the back door to step out in, one at the front door to step out in and one pair inside, to step inside, keeps the dirt outside. I also wear cotton ankle socks. I found that without socks, the dirt sticks to my skin and makes a mess, with ankle socks the dirt sticks to the socks..a lil oxyclean and all is new and my feet are left looking human. lol

Ardesia, I sure miss bare feet on dirt, too. We moved to the high desert almost 2 years ago - and while I love having 4.77 acres of sand to play in (and a growing number of raised beds), this is scorpion and rattle snake country, and bare feet are just not an option. We have a 30 x 60 foot concrete patio, and my bare feet just have to be content with that :-( But I am learning to love my rubber "mucky boots"!

For hands (because sometimes I do not wear gloves) I found a product called Green Glove - www.chase-mole.com . I just put it on my hands and under my nails and it works very well. Sometimes I wear latex rubber gloves so I can still feel what I am doing. Yeah, hands sweat in them, but they come out clean!

I just found this thread, and YES YES YES there is something therapeutic about getting dirty, filthy dirty. I do rotovating on the tractor in the berries in the spring and the second time through it is much dustier and I love it. Even blowing your nose gets dirty with this job and to see the dirt chased down the shower drain is gratifying. Dirt comes out of places you wouldn't believe. LOL So yeppers, Kell, love the dirt.

But pansy old me does wear garden gloves because my hands would dry out so bad, they bleed and hurt.

so glad i found this thread too....i have the cracked heels thing....and i have used files....but it takes forever to get them smooth ...then they crack again...hands crack too; but have lupus...and even on my worst day....i have to be in the yard getting dirty...i bookmarked the file , the green glove thing and this thread...thanks:)

Sticks-n-stones, You know I had hard calloused heels and now that I am taking cod liver oil and apple cider vinegar, that has improved immensely.

lenjo...i don't think that i could do that route....but thank you for the suggestion...

Sticks-n-stones, You know I had hard calloused heels and now that I am taking cod liver oil and apple cider vinegar,


How do you take that apple cider vineger?

I mix a tablespoon in 1/2 cup water, and for me warm water makes it easier to go down. I do this three times a day at the end of my meals.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8171.asp

This article is what inspired me to try this; I was looking for a recipe to make apple cider vinegar as we make apple juice in the fall. My mother in law always made her own.

I have read that it is good to keep misquitos away also. I will try it with a little water next time. I tried it alone last time and almost threw up.:)