Everything I Know, I Learned From Blogging

Yesterday, Lauren from Texas learned that if you have a bee problem, you can call a beekeeper and they’ll come out and take care of it for you. Meanwhile, the rest of her readers learned that if you don’t want to call a beekeeper, another way to rid your yard of bees is by blaring rap music. Apparently the little bugs aren’t too fond of that particular genre. Which may mean that my dad is part bee. The jury is still out.

It made me think about all the things that bloggers teach us. I know that if I ever have a question I can just ask y’all and someone will know the answer. Someone will have advice because they’ve been there or their sister’s boyfriend’s great aunt had that issue last month. It’s amazing, this little blogosphere! You know… they always say that you don’t realize how much you don’t know until you start learning. This is so true. I didn’t realize how much information there is out there until I started reading blogs. You people know a lot of stuff. It makes me think of those posters “Everything I Know, I Learned in Kindergarten” or “…From My Dog” or whatever.

Just think about everything you’ve learned from blogs.

Money Saving Mom taught me that I can get free stuff all the time. It takes a minute every few days and then you’ll start getting a steady stream of samples shipped to your door. At least twice a week I get stuff in the mail. Shampoo, lotion, dish soap, feminine products, etc. It’s like mini-Christmas every time I see a little box!

And then Angela at Craving Cupcakes taught me that it doesn’t have to be an ordeal every time you want to bake something. Just do it. Making homemade cookies and muffins and other delicious goods doesn’t take as long as you might think… and the payoff is high.

And while we’re talking about cooking, there is no way to even tell you how many things Pioneer Woman has taught me. The main thing being: If you roast red potatoes and garlic with butter and white wine, amazing things happen. AMAZING THINGS. This is a life lesson, y’all.

I Am Baker taught me that you can decorate the inside of layered cakes. Crosses and flags and whatever else your little heart dreams up. Then your guests will be amazed by the little surprise on the inside of the cake.

The list could go on and on. Sometimes someone will just say something in passing on their blog and I’ll think, “Wow. Brilliant.” And I can’t even tell you how often I’m in a conversation and have to begin a sentence with, “Well I read on a blog that…” I mean, right? I know it’s not just me.

One of the biggest things I learned happened about two or three months ago. I was reading Big Mama, as I do every morning, and she dropped the bombshell. Apparently Greased Lightening is a pretty dirty song. WHO KNEW?! I started watching Grease in 8th grade with my girlfriends. I think it was some anniversary year of the movie because the media was promoting it pretty heavily. I think they even played a few of the songs on the radio. We’d watch the movie and sing the songs and try the dances. We loved that movie. But let’s face it, at 8th grade, you have no clue what is coming out of your mouth and what it actually means. After Big Mama wrote that post, I immediately looked up the lyrics (as I’m sure many of you will do after reading this) and SURE ENOUGH, dirty.

I felt like a fool! How many times did my parents hear us singing that song at the top of our lungs and cringe at the sound of it. And more importantly, why was I allowed to watch the movie?

It was on television last night. We didn’t get to see the whole thing but we started watching when they were in the diner… about the time of the “a hikey from Kenickie’s like a Hallmark card, we care enough to send the very best” line. My sister, Stephen, and I were watching and we just kept dropping our jaw. Rizzo things she’s pregnant, Danny tries to “grab” Sandy in the drive in and is then heartbroken (and we feel sorry for him) when she walks out on him, the newscaster is hitting on a high school girl, then Sandy changes her lifestyle to make Danny happy… which means that all is right with the world. What. The. Heck?

Regardless, I still love the movie. I was singing along and making my feet dance back and forth while I was relaxing in my recliner. But the point is that, while I knew it wasn’t an entirely wholesome movie, I had no idea that I was singing these dirty lyrics as an 8th grader. And I have a blogger to thank for that awakening.

What have you learned from blogs? Something huge like what car to buy or how to plan a vacation? Or something small like the best way to roast asparagus or where to buy the cutest journals? Spill it. We all want to know. If you know where you learned it, let us know! Otherwise, just give us the goods.