At the end of each month I like to share a few things I’ve learned. Sometimes it’s educational and informative but usually not.

what we learned in august

Usually I’ve discovered a quirk I didn’t know I had or a fascinating-to-me celebrity connection. It’s a mishmash of ordinary life stuff, things that may go unnoticed if I didn’t decide to write them down.

This summer I started inviting readers to join me and I’m so glad I did. These posts are some of my favorite to read – generally fun, usually lighthearted, and I always learn something I didn’t know before.

After I share the things I learned in August, you will see the “add link” button at the bottom of this post where you can share what you learned as well.

7 things I learned in August

1. How to delete multiple photos at once on my iPhone. I have over 2,000 photos on my iPhone. I know, it’s a problem. It’s a combination of laziness and ignorance. I don’t like plugging in my phone to my computer because my laptop asks me questions I don’t want to answer. Because of that, the photos are never downloaded so I just save them in my phone. It’s too many photos, but it takes too much time to go through individually. I just delete a few when I run out of space and carry on.

It’s no way to live. Just ask Sweet Brown.

But then last week I accidentally figured out how to delete multiple photos at once and I will share it with the 3 of you who also didn’t know this. Open your camera and click on your camera roll so you see all your photos like this.

how to delete multiple photos on iPhone

Then, you click on that box at the bottom of the screen with the arrow coming out of it. And when you do, you’ll see this screen.

photo-3

And from there, you can select however many photos you want to delete and do it all at once, like this.

how to delete multiple photos iPhone

I’m taking the risk of looking like a fool by sharing this oh-so-easy trick (and an even bigger one if you knew I just spelled “fool” like “phool”) but I have had an iPhone for 3 years and just learned this in August for the first time, so there you go.

2. It takes 3 months to clean the 24,000 windows on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest man-made structure in the world. When they finish, they start over again. And even though they’ve figured out the technology to build that insanely amazing building, they still have to clean the windows with a squeegee and a bucket. Thank you BBC.

3. I don’t know the first thing about how to teach someone how to play the piano. I took piano lessons for over 10 years of my life and was even a piano major for a couple of years in college. But sitting down to teach my 9-year-old girls how to play Heart and Soul about killed me. They’re all, “What’s next, Mommy?” and I’m all, “You know, just like … push that one there and then that one here and then that’s it!” I’m the worst. Also Mrs. Pemberton and Mrs. Weston and every piano teacher I had in college? I salute you.

4. “Crayons” always comes out “Crazyongs” first. Without fail. I’ve been paying attention to this ever since I realized I type Christ  for Chris and Amazong for Amazon. (See Things I Learned in April).

5. In August, I learned about Ellie Holcomb. I don’t even know what to say. She’s . . . Here, just go here to listen to her new album and then after you do that for six seconds, you will be downloading it. Go ahead and put “Can’t Outrun Your Love” on repeat.

sarah masen

image source: sarahmasen.com

6. Speaking of brilliant female voices, I also learned in August that Sarah Masen has new music out. If you know anything at all about me, you will know Sarah Masen is one of my all-time favorite artists. I first heard her sing in my high school youth group when I was 17 – she didn’t just sing words, she sang story.

Her art has made such a profound impact on me that I not only titled my blog after a line in her song, Tuesday, I also wrote about her influence in chapter one of my next book.

It’s been a while since she’s shared new music with the masses, but she’s never stopped writing songs. Her husband David explains: “Sarah isn’t listening to her own life if she isn’t writing songs. It’s how she pays attention to herself and others.” You can listen to and download The Trying Mark on Noisetrade. (My favorite track on the album right now is The Strangers)

7. August isn’t nearly as stressful when your husband is no longer a youth pastor. It’s been two months since we started this extended sabbatical (I call it something different every time I talk about it, don’t I?) August is typically a time of gearing up and starting a full schedule. For him, though, that isn’t the case anymore. The peace in my husband’s eyes is a gift to our whole family. I’m so grateful for this time we have – even though we don’t really know what’s next.

Now it’s your turn. Link up below and share your own “things I learned” post by clicking on the blue button that says add your link and following the directions from there. I’ll keep this linky open for about a week so you have plenty of time to join in. I look forward to hearing what you’ve learned in August.

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