IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The 2024 OFFICIAL MASTER LIST: coming soon

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Get in the locker room! It's half-time!

Alright team, let's huddle up. It's half-time, and that means it's time for our locker-room talk. (I'm an avid football fan and would love to know what the coaches say to the team when they head in there for either a tongue lashing or a rah-rah good job talk...)

We're ½ way there! You're doing an awesome job out there! I've seen some great plays! No fumbles so far, and we're sticking to our game plan. Are there any questions?

Yeah, coach. I was wondering if I could sit out the third quarter. I'm just so tired!”
*If you need a couple of plays off, that's fine. There's nothing wrong with posting twice in one day to catch up for a rest day of no posting.

Coach – I've visited a lot of folks who haven't visited back. Should I just stop reaching out and concentrate on those who are being active in this game?”
*That's a tough one. Your call. As far as I'm concerned, the visiting is one of the most exciting parts. You never know what you're going to find. You don't know if your next blogging buddy is right around the bend, five blogs away! I think the navigation buttons that you'll  be able to install will get the fire going again on the visiting.

Coach – I've got lots of energy left. Where should I spend it?”
*That's an easy one. Visiting! I'm sad to say some folks have only gotten a very few visitors. Sad state of affairs! So if you've still got a lot of spring in your step, then step up your blog-hopping. Wherever you land, they'll be glad you came by.

Ok folks, it's time to head out there again. Keep up the good work, and don't forget our goals. Discipline to blog frequently, and community building through finding new bloggy friends! When this is all over, you'll be glad you stayed in the game.


And now some news!


A to Z Reflections post on May 7th


       On Monday May 7th the Linky list for your Blogging from A to Z Reflections Posts will open.   For those who have blogfests or other plans made already for that day, don't worry the list will be open for the entire week.  We hope all A to Z participants will plan to sign up and present your thoughts about the April Challenge.


        Be watching for more information about the Blogging from A to Z Reflections Post.

The A to Z Navigation Buttons Are Ready!

Many of you have asked for the A to Z Navigation Buttons that we had last year.  Those of you who do not know what I'm talking about can find the buttons at the top of the side bar.  Check them out--they are pretty cool.

Marcus Clearspring who created the popular A to Z Navigation Buttons for last year's Challenge   has done it again.   For those of you who are interested in adding the buttons to your site visit Marcus's site Writing Investigated.

If you don't want to add the buttons to your site or would just like to test them out, there is a special site for the badges at http://a-z.marcusclearspring.com/

Here are a few more words from Marcus:


1) Blogger's new "Dynamic Views" do not show custom widgets. Choose a
theme from a different group, if you have switched to Dynamic Views.

2) Wordpress.com (only .COM) bloggers cannot use custom widgets. They
simply don't allow it. For these people, the page at
http://a-z.marcusclearspring.com
offers the buttons. You can just add an image in your sidebar and
link it to open the above page.



Here are some more Challenge participants who Missed the List:

Kerrie at Here I Am Kaycee has been leaving some wonderful A to Z posts with excellent reminders for all of us.   Stop in for a visit and while you're there click her follower button to help her try to reach her first 100.



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33 comments:

IWASNTBLOGGEDYESTERDAY said...

I missed the linky, it wouldn't work for me. do you mind if I put my link here. I am a little behind, was sick for a few days, trying to catch up now :) http://iwasntbloggedyesterday.blogspot.com.au/

Ro @ Eat Live Move said...

The navigation buttons are too cool! Love them!


Eat Live Move: Intuitive Eating from A to Z

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Great posts and hints for the A to Z.

Yvonne.

SueH said...

Good to know about the nav buttons. I've been keeping a tally of those I'm visiting in numerical order but I enjoyed the 'surprise' me button last year as you were not influenced by name of a blog and it really was 'pot luck' where you ended up! ;-)

Philip Verghese 'Ariel' said...

Glad to know that we are half way...
Great going.
Good post here with nav. button and other useful tips
Keep it up
Keep inform
Best
Philip

Lynn said...

Thank you for that button! I used the one on this page to visit about 17 blogs so far. I had an unusually exhausting week - managed to keep up with the blogging schedule, but did not blog hop as much as I wanted to. So cheers to being halfway through the challenge and to the Surprise Me button!

Rob Z Tobor said...

I like that button for one reason only, the surprise option. Now that is cool and saves me pondering.

SueH said...

The only thing I don't like is that it makes me look like I've been tardy about blog-hopping as the tally says I've only visited a few sites - but I'd done about 100 before the widget became available :-/

Karen Baldwin said...

Widgets and gadgets won't work with blogs that use their own template. Also, I'm finding the posting easy, but following back and commenting is more time than I thought. A suggestion for next year is maybe there could be an icon to let people know you visited their site, but you wouldn't be required to leave a comment. This would allow you to visit most, if not all, all of the participants. AFTER the challenge, you can take your time and really digest other's blogs and leave comments. Just a thought.

Karen Baldwin said...

Well, duh...guess you already have this. thanks.

Arlee Bird said...

Half-way through and the games's been played well. Keep up the great work players.

In May I will be offering more opportunities for A to Z feedback for us to contemplate for the next A to Z Challenge.

Lee

Trisha said...

Anyone who's visited me should hang in there 'cause I only just got home from overseas, so am only just starting to get caught up on returning comments! As for visiting blogs of people who HAVEN'T visited me? I've only done a handful of visits so far, but will definitely be doing more in the 2nd half of April!!

Anonymous said...

I visit as many as I can and communicate as much as I'm able. I was sick last week so pleased I'd written and scheduled the week before. The widgets sound fun. I'll try to put the pic. link in. Thanks for the half time talk!
Here's to the second half..

Mimi said...

I personally don't care too much for the whining. If you don't want to do it, don't. Like Lynnelives said, I did a bunch ahead and I"m glad I did, my husband spent last week in the hospital!

Mimi Torchia Boothby Watercolors

Unknown said...

I enjoyed this post and this is what I needed to made it down the home stretch! I enjoy all of the new people stopping by my blog. It is encouraging me to keep going... thanks!

Stacey~

Jolie du Pre said...

I've made it to the half-way point, and I'm proud of myself. (Part of it has to do with the fact that an alien got on my blog and attempted to bet my readers that I would drop out after week 1 or week 2. Well, he's dead wrong, and I love a challenge.)

When a person visits my blog and leaves a comment, I respond to their comment AND THEN, I also visit THEIR blog. I believe in that sort of blog love - you visit me and I'll visit you. Along the way, I've learned about a number of blogs that are now on my PERMANENT VISIT list. These are blogs that I really love.

I don't think it's a good idea not to blog every day of the A-Z Challenge. For the two days that I was out of town and couldn't blog, I left a message on my blog for each of those two days.

I also highly recommend the A-Z navigation button, and I THANK Marcus Clearspring for creating it. I'd also like to thank Arlee Bird for inventing this awesome challenge, because it has really been good for my new blog. Plus, I'd like to thank Jeremy of Retro Zombie for creating the awesome A-Z badge that I have on my blog. (We horror bloggers need scary badges!)

Jolie du Pre
Precious Monsters

Nicole said...

The football them for this half-time A to Z Challenge report rocks!

I like the design of the new navigation buttons and it's nice that they are available for bloggers who want to use them. I think I'll remain with the regular routine of using the list because it helps me keep track of where I left off and where to continue. The list just offers more organization for me, which I need in my otherwise unorganized life, lol.

Thanks for the locker room chat, coach! I'm in it to win it :)

Cheers!


~Nicole
Blog: The Madlab Post
*My recent A to Z Challenge posts - K is for Karma; L is for Love; M is for Matrimony*
@MadlabPost on Twitter

Patricia Stoltey said...

I'm still hanging in there but see there's no hope I'm going to get to visit every blog on the list before the end of April.

Patricia

Deniz Bevan said...

Oh, I like that reflections idea! Is it okay if my post might be a couple of days late?

Jemima Pett said...

I must be technologically challenged as I can't see how to use those buttons even from Marcus's site. I can press them, but I can't copy them. sigh. Maybe next year.

I apologise to anyone who has commented on my site but I havent visited back yet; I was working through in numerical order! I really like having a LIKE button on my blog though, I wish others did that.

Thanks for visiting and for A to Z-ing as well!

Jocelyn Rish said...

Those navigation buttons are fun - I like surprises!

Laura said...

I'm hoping to do a better job of keeping up this week. Got a little behind, but caught up. Trying to visit, but it seemed like all the blogs I was visiting hadn't even started the challenge (and this was by the end of the first week). Have found some nice blogs though. Off to do some visiting!

Donna B. McNicol said...

I love the new buttons and have enjoyed checking out new blogs this way. I'm following over 80 A to Z blogs daily (don't comment daily). With so many, it is hard. I have moved from 26 to 66 followers (based on Google follow). Had hoped to hit 100 by the end of the challenge, looks pretty iffy now. LOL!

That said, I will do this again next year.

Unknown said...

Well done everyone for getting this far! And thanks for highlighting the new buttons - I'll get cracking on adding them.
Bex
www.leavingcairo.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I tried adding the linky buttons. My buttons were small and gray, not big and green and orange. I'll try again later, because I'm sure I did something wrong.

Susanne
PUTTING WORDS DOWN ON PAPER

Kerrie said...

Dear A to Z Team,

YOU, each and every one of you are AWESOME! Ah, I'm terrible at expressing my feelings, but I'll try my best.

You're a great team and I did think that before the shout out here, and expressed my deep gratitude on an earlier post. I haven't had this much fun in years.

On Sunday's my little family of three are usually chilling out or doing something special, so I'm not always able to go on-line on a Sunday.

So when I logged in, on this fine Monday morning, lots of lovely A to Z friends/readers had visited me, and followed me,and left the most beautiful kind-hearted comments, which left my heart feeling all warm and fuzzy.

I even blushed at times reading those delightful comments from new bloggy friends.

Thank you!!! A to Z team... I just wanna SCREEEAAAMMMMM

Your AWESOME,
I'm pumped,
I'm full of energy and ZEST, Because the A to Z team is the BEST!!!

Go-oo-oo, Aaaaaa to Zeeeee!!!

Now, it your turn to see along with me :)

Your AWESOME,
I'm pumped,
I'm full of energy and ZEST, Because the A to Z team is the BEST!!!

Go-oo-oo, Aaaaaa to Zeeeee!!!

Big Smiles. Wishing every one a fabulous week ahead filled with love, laughter and a bounty of God's Blessings!

:) Kerrie (aka KC)

Empty Nest Insider said...

Love the new navigation buttons! Thanks for the half-time pep talk! Julie

JoJo said...

Having a great time and my blog has picked up over 20 new followers since A-Z started. I am still having frustration w/ blogs that have left their Captcha turned on.

Lynn Proctor said...

love the sports analogy--thanks!

Marta Szemik said...

I can't believe we're already halfway through. I'm excited about May 7th as well, because there are so many great things I'd like to say about the challenge:)

klahanie said...

Gosh and you being an avid 'football' fan, who do you think will win the Premiership. Manchester United or Manchester City?
Oh, that kind of football. Okay, do you think the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League can win the Grey Cup, again?
Halfway through eh. Gosh, almost brings a tear to my eye knowing it will soon be full time.
Seriously, you awesome folks bringing further awareness of the alphabet, have fun.
With respect, the guy the hosts of this fine challenge begged to be a part of but said "Um no!", shy, humble and oh so unassuming Gary

Beth Stilborn said...

Thanks for the pep-talk! I'm sagging, not because I'm tired of posting daily, but because I miss posting! I had a great time pre-writing and scheduling nearly all my posts before April 1st, but I'm finding I really miss blogging in my usual way. Go figure.

I've visited some great blogs, and I've had some new followers. I have no idea how many, because my follower stats have gone all wonky.

kate n said...

Hey thanks for the buttons - slightly sad now as I had checked out 300 before i went away for a week and now i have added the button it looks like I have only checked out 3! Better late than never though! thanks :)