Sunday, April 11, 2021
J is for Journeys #atozchallenge
Friday, April 9, 2021
I is for Inspiration! #atozchallenge
What inspires you? What makes your mind wander, and wonder, and ask things like "what if...?"
Look for some extra inspiration today! Whether for your blog, or your WIP, or just for fun, here are some sites that will give you a fresh dose of inspiration!
Use this Random Art Generator to find a classic painting, and see if it becomes a story in your head!
Try this Random Landscape Generator, and see if you can imagine what happens there!
Start up the Random Music Generator and see if the music inspires you!
Play around with this amazing Random Folklore Motif Generator, and see if you can make up new tales!
Use this site to get Random Geographic Coordinates, and see what that place inspires in you! (Or learn more about it, if it is new to you!)
Inspiration can come from unexpected places. What inspires YOU in this challenge?
H is for Hustle
H is for Hustler
When I first mentioned to my co-blogger, Richard, that I was writing a post for H for the A to Z Blog, he suggested H is for Hustler. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. It's a word I'm familiar with, certainly, but putting a definition down on paper was difficult. So, I went to dictionary.com for a little help.
Hustler:
1. An enterprising person determine to succeed; go-getter.
2. Slang. A person who employs fraudulent or unscrupulous methods to obtain money; swindler.
3. Informal. An expert gambler or game player who seeks out challengers, especially unsuspecting amateur ones, in order to win money from them.
Ah yes, the last one. That's what made me think of that word in connection with our gambling theme for 2021. But then I had a new, related inspiration, courtesy of the first definition of hustler:
Hustle:
1. To proceed or work rapidly or energetically.
2. To push or force one's way; jostle or shove.
Recently, several of us here at A to Z experienced situations that left us scrambling to get things done on a deadline (including me making this post only a couple days beforehand, when usually I'm done before April starts). It's great to work with a team who can hustle when they need to, and which is not filled with hustlers (definition 3), but rather hustlers (definition 1). The A to Z Team is a great one, and I'm proud to be a part of it.
As we near the end of the first full week, are you hustling to finish your A to Z posts for the month, or are you all scheduled out?
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Games #atozchallenge

GAMES
(For those of you taking part in the scavenger hunt, today is easy! This post is about a game!)
What games can be played on a blog? Here are some ideas:



Truth or Dare -https://psycatgames.com/app/truth-or-dare/
You could make a post asking readers to comment with various Truths and Dares, and then tackle them as you see fit. Or you could let a website pick for you.


Honestly, 🐛🐜🐝🐞 bugs don't bug me. I can't say I have a special affinity for them. But overall, they're just part of nature. I don't enjoy being stung or bit, and certainly am not a fan of mosquitoes. But overall, I don't especially like or dislike bugs in general. I am glad they exist and serve their function.
J- Jublient

Please consider getting a t-shirt.
THE SIGN-UPS ARE NOW CLOSED!
Need a copy of the Master List so you can "get hopping" to other blogs?
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mvSm8FsuFVkOQulQ0EgzslGiNd8CZWWrqaRhCG8Sv4o
File > Make a Copy (save to your location of choice)
Wednesday, April 7, 2021
#atozchallenge F for Family-Friendly Fun Game Books

Guest post from Kathryn Mowers:

Thank you, Kathryn! It's great to know there are games (our 2021 theme) mixed with books that are fun for families and children. Little readers can grow up to become bloggers one day!
What was your favorite book as a child?

Please consider getting a t-shirt.
THE SIGN-UPS ARE NOW CLOSED!
Need a copy of the Master List so you can "get hopping" to other blogs?
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mvSm8FsuFVkOQulQ0EgzslGiNd8CZWWrqaRhCG8Sv4o
File > Make a Copy (save to your location of choice)
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
No "E"? No Problem!
Here's a challenge for you: try writing an entire blog post without using the letter "E." Theoretically, it shouldn't be that difficult, because E is only found in 11% of all English words. The people who figured that out looked at the Oxford English Dictionary to get that.
Of course, how many words in the OED do you use on a given basis? My guess is not a large percentage, and I'll bet that most of those words contain an E. Here's an easier challenge: write a sentence only with words that don't contain an E.
Winston Churchill once said "Short words are better than long words, and short words that are old words are the best of all." Limiting yourself only to words that don't contain an E gives you the opportunity to explore some old, short words that you might have forgotten. Give it a try!
Be sure your blog displays the participant badge so people know that you're doing the Challenge!
Please consider getting a t-shirt.
Have you added your blog information to the master list? The list closes tomorrow, so now would be the time to do that!
Be sure to get a copy of the Master List! Go here and select File > Save A Copy.
Sunday, April 4, 2021
D is for Dice: Roll them! #atozchallenge
Who doesn't like rolling dice? Click-clack, go the shiny math rocks! Whether you are a tabletop gamer like I am (with a collection of multi-sided dice), or you just have some dice lying around somewhere in a box... grab one and let's roll! (If you don't have dice at all, just type "dice roller" into Google)
Do either, or both of the two sets of results below.
THE CHALLENGE
1 - Write a long and thoughtful comment to someone's post today, and give them a lot of detailed compliments!
2 - Add two A to Z authors to your TBR list!
3 - Pick three blogs that you have enjoyed so far in the Challenge, and Follow them, sign up for their newsletter, or follow the author on social media!
4 - Visit four new blogs, and retweet, reblog, or share the content of the one you liked best!
5 - Pick a Category from the Master List that you are the least interested in, and visit 5 blogs from that category!
6 - Visit 6 new blogs today!
THE REWARDS
1 - Eat something delicious today! (chocolate, fruit, pastry, whatever)
2 - Treat yourself to something small today! (an ebook, a snack, some cool stickers)
3 - Have you had enough water today? Go hydrate!
4 - Listen to your favorite song on repeat!
5 - Give yourself permission to postpone a task until tomorrow!
6 - Give yourself permission to take a nap today!
We hope you all have a lovely day! :)
It is not too late yet to join the challenge! You can sign up here, and see all the participating blogs on the Master List here. The sign-up closes on the 7th of April!
Saturday, April 3, 2021
C is for Card Trick
C is for Card Trick
I have always been fascinated by card tricks. I learned a couple as a kid that have stuck with me, but in honor of our A to Z theme, I thought learning a card trick would be a fun game to play. I'll be sure to impress the few people I can show it to! But, I assure you that it's a beginner level card trick and you should give it a try!
Now that you've learned something fun, a few reminders on behalf of the A to Z Team:
- Make sure you're signed up for the challenge.
- Display the A to Z Badge on your blog.
- Check out our Bonus Challenges posted 3/2.
- Pick up a Challenge T-shirt!
Friday, April 2, 2021
B is for Bet!
B is for Bet!
Have you made a bet with yourself for April yet?
- I bet you can do at least three of our bonus challenges.
- I bet you can sign up on the Master List (which closes on April 7th).
- I bet you can go visit five new blogs right now from the Master List.
- I bet you can make sure you have the A to Z Logo Badge on your blog.
- I bet you can check out our T-shirt.
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Alphabet Scavenger Hunt #atozchallenge

A scavenger hunt is a game in which the organizers prepare a list defining specific items, which the participants seek to gather all items on the list.
As you hop to various participating A to Z blogs this month, look for posts that use or mention these items on that letter's day. (So look for a post on April 1st that has an Apple). 🍎 The blogger might be cooking with apples, taking pictures of apples, have a song from Fiona Apple, be discussing Apple computers, have a character named Apple...
Copy the scavenger hunt list. Then, when you find a post that goes with that word and letter, make note of the link. On your reflection post next month, you can share with everyone how well you did and on what participating A to Z blogs you found the items on the list.
- A is for — Apple 🍏
- B is for — Bear 🧸
- C is for — Cobweb 🕸
- D is for — Dragon 🐲
- E is for — Evil 👿
- F is for — Flowers 💐
- G is for — Game 🎲
- H is for — Hat 👒
- I is for — Island 🏝
- J is for — Jewelry 💍
- K is for — Key 🔑
- L is for — Leaves 🍂
- M is for — Men 👬
- N is for — Nuts 🥜
- O is for — Orange 🍊
- P is for — Pen 🖊
- Q is for — Questions ❓
- R is for — Rainbow 🌈
- S is for — Scissors ✂
- T is for — Tiger 🐯
- U is for — Uniform 💂
- V is for — Velvet 🧶
- W is for — Whale 🐳
- X is for — X-ray 🦴
- Y is for — Yellow 💛
- Z is for — Zipper 🤐

Please consider getting a t-shirt.
No matter what, there's always someone who has your back 🤗
— T-Mobile (@TMobile) March 30, 2021
Thank the person who has meant the most to you in your life + tag #GiveThanksNotPranks 🥰 pic.twitter.com/jWonMoctop
For every tweet using #GiveThanksNotPranks, @TMobile donates 💰$5 to classrooms in need through @DonorsChoose. You could tweet the hashtag to @AprilA2Z!
Didn't sign up for the challenge yet? https://forms.gle/dXBFi5zphGnRu7Rc8 Just fill out the form!
Need a copy of the Master List so you can "get hopping" to other blogs? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mvSm8FsuFVkOQulQ0EgzslGiNd8CZWWrqaRhCG8Sv4o
File > Make a Copy (save to your location of choice)
Monday, March 29, 2021
MASTER LIST SIGN-UP #AtoZChallenge 2021
Time to SIGN UP for the challenge!
https://forms.gle/dXBFi5zphGnRu7Rc8
Just fill out that form!

You will see this confirmation message when you've signed up.
The results of this form will be MADE PUBLIC.
Grab a copy of the Master List so you can "get hopping" to other blogs:
File > Make a Copy (save to your location of choice)

Challenge Awareness:
Visitors to your blog have to be able to comment on your posts (without "signing up" for anything first). Please disable any CAPTCHA. Commenting should be as easy as possible.
Remember to use a link that goes to your BLOG. Sometimes Wordpress users leave links to their dashboard where they create posts, rather than links to their blogs. The team has done what we can to raise awareness of this.
Links that do not go to a BLOG with posts that can be commented on will be REMOVED.
In 2018, Jayden made a post with video and written instructions. If you are having difficulty with the form or Master List spreadsheet, please check the instructions first.
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2018/03/master-list-sign-ups.html
If you still need help after that, you can reach the team:
Or on our own blogs. Contact us.
(The team is helping as many people as we can as fast as we can. It may sometimes take a few days.)
Question the team has already gotten in 2021:
"I signed up on a Linky that one of the participants has going. Am I on the Master List?"
No. No you are not. You can ONLY be on the Master List if you sign up on the Master List from this site. The A to Z Team does not control those other Linky sign-ups. Any other linky is not officially part of this #atozchallenge, does not put your blog on our Master List, and is not endorsed, monitored, or regulated by the A to Z Team. You use them at your own discretion. We are also not part of blogchatter.

(Looking for shirts from previous #atozchallenge events: https://buff.ly/3w66PEH )
Saturday, March 13, 2021
Tshirt survey #atozchallenge
THE THEME REVEAL SIGN UP IS STILL GOING ON!
Our graphic artist Jeremy Hawkins has some quick questions about t-shirts. PLEASE take a moment to answer this survey. Thank you!