Malfunctioning Followers Gadget

I've been having trouble with the followers gadget on one of my blogs, Help Michigan Pets, for months now.

I can't see the followers most of the time; sometimes they briefly show up as it loads, and then they disappear, leaving an empty box where the avatars should be. They show up just fine in the preview (when I'm fiddling with the design), but as soon as I get out of the preview mode, they're gone. So far, nothing I've tried has fixed it.

Some people have reported that their followers gadgets indicate that they don't have any followers yet, but that's a different problem.

One thing I've read is that it has to do with my computer settings. If that were the case, all my blogs would be affected.

Maybe I just need a new template. I'd really like to keep the one I have, but it's looking as if I have no choice. Then again, I have no idea whether that would even fix the problem.

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Just a few hours after this post was published, the followers gadget started acting up on this blog too! It comes and goes. This is really discouraging.

Down to the Wire: Blogging from A to Z

If you're interested in joining in on this year's Blogging from A to Z Challenge but haven't signed up yet, there's still time. You'll have until Monday night (April 2).

Check Arlee Bird's latest post for a terrific last-minute check list to help you prepare. There's even a cool countdown clock on the right sidebar.

As for my own preparations, for the last few days, I've been devoting most of my online time to getting ready for the challenge. While I don't write the final drafts in advance, I do as much as I can beforehand.

As I previously announced, three of my blogs are participating. The info is here.

Have fun with the challenge, and I hope you enjoy my posts.

Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2012

In my last post, I wrote about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge that kicks off on April 1. At that point, I hadn't yet decided which of my blogs would be participating. Now I know.

For this year's Blogging from A to Z April Challenge, I'll be posting on three blogs every day.

Here are the themes for each blog during this challenge:

Ellie's Blank Book (this blog) - Pinterest
Ellie's Couch - music videos
Help Michigan Pets - animal welfare in Michigan

If you're interested in participating in this fun blog hop, be sure to check out the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge website.

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is the brainchild of Arlee Bird, who has several co-hosts this year. Here is a list of the official team members:

Tossing It Out (Arlee Bird)
Amlokiblogs (Damyanti Biswas)
Alex J. Cavanaugh (Alex J. Cavanaugh)
Life is Good (Tina Downey)
Coming Down The Mountain (KarenG)
Cruising Altitude 2.0 (DL Hammons)
Retro-Zombie (Jeremy Hawkins)
The Warrior Muse (Shannon Lawrence)
The QQQE (Matthew MacNish)
Author Elizabeth Mueller (Elizabeth Mueller)
Pearson Report (Jenny Pearson)
No Thought 2 Small (Konstanz Silverbow)
Breakthrough Blogs (Stephen Tremp)

Getting Ready for the A to Z Challenge

Last year, I participated in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Ellie's Blank Book didn't exist at the time, but now that it does, I want to use it for this year's challenge. After all, I created it mainly for blog fests and challenges.

Essentially, Blogging from A to Z involves posting a topic for every letter in alphabetical order during the month of April. Normally, posts are Mondays through Saturdays, with Sundays off; this year, since April begins on a Sunday, the "A" post will be that day.

I haven't actually registered yet; before I do, I want to know exactly which of my blogs are going to be involved (besides this one). I'm hoping to pin that down this week so that I can go ahead and sign up.

To prepare for this, I've been making lists of potential topics beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Each participating blog will adhere to a theme chosen for that blog. Themes aren't required, but they can be helpful.

I'll post more when I have the rest of the details worked out.