diff --git a/material/plugins/blog/plugin.py b/material/plugins/blog/plugin.py
index 2d156390f..b8c53c821 100644
--- a/material/plugins/blog/plugin.py
+++ b/material/plugins/blog/plugin.py
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ class BlogPlugin(BasePlugin[BlogConfig]):
         # and must be explicitly enabled by the author.
         if not isinstance(post.config.draft, bool):
             if self.config.draft_if_future_date:
-                return post.config.date > datetime.now()
+                return post.config.date.created > datetime.now()
 
         # Post might be a draft
         return bool(post.config.draft)
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ class BlogPlugin(BasePlugin[BlogConfig]):
         ])
 
         # Update entrypoint in navigation
-        for items in [view.parent.children, nav.pages]:
+        for items in [self._resolve_siblings(view.parent, nav), nav.pages]:
             items[items.index(page)] = view
 
         # Return view
@@ -484,6 +484,13 @@ class BlogPlugin(BasePlugin[BlogConfig]):
             assert isinstance(page, View)
             yield page
 
+    # Resolve siblings of a navigation item
+    def _resolve_siblings(self, item: StructureItem, nav: Navigation):
+        if isinstance(item, Section):
+            return item.children
+        else:
+            return nav.items
+
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     # Attach a list of pages to each other and to the given parent item without
@@ -505,7 +512,7 @@ class BlogPlugin(BasePlugin[BlogConfig]):
         # the top-level navigation, if no parent section was given. Note, that
         # it's currently not possible to chose the position of a section, but
         # we might add support for this in the future.
-        items = parent.children if parent else nav.items
+        items = self._resolve_siblings(parent, nav)
         items.append(section)
 
         # Find last sibling that is a page, skipping sections, as we need to
diff --git a/material/plugins/blog/structure/__init__.py b/material/plugins/blog/structure/__init__.py
index 6003cadd3..725c9bc66 100644
--- a/material/plugins/blog/structure/__init__.py
+++ b/material/plugins/blog/structure/__init__.py
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ def _patch(config: MkDocsConfig):
     config.validation         = copy(config.validation)
     config.validation.links   = copy(config.validation.links)
     config.mdx_configs        = copy(config.mdx_configs)
-    config.mdx_configs["toc"] = copy(config.mdx_configs["toc"])
+    config.mdx_configs["toc"] = copy(config.mdx_configs.get("toc", {}))
 
     # In order to render excerpts for posts, we need to make sure that the
     # table of contents extension is appropriately configured
diff --git a/material/plugins/blog/structure/options.py b/material/plugins/blog/structure/options.py
index 0b36d8cfb..d37779185 100644
--- a/material/plugins/blog/structure/options.py
+++ b/material/plugins/blog/structure/options.py
@@ -60,12 +60,14 @@ class PostDate(BaseConfigOption[DateDict]):
         if not isinstance(config[key_name], dict):
             config[key_name] = { "created": config[key_name] }
 
-        # Initialize date dictionary and convert all date values to datetime
-        config[key_name] = DateDict(config[key_name])
+        # Convert all date values to datetime
         for key, value in config[key_name].items():
             if isinstance(value, date):
                 config[key_name][key] = datetime.combine(value, time())
 
+        # Initialize date dictionary
+        config[key_name] = DateDict(config[key_name])
+
     # Ensure each date value is of type datetime
     def run_validation(self, value: DateDict):
         for key in value:
diff --git a/src/plugins/blog/plugin.py b/src/plugins/blog/plugin.py
index 2d156390f..b8c53c821 100644
--- a/src/plugins/blog/plugin.py
+++ b/src/plugins/blog/plugin.py
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ class BlogPlugin(BasePlugin[BlogConfig]):
         # and must be explicitly enabled by the author.
         if not isinstance(post.config.draft, bool):
             if self.config.draft_if_future_date:
-                return post.config.date > datetime.now()
+                return post.config.date.created > datetime.now()
 
         # Post might be a draft
         return bool(post.config.draft)
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ class BlogPlugin(BasePlugin[BlogConfig]):
         ])
 
         # Update entrypoint in navigation
-        for items in [view.parent.children, nav.pages]:
+        for items in [self._resolve_siblings(view.parent, nav), nav.pages]:
             items[items.index(page)] = view
 
         # Return view
@@ -484,6 +484,13 @@ class BlogPlugin(BasePlugin[BlogConfig]):
             assert isinstance(page, View)
             yield page
 
+    # Resolve siblings of a navigation item
+    def _resolve_siblings(self, item: StructureItem, nav: Navigation):
+        if isinstance(item, Section):
+            return item.children
+        else:
+            return nav.items
+
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     # Attach a list of pages to each other and to the given parent item without
@@ -505,7 +512,7 @@ class BlogPlugin(BasePlugin[BlogConfig]):
         # the top-level navigation, if no parent section was given. Note, that
         # it's currently not possible to chose the position of a section, but
         # we might add support for this in the future.
-        items = parent.children if parent else nav.items
+        items = self._resolve_siblings(parent, nav)
         items.append(section)
 
         # Find last sibling that is a page, skipping sections, as we need to
diff --git a/src/plugins/blog/structure/__init__.py b/src/plugins/blog/structure/__init__.py
index 6003cadd3..725c9bc66 100644
--- a/src/plugins/blog/structure/__init__.py
+++ b/src/plugins/blog/structure/__init__.py
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ def _patch(config: MkDocsConfig):
     config.validation         = copy(config.validation)
     config.validation.links   = copy(config.validation.links)
     config.mdx_configs        = copy(config.mdx_configs)
-    config.mdx_configs["toc"] = copy(config.mdx_configs["toc"])
+    config.mdx_configs["toc"] = copy(config.mdx_configs.get("toc", {}))
 
     # In order to render excerpts for posts, we need to make sure that the
     # table of contents extension is appropriately configured
diff --git a/src/plugins/blog/structure/options.py b/src/plugins/blog/structure/options.py
index 0b36d8cfb..d37779185 100644
--- a/src/plugins/blog/structure/options.py
+++ b/src/plugins/blog/structure/options.py
@@ -60,12 +60,14 @@ class PostDate(BaseConfigOption[DateDict]):
         if not isinstance(config[key_name], dict):
             config[key_name] = { "created": config[key_name] }
 
-        # Initialize date dictionary and convert all date values to datetime
-        config[key_name] = DateDict(config[key_name])
+        # Convert all date values to datetime
         for key, value in config[key_name].items():
             if isinstance(value, date):
                 config[key_name][key] = datetime.combine(value, time())
 
+        # Initialize date dictionary
+        config[key_name] = DateDict(config[key_name])
+
     # Ensure each date value is of type datetime
     def run_validation(self, value: DateDict):
         for key in value: