This policy was last updated on May 24, 2018.
Your privacy is important to Fireflies and Mud Pies (https://www.firefliesandmudpies.com). This privacy policy describes what information we collect from you via Fireflies and Mud Pies and how we use and disclose such information.
This privacy policy may change from time to time. The most recent version will always be posted on the site, with the effective date posted at the top of the policy. By using this website, you agree to the terms of this policy.
About Fireflies and Mud Pies
Founded in 2012 and based in the United States, Fireflies and Mud Pies is an independently operated blog run by Melissa Lennig. This website is an educational resource intended for people over the age of 18.
How Information is Collected
Here is how your information is collected on Fireflies and Mud Pies:
- if you subscribe to the newsletter
- if you leave a comment on the blog
- if you enter a giveaway or contest
- through website cookies and log files
- through Google Analytics
- through WordPress and WordPress plugins
Newsletter
If you choose to join our newsletter via any of the signup forms located throughout this website or on social media, then your first name and email address are required. We require your email address in order to send you the emails and we require your first name so our emails can include a personalized note.
At the bottom of every email we send, you will find a link to unsubscribe. You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. You have the right to have your data deleted or forgotten. If you are having trouble unsubscribing or would like to be removed from the newsletter, then simply send an email to melissa@firefliesandmudpies.com asking to be removed.
We use MailerLite as our email service provider (read their privacy policy here). Your data is collected and then passed to them. Tags are used within MailerLite to track your actions and page visits so that future emails can be better tailored to meet your needs.
We send a minimum of 1–2 emails per week. However, we will occasionally email you about products and other special promotions that may be relevant to your interests.
Your email address and name are never sold, traded, or given away to a third party.
All emails you receive are CAN-SPAM compliant. At the bottom of every email, you will find information on how to contact the sender, as well as information on how to unsubscribe.
Blog Comments
Love something you read on Fireflies and Mud Pies? Leaving a comment is a great way to let us know! We enjoy hearing your feedback. If you choose to leave a comment on a blog post, please be aware that your comment is public and visible to anyone who reads the comment section. Your email address is never shared or disclosed, but your name and comment will be visible to others.
We highly recommended that you avoid leaving personal information in your comments.
Fireflies and Mud Pies reserves the right to remove comments deemed as inappropriate, threatening, profane, or spammy without notice.
Giveaway or Contest
If you are the winner of a giveaway hosted by Fireflies and Mud Pies, you will be asked to provide your first and last name and mailing address so the prize can be mailed to you. That information may need to be passed onto the representative of the brand who is providing and mailing the prize. By entering a giveaway on this website, you agree to the terms of this policy. Please review our official giveaway rules before entering a giveaway hosted by Fireflies and Mud Pies.
Cookies
A cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser and is stored by the browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies: a persistent cookie will be stored by a web browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date, unless deleted by the user before the expiry date; a session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed. Cookies do not typically contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal information that we store about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.
We use cookies for the following purposes on Fireflies and Mud Pies:
- Authentication: we use cookies to identify you when you visit our website and as you navigate our website
- Status: we use cookies to help us determine if you are logged into our website
- Personalization: we use cookies to store information about your preferences and to personalize the website for you
- Security: we use cookies as an element of the security measures used to protect user accounts, including preventing fraudulent use of login credentials, and to protect our websites and services generally
- Advertising: we use cookies to help us display advertisements that will be relevant to you
- Analysis: we use cookies to help us analyze the use and performance of our website and services
We use the following cookies on Fireflies and Mud Pies:
- Amazon (for advertising): read their privacy policy
- Facebook Pixel (for Facebook ad targeting): read how the pixel works
- Google Analytics (for tracking website traffic and user behavior): read how their cookies work
- MailerLite (for email tracking): read their privacy policy
- Social Warfare (for social media sharing): read their privacy policy
Log Files
We collect and use the data contained in log files. The information in log files includes your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP (internet service provider), the browser you used to visit our site (such as Google Chrome or Safari), the time you visited our site, and which pages you visited throughout our site.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to analyze the use of our website. Google Analytics gathers information about our website by means of cookies. The information gathered relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of our website. Google’s privacy policy is available here: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies and to delete cookies. The methods for doing so vary from browser to browser, and from version to version. You can, however, obtain up-to-date information about blocking and deleting cookies via these links:
Please note that blocking cookies may have a negative impact on the functions of many websites, including Fireflies and Mud Pies. Some features of the site may cease to be available to you.
WordPress and WordPress Plugins
Fireflies and Mud Pies was built using WordPress (view their privacy policy), an open-source website creation tool. WordPress plugins like Yoast help our site run smoothly, but only collect website data; not personal data. Read more about Yoast’s privacy policy.
Advertisements on Fireflies and Mud Pies
This site is affiliated with AdThrive, LLC (AdThrive) for the purposes of placing advertising on the site. AdThrive uses standard and widely-available tools for the placement and serving of ads, including those provided by Google, Inc. and its affiliates. We publish interest-based advertisements on the site; that is, ads that are tailored to reflect your interests. To help understand your interests, AdThrive, Google and our other advertising partners will track your behavior on our website and on other websites across the internet using cookies.
As stated earlier, a cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser and is stored by the browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies: a persistent cookie will be stored by a web browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date, unless deleted by the user before the expiry date; a session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed. Cookies do not typically contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal information that we store about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.
By using this website, you consent to the use of such cookies and the sharing of data captured by such cookies with AdThrive, Google, and our other third-party partners. You can view, delete or add interest categories associated with your browser by visiting: https://adssettings.google.com. You can also opt out of the network cookie using those settings or using the Network Advertising Initiative’s multi-cookie opt-out mechanism at: http://optout.networkadvertising.org. However, these opt-out mechanisms themselves use cookies, and if you clear the cookies from your browser your opt-out will not be maintained.
For European Economic Area Residents
If you reside in a country in the European Economic Area (EEA), then under the GDPR and applicable data protection laws you have the rights, among other things, to access your personal data, have us erase it, and/or restrict its further processing. If you wish to access or delete your personal data (if any) maintained by us or AdThrive related to advertising on the Site, you can contact AdThrive at info@adthrive.com. If you wish to see a list of the advertising partners we work with or change which of those partners track your behavior using cookies, click the ad preferences icon. (Available in the EU.)
Social Media Privacy
Fireflies and Mud Pies uses various social media platforms. Fireflies and Mud Pies is not responsible for what you post on our social media channels.
Parental Consent
If you are under 18 years of age, you must have parental consent before using our website or entering personal information.
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance
We are in compliance with the requirements of COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act). We do not intentionally collect any information from anyone under 13 years of age. Our website, products, and services are all directed to people who are at least 13 years of age or older.
Final Notes on this Privacy Policy
You have the right to access your personal data and know how it is being processed. Hopefully, the policy above adequately explains how your data is used.
Personal information will not be transferred unless we are legally obligated to do so. If you would like your information removed from our systems, please contact melissa@firefliesandmudpies.com. You may request to be removed at any time.
Fireflies and Mud Pies contains links to other websites. As such, Fireflies and Mud Pies is not responsible for the privacy policies of other websites or the third party applications they use.
If you have questions or concerns about this privacy policy, please feel free to contact us at melissa@firefliesandmudpies.com.