This is all the legal stuff a blog is required to publish. Boring, but necessary.
Thank you for visiting So Festive!
Per FTC regulations, this is a full explanation of how and when I am compensated on SoFestive.com.
I started So Festive! to share simple ways to celebrate holiday, parties, and life. My goal is to help take the stress out of celebrating so you can have a more joyful life!
I blog on So Festive! because I love doing it. However, I would not be able to spend the time and cover the costs of running a blog if I did not get paid. There are many costs associated with running a blog including website hosting fees, security features, email management platforms, photography equipment, and my time. In order to keep access to this website free but still be able to pay all the costs associated with running a business, there are several says I am compensated via So Festive!
First, my promises to you:
- I will never recommend a product or service that I do not personally believe in.
- Nothing on So Festive! will ever be recommended for the sole purpose of making income.
- My opinions will be honest.
- Products and services I have not personally used will only be recommended after I research them and find a majority of reviews to be positive.
This policy is valid from December 1, 2009.
This website is a personal website written and edited by me, Melissa Sunday. This website accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.
This website also contains affiliate links. This means I may get a small commission if you purchase something through the links and banners on my site. The cost is the same to you. However, I only post things that I value and trust. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you again for your support.
The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this website. Most advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements. Additionally, I receive compensation from in text affiliate links.
Full Disclosure Policy
Mediavine Programmatic Advertising (Ver 1.1)
The Website works with Mediavine to manage third-party interest-based advertising appearing on the Website. Mediavine serves content and advertisements when you visit the Website, which may use first and third-party cookies. A cookie is a small text file which is sent to your computer or mobile device (referred to in this policy as a “device”) by the web server so that a website can remember some information about your browsing activity on the Website.
First party cookies are created by the website that you are visiting. A third-party cookie is frequently used in behavioral advertising and analytics and is created by a domain other than the website you are visiting. Third-party cookies, tags, pixels, beacons and other similar technologies (collectively, “Tags”) may be placed on the Website to monitor interaction with advertising content and to target and optimize advertising. Each internet browser has functionality so that you can block both first and third-party cookies and clear your browser’s cache. The "help" feature of the menu bar on most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to receive notification of new cookies, how to disable existing cookies and how to clear your browser’s cache. For more information about cookies and how to disable them, you can consult the information at All About Cookies.
Without cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of the Website content and features. Please note that rejecting cookies does not mean that you will no longer see ads when you visit our Site. In the event you opt-out, you will still see non-personalized advertisements on the Website.
The Website collects the following data using a cookie when serving personalized ads:
- IP Address
- Operating System type
- Operating System version
- Device Type
- Language of the website
- Web browser type
- Email (in hashed form)
Mediavine Partners (companies listed below with whom Mediavine shares data) may also use this data to link to other end user information the partner has independently collected to deliver targeted advertisements. Mediavine Partners may also separately collect data about end users from other sources, such as advertising IDs or pixels, and link that data to data collected from Mediavine publishers in order to provide interest-based advertising across your online experience, including devices, browsers and apps. This data includes usage data, cookie information, device information, information about interactions between users and advertisements and websites, geolocation data, traffic data, and information about a visitor’s referral source to a particular website. Mediavine Partners may also create unique IDs to create audience segments, which are used to provide targeted advertising.
If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices to opt-in or opt-out of this data collection, please visit National Advertising Initiative opt out page. You may also visit Digital Advertising Alliance website and Network Advertising Initiative website to learn more information about interest-based advertising. You may download the AppChoices app at Digital Advertising Alliance’s AppChoices app to opt out in connection with mobile apps, or use the platform controls on your mobile device to opt out.
For specific information about Mediavine Partners, the data each collects and their data collection and privacy policies, please visit Mediavine Partners.
Our cookie policy
In compliance with the European Union legislation, we inform you that our website will store some information about your preferences on your own computer inside a tiny file called a 'cookie'.
A cookie is a small piece of data that a website asks your browser to store on your computer or mobile device. The cookie allows the website to "remember" your actions or preferences over time.
You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed. If you do this, however, you may have to manually adjust some preferences every time you visit a site and some services and functionalities may not work.
Most browsers support cookies, but users can set their browsers to decline them and can delete them whenever they like. A third-party website called aboutcookies.org has been setup to help you with instructions how you can do that on various browsers.
We use cookies to:
1) Identify you as a returning user and to count your visits in our traffic statistics analysis;
2) remember your custom display preferences;
3) Suggest any recent searches you’ve made on our site
4) Other usability features including tracking whether you've already given your consent to cookies
Enabling cookies from our website is not strictly necessary for the website to work but it will provide you with a better browsing experience.
The cookie-related information is not used to identify you personally and the pattern data is fully under our control. These cookies are not used for any purpose other than those described here.
There may also be other types of cookies created after you've visited our website. We use Google Analytics, a popular web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. Google Analytics uses cookies to help us to analyse how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of our website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of our website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google undertakes not to associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.
Third Party Advertising
We may have third-party advertising companies serving ads to you when you visit our website. These companies may store information about your visits to our website and to other websites in order to provide you with relevant advertisements about goods and services.
These companies may employ cookies and other identifiers to gather information which measures advertising effectiveness. The information is generally not personally identifiable unless, for example, you provide personally identifiable information to them through an ad or an e-mail message.
Information Gathered by Third Party Advertisers
Cookies enable advertisers to learn about what ads you see, what ads you click, and other actions you take on our site and other sites. This allows advertisers to provide you with more useful and relevant ads. For example, if they know what ads you are shown while visiting our site, they can be careful not to show you the same ones repeatedly. They do not associate your interaction with unaffiliated sites with your identity in providing you with interest-based ads.
We do not provide any personal information to advertisers or to third party sites. Advertisers and other third-parties (including the ad networks, ad-serving companies, and other service providers they may use) may assume that users who interact with or click on a personalized ad or content are part of the group that the ad or content is directed towards (for example, readers in the Pacific Northwest who read certain types of articles). Also, some third-party cookies may provide them with information about you (such as the sites where you have been shown ads or demographic information) from offline and online sources that they may use to provide you more relevant and useful advertising.
If you would like to learn more about what options you have about limiting the gathering of information by third-party ad networks, you can consult the website of the Network Advertising Initiative.
You can opt out of participating in interest-based advertising networks but opting out does not mean you will no longer receive online advertising. It does mean that the companies from which you opted out will no longer customize ads based on your interests and web usage patterns using cookie-based technology.
Type and Purpose of Collection
We collect information at various points in the Website to facilitate its use by our customers. Non-Personal Information: Upon accessing the Website, certain non-personal information will be automatically collected without your knowledge or consent, such as your IP address, location data (which is anonymous) and the referring website (“Non-Personal Information”). We use Non-Personal Information to examine our traffic and to view how our customers use the Website. This type of information will not allow you to be personally identified. For example, we use “cookies”, which contains only certain statistical information. You can instruct your computer to inform you whenever a cookie is being sent, or you can disallow cookies through your web browser. If you do choose to disallow cookies, your experience on the Website may be diminished, or your ability to choose some of the options on the Website may be limited.
Sharing Information
We will not sell, rent or disclose to outside parties the information we collect, save and except that we may share the collected information with other parties as follows:
(a) Affiliated Service Providers: We have agreements with various affiliated service providers to facilitate the functioning of the Website, with whom we may share the information we have collected. For example, we may share your credit card information with the credit card service provider to process your purchase. All administrative service providers that we use are required to have the same level of privacy protection as we have, and therefore we expect that your information will be handled with the same level of care that we employ. Additionally, for example, we may use analytic or marketing services such as Google Analytics, Google Adsense, Taboola, or RevContent, to which collection you hereby unconditionally consent.
(b) Where required by law: We may share the collected information where required by law, specifically in response to a demand from government authorities where such demand meets the legal requirements.
(c) Statistical Analysis: We may share Non-Personal Information and aggregated information with third parties, including but not limited to for advertising or marketing purposes. No Personal Information will be shared in this manner.
(d) Transactions: In connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing or acquisition, or in any other situation where Personal Information may be disclosed or transferred as one of our business assets.
Choices and How To Opt Out Of Interest-Based Advertising
(a) Opting Out of Interest-Based Advertising Services This website is a member of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) and adheres to the NAI Codes of Conduct as described on the NAI website. This website also adheres to the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) Self-Regulatory Principles. For a description of the DAA Program, please visit the DAA website. As described above, this website may use or transfer Device Data that it directly collects or that it receives from this website’s Customers, who may use cookies or non-cookie technologies, to enable advertising that is more tailored to Consumers’ inferred interests, preferences, and locations. This practice is known as interest-based advertising.
(b) Opting Out of Interest-Based Advertising by Third Parties
This website may permit third parties to collect information on its Site and combine that information with other information collected on non-affiliated websites or applications over time. These third parties may use technologies, including cookies and web beacons, to collect information about Consumers’ or Customers’ use of the Site in order to analyze, report on, or customize content or advertising on the this website or on other sites, or to help us operate and improve the Site. To find out more about interest-based advertising in the web environment, and how to opt-out of information collection for this purpose by companies that participate in the Network Advertising Initiative or the Digital Advertising Alliance, visit NAI’s opt-out page or DAA’s Consumer Choice Page.
The owner of this website is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner of this website receives compensation for her posts or advertisements, she always gives her honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This website does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
Privacy Policy
We use regular Malware Scanning.
Google’s advertising requirements can be summed up by Google’s Advertising Principles. They are put in place to provide a positive experience for users.
Users can set preferences for how Google advertises to you using the Google Ad Settings page. Alternatively, you can opt out by visiting the Network Advertising initiative opt out page or permanently using the Google Analytics Opt Out Browser add on.
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children’s privacy and safety online.
The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information.
The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations.
If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can follow the instructions at the bottom of each email and we will promptly remove you from ALL correspondence.
Terms and Conditions (“Terms”)
Last updated: August 3, 2022.
Please read these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”, “Terms and Conditions”) carefully before using the https://sofestive.com/ website (the “Service”) operated by So Festive! (“us”, “we”, or “our”).
Your access to and use of the Service is conditioned upon your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users and others who wish to access or use the Service.
By accessing or using the Service you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of the terms then you do not have permission to access the Service.
Intellectual Property
The Service and its original content, features and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of So Festive! and its licensors. The Service is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws of both the United States and foreign countries. Our trademarks and trade dress may not be used in connection with any product or service without the prior written consent of So Festive!.
Links To Other Web Sites
Our Service may contain links to third party web sites or services that are not owned or controlled by So Festive!.
So Festive! has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third party web sites or services. We do not warrant the offerings of any of these entities/individuals or their websites.
You acknowledge and agree that So Festive! shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such third party web sites or services.
We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third party web sites or services that you visit.
Termination
We may terminate or suspend your access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, under our sole discretion, for any reason whatsoever and without limitation, including but not limited to a breach of the Terms.
All provisions of the Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity and limitations of liability.
Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless So Festive! and its licensee and licensors, and their employees, contractors, agents, officers and directors, from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees), resulting from or arising out of a) your use and access of the Service, or b) a breach of these Terms.
Limitation Of Liability
In no event shall So Festive! nor its directors, employees, partners, agents, suppliers, or affiliates, be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, including without limitation, loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from (i) your access to or use of or inability to access or use the Service; (ii) any conduct or content of any third party on the Service; (iii) any content obtained from the Service; and (iv) unauthorized access, use or alteration of your transmissions or content, whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence) or any other legal theory, whether or not we have been informed of the possibility of such damage, and even if a remedy set forth herein is found to have failed of its essential purpose.
Disclaimer
Your use of the Service is at your sole risk. The Service is provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis. The Service is provided without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement or course of performance.
So Festive!, its subsidiaries, affiliates, and its licensors do not warrant that a) the Service will function uninterrupted, secure or available at any particular time or location; b) any errors or defects will be corrected; c) the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components; or d) the results of using the Service will meet your requirements.
Exclusions
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the limitations above may not apply to you.
Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Florida, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in effect. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between us regarding our Service, and supersede and replace any prior agreements we might have had between us regarding the Service.
Changes
We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material we will provide at least 30 days notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.
By continuing to access or use our Service after any revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, you are no longer authorized to use the Service.
Questions/Contact
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us here-- mel at sofestive.com