This Cookie Policy explains how Toe-Curling Tales (“Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on toecurlingtales.com (the “Website”). It covers which cookies we use, why we use them, and how you can control them.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device—a computer, tablet, or smartphone—when you visit a website. They let a website recognize your device and remember your preferences between visits.

Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies stay on your device until they expire or you delete them manually.

2. The Cookies We Use

Our Website uses three categories of cookies:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: These keep the Website running: security, network management, form submission, and remembering the cookie preferences you set. They are set in response to actions you take and cannot be disabled through our cookie banner. Declining non-essential cookies does not affect them.

• Analytics and Performance Cookies: These tell us how visitors use the Website—which pages get visited, how long people stay, and where they arrive from. We use what we learn to improve the design and content of the site. This data is reported to us in aggregate and is pseudonymous: it is tied to a randomly assigned identifier rather than to your name. It does include technical information such as your IP address, browser type, and device type.

• Functional Cookies: These remember settings that personalize your visit, such as your region or locale.

3. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on our Website are set by third-party services we use to operate it. Each provider’s own privacy policy governs those cookies. We do not sell your data to any of them, and we do not use cookies for advertising or cross-site behavioral targeting.

• Squarespace: Our Website is built and hosted on Squarespace. Squarespace sets cookies needed to run, secure, and maintain the site, along with cookies that support its built-in analytics and cookies that remember your region or locale. See Squarespace’s Privacy Policy.

• Google Analytics: Used to understand how visitors interact with our content and how the Website performs. See Google’s Privacy Policy.

• Google reCAPTCHA: Used on our contact forms to distinguish human visitors from automated traffic. reCAPTCHA may set cookies and collect data as described in Google’s Privacy Policy.

• Substack: Our Website embeds a Substack subscribe form for our newsletter, Candlelight Notes, in the footer of every page. The embed loads Substack's scripts and may set cookies on your device, even if you do not subscribe. See Substack’s Privacy Policy.

• Goodreads: Our Meet Ashley page embeds a Goodreads widget displaying books we've read. This embedded content loads Goodreads’ scripts and may set cookies on your device, whether or not you interact with it. Goodreads is an Amazon company. See Goodreads’ Privacy Policy.

4. How Long Cookies Last

Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies stay on your device until they expire or you delete them; on our Website, their lifespans depend on the provider that sets them, generally a few days to two years. You can review and delete any cookie stored on your device at any time through your browser settings.

5. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

• Cookie Banner: When you first visit our Website, a banner lets you accept, decline, or manage non-essential cookies. You can change your choices at any time through the Manage option in the banner.

• Browser Settings: Every major browser lets you block or delete cookies. Check your browser’s help section for instructions. Blocking cookies may affect how parts of the Website function.

• Third-Party Opt-Out Tools: You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

• Questions: If you have trouble with any of the above, email ashley@toecurlingtales.com. We respond within 1–2 business days (Pacific Time).

6. Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track

Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a setting some browsers send automatically that asks a website not to sell or share your personal information. Where we receive a GPC signal, we treat it as a request to opt out. We do not sell or share personal information in any case, so no further action is needed on your part.

Do Not Track (DNT) is an older browser setting with no agreed technical or regulatory standard behind it, so our Website does not respond to DNT signals. The options in Section 5 give you direct control instead.

7. Changes to this Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in technology, applicable law, or our own practices. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. If a change is significant and notice is required by law, we will provide it through a prominent notice on the Website or by email.

8. Contact Us

Questions, concerns, or requests about this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies:

Toe-Curling Tales

Email: ashley@toecurlingtales.com

2108 N ST #8345, Sacramento, CA 95816