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How to avoid online ads, emails accidentally spoiling a holiday surprise: Video

Cody Godwin   Paste BN
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It used to be much easier to hide presents. They could be stashed behind bedroom doors, tucked in the back of a closet, hidden in suitcases or barricaded behind books. Depending on how well they were hidden, they were safe from the nosy recipients who went looking.

As convenient as online shopping is, it can also spoil the surprise by accident. The digital footprints we leave when browsing items online can follow us across the internet, showing up as ads in browsers or on social media feeds. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to hide your digital footprints and keep your present a surprise.

Watch this video for 6 tips to hide your gift orders online from friends and family.

How to hide Christmas presents 

Here are some ways to prevent accidentally spoiling your holiday surprise: 

  • Use Incognito Mode or Private Browsing.

Using something like Incognito Mode or Private Browsing is an easy way to prevent what you search for from following you around the internet. These browsers are designed to not track things, including the websites you visit. Since it’s not tracking the website you’re visiting, it won’t accidentally advertise the sweater or sneakers you purchased for your partner or kid. You don't need to download anything new to use it, as it's a feature in the browser you're likely already using.

To browse in Incognito Mode in Chrome: 

  1. Open Chrome. 
  2. Click File on the navigation bar. 
  3. Click New Incognito Window.
  4. Use the browser as you normally would. 

To use Private Browsing in Safari: 

  1. Open Safari. 
  2. Click File on the navigation bar. 
  3. Click New Private Window. 
  4. Use the browser like you normally would. 

You can also access these modes when browsing on your mobile device and tablet. 

While you’re at it, turn off your personalized ads! 

  • Inbox rules. 

Creating inbox rules will automatically filter emails from specified companies, specific keywords or subject lines into a separate inbox folder. 

The steps for setting up the rules depend on the email provider you use.

  • Shipping address

Don’t risk a branded box showing up on your doorstep or getting nabbed by a porch pirate. Instead, have it shipped somewhere else, like your office, a trusted friend's house, or a pick-up locker. 

  • Search history.

Clean up your search history. This isn’t just for search engines, either. Online shopping sites like Amazon also track your browsing history. Make sure you’re hiding your browsing history and archiving any orders on the platform, especially if you ordered the gift from a shared account. 

  • Delivery announcements

Turn off the delivery announcements feature on your smart speaker.

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How to wrap presents

There are a lot of ways to wrap a present. You can leave it in the box it was shipped in, have it professionally done or put it in a bag. If you want to try your hand at making it look like it was done by a professional, follow these steps. 

To easily figure out how much wrapping paper you’ll need: 

  1. Place your box at the edge of the paper. 
  2. Rotate the box 3 times over the wrapping paper. 
  3. Make your cut a few inches away from where the box lands.
  4. To cover the sides of your box, you want the wrapping paper to come three-fourths of the way up the box on both sides. 

Wrapping paper tends to curl when you unroll it, so flip it the other way so the side that curls faces down. The cleanest wrapping job comes with a simple shape, like a box or rectangle, and sharp scissors.

To wrap your gift: 

  1. Place your box upside down on the paper. 
  2. Fold up one side of the paper, with about one inch of the top side getting covered by the wrapping paper. Tape it in place.
  3. Gently push the box into the side that has been wrapped to make sure it’s snug.
  4. Fold the wrapping paper over the other side until it meets the edge of the box.Bonus tip: Fold the extra paper under so it neatly overlaps the already taped edge. Give it a firm pinch to crease, then tape it in place.
  5. To wrap the ends, fold in one corner to create a triangle and firmly crease the bottom edge. Repeat this on the other side. 
  6. Flip the box to neatly fold and crease the two remaining corners. 
  7. Fold the sides in and tape. 
  8. Repeat on the opposite end. 

If you run out of tape, here's how to wrap presents without it.

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