Saving money with Walmart’s 40$ per month Family Mobile program

Walmart Family Mobile - http://www.behindthestudio.com

Last week I was fortunate enough to get a new Android phone supplied to me by Walmart Family Mobile.  It just what I needed to prompt me to decide that I maybe needed to re-think my family’s mobile plan. My husband and I don’t have an old fashioned phone line attached to our home.. Instead, we each have a respective cell phone and that’s how our family and friends know how to reach us. Since our mobile lines hold such importance in our lives, we opted for some pretty robust plans with Verizon.

But the question is… Do we need what we’re paying for?

Walmart Family Mobile - http://www.behindthestudio.com

I picked up an activation starter kit for my Family Mobile Phone while I was shopping the other day and signed up quickly and easily later on that evening. I was able to set up monthly service for as little as 40$/month using my driver’s license and sim card obtained from the starter kit. My goal was to test out this new service and see if it was any better or worse than my current service. Truthfully, we are paying 75$ per phone per month with Verizon – so of course having 2 phones with Walmart Family Mobile would set us back 80$ a month instead. That’s nearly what I’m paying for ONE phone with Verizon! Plus, I’m not getting unlimited anything from Verizon – although I never reach the limits of my web allowance and texts, it’s still nice to know that I get more for less with Walmart Family Mobile!

Walmart Family Mobile - http://www.behindthestudio.com

I’m not trying to knock my current service with Verizon, because they are very good. I’ve not really looked into anything else because we signed a 2 year contract back in August. Seriously though, Who can resist a two for one deal?! Maybe I’ll have to see if I can get out of this contract!

Walmart Family Mobile - http://www.behindthestudio.com

So in light of this new tidbit of info, I felt like it was maybe time to re-think if I really need the plan I’m currently using with Verizon. I really love my iPhone – I keep up with so much on it! Learning a new device like an android might have a bit of a learning curve – so thankfully there is a special activation card that’s meant just for iPhones!

Walmart Family Mobile - http://www.behindthestudio.com

I was just looking to test out the service, so I got the regular card meant for the T-Mobile Concord. I wanted to see what all the hype about android was since I’ve been exclusively an iPhone user since the birth of smart phones. The verdict? The service with Walmart Family Mobile is awesome – and I love the fact that there’s no contract. Also, the online account management tools are super simple to keep up with your payments and account usage. But the truth is, I still love my iPhone. It’s seriously making wonder if I can get out of my contract with Verizon.

I’ll be sure to follow up and let you know all about how my month of service went!

Transforming my kitchen from drab to fab when we first moved in

Electrolux Dream Kitchens - #SuiteDesign - http://www.behindthestudio.com

Today I am sharing something I have yet to share, and the reason is because I’ve never fully finished it, so I never wanted to show it until it was done to my satisfaction. I gave my kitchen a slight makeover back when we moved in, and after nearly 3 years, I’ve realized one thing – it will always be a work in progress, so I might as well show you what I did to it when we first moved into our home in November  2010.  Above was my mood and inspiration board behind  all my design choices – I wanted a sleek & elegant kitchen with inviting neutral tones and a splash of color.

This is what I started with… The walls were painted a deep mustard hue with brown sponge paint, Ugh! The one thing I did love, was the faux granite countertops. That really helped steer my descison in painting the cabinet doors – I wanted some contrast!

Electrolux Dream Kitchens - #SuiteDesign - http://www.behindthestudio.com

The floors were a standard vinyl – typical of the homes in the neighborhood, and the cabinets were natural colored. I really wanted the cabinets to pop against the walls, so I chose a grey color for the walls and painted the cabinets white. At first, I was scared to jump off and paint the cabinets, but I really wanted a big change… So here’s what it looked like in progress!

Electrolux Dream Kitchens - #SuiteDesign - http://www.behindthestudio.com

The tile flooring was another thing that I decided to change because the grey tones work better with the countertops and white cabinets. I was so pleased when I saw how it was coming along – and relieved that I didn’t make a huge mistake by doing it.

2 Years later….

Electrolux Dream Kitchens - #SuiteDesign - http://www.behindthestudio.com

Electrolux Dream Kitchens - #SuiteDesign - http://www.behindthestudio.com

Electrolux Dream Kitchens - #SuiteDesign - http://www.behindthestudio.com

I’m still as happy as can be with my choices. I only didn’t officially reveal it because I don’t have a dining set that matches the modern style, I need a new fridge to match my other appliances and I need to put the hardware on the cabinet doors. I even managed to keep my turquoise splash of color that I was going for when I first envisioned my kitchen with some accessories from target.

Having the right appliances can really make or break the whole kitchen. Part of the reason we don’t have a fridge yet, is because we are still saving up for the right one. It’s all about #SuiteDesign and making sure you have the best functionality for your space. I’ve been eyeing all the new counter-depth varieties that are out there, which lies flush with the counter and don’t stick out past it, like the ones from Electrolux’s suite of cleverly designed appliances. Having the right tools in your kitchen gives you the ability to be super mom for your family! I’d really love to have one of those french door refrigerators with the perfect temp drawer – sleek and beautiful appliances are key to putting together a stylish and functional kitchen.

Electrolux even has a complete line of cooktops and dishwashers, streamlined and sleek for the modern mom’s kitchen. did you know that you can fit as many as 180 items into the Electrolux dishwasher?! Sign me up!!

Be sure to check out Electrolux on Facebook to get sneek peeks!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

A strong preschool = a strong foundation for life

As a mom looking out for my son’s personal development, one of the most important things that I’ve considered is his preschool. After so many open houses, interviews and cross checks with the state’s CPS compliance, we have settled on a small preschool run by our local catholic church. Yes, I’m that #nervousmom. I love my adorable little school boy!

Office Depot: REAL Change Project #teacherschangelives - http://www.behindthestudio.com

I must say, that I love the place that he goes to – and it’s not how fancy or state of the art the facility is, it’s about the teachers, and how they teach your child with all the love and patience they deserve. We need more dedicated individuals like these in the world! Did you know that the average teacher spends 1000$ out of pocket each school year in supplies? For 92 percent of them, that money came out of their personal funds – now that’s dedication on a whole different level. I loved how attentive his teacher was here in this photo taken at the Christmas pajama party.

Office Depot: REAL Change Project #teacherschangelives - http://www.behindthestudio.com

Office Depot: REAL Change Project #teacherschangelives - http://www.behindthestudio.com

Office Depot: REAL Change Project #teacherschangelives - http://www.behindthestudio.com

So why am I telling you all this? Because you can help raise awareness by adopting a classroom! Office Depot is supporting real change for education by helping our teachers make it possible. Teachers, register your class with adoptaclassroom.org  to participate in the REAL Change Project and be eligible for funding from donors nationwide.

JP is barely four years old, and he surprises me everyday with new things he learned – and its all stuff I never expected from him because I thought they were too complex of a subject. Now that he has mastered writing his own name, he feels compelled to autograph everything he thinks he can get away with – I owe that one to his wonderful teachers! Then what really floored me was the other day he came home with a complete solar system of the planets, and proceeded to tell me all about it. Yes, that kind of stuff is what I’m getting at… For teachers to be awesome like that, it takes parents like us to help support them so they can do an outstanding job with our kids. They are undoubtedly worth it, after all – they are the future generation of tomorrow!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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