Max #YourTaxCash With Walmart Family Mobile + Somewhere Under The Rainbow Movie Night

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are mine alone. #YourTaxCash #CollectiveBias

Momma Told Me: Some things in life are year-round.

Hopefully, by now, everyone has filed their taxes for the year, as the deadline is imminently looming. I know, it's not exactly high on the 'fun list' but it's definitely one of the 'joys' of adulthood you want to get done and over with so you can reap the benefits. Whether it's the peace of mind knowing you don't have to worry about paying taxes for another 365 days, or the cushy refund check hitting your bank account- tax time inspires many to celebrate. In fact, this year we're celebrating with Walmart Family Mobile's Unlimited* Talk, Text, & Data which *includes up to 10GB of 4G LTE then 2G and a free movie credit on VUDU every month ($7 value) for $49.88 per month, per line. It's how we're keeping the family connected throughout the year, and stretching those tax time dollars.

You might remember, earlier this month, I shared how I replaced my old Samsung phone with a new Samsung Galaxy On5 handset, on rollback at Walmart now for just $69*. (* All prices for phones and plans included in this post are accurate as of the date of posting; however, these prices are subject to change. Please refer to http://cbi.as/7e-jr or your local Walmart for current pricing.) Thanks to Walmart Family Mobile's $19.88 SIM Kit I was able to choose, or bring, my phone of choice to the Walmart Family Mobile plan without any additional start up costs. And that's a true blessing considering the 4 digit number I just handed over to the IRS!

Of course the phones aren't the reason we've been using Walmart Family Mobile for several years now- it's the affordable plans like their Unlimited* Talk, Text, & Data plan which *includes up to 10GB of 4G LTE then 2G and a free movie credit on VUDU every month ($7 value) for $49.88 per month, per line. Since we don't have to commit to multiple lines to qualify for special pricing, or calculate any hidden taxes and fees both Jay and I enjoy fast service with unlimited* data at a price that leaves a decent chunk of Jay's refund in the bank for some family fun time. Of course, that's when I can get him to put his phone down from catching critters with apps and streaming his favorite music. 10G of 4G LTE data goes a long way!

Inspired by the FREE monthly (per line) VUDU credit (a $7 value, equal to a new release rental) with out Walmart Family Mobile Plus Plan, I decided to bring the family together for a special movie night. My theme? Somewhere UNDER the rainbow, of course! Now, don't get caught up in that wizard movie with the ruby slippers- This UNDER the rainbow themed movie night is about everything colorful and magical. Anything goes, and it doesn't jut have to be frills and sparkles, dragons and sea monsters are welcome too! Just make sure everyone arrives wearing their favorite colors- bonus points for a color-themed outfit!

Movie night just isn't movie night without a great big, comfy, blanket. I've seen no-sew knot blankets online plenty of times, and I recently bought a crocheted mermaid tail blanket, but I hadn't seen anything unicorn inspired. Since I have absolutely NO sewing skills I dreamed up a super simple knot blanket that the entire family will want to steal!

Start with 2 giant pieces of white blanket fleece. (2 even cut pieces of 4 yards in total length, aka 2 cut yards, will make a Full size blanket. Overlap your white fleece being mindful that any surface you set them on may be linty and ultimately fuzz up your pretty white surface. Measure out to the middle of the fleece, horizontally, and then measure down about 16" from the top edge. Pinch the fabric and place a 1" slit horizontally through both layers of fabric. Place a second 1" slit about an inch down from the first. Move 3" down from the bottom slit and repeat until you have 6 pairs of slits down the center of the blanket.

Cut 4 even strips of approximately 6' in length and 3" in width from each of your 'mane' fleece colors. Loop all 4 of each color through both notches, red through the first set of notches, orange through the second, etc. The notches should be snug enough to hold the mane in place . Feel free to tie or braid the strips if desired. I chose to leave my mane free-flowing to cut down on bulk and weight, and give it a more playful feel.

During family movie nights we like to have an intermission, so I decided to plan a fun and quick game that everyone could enjoy. Balloon darts have long been one of my favorite carnival games, but I don't love the idea of tossing sharp objects around with kids and pets present. Instead, I used a foam board to mount some air filled balloons with tack pins lightly pressed through the back. A few of the balloons were filled with surprises such as toys, candy, or confetti to add to the fun.

Dart free balloon darts may not require quite as much skill and precision as the traditional game, but bean bags can still pose a bit of a learning curve. They also, apparently, incite a family wide game of tag involving the hurling of bean bags throughout the house.

To make our family movie night a little more special I wanted to add a few 'wow' decorations that wouldn't cost much, or take too much time. A 6-pack of these 32" jumbo clear balloons require a decent chunk of helium (if you're using those portable party tank kits, like me) but are completely work it. Just use a paper punch to punch confetti through colored tissue paper and fill these balloons with rainbows before you blow them up. If you don't have helium on hand, you can blow these up by mouth (they'll still be huge and fun, they just won't float.) If your confetti loses some of it's 'stick' before movie night arrives just rub the edges of the balloon on the carpet to generate static!

*PRO TIP: Use biodegradable tissue paper and give the balloon a pop outside at the end of the night for a celebratory shower of confetti!

It doesn't take a lot of time, or money, to really turn your living room into something magical. We bought most of our supplies at Walmart, and the rest we had on hand from craft projects or other events. I'll admit, I may have spent a few late nights on my Samsung Galaxy On5 browsing Pinterest boards for party ideas and inspiration, but that was half the fun!

While our coffee table and couches served as the main hub for our movie night, I wanted to bring a little rainbow to our mantel as well. A few white daises in colored water and glasses of varied heights helped offer a special touch that I particular appreciated as an adult participant. Of course I snapped tons of photos to send to Jay while I decorated and prepared. It was nice to be able to communicate, and even video chat, reliably thanks to our unlimited* data. (Includes up to 10GB of 4G LTE† data then 2G)

I won't lie the very thought of a single rainbow makes me giddy, so this rainbow fantasy themed movie night really put a smile on my face. I tossed some white wrapping paper across our coffee table to provide a blank canvas and really let my snacks and decor pop. The white paper also happens to double for a literal canvas where family and friends can doodle and make their mark with provided crayons and coloring pencils! As a 'centerpiece' I cut some hula-hoops in half and taped them together to make a mini rainbow. A sprinkling of rainbow swirl lollipops and leftover confetti added an instant splash of fun.

We can NEVER agree on what to watch in our household. Movie night is no exception. We've tried 'taking turns' and it just never works out. To help make the task of agreeing upon a movie to use our VUDU credit on a little more fun I decided to take a bunch of colored popcicle sticks and write some themes on them. The idea is that everyone pulls a stick and the family browses the thousands of titles available for streaming to find a film that best fits the requirements on the sticks. For our movie night we drew a 90 minute (or less) comedy, which was also a remake. Try to guess what we ended up watching with VUDU on our ROKU®!

For those who have short attention spans, such as children or husbands, or those who have seen the movie a million times I also made some fun I-Spy printable coloring sheets that everyone can enjoy. Click here for the dragon printable, or here for the unicorn printable.

Print these coloring sheets out and write a few objects, themes, or events in the clouds. This could be anything as obvious as 'an animated character' or 'a dog house' to something a bit more obscure such as 'time travel' or 'a flashback'. Use your judgement when you choose based on the age of the person filling our that particular sheet. The person with the most clouds colored at the end of the movie wins!

It wouldn't be movie night without plenty of snacks to munch on. Rainbow fruit skewers with strawberries, mango, pineapple, blueberries, kiwi, and grapes make for a fresh and fun snack while various rainbow colored candies or crackers will allow family members to indulge a little. I also added a few drops of blue coloring to our soda, and a few double headed serpent gummies to add a bit of whimsy to our drinks!

Lastly, the key to a successful family movie night isn't really in the decorations, food, or games. As awesome, and productive, as it is to be plugged in and online during the day when everyone is out and about family time requires a disconnect. Jay likes to argue, "But how will we get out money's worth with ALL of the free data?" Regardless, I make him hand over this phone for movie night too. In fact, I even have a special tray for those electronics to nap in when the lights go out and the big screen comes on. After all, they can text all their friends and tell them how awesome movie night was after the final credits.

Thanks to our free, monthly per-line, VUDU credit with out Walmart Family Mobile Plus Plan we'll be enjoying a lot more family movie nights. We'll also be maxing our tax cash with smarting spending on our unlimited*mobile plan which helps us stay connected year-round for one low monthly cost. (*Includes up to 10GB of 4G LTE† data then 2G) Tell me, how would your family decide on a movie each month if your phone plan gave you a free (*7 new release) movie credit?

 What Daughter Says: Tax time may shine a spotlight on money, but making smart decisions year-round will set you up for success!

Paper Towel Flowers + A FREE Movie With #ScottValues

***I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and KimberlyClark® #cbias #SocialFabric All images and altered screenschots are original content copyrighted to Momma Told Me Blog, 2013.
Momma Told Me: Frugal can be fun!

As a child, few things (barring a teenager in a sweaty mouse costume at an arcade) were more exciting than a chance to go to the movies. I recall the mini strip mall in our little Southern California home town had one of the largest arcades I've, still, ever seen; complete with a little snow cone booth outside. This particular strip mall was the mecha of all things childlike and whimsical, for it didn't stop there. All the way on the far East end was a KB Toy Store, and smack daub on the middle was the Edwards 8 Cineplex. Naturally, even though I knew I was already being treated to the special occasion of a movie, I never let Momma leave without visiting the entire array of entertainment attractions. As a child money meant little to me. I always assumed Momma received an allowance magically deposited into her piggy bank each month, much like mine. I never stopped to consider how all the small frugal things she did (like pop our popcorn at home and smuggle it into the theater in Ziploc baggies), made all the awesome treats possible.

Today I'm very much like Momma, when it comes to the household budget and stocking up on essentials at great prices. In addition to frequenting the wholesale club once a month, I am constantly clipping coupons and taking notes for upcoming sales. We shop at Walmart often for their everyday low prices that promise to match or beat local competitors; and of course, for their accommodating coupon policy. Not only can I buy value packages of my family's favorite brands and products, but I can extend the savings with exclusive promotions and paper coupons. Just the other weekend I opened one of our households 3 copies of the Sunday paper to discover the above beauty in a Smartsource insert. Two specially marked Scott paper product value packs now feature an exclusive $4 Vudu movie credit for a limited time. We already stock up on our favorite Scott Shared Values products regularly, so I knew I wasn't going to miss my chance to snag these limited quantity packages.

Our family goes through an astounding amount of Paper Towels and Toilet Tissue. So much so, I constantly find myself turning into the P.T. (paper towel) Grinch, and marching around the house enforcing strict tearing regulations. It physically pains me to see a half torn paper towel laying crumpled on the kitchen counter, or a forgotten roll of toilet paper with several sheets left, in the bathroom waste basket. So, when I saw that I could buy 6 mega rolls of Scott Choose-A-Sheet Towels for just under $6 and score a $4 Vudu movie streaming credit I was in frugal heaven. Not only do these paper towels offer the added value of being tough and extra absorbent, but the simple tear-a-sheet lets us select a size to clean up any mess without waste. I was so moved by this amazing deal I actually told Sabrina (10) we could use paper towels for something other than cleaning!

Nearly everyone recalls paper tube crafts from their Elementary days, but have you ever made crafts out of the paper towels themselves? Naturally this wouldn't work with toilet tissue, but the thick and durable textured Scott Choose-A-Sheet towels offer variety in size and absorbancy perfect for some home dyed paper flowers and butterflies. All you need is a well covered workspace, some food safe dye, plenty of paper towels, pipe cleaners, and a designated 'drying zone.' This craft is a hit with all ages; who doesn't love playing with colors- and food dye isn't just for Easter Eggs! We had a blast folding the paper towels into various shapes then carefully, and quickly, dipping corners and edges into the various colors. When we were done I placed the sheets into our dehydrator (though they will air dry overnight just as well). Making 'flowers' is as simple as crumpling, rolling, or folding the dried sheets and wrapping a pipe cleaner around the base. These were a big hit at Sabrina's school the next day when she handed them out to teachers and staff!

Following our afternoon of crafts I decided it was time for a little break. We carefully peeled the $4 Vudu code sticker off the bundle of 24 Double Roll Extra Soft Scott bath tissue, and put the remaining groceries away. In our home there is a designated spot for overflow paper products; I have a fear of running out of toilet paper or paper towels and am sure to stay fully stocked. Sometimes, however, a deal is too good to pass up, and you'll open a hallway cupboard to find toilet paper tumbling down at you! In any case, with our Scott haul put away we whipped up some quick and healthy homemade frozen yogurt pops, and hit the couch for a double feature on Scott. We don't subscribe to paid cable television in our home, only high speed internet, so digital streaming is a way of life for us. We were no stranger to the Vudu digital media application on our Roku streamer. We simply logged onto the #ScottValues Walmart portal and entered our code to apply the $4 credit to our Vudu account. In no time we were enjoying the newly released Wreck It Ralph with dripping popsicles, and plenty of paper towels near-by.

As amazing as the limited time $4 Vudu Scott promotion is, there are plenty of more values to be found at the Scott Shared Values website. This entirely purchase free program is open to all US residents and provides immediate value from a collection of close brand partners. I've been with Scott Shared Values since it's kick off late last year and am constantly impressed by the quality of savings and deals that can be found. Currently members can enjoy a free roll of new Scott Extra Soft bath tissue, a one month trial of HuluPlus streaming, a special Weber Grill Set deal (just in time for Father's Day), and a free photo print from ClickPhotos.com. Not to long ago we enjoyed a family pass to a local entertainment venue, and a friend of mine took advantage of their NASCAR ticket savings. I'm always sure to log into my Scott Shared Values account each month to see what's new!

To sum it all up, Momma taught me to be frugal; but still have fun. I may stomp through the halls writing imaginary tickets for paper product abuse, but I still know a great opportunity for family fun when I see one. Just in time for lazy Summer afternoons the $4 Vudu credit on select #ScottValues products will keep the kiddos happy and Momma's checkbook in tact. Stock up now to take advantage of these great prices at Walmart, and be sure to join the Scott Shared Values program to continue the savings all year round. Follow us along on our Walmart visit and get a sneak peek behind the scenes in our Google+ album.

What Daughter Says: Don't be a Summertime Grinch, enjoy the hottest movies for FREE while stocking up on your favorite #ScottValues products.