Your plan for Stars is excellent.
It will also work at Paradise.
Mixing in an occasional small MTT or $5 SNG along the way is ok, as long as your winnings are 'covering' the experiment.
When you get up to $400, move over Pacific for their .05/.10 and SNG's with a signup $100 bonus.
When you are ready to move up to quarter tables, take $500 to Party Poker for their bonus.