It’s really nice out today. Probably going to hit the 80s by mid afternoon. So for the first time this season, I’m wearing shorts. Exciting, I know. But all this nice weather brings me back to my childhood where we’d play in our backyard just running around and hanging out on our swing set.

This is back when swing sets were made out of metal. Not these crazy newfangled giant wooden tree forts they sell today. Or those insane 5,000 feet tall inflatable towers/slides that are more souped up then most water parks. No, I’m talking the bare bones metal swing sets with 2 swings, a slide and this little 2-seater see-saw like thing that you could sit in and just swing back and forth.

I loved playing on this thing and thought absolutely nothing of the fact that it was made of metal. And metal rusts. And there was rust. Worse, there were big honking screws keeping this thing together. Sure, little plastic caps would cover the sharp edge of the screws, but after a few years, they started to crack and fall off. I probably still have the battle scars from all the cuts and scrapes I earned playing superhero or G.I. Joe on that metal fortress of solitude.

Plus, well, metal gets hot. And when it’s the summer and the sun’s out, it’s hot. I don’t know why I didn’t get 3rd degree burns on my calves as I slid down that slide, but I guess my folks put the thing somewhat in the shade. I haven’t seen these type of swing sets in quite some time now, though I’m sure they must still make them, right? Although, I have to admit… if I did have one of those huge wooden tree fort types that kids have today, well, I probably would’ve just moved right in for good and just lived in the Hall of Justice forever.

COUPON TIME:

Here’s a bunch of deals and coupons for outdoor fun (as well as lawn and garden care), so hopefully you can find a good swing set and save some big bucks in the process. Just don’t ask me to help you put it together, okay?

Free shipping on orders over $200 at Little Tikes
Use discount code SPAF2008.
Valid through: April 30, 2008 11:59pm ET
Valid online only. Not valid on previous purchases or future exchanges. Offer valid on standard shipping charges to addresses in the contiguous U.S. only; rush charges and/or large item surcharges are additional.

$10 off $300 in Lawn & Garden at Sears.com
Use coupon code ALAG10300.
Valid through: April 26, 2008

$15 off a purchase of $75 or more at AceHardware.com
Use code MCACE75 in the promotion/discount code box at checkout.
Valid through: June 30, 2008 11:59pm ET
Sale & clearance items, grills, power tools & equipment, lawn mowers, snowblowers, Carhartt clothing, Nextar GPS unit, select other items, gift cards, taxes, shipping and handling charges, gift wrapping and similar charges do not count towards $75 minimum. Cannot be combined with other coupons or offers. Cannot be used on previously purchased merchandise. U.S. only. Might need to pay with a MasterCard.

$200 off a SunSetter Retractable Awning
Use this link to get your free coupon.

I’m going to share something embarrassing now. Why you might ask? Honestly, I have no clue. There’s just something about a blog that’s diary-like, but in a public sort of way. And since a lot of you keep coming back everyday to see what nonsense I have to spew, I figure I owe you. So here goes.

When I was a kid, I could totally relate to Linus from “Peanuts.” See, I had a few stuffed animals on my bed (one being a big fluffy Snoopy) that I’d sleep with. But the one thing I absolutely HAD to have or I couldn’t sleep… well, that was my blanket. It was white, with a satin-type strip along the edges. And I’m not sure how it was made, but it had a knit sort of style so that there were teeny tiny holes here and there that you could see through. It was pretty thin, not too big (probably 3 feet by 3 feet), and quite easily THE softest thing you will ever feel in your life.

I called it my NunNun.

Get your laughing out now. Done yet? Okay, I’ll wait. Hmmm… hmmm… hmmm… Okay. So why NunNun? That’s easy. There was one corner of the blanket that was very very frayed. Which means it was also the softest part of the whole thing. I used to take that blanket everywhere in the house with me and while watching TV, I’d take that super soft corner and just keep rubbing it gently across my face while saying “nunununununun” over and over. Granted I must’ve been like 3 or 4 when I started doing that. So as I got older, that got shortened to just “NunNun” and thus it had a name.

I never took it out of the house, but I definitely used to play with it, either as a superhero cape or to make some sort of tent. It was always there with me.

I remember when I finally gave it up, though. And here’s the really embarrassing part. Yes, I finally put my poor, tattered NunNun to rest when… when I went away to college. There. I said it. So I’d like to take a moment of silence to remember my best childhood friend… my security blanket who didn’t just keep me warm and toasty, but also protected me from the monsters under my bed as I slept safely every single night.

COUPON TIME:

Okay, after that post I think I need to really get some manly coupons going on over here. And since Spring Fever is in full bloom and everyone’s in a cleaning/fixing-up mode, here are some good deals for home and home repair type stores. (Yeah, I think I still need a beer to man up a bit…)

$100 off online orders over $1000 at AbsoluteHome.com
Use coupon code AHAPR08AF.
Valid through: April 30, 2008 11:59pm PT
Not valid with other offers or promotions, clearance or closeout items, or framed art items. Some restrictions apply.

25% off orders over $450 at Blindsgalore
Use the above link to get the coupon code.
Valid through: April 21, 2008 11:59pm ET

10% off any size order at Kmart.com
In your shopping cart enter coupon code AK10OFF7.
Valid through: April 19, 2008
Valid online only. Cannot be combined with other coupons. Not valid on previous purchases.

15% off all Appliances at Sears.com
Plus, use your Sears card on appliances $399+ and get:
Free Delivery & Haul Away after mail-in rebate
OR 12 Months No Interest No Payments
Valid through: April 19, 2008
Free standard local delivery and haul away after mail-in rebate on any Appliance over $399 after discounts (when you use your Sears card). Standard delivery includes delivery within the local delivery area Monday through Friday and delivery not requiring additional services or time. Free Shipping offer excludes Kitchen Aid built-in Refrigerators and outlet stores. 15% off discount excludes Great Price items, Electrolux, LG Brand, Kenmore PRO small kitchen appliances, sewing machines, closeouts, dehumidifiers, water heaters, air conditioners, compact refrigerators, countertop appliances, microwave hood combinations, and outlet store purchases. See site for additional details.

FREE shipping on select Power Tools at HomeDepot.com
Offer ends: July 31, 2008
Offer includes: combination tool kits, drill presses, cordless drills, corded drills, impact drivers, screwdrivers, screwguns, sanders, polishers, grinders, hammer drills, chippers, breakers, lathes, staplers, planers, joiners, routers, recip saws, spiral saws, cut-off saws, circular saws, jig saws, band saws, worm drive saws, mitre saws, table saws, heat guns, nibblers, shears, stationary table saws and nailers. Offer excludes garden tools, plumbing tools and electrical tools. This offer cannot be combined with any other discount, offer, promotion or special incentive program, and is not valid on: (a) the purchase of gift cards or certificates; (b) prior purchases; or (c) certain items containing weight and/or size shipping restrictions (details in item descriptions). Continental United States only. No P.O. Boxes.

Get a FREE Home Depot Gift Card when you purchase select Appliances priced at $299 or more
Get a FREE The Home Depot Gift Card up to $250 by mail-in rebate when you purchase select appliances, including floor care and home comfort appliances, priced at $299 or more.
Buy appliances priced $299 - $496 and get a $25 Gift Card
Buy appliances priced $497 - $746 and get a $50 Gift Card
Buy appliances priced $747 - $996 and get a $75 Gift Card
Buy appliances priced $997 - $1,496 and get a $100 Gift Card
Buy appliances priced $1,497 - $1,996 and get a $150 Gift Card
Buy appliances priced $1,997 - $2,496 and get a $200 Gift Card
Buy appliances priced $2,497+ and get a $250 Gift Card
Offer valid on select appliances, including floor care and home comfort appliances, between March 27 and April 23, 2008. The Gift Card award is based on the purchase price of the individual item (not including delivery, sales tax or installation) not the purchase total. Valid at The Home Depot U.S. stores, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Offer not valid at EXPO Design Center. No credit if offer refused. See rebate form for details. OFFER EXCLUDES LG APPLIANCES.

I’m not a big car guy. Sure I’ve always wanted a black Trans-Am with a gold Firebird on the hood, after watching “Smokey and the Bandit” 600 times as a kid. But I can barely tell an Audi from an, er, Innie these days. I’ve always been pretty much a Honda guy and while my current green Civic is on its last legs, it gets the job done.

I’ve had very few complaints about my car. Brakes have been great. Engine holds up swimmingly. It’s a great car with great pickup and all that jazz. But there’s one thing about it that continually drives me to cursing like a sailor. Honda knows how to make great cars… but they have no clue how to make a decent cup holder. Seriously. The one in my ‘99 Civic is quite possible the worst cup holder I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s your basic molded plastic, but it’s pretty wide at the base and not tall at all. So unless you have like a reallllly wide shot glass of coffee, whatever else you put in there is destined to fall. And that’s exactly what’s happened countless times. To me. And my pants.

I can’t tell you how many times a regular-sized cup of diet coke from McDonald’s has tipped over, spilling all over my right leg and the floor mat. Heck, even a small cup of coffee will happily bounce right out and take great joy in scalding my leg, ruining my pants, and adding more stains to that poor poor floor mat. I’ve certainly learned my lessons a bit, and now whenever I have a cup and I’m making a turn, I’ll hold that cup damn tight until I’m out of the turn. But even still, it’s not foolproof… nor spill proof.

The sad thing is that I’ve seen the latest Honda models too, and while they’re light years ahead of the world’s worst cup holder… they still fall far short of being decent. Maybe I should just give up drinking all together. After all, we don’t need liquid to survive, do we?

COUPON TIME:

I could offer up some coffee coupons, but that just causes me more painful memories. So instead, in hopes of helping others and maybe even myself, here are a few current coupons for auto parts.

$5 off online orders over $99 at Auto Parts Warehouse
Plus Free Shipping!
Use this link and coupon code 5APW.
Valid through: May 3, 2008

$10 off online orders over $199 at Auto Parts Warehouse
Plus Free Shipping!
Use this link and coupon code TENAPW.
Valid through: May 3, 2008

10% off any size online order at JCWhitney.com
Use promo code BSAFD8 in your shopping cart and click “Add Promo”.
Valid through: April 30, 2008
Valid online only. Excludes sale items and certain other products. This offer may not be combined with any other discount, rebate, gift or other promotional offer. Excludes the purchase of Gift Certificates.

$10 off orders over $199 at Parts Train
Use coupon code TENPT.
Valid through: May 3, 2008

No, I still can’t play basketball to save my life. (I am good at getting rebounds though! It’s getting the ball IN the hoop that’s the hard part.) But I just wanted to bring to everyone’s attention a new section of the site that we recently added: Games!

If you’re into games like Bingo or the Lottery and want a shot at winning some pretty cool prizes, then take a look at our new Ultimate Coupons Games area. It’s easy to sign up and by playing the Money Wheel or Banko game you can earn points to trade in for prizes. Hey, just like Chuck E. Cheese’s only without the scary guy in a mouse costume, far less noise and no bacteria-infected broken arcade games! Sounds like a win-win to me. Heh.

Prizes change all the time, but you can cash in your points for basically entries in drawings for prizes like an iPod Touch or even $500 cash. While there’s only two games currently in the area, Netwinner (the fine folks who are providing us all the spiffy technology) is working on a bunch more. So hopefully soon you’ll see more added.

I’m curious how many of you like these games. Give it a shot and let me know if it’s something you do like or don’t. Or if you’d rather see different types of games, etc. I’ll be honest and tell you we don’t make money from you actually signing up and playing any games, though there are ads that run while you play and we’ll make a small percentage from that. (So yes, the longer you play, the more money we have a chance at making. But honestly, I don’t expect to make much at all. Though if you guys are playing for a long time, that means you’re enjoying them, and that’s really what counts.)

So if you do want to play around a little, I’d really appreciate any feedback at all. That’s the best part of a blog, instant feedback from your hardcore users. (Uh, yeah, that’s you reading this.) Thanks muchly in advance!

Ultimate Coupons Games

COUPON TIME:

Games, games, games! Figured since I’ve got games on the brain, I’d offer up some sweet Toys and Games coupons for ya:

15% off online orders over $50 at the Nick.com Shop
Use this link to activate the coupon. If necessary, use promotion code NCK1550.
Valid through: June 30, 2008
Cannot be combined with other coupons. In-stock merchandise only. Not valid on gift cards and gift certificates. Discount does not apply to taxes, shipping and handling charges, gift-wrapping or similar charges.

$5 off online orders over $50 at Target.com
Use this link to activate the discount.
Valid though: June 30, 2008
Offer applies to purchases of $50 or more based on merchandise subtotal. Merchandise subtotal based on one shipping destination per order. GiftCards, e-GiftCards, gift wrap, tax, or shipping and handling charges will not be included in determining merchandise subtotal and are not discountable. Cannot be combined with other promotional offers or discounts or applied to previous orders. Offer available for Target.com orders only and does not apply to Peg Perego, Apple iPods, Bose electronics partner businesses, custom clothing, personalized gifts, or Amazon.com product purchases. Discount not available when using 1-Click ordering online.

$5 off an order of $50 or more at Highlights.com
Use this link to activate the coupon.
Valid through: Ongoing offer

$5 off an order over $25 online at BabiesRUs.com
Use this link and enter promotional code 921123 in your shopping cart.
Valid through: April 13, 2008
Excludes Diapers, Formula, Video Game Hardware, “R” US Gift Cards, Phone Orders, Special Orders, Buyer Protection Plan, Kiddie Kandids & Motherhood Maternity. Coupon can be used only once per person. Not valid on prior purchases.

$5 Shipping on orders of $50 or more at Disney Shopping.com
Use Promotion Code SHIPFOR5. Click “Submit”.
Valid through: April 13, 2008 11:59pm PT
$5 Shipping applies to Standard Delivery on any order of $50 or more sent to a single shipment address in the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. possessions, and APO/FPO addresses. Certain products excluded, as noted on specific Product Pages. Qualifying purchase based on pre-tax, post-discount amount and excludes Shipping & Handling charges, gift cards, gift wrap and gift boxes. Additional Shipping & Handling applies for oversized items. If any single order is sent to more than one address, Shipping & Handling charges will be applied to each shipment address. Offer valid only on orders placed online at DisneyShopping.com, DisneyStore.com and DisneyOutlet.com. Not valid on phone orders or purchases from Disney Store retail or outlet locations.

Hollywood has a pretty poor track record when it comes to converting classic ol’ TV shows to major motion pictures. The trend probably really started with the Brady Bunch movie, which was actually really well done. (The sequel on the other hand…). And yes, there were a few other solid hits like “The Fugitive,” and I’ll even give you “Charlie’s Angels” just because it was so crazy over the top it was entertaining. I’m sure there are a handful of others, but all that comes to mind are horrible insulting wastes of time like “The Dukes of Hazzard” (Ugh!), “Starsky & Hutch” and even “Dragnet” (Tom Hanks and Dan Akyrod and it still stunk).

So normally I don’t pay attention when an old TV favorite of mine gets a movie update. But this June, I have to admit, I’m really psyched to go see “Get Smart.” I loved the original series starring Don Adams as the bumbling good-hearted superspy Maxwell Smart. Any show that puts that much effort into the opening credits gets my attention. And while I didn’t know he was involved at the time, I’m a big fan of Mel Brooks’ comedies (he co-created Get Smart). So I watched the show any chance I could.

I can’t think of a better pick for Max then the awkward and nerdy Steve Carell. And I had my doubts about Anne Hathaway playing his spy partner Agent 99, but after seeing photos and the trailer, she seems a natural. The odd pick that also could work great is the new Agent 23, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. I always loved The Rock when he wrestled, though I haven’t seen a movie with him yet that I could stomach. I may’ve finally found one.

I just watched the trailer and I have to admit, I actually laughed out loud a number of times and only cringed maybe once. So unless critics and fans alike pan this summer’s Get Smart movie, I’m so there. There just better be at least one scene with Max using his shoe phone. Although, I gather it’d be a shoe cell phone these days…

Get Smart Movie Trailer

COUPON TIME:

I recently discovered that the original Get Smart TV series is now available on DVD from TimeLife! I know I’ve seen a ton of episodes growing up, but no way I’ve seen the entire series. I don’t even recall seeing the really early ones, so I’m dying to watch the first season. And as luck would have it, I’ve even got some spiffy coupons for TimeLife so any other “Smart” fans out there can join in the fun:

Get Smart: Season 1 at TimeLife.com

15% Off Get Smart The Complete Collection plus Free Shipping at TimeLife.com
Use this link to activate the coupon.
Valid through: May 31, 2008

12% off online orders over $50 at Time Life
Use this link to activate the coupon.
Valid through: May 31, 2008
One coupon code per customer. Merchandise total should be $50 or more, excluding taxes and shipping charges, before discount is taken. Cannot be used in combination with any other offer, prior purchases, or gift certificates. US, APO and FPO customers only.

15% off online orders over $150 at Time Life
Use this link to activate the coupon.
Valid through: May 31, 2008
One coupon code per customer. Merchandise total should be $150 or more, excluding taxes and shipping charges, before discount is taken. Cannot be used in combination with any other offer, prior purchases, or gift certificates. US, APO and FPO customers only.