Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Use the element of surprise. Scare one of your friends. Call a friend. Prank a friend online. Be good-natured. Get your other friends involved in your pranks.

Answer: The key to a hilarious prank is the element of surprise. Regardless of what kind of prank you set up, be sure your friend does not see it coming. Try to keep a straight face. Avoid giggling. Just try to look entirely emotionless so they have no reason to suspect anything is up. The best part about pranking a friend is that you can use your knowledge about them to your advantage when coming up with a potential prank. For example, if you have a friend that is afraid of snakes, putting a rubber snake in their car or in their bed is a sure fire way to get a reaction. A prank call is one of the easiest ways to make your friends laugh. Be sure to use a public phone or borrow another friend's phone so your target won't recognize the number. Work on different accents so that your friend won't recognize your voice. You can pretend to be a bill collector, secret admirer or tell them they won a ridiculous prize contest. The internet can help to play some amazing pranks. They take very little effort and you can keep them going for a long time.  Sign up your friend for a bunch of email subscriptions from strange websites so they get tons of annoying marketing emails.  You can order strange objects online and have them shipped to your friend. Pick anything that is funny, disturbing or strange. Imagine their confusion when they open up a package and find a giant inflatable zebra and some nylon medical gloves that they didn't order. Don't do anything that could cause physical harm to your friends. You always want to be sure not hurt your friend emotionally. Pranks should be harmless enough that even your target can laugh along with you. You don't want to ever ruin a friendship just because you wanted to be funny. The more people that are in on a joke, the funnier it will be. If you let your other friends in on your pranks ahead of time, they can also play along and help you pull it off. Be selective about which friend you decide to prank. Some of your friends are more sensitive than others. Pick one of your friends that has a good sense of humor and will be amused by the joke. It will be much funnier if everyone is able to laugh about it, even the person being pranked.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Avoid the urge to shape your beard too soon. Choose a beard style. Trim your beard. Shampoo and condition regularly. Use a protective oil. If all else fails, wait a couple of years.

Answer: You should avoid going near your newly-grown beard with a scissors or beard trimmers until it's been growing for a minimum of four weeks. Individual hairs grow at a different rate, so some sections of your facial hair may take longer to grow than others. Have patience and wait to see how much you can grow before shaping and trimming. The more hair you have, the easier it is to work with. Once you have allowed nature to run wild and have been growing your beard for 4 to 6 weeks, you can start thinking about what style of beard you wish to adopt. You could leave it as it is - wild, rugged and undeniably masculine. Or you could go for something a little more polished, like a goatee and mustache combo or a refined chin strip or soul patch. Then you have the less common, but nonetheless manly, muttonchops and chin curtains. The choice is yours. Once you have decided on a style, you can undertake the delicate process of trimming your beard. If this is your first time, you may want to consider going to a barber to have it done professionally, though finding a barber with any significant experience in handling beards is becoming harder and harder nowadays. If trimming your beard yourself, use a good trimmer to define your neckline, before shaping the rest of the beard. It is usually best to leave the cheek line natural, to avoid a weirdly shaped beard. Your beard will need some regular love and attention to keep it in tip-top condition. Try shampooing it daily (or almost daily) with a gentle shampoo to keep the hair clean and remove any lost pieces of food (it will happen), and use a little conditioner from time to time to help strengthen the hair and keep it looking full and thick. If you're exposing your beard to any harsh elements or chemicals - for example, while skiing or swimming in a chlorine-filled pool - you should apply a light layer of oil, such as jojoba or grape seed oil, which will protect your beard by locking in moisture and preventing the loss of natural oils. If your beard doesn't work out as well as you expected and you decide to let it go, don't lose hope. You can try again in a few years, as the development of facial hair continues to increase over time. This is why you usually see the fullest beards on older men.


Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Schedule a preconception doctor appointment. Start building healthy habits. Start taking folic acid supplements. Avoid planning too far ahead.

Answer:
Before you stop birth control, schedule a preconception visit with your doctor. If you are up to date on your annual exams (e.g. pap smear, breast exam), this visit generally won't involve a physical or gynecological exam. Your doctor will inquire about your lifestyle habits, medical history, and gynecological history, and may provide advice on how to conceive. Once you decide to conceive, start adjusting your lifestyle habits to prepare for pregnancy. If you're a smoker, work on quitting the habit before trying to conceive. Start getting regular, low impact exercise (e.g., jogging) and move away from fitness activities that pose a high risk of falling or injury (e.g., mountain biking). Cut caffeine down to 2 servings a day, and begin eating a more well-balanced diet. As soon as you decide to conceive, start taking folic acid supplements. Folic acid decreases the risk of miscarriage and birth defects, but you must start taking it 1 to 2 months prior to conception for it to be successful. Buy either 400 or 800 microgram tablets at your local pharmacy, to be taken once a day. For best results, start taking folic acid a month before you stop using birth control. Plan for pregnancy as an imminent possibility before stopping your birth control, whether it be discontinuing your contraceptive pills or having an IUD removed. While it could take months to conceive after halting contraceptive measures, it is also possible that you will get pregnant right away. If you want more of an adjustment period before conception (e.g., to plan for things financially), wait to stop birth control until you are absolutely ready.