Planning the perfect April Fool's prank

Hey there pranksters! I've gotten a ton of requests for a prank-a-day, so I'm going to be starting that in April. But in the meantime, here's my thoughts on getting ready for our big day this year…

April Fool's Day is like Christmas for pranksters. While some go all-out with festive holiday decorations and plan their decor well in advance, pranksters share that same enthusiasm for stink bombs, fake poo and all things stinky. While Christmas and April Fool's Day have little in common, there is one thing that they do share: Planning is vital to a successful day.

Most of the great April Fool's Day pranks require advance planning. Sometimes pranksters have to test their patience - long enough to wait the typical shipping time for StinksNThings.com's products to arrive at your door - to pull off a successful "Gotcha!"

Some of the best April Fool's pranks are really all about the basics. Every year as Prank Day rolls around, I tend to take a look back and reflect on some of my best work.

In my early days as a rookie prankster in the '90s — when everyone had pagers instead of cell phones, I remember stumbling upon a toll-free 800 number for "large voluptuous women." It was porn for the chubby set. And it was the funniest, free humor that I'd ever heard. So what's a prankster to do? Page everyone with the number. Twenty-five friends, all getting an earful; it was great. And the best part was watching a classmate figure it out and the look on her face.

Some of the best pranks can be just about outsmarting the average guy. Like bringing in Oreo cookies to the office and instead of all the yummy cream filling, replace it with toothpaste and watch the comedy unfold on countless victims oblivious to 4/1/09. Or just switch the signs to the men's and women's restrooms at your office and watch and wait nearby. Or better yet, hide numerous alarm clocks all over your target's room - set for all hours of the night, no less, and really have your way with them.

Other great pranks in history have gone big: Like the time in 1992 when National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" program announced to listeners that Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for president again with the campaign slogan of "I didn't do anything wrong, and I won't do it again." NPR brought on a Nixon impersonator who did such a great job that the station was flooded with calls from shocked and outraged listeners.

If you don't have grand plans for the Big Day, don't fret. The basics are always a great way to celebrate April Fool's, and StinksnThings has got you covered there. Start the day off with a stink: Stinks' Party Pooper ($2.49) is a great way to shock the morning pooper in your household. Plop this fake poo on top of the toilet seat, or, kick it up a notch with Instant Poop in a Can ($4.49) for a custom defecation and stink up the joint with Liquid Ass ($5.99) and create a stench that makes the faux doodie even smell realistic.

Once you're on your merry way, go play with strangers with Stinks' Bill Snatcher ($1.49). Talk about a cheap and easy April Fool's prank! Put your money to work and watch as greedy strangers lunge for bucks and get caught in the act when the retractable funds retreat into your grubby little paws.

Next, treat your buddies to lunch - and to the honor of driving your luxury ride. Toss them the keys to your shiny BMW, and watch them jump from the shock of setting off your faux car alarm remote with Stinks' Shocking Car Door Opener ($7.99). The trick is twice and nice: not only will they literally be shocked, but there's no way in hell you're letting their spotty driving record get behind your wheel.

So really, whether your plans are simple or sadistic, the sooner you start planning, the more likely you are to have a raucous April Fool's.