To mischiefs and pranksters, April 1st is like Christmas in spring. April 1st is April Fool’s Day, a day where people pull practical jokes and pranks on friends and family. There is a lot of speculation as to how and when the holiday started, one story claims the holiday started in France as far back as 1582. On April 1st, 1582, France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Evidently, some people didn’t know the new start of the year was January 1st and not April 1st. Supposedly, French peasants would go to homes and pretend to do a New Year’s Day call. If people fell for the prank, they were considered an April fool. Some historians believe April fools is related to the vernal equinox, because Mother Nature was said to have fooled people with the changing weather. Additionally, people pulling April Fools pranks are supposed to do so before noon on April 1st or they will welcome bad luck into their life.

Here are 10 April Fool’s day pranks

1. Make Brussels Sprouts Cake Pops. People will be quite surprised when they take their first bite!

2. Put tape under any computer mouses at the office or home. This will stop the mouse from working temporarily and completely fool your colleagues.

3. Stick a straw into a mustard or ketchup packet, put it in someone’s soda and see what happens when they drink!

4. Tape fake, roaches or bugs inside lampshade with the light on.

5. Flip the display screen on your friend or coworker’s computer. You can do this on a windows computer by pressing Ctrl, Alt, and the upward arrow key together.

6. Take a screenshot of a friend or coworker’s computer and leave the picture up so that they can’t figure out why nothing on their desktop is opening.

7. Go with a classic Jim Halpert prank from the show, The Office. Put a stapler in jello and leave it for one of your coworkers!

8. Put jellybeans in the ice dispenser so when someone goes to get a glass of ice water, they will have jellybean water instead.

9. Cover someone’s car with sticky notes.

10. Put plastic wrap on the doorway so when someone comes running through, they are in for a surprise.

(Family Features) Infidelity and deception can take many forms in a relationship, including some that have nothing to do with romance at all. One example is financial infidelity, where deceptions are reported in nearly half of relationships where finances are combined.

Among people who have combined finances with a partner, 2 in 5 (43%) confessed to committing an act of financial deception in a current or past relationship, according to a survey conducted by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE). What’s more, 85% of those who reported a financial deception acknowledged the indiscretion affected the relationship in some way.

“When you commingle finances in a relationship, you’re consenting to cooperation and transparency in your money management,” said Billy Hensley, Ph.D., president and CEO of NEFE. “Regardless of the severity of the act, financial deception can cause tremendous strain on couples – it leads to arguments, a breakdown of trust and, in some cases, separation or even divorce.”

Understanding Financial Infidelity 
Financial infidelity is an act of deception by one partner in a relationship where finances are combined. Examples include hiding purchases, money or accounts, or lying about the amount of income earned and debt owed.

More than one-third (39%) of U.S. adults who have combined finances in a current or past relationship admitted to hiding a purchase, bank account, statement, bill or cash from their partner, and about 1 in 5 (21%) admitted to lying to a partner or spouse about finances, the amount of debt they owe or the amount of money they earn.

Reasons for Financial Deception
A lack of communication and conflicting life or financial values may often be the root causes of financial deception, but U.S. adults also revealed other reasons for deceit with money. More than one-third (38%) said even though they are in a committed relationship, they believe some aspects of their finances should remain private. Meanwhile, another 33% were embarrassed or fearful about their finances and didn’t want their partner to know.

Fear of disapproval by a partner is also a powerful force, regardless of whether financial discussions are happening in the relationship. For example, 34% of U.S. adults who admitted to financial deception in a relationship with combined finances said they feared disapproval by their partner given discussions of finances had already occurred while 27% feared disapproval by a partner in a relationship where discussions about finances had not yet occurred.

How Financial Deception Affects Couples
Like other forms of infidelity, financial cheating can wreak havoc on a relationship, including arguments, loss of trust, less privacy, separating combined finances and even divorce. However, those who have been there offered some insight into positive repercussions, too, such as growing closer together and learning to communicate proactively.

Signs of Financial Infidelity 
You may discover your partner is cheating financially when you come across a receipt or piece of paper indicating a purchase you don’t recognize or find your partner defensive or withdrawn in conversations about money. A deceptive partner may attempt to intercept bills via mail or email before you see them or remove the itemization of purchases on bills.

Learn more and find the full poll on financial deception at nefe.org.

Coming Clean: How to recover from financial deception 
Whether you’ve caught your partner cheating when it comes to money, or you’re the one in the spotlight after making some financial transgressions, there are some steps you can take together to rebuild trust.

1. Be realistic in your expectations. Successfully rebuilding trust will take time, sustained transparency and commitment to shared goals and increased communication.

2. Commit to open communication. While the conversations may be stressful, the key is to focus on understanding why the financial deception occurred and what you can do, together, moving forward.

“When 2 in 5 people admit to committing financial deception in a relationship where money is combined, it highlights the need for greater communication and a deeper understanding of who your partner is financially,” Hensley said.

3. Create goals and ground rules together. Finding areas of compromise can help you get on the path toward rebuilding trust. That might mean having separate personal accounts while maintaining a joint account for household expenses, or you might create separate accounts completely with each of you paying an equitable share of household expenses.

You could also establish guidelines you can both abide by, such as agreeing that neither will make a large purchase, such as items over $100, without discussing it together. 

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2022. All rights reserved.

Now that we’re officially into summer, it’s time to think about summer maintenance for your home. Summer is a great time to get projects completed that you can’t work on during colder months. It’s also an important time to inspect areas of your home for safety and efficiency. By following these simple tasks to the best season of the year, you’ll have a healthy and happy home environment.  

1. Check your windows and doors for leaks and re-caulk around any areas that need it.  

Not only does this increase your home’s energy efficiency, but ultimately it saves you money since worn-out caulk contributes to significant spikes in your energy bill if you’re running an air conditioner.  

2. Replace your furnace filter for the summer.  

Your furnace and air conditioning system use the exact same filter. Clean filters keep your air fresh by not recirculating allergens back into the air.  

3. Inspect your home’s exterior.  

It was a long winter, and it’s time to inspect your home’s exterior for areas that could put your budget at risk in the future. This would include your roof, loose siding, mold/mildew, and moss growth.  If you find any weak spots in the siding, you’ll want to get that fixed as soon as you can. Wash off any mold, mildew, or moss with a power washer. As for your roof, there are professionals who can examine your roof and give you a good idea of how soon you’ll need to replace it. This is especially important if you’re at all thinking of selling your home.  

4. If you haven’t done this already, clean out your gutters and downspouts.  

Fall leaves and debris from trees can pile up in your gutters and make it difficult for them to direct moisture away from your home. This can cause issues in the winter as ice could freeze in the gutters and back up water into your roof causing leaks and damage. To help reduce summer cleaning, consider purchasing gutter screens that prevent debris from piling up in your gutters.  

5. Prevent bug breeding grounds. 

Since warmer weather wakes up all the tiny crawly and swarming insects, you’ll want to consider spraying around the perimeter of your home. You may even need to put up barriers indoors for ants by spraying along the exterior walls. This will help stop bugs and ants from infiltrating your home and eating your watermelon! 

6. Reverse Ceiling Fans 

It’s a good idea to reverse the direction of your ceiling fans during summer so that they spin counter-clockwise. This pushes the air straight down and creates an excellent breeze. It’s also a good time to dust your fan blades as well so that you’re not sending dust particles flying every time you use your fan.  

For more helpful tips, contact a CENTURY 21 Affiliated Agent near you! https://www.c21affiliated.com/find-an-agent/office