A balanced meal consists of 1/2 a plate of vegetables, 1/4 a plate of lean protein, and 1/4 of a plate of high quality carbs. If you are eating a high calorie meal and are trying to lose weight, consider using a smaller plate to trick yourself into feeling as though you are eating more! You don’t want to get bogged down measuring everything you eat. However, if you have a weakness for certain high-calorie foods like pasta, use a measuring cup to determine portion sizes. Since measuring cups will not always be handy, learn shortcuts for estimating portion sizes.  A balled up fist approximates one cup. When you look at your open palm, the portion of hand (except your fingers and thumb) is a good estimate of one protein portion. Don't leave pots of food sitting on the table or nearby counter when eating. After you dish out appropriate portions, put excess food away to avoid eating multiple, unnecessary courses. As a reminder, place storage containers on the counter before you finish preparing meals. Distractions promote overeating, so don't eat in front of a television or while rushing around in your car. Instead, sit down at a table, focus on your food, and savor every bite! Eating slowly gives your brain the chance to register feeling full. You often need much less food than you realize.  Take small bites to pace yourself. Put your fork or spoon down in between bites. You don't need an entire piece of cake or a whole scoop of ice cream. Share with friends or family to reduce portion size. If you're alone, share with your future self and put at least half of the desert away before you're done! Don't just open a bag of chips and reach in. Instead, portion snacks by pouring them into small, plastic bags or bento box-style food containers. Better yet, whole foods like carrots and apples make great snacks because it's easy to determine how much you're consuming.

Summary: Use your plate to portion meals. Measure foods when necessary. Put excess food away after serving meals. Avoid eating when distracted. Eat as slowly as possible. Share desserts to consume smaller portions. Control snacking habits.


You cannot introduce lovebirds unless you know that both animals are healthy. Take the pair to the vet to make sure that they’re healthy enough to breed.  Let your vet know that you plan to breed the lovebirds. Ask her any questions you might have about the birds, their health, or breeding the pair. If you bring a new lovebird into your flock for mating, consider quarantining the pair for a few days. This can help ensure that both are healthy and that the female doesn’t get territorial or reject the male. If you are breeding lovebirds you already own, you likely don’t need to quarantine the pair When you know that each lovebird is healthy, introduce the pair. Take it slowly, as it could take a few days for the birds to get used to one another.  Place the birds in cages next to one another before putting them in the same cage. Move the birds to the same cage after a couple of days. Put nesting materials in the cage to encourage the couple to start building a nest.  Remove any birds that are exhibiting signs of aggression or rejection of a potential partner. Lovebirds are prolific reproducers and you may notice many signs of mating. Signs of mating can include:  Courtship Aggression Jealousy or being “hormonal”  Carrying material in the feathers Nest-building. Lovebirds that are breeding need dense, nutrition packed foods because of the stress on their bodies. Avoid giving them just seeds, which may not provide enough nutrients for the birds or their babies. Some examples of what you can mix together to feed your lovebirds are:  Cooked elbow macaroni Pearl barley Frozen vegetables Granulated sea kelp Whole grain brown rice Apples Greens Cereal, toast or crackers Cuttlebone. The only way to be certain that your lovebirds have mated is by checking for eggs. In most cases, the female lovebird will lay her first egg ten days after mating and then will brood, or sit on the eggs, after the second is laid.  Look at the nest every morning to see if there are any eggs. The female will generally lay eggs at night. She may produce one egg every other day, up to 5 or 6 eggs.  Be aware that two female lovebirds, if placed together. can lay up to 10 infertile eggs. It takes around 25 days for a female to brood, or sit on, her eggs. Let her brood uninterrupted for at least 10 days. Be aware the female will only leave to excrete waste, drink, and have a bite of food. In most cases, the male will feed the female during brooding. It’s common to have infertile eggs, especially if a pair is too young or old. After allowing the female to brood for 10 days, you can check to see if the eggs are fertile.  Handle the eggs as gently as possible.  Check each egg by holding an egg up to a light source, such as a flashlight and looking for a membrane, which is a sign the egg is fertile.  You can also check by placing the egg in a shallow dish of warm water one week before it hatches. After five seconds, check if you can see a membrane.  Be aware that it is normal for eggs to not be fertile or for a baby to die in the egg. After between 21-26 days of brooding, your eggs may hatch. Be sure to not handle the eggs or the hatchlings for the first 6-8 weeks of life.  The mother bird will feed the babies for 6-8 weeks from the nutritious food you provide.  Remove any unhatched eggs or baby lovebirds that die.

Summary: Check the health of your lovebirds. Consider quarantining the animals. Introduce the lovebird pair. Watch for signs of mating. Provide the birds enough nutrition. Check for eggs. Allow the female to brood. Figure out if eggs are fertile. Wait for the eggs to hatch.


Get the clean shower drain body and place it into the drain. Use your hands to twist the drain body clockwise and tighten it as much as you can. When you can’t screw the drain body any more, use a hammer and a screwdriver again to further twist the drain body into place. Fitting the drain body causes the caulk to spread slightly, so it’s important to remove this excess caulk before it dries. Get 2-3 sheets of regular kitchen paper towels and use these to remove any excess caulk. It’s best to wipe around the whole opening of the shower drain with the paper towels to ensure that you don’t miss any caulk that has oozed out. You can also use an old rag to wipe away the excess caulk. Push the strainer back onto the drain body and make sure that it sits flat. You may need to hit it lightly with a hammer to ensure that it’s in place. When the strainer is in the right place, use a screwdriver to put the screws back in. Make sure that you tighten the screws well. It’s important for the new caulk to cure and set properly before you use the shower again, as otherwise, this might damage the caulk. Read the label of the caulk carefully to check how long your specific product takes to dry.
Summary: Screw the drain body back on. Wipe the caulk away off the edges with a paper towel. Screw the shower strainer back on to the drain body. Let the new caulk cure for approximately 24 hours.