Happy Tuesday! It’s back-to-school season right now, and there’s one thing I know: It feels awful when you see someone after a long summer, your mind blanks and you suddenly can’t remember their name. Whether it’s your child’s friend’s parent, a former teacher or a member of the PTA, that moment can prompt a lot of anxiety or embarrassment — but it doesn’t have to. Here’s what to do and say when you forget someone’s name.

Janie

Take Back Your Life

It’s always nice to get flowers or a houseplant, but bringing plants into your home can come with life-threatening danger for cats and dogs. That’s why it’s critical to know the difference between a highly-toxic plant or flower and one that’s safe for your pets. In general, cats are in more danger of needing to be rushed to the ER after eating a plant they shouldn’t have than dogs, but both are at risk. Here’s what to look out for:

These Plants Could Mean A Trip To The ER

Deal With It

Hand gestures can make a big difference if you want to leave a memorable impression on others when speaking, especially at work. Research shows that investors were more interested in investing if they watched a video of a fictional entrepreneur using hand gestures to describe and symbolize his business ideas than when they watched the entrepreneur give the same pitch with his hands clasped. They aren’t a total magic wand, but experts shared five things you can do with your hands to make yourself more effective and memorable:

Do This If You Want To Win Over An Audience

Pro Tip:

Dealing with a possibly toxic relationship, or know someone who is? Join HuffPost tomorrow for a live Twitter Spaces conversation about toxic relationships tomorrow, Wednesday, August 17 at 4 p.m. ET. Senior editor Ashley Rockman, who covers relationships and parenting at HuffPost, will be joined by relationship experts Tracy Schorn and Virginia Gilbert to talk about what a toxic relationship is, how to identify a toxic partner and the best way to end a toxic relationship. Click here to be notified when the conversation starts.

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