Should middle-aged sisters create a gift registry when moving to a new apartment?

your close friends to celebrate this new chapter with you and your sister. 1. You could have a communal garage sale, invite friends to DEAR NATALIE: My bring over their unwanted sister and I lived with my items and have a potluckstyle parents to take care of them lunch while you sell for the past 15 years. They off things from your family’s both recently died and my home that you can’t sister and I will be moving use or don’t want anymore. in together into a smaller Then, you could take the apartment. We are both single money earned from the sale (never married or had and use it to buy some new children), in our 50s and on items at Kohls or Target. 2. disability. During all of our You could throw a housewarming adulthood we have each party and invite given countless gifts to family all of your friends. and friends for engagements, While I don’t think you bridal showers, weddings, should ask them for gifts, baby showers, baby's many times people will births, children's birthday bring a gift to a housewarming parties, graduations and so party anyway. In fact, I on. It seems that nowadays usually just give a gift card there are parties for everything! to Target or West Elm or another I said to my sister home good store as a that when we move we housewarming present because should create a registry on I know they might Target or Kohls (no place need some things for the expensive) for items we new space. But, if I were would need in our apartment. you and your sister, I would Small items like towels, take the money from the garage sheets, toaster, etc. My sale and go spend the sister said I'm nuts and that day at the spa. Who cares would be very rude. What what your dish towels look do you think? — like? REGISTRY FOR ME DEAR NATALIE: If you

DEAR REGISTRY FOR have more than one friend ME: or business connection with candidates in an upcoming political race. What is the safest and/or most polite and/or most honest way to handle requests to post yard signs? What if I am closer with Candidate A, but I truly believe that Candidate B is more qualified for the position? —

DEAR RED, BLUE AND CONFUSED ALL OVER: Don’t put any signs in your yard. Be honest with your friends and tell them that since you have multiple horses in the race, it would be unfair to try and pick one over the other. Then, wish them both the best of luck. No one will know who you actually voted for, but you can offer to pass out their signs to your friends that are interested and spread the word for them in that way. This is an honest and polite way to get out of a tricky political situation without hurting anyone’s feelings. Bet you can’t do that in Washington!

Natalie’s Networking Tip of the Week: Finding common ground is a great way to build rapport. Instead of asking the (boring!) generic question of, “What do you do?” why not ask them a different icebreaker such as, “Who is your favorite author?” “Where do you like to vacation?” “What is your dream job?” or something like that to find a point of intersection. Then, grow the connection from there.