Tools, Tips, and Technology for Giving and Receiving Experiential Gifts

Blog   |   by Kelley Dennings   |   November 13, 2017

This holiday season, New Dream has embarked on a pilot campaign to promote experiential gift giving and receiving as a way to increase happiness and well-being. Check out the variety of resources we've created to help make giving and receiving experiential gifts easy and fun.

Counter-Intuition 101: Why Recent Bad Economic News Means It’s Time for Working Less

Blog   |   by Juliet Schor   |   June 13, 2011

Reducing hours of work may seem counter-intuitive. But the historical record suggests it’s a smart move that will create a "triple dividend."

The Lost Art of Asking Ourselves

Blog   |   by Paula Abreu   |   July 20, 2012

Have we lost the habit of reflecting on whether our decisions make us happy, resonate with our values, and feed our souls?

WEBINAR: How to Organize an Alternative Gift Fair

Webinars   |   October 23, 2013

Want to build community? Tired of the commercialization of the holidays? Organize an Alternative Gift Fair in your community.

VIDEO: Simplify the Holidays – share this with your loved ones to kickstart a conversation (5 min.)

Videos   |   April 19, 2017

Looking for a friendly way to express your desire to simplify the holidays? Share this video with your loved ones to kickstart a conversation that doesn't leave you feeling like the Grinch.  

Resources

Lists   |   May 31, 2017

Simplify the Holidays

Campaigns   |   May 31, 2017

Four New Books Explore American Consumption

Blog   |   by Dave   |   July 9, 2009

Fostering Connection and Community Through Resilience Circles

Blog   |   by Luka Carfagna and Emilie Dubois   |   September 7, 2011

Two Boston graduate students are building community and increasing their personal security through participation in a local Resilience Circle.

Get Social

Get Involved   |   September 21, 2017

Consumerism, Values, and What Really Matters: An Interview with Tim Kasser

Blog   |   by Lisa Mastny   |   July 29, 2011

 Psychologist Tim Kasser describes his work on materialism and values, and how he’s tried to resist consumer pressures in his own life.

WEBINAR: Bag the Plastic Bag

Webinars   |   September 24, 2015

Want to eliminate plastic bags in your community? Watch this webinar recording to learn how to get started, with examples from Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

WEBINAR: How to Start a Time Bank

Webinars   |   September 20, 2012

In a time bank, a group of people agree to trade hours instead of money. In this webinar, founders of the Community Connections TimeBank, Arroyo Time Bank, and Bay Area Community Exchange share how they got their time banks off the ground.

The Case for Well-Being

Custom Pages   |   December 21, 2017

Why Gift At All? Top 3 Reasons Why People Should Still Use Registries

Blog   |   by Edna Rienzi   |   February 25, 2016

A few years ago, when the New Dream staff started tossing around the idea of creating an alternative gift registry, we weren’t all on board. Most of us had an “ick” sort of feeling when it came to registries. Traditional registries can sometimes come across as a bit tacky or even greedy. Plus, New Dream is an organization dedicated to shifting the ways that people consume—so why were we jumping into an industry dominated by big-box stores hawking more stuff? Wouldn’t we be encouraging people to create more waste and clutter? Read on to learn the top three reasons we were convinced that registries (and gifting) are still important.