What Can a Satire from the 1950s Tell Us About Holiday Commercialism?

Blog | by Addison Del Mastro | December 10, 2014

Did a holiday short story from 1956 predict today's rampant commercialism?

Making the Potluck a Success in Today’s World

Blog | by Dale S. Brown | February 7, 2012

Can we reinvent the potluck so it can work in today’s busy, ingredient-conscious world?

What Happened to Self-Reliance and the Do-It-Yourself Ethic? (Part 1 of 2)

Blog | by Addison Del Mastro | June 13, 2012

Fixing things ourselves can help relieve the money stress that many of us feel—but only if we're able to actually do the work.

Top 10 Ideas for a Screen-Free Summer Your Kids Will Love

Blog | by Edna Rienzi | June 25, 2014

Ditch the screen and try one of these proven ways to keep kids active and engaged all summer.

Living the Dream: "Hands Free Mama" Rachel Macy Stafford

Blog | by Edna Rienzi | January 7, 2014

Rachel Macy Stafford chronicles her attempt at finding balance in a media-saturated, perfection-obsessed world on her popular blog, Hands Free Mama.

America the Possible: A Manifesto, Part II

Blog | by James Gustave Speth | July 2, 2012

We need a compelling vision for a new future, a vision of a better country—America the Possible—that is still within our power to reach.

The Atlantic: The Joy of No-Gift Christmas

Blog | by Joe Pinsker | December 13, 2018

Raagini Appadurai, a 26-year-old educator and social-justice advocate living in Toronto, told me that her family—her two sisters, her parents, and herself—made a no-gifts pact this year. “When we remove material purchasing and consumption from the table, we are forced to question what we are bringing to [the holiday] instead—individually and collectively,” she said.

To Succeed, the New Economy Needs the Left, Right, Center—and God

Blog | by Emilie Dubois | July 24, 2012

Who wouldn’t want to live in a place where warmer, gentler versions of economic exchange are the norm? But it's still a hard sell for America.

Have a More Fun, Less Stuff Easter

Blog | by Edna Rienzi | March 22, 2017

Easter doesn't have to be yet another commercialized, excessive celebration. You can still participate in all the fun without the waste and stress.

Challenge Toolkit: Simplify Your Holidays

Custom Pages | March 19, 2018

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.

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