Search for "Material"
Helping Your Kids Embrace a “More Fun, Less Stuff” Holiday
Blog | by Edna Rienzi | November 7, 2017
New Dream's Edna Rienzi shares six tips for how she gets her family on board with a simpler, yet more meaningful, holiday season.
Guest Registry: Curated by Elizabeth Dunn & Michael Norton
Blog | by Elizabeth Dunn & Michael Norton, authors of Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending | May 21, 2014
In the Guest Registry series, SoKind asks our friends and supporters about their favorite SoKind gift ideas. The result? A collection of creative and inspiring guest registries! Enjoy.
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.
Question Consumption This Thanksgiving
Blog | by Guinevere Higgins | November 9, 2018
New Dream's Guinevere Higgins outlines four ways you can think more deeply about your Thanksgiving holiday and create a more authentic and meaningful experience for your family and friends.
Strategies for a New Economy: 10 Takeaways for All Americans
Blog | by Lisa Mastny | June 21, 2012
Is it possible to create an economy that prioritizes both human well-being and Earth’s natural systems? The movement has already begun.
Helping Your Kids Give Back: 11 Fun Holiday Service Ideas for You and Your Family
Blog | by Edna Rienzi | December 6, 2012
Looking for ways to incorporate volunteering into your holiday season? It might just be your family’s favorite memory this year.
How Commercial Buddhism Is Hurting Buddhism
Blog | by Christina Lewis | September 18, 2019
In American society, where consuming is championed as the cornerstone of civilization, it is difficult not to give into the commodification of minority cultures, especially when it promises happiness and the furthering of our uniqueness.
A Roadmap to a New Economy: An Interview with Gus Speth
Blog | by Lisa Mastny | March 8, 2012
Speth talks about the need to reshape the political and economic system to work better for all Americans.
Helping Teachers and Their Students Think About the "Stuff" They Use
Blog | by Shara Drew | September 19, 2017
Susan Salterberg talks about her work helping K-12 educators design creative lesson plans around consumption, well-being, and sustainability.
The Gift of Connecting with the Past
Blog | by Moira Silva | December 7, 2018
New Dreamer Moira Silva shares the experience of creating a truly meaningful gift for her family: the gift of interviewing her great aunt.
How Two Women Followed Their Passions and Became "Green Bag Ladies"
Blog | by Pamela Lamp | June 6, 2018
Since the founding of this nonprofit group in 2008, volunteer “bagettes” have cut, sewn, and given away more than 46,000 reusable cloth shopping bags.
TIPS: Simplify Valentine's Day
Resources | by New Dream | April 14, 2017
Check out our Simplify Valentine's Day resources to help you “reboot” Valentine’s Day into a day focused on kindness and generosity.
Solutions to the Pandemic Are Hiding in Plain Sight
Blog | by Ashley Colby | June 8, 2020
Normally, in times of crisis, we look to the technocrats—highly trained doctors, technologists, and bureaucrats—for answers. What if we looked to how communities take care of each other instead?
Avoiding the Trap of Holiday Consumerism
Blog | by Isaiah Johnson | December 7, 2018
New Dream Youth Fellow Isaiah Johnson details the true costs of holiday consumerism and outlines five things you can do to avoid its traps.
Gale Student Resources in Context: How the American Dream Has Changed Over Time
Blog | June 23, 2016
According to a survey from the Center for a New American Dream, 78 percent of people considered personal freedom extremely important in their vision of the American Dream. At the opposite end, 23 percent considered achieving affluence as very important.