Search for "Material"
CATALOG: More Fun Less Stuff Gift Catalog – 100s of fun, low-cost, non- material gift ideas you can use today!
Resources | by New Dream | May 14, 2017
An alternative gift catalog for those who want to wrap their holidays in more of what matters—meaning, connection, and joy—and less of what doesn’t (stuff, stress, and waste). Categories include gifts for kids, spouses/partners, parents/grandparents, young adults, new parents, and the whole family.
What Is "Enough"? Achieving the Right Balance in Our Lives and Families
Blog | by Suzita Cochran | December 5, 2011
Whether it’s a material item like shoes or a non-material one like free time, how do you know when you have enough of something?
GUIDE: Family Celebrations: A More Fun, Less Stuff Guide to Life's Joyful Events
Resources | by New Dream | November 1, 2017
Our newest guide provides inspiration and practical tips for you to plan special celebrations that reduce waste and expense, emphasize meaning over material goods, and strengthen relationships. With specific sections on: The Year-End Holidays, Birthday Parties, Baby Showers, and Community-Building Celebrations.
Does Your Town Need a Happiness Initiative?
Blog | by Lisa Mastny | November 17, 2011
What if you could accurately measure the happiness of your community based on parameters like physical health, material well-being, and time balance?
Consumerism
Topics | June 26, 2017
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.
POLL: New Dream Holiday Poll 2005
Resources | by New Dream | January 11, 2005
In 2005, New Dream conducted a national poll about the holiday season. The survey showed that most Americans wish the holidays were less materialistic and believe that the holidays should be more about family and caring for others, not giving and receiving gifts.
Never Too Early for a (Green) Halloween
Blog | by Kim | June 18, 2009
Want to Change Your Life? Change How You Consume
Blog | by Chris LaPlante | June 6, 2017
Take Back Your Time's Chris LaPlante describes the pitfalls of consumerism and explains why we can all benefit from cutting back.
Tips for a Greener, Simpler Halloween
Blog | by Lisa Mastny | October 11, 2017
Halloween is big business. Avoid the hype and direct your energy, $$$, and creativity toward a greener, simpler holiday.
The Case for Well-Being
Custom Pages | December 21, 2017
First Earth: Uncompromising Ecological Architecture
Blog | by Lisa Mastny | August 10, 2011
A documentary film about a paradigm shift to building healthy homes in ancient ways.
Voluntary Simplicity: Reimagining the Good Life Beyond Consumer Culture
Blog | by Lisa Mastny | July 22, 2011
A new analysis of "voluntary simplicity" dispels some common criticisms that it is an escapist, hippie, or leisure-expansion movement.
What Would It Take to Shift Our Gifting Away from "Stuff"?
Blog | by New Dream | October 9, 2017
Learn more about New Dream's research on the barriers and benefits to giving gifts of experience rather than "stuff."