Want a life that matters? Start acting like you matter. Here's a magazine that will help you take control of your life.

Forget Martha Stewart—Barbara McNally is the real deal. Champion of nontoxic food, decor, clothing and thought processes . . . heroine to her wildly committed subscribers . . . McNally gives readers a mix of facts, practical advice and down-to-earth musings on her struggles to live real. The Utne Reader

A Real Life inspires and heals me as it softly coaxes me to be better and better. In short, A Real Life offers regular reminders about the power of individual choice in this big world, plus a discerning directory of the best of all kinds of businesses and products. It is a trustworthy connection. Jayne Dillon, a reader in Utah

A Real Life magazine is really quite wonderful. It breathes, which is a rare and good thing. Bill McKibben, author and environmentalist

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I used to give away my power.I fell for messages like these that blare at us every day, acting as if some authority was handling things, someone else was the big judge. The more I listened, the more my life felt life-less. What about all the precious things that were being lost in the name of material success, looks and convenience? Gradually it dawned on me that if I wanted things to be different, then I needed to take charge—of my own life and my part in creating our culture.

It's not easy trying to make a home, a relationship, a wholesome meal, a well body, a healthy mind, a family, a living. Especially without the supports people could once count on. I know, we are literally up to our ears with "helpful" information. But in many ways, we are more lost than ever because much of it has been severed from any meaning or purpose. There's a lot of garbage out there—a giant heap of marketing in the guise of advice. Rarely does it seem to have our interests at heart. Never before have people been so dependent on information from sources they don't know, don't trust and who don't share their values. In 1996 when I started this magazine, my 9-year-old son Zach asked me what A Real Life was all about. It's about holding on to what really matters, I answered—choosing to make time to guide our children and help them find a place in the world, taking the few extra minutes to make food that is healthy and safe and sitting down to eat it together, allowing some breathing space to create and participate, making the choices necessary to keep our water and air clean and our home less toxic and more human, and making sure there's time left to be thankful and to spend with the people we love. He sat in great thought for a minute (who wouldn't after an answer like that), and said, "It sounds like a better life to me."

The issue is not really time. And it's not money, either. Living a real life takes courage, reprioritizing, and commitment. This publication was put together—with no ads, no hidden agenda, no illusions—by people who care about what's good for all of us. Our goal is to share ideas that work for us, and give you the support and confidence to follow your instincts and create demand for what you value. Behave as if you have power. Start at home—with simple questions: Do I need this? Is there another way that's safer, more considerate, less wasteful? What message am I giving with this decision? Thoughtful cannot be synonymous with alternative any longer. Through our choices, we must let business know that our priorities must be their priorities. We can't make a difference if we don't act as if we can. Let's get real and see what happens. Barbara McNally

You're not going to find A Real Life on the newsstand. Most people hear about it from a friend. Get connected. Get A Real Life

from The Whole Way To Eat We are hungry. Not for calories—there are more than enough of those—it goes much deeper than that. The hunger is for nourishment—for the aesthetic value of real food, the satisfaction of eating together, the assurance that what we're putting in our mouths is life-sustaining and safe. And we're scared. With good reason—there is too much cancer, too many people with heart problems, weight problems, teeth problems, too many people living into old age without quality of life . . . the truth is we know how to eat to be nourished, vital and alive, just as we've known for thousands of years. Eat whole . . . But technological success has made us cocky. We think we can fix everything—turn to science for an overhaul. . . None of us are perfect, that's for sure. But our bodies are remarkable—the very finest technology—ready to fight back, to protect, to heal. If—and it's a crucial if—they get what they need to do the job. We can't eat food that is not whole, and expect our bodies to be whole. This is not a trendy new way to eat—just the opposite—it's the way we were meant to eat. We deserve whole food. Have we forgotten that we have a choice?

more Nourish Fast Food That's Not Junk A Good Cookie Shopping Where People Care How To Feed The Kids Healthy Food Skimming The Fat Respect: Choosing Good Animal Products

from Clear Out A little of the pack-rat urge is in all of us. It's hard to part with things—there's that tug of maybe I'll wear it next year, or use it for a party, or need it for my next life. The problem is, too many things can keep you from having that next life. Think of the time you spend shopping for things, ordering things, storing things, sorting things, cleaning things, fixing things, rearranging things, getting rid of things. So many resources wasted—our energy, time, money and packaging—all in fooling around with things. Who has time to change, create, take risks—when we have all our things to consider?

more Make your home live Ms. Clean Is Back: The Best Natural Cleaning Products Need To Know: Plastic Choosing A Table The Lowdown On Carpet The Nature Table Getting The Bugs Out

from Great Grass Don't let the green fool you—most of the 25 million acres of lawns in this country are sick, all pumped up with potent chemicals. . . The deadly effects don't stop next door. The 67 million pounds of poisons used on American lawns each year end up in storm drains, in drinking water, and in the food chain. I know, we have enough to think about. We want convenience and easy yard maintenance. Non-toxic lawn care will mean work, work, work. Wrong! We've been brainwashed. Caring for your lawn naturally takes less work, less time, and less money.

more Common ground Seed Sources Every Little Bit: Organic Flower Delivery Getting Your Garden off Drugs Why Drink Good Coffee? For The Birds

from The Best Mom I had a friend in California who was just the sort of mom I thought I should be. She had three children, didn't work, cooked wonderful meals, was a whiz at projects, and never seemed to be in a rush. I'd watch her strolling along contentedly at the snail-pace of her two-year-old, and become consumed with self-reproach. There I was, dashing around, working, making quick meals, hurrying Zach along as I did errands, coaxing him to pedal harder so I could run faster on the bike path . . . Whenever I'd come home from visiting my parentally-perfect friend, I was sure I was a wash-up as a mom. I'd immediately bake some cookies to feel better. Of course, I'd answer work calls and put away groceries while I was making the cookies, but hey—at least I made them.

more New life How To Say No These Toys Are Us: Natural Toys Divorced With Children Do The Kids Need Fluoride? Time To Heal: Understanding Ear Infections

Nothing else quite like A Real Life exists. More elegant than a newsletter, but not slick like a magazine, the ad-free bimonthly reads like a long letter from an informed and supportive friend. The tone is intimate and honest. Hope Magazine

from Take It Back—Responsibility For Your Health We don't expect health these days—good health is viewed as exceptional, as a stroke of luck. . . In our efforts to feel some control over our health, there's a great temptation to latch on to dogma—whether it be conventional or holistic—to turn to the latest chemical or natural drugs we know nothing about, to try extreme eating philosophies, or to react by blowing it all off in frustration . . . Of course we need to turn to people who have knowledge of specific subjects for help . . . But to stay well, we must also turn to ourselves. We are the experts when it comes to our health . . . the part of us that speaks from faith rather than fear, and helps us discriminate between marketing and sound advice, between information and wisdom, between trendy solutions and common sense.

more Practice health Do Less To Your Skin and Hair Whoa, Nellie! Healthier Feminine Products Do We Need Vitamin Supplements? Calm Down: Dealing With Stress

from Just An Illusion Our culture denies the nature of reality. It holds out a promise that you can live in an ideal world where things come easily, a world in which unpleasant experiences can be avoided, where there is never a lack of immediate gratification. Worse, it suggests that if you do not live in this world, something is wrong with you. This ideal world is a realm of illusion. No matter how promising this world seems, it does not exist. . . Can you live life with its conflicts, uncertainties and disappointments and somehow feel good about yourself? You can. But it requires a completely new orientation.
more Evolve What Children Need Loving The One You're With Out Of The Blues: Beating Depression Rising Above Envy

	Words of inspiration from some of our country's wisest, most caring experts: Laurel Robertson, Dr. Phil Stutz, Ann Lovejoy, Wendell Berry, Dr. Jim Blechman, Yvon Chouinard, Eliot Coleman, Sally Fox, Dr. Susan Love, Bill McKibben, Dr. Margaret Mellon, Nell Newman, Susun Weed, Joan Dye Gussow, Larry Rosenberg. more Open mind

A Real Life stretches me, challenges me, comforts me, makes me think, makes me mad, encourages me, keeps me accountable. I truly love this read. You have made a difference in my life. Tracey Burgard, a reader in Pennsylvania

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