When it comes to setting a course for improvement in the new year, everyone could use a little support. With the dawn of 2015 just days away, 5 Things We Love features items we’re counting on to help us with our New Year’s resolutions.

Capture tasty traditions in writing

Family food traditions are extra special because just a taste of a favorite dish can bring a flood of precious memories. Resolve to keep these traditions alive with the "Cooking Up Memories" book, which allows home cooks to chronicle their recipes and rituals. Blank pages with themed headings — "Tell me the story of how you learned to cook" and "What family traditions about food or meals can you tell me about?" — lead the way. Plus, there are lots of pages to document important recipes. The book is one of a number of "memory books" from U.K. company From You To Me. It’s $19.95 at fromyoutome.us.

—Joleen Oshiro

Learn basics of money management

A new year means a fresh start with my finances, beginning with getting clear of my student loans. Dave Ramsey’s "The Total Money Makeover" ($9.99, www.daveramsey.com) gives step-by-step instructions on how to slowly take control of debt. It showed me how the small money decisions I make eventually could add up to more stable financial footing.

The Mint personal-finance app also keeps me mindful of my spending. You can use it to create a monthly budget for groceries, gas and other expenses, and to pay bills and track investments. The free app provides weekly updates of how I’m doing and suggestions on how to save more money. Download it from the iPhone and Android app stores.

—Jermel-Lynn Quillopo, honolulupulse.com blogger

Train your brain with exercise

Watching friends and family care for parents with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease inspired my resolution to strengthen my brain. On Lumosity.com, you choose what parts of your brain you want to work out — memory, attention, speed, flexibility or problem solving — through simple computer tests and games. Sign up for a free trial — in my case, matching shapes to check speed, making a path for trains to go to their respective garages, and memorizing patterns for memory — to see whether you enjoy this type of brain challenge. The site will track your progress. Prices range from $3.75 a month to $300 for a lifetime of use. There is also a family plan for $8.33 a month that covers five people. I don’t know whether Lumosity will help my brain function in the future, but I can hope.

—Michelle Ramos

Ukulele lessons go underground

For years I’ve said that I should know how to play an instrument, and done nothing about it. The beauty of the ukulele is supposed to be its simplicity — it’s an instrument that’s allegedly easy to learn to play. Well, I’m going to count on that in 2015 and thank the Internet when I’m done. Search YouTube and you can find a wealth of free ukulele tutorials, but there are also plenty of websites dedicated to helping musical neophytes such as myself. Some, such as Ukulele Underground, charge for lessons, and I’m thinking it might be best to pay for a month or two and learn the basics. At $19.95 a month, I can swing it. Now, if I can just figure out how to tune it. …

—Mike Gordon

Shoes mix hiking with recycling

These Merrell women’s Azura hiking shoes are the perfect motivation for hitting the trail in 2015. Made of waterproof nubuck, suede and a mesh upper, they’re fast and lightweight with plenty of traction. The memory foam insole comprises 70 percent recycled materials, with anti­microbial enhancements to guard against odors. I’m looking forward to exploring both familiar and new trails with the help of the updated and expanded "Hikers Guide to Oahu," by Stuart Ball ($21.99, University of Hawai‘i Press). The shoes were $99.99 at Sports Authority.

—Nina Wu