Each year, I resolve to try a couple new things. Whether it’s something as simple as cooking a new recipe or something as challenging as learning to play the ukulele or use a power tool, it’s exciting to discover what you are capable of when you try. I may doubt myself and stumble along the way, but in the end, I’ve faced a challenge, uncovered a new strength, or even failed miserably. Either way, the sense of accomplishment is thrilling.

In the article, “Stop Yelling!” writer and editor Lydia Rueger shares one of her own goals for 2019. Seeing that her parenting frustrations can sometimes lead to yelling—which rarely gets her the result she hopes for from her kids—she set out to reduce the yelling in her own house and replace it with more useful responses. She spoke to local parenting experts and shares their tips and strategies. It’s a goal that many of us can relate to.

Another resolution that many parents share is getting a handle on the household clutter, once and for all. From the day you come home from your first baby shower, you realize that kids come with a lot of stuff. You wonder how you will ever use all of the sleepers and onesies your tiny baby received, and then life with baby begins. Stacks of onesies give way to baskets of toys, shelves of books, and bins of memorabilia. Before you know it, the kids’ stuff has gotten out of control. Writer and mom of two boys, Heather Mundt, went on her own journey to uncover secrets to simplifying all of her kids’ stuff. Read the expert tips she discovered.

This issue also includes tips for family finance, ideas for indoor and outdoor winter fun, and a list of local spots where kids and adults can enjoy a weekend brunch together. Whatever your 2019 resolutions, this is a great place to start.