Author Archives: Shannon Wakeland

About Shannon Wakeland

Shannon is a freelance writer and stay at home mother who resides in Charleston, South Carolina. She enjoys going to the beach, reading, spending time with her family and of course writing. At the age of 30, she went back to school and finally after four years, finished with a Bachelors in Information Technology. However, she has since realized that computers is not her forte. Writing is what she loves and as a naturally creative person, Shannon is pursuing her dream of writing and finishing a novel. Her family includes a husband of ten years, a nine year old son, one dog, three cats, and two fish.

Saving Time By Saving Documents

For those of you who are married and have had children, remember registering at the various stores for certain gifts and such? Recall how frustrating it could be trying to figure out what you wanted, the quantity, and the color of that item? Let’s skip ahead a few years – there is a tragedy involving your home, everything is lost. Not a very happy thought, but it can happen to any of us. It may be a home fire, tornado, hurricane, or even a flood. Now imagine the days following these events and everything you will be doing and what … Continue reading →

Preparing for Technology Issues: Online Billing

Computers are almost a necessity these days. Everyone has one. There are many of us who use this technology to our advantage, especially when it comes to bill paying. I’m guilty of it. Paying bills and checking balances online is only a click away. What’s not to love about it? It’s easier and faster than worrying about putting a stamp on an envelope and then having to mail it. Not to mention, it’s less paper right? I know that in my house, less paper is a good thing! However, what would happen if your computer suddenly went cahoots on you? … Continue reading →

Preparing For Car Trouble

Has your car ever broken down on the highway? Or maybe even on a long stretch of road in the middle of nowhere? To make matters worse, it is dark outside and you have the kids in the car. Years ago it happened to me. Luckily, my son was at home with his father. If he had been with me, I know the situation would have been a lot worse. At the time, I did not have a cell phone. I can hear it now, “What? No cell phone?” Yeah, that’s right. Can you imagine breaking down and not having … Continue reading →

Am I Prepared for the Ritalin Debate?

Am I prepared to argue the Ritalin debate? A few weeks ago, my son’s teacher sat down with me and spoke to me about his focusing problem. I’m a fairly open-minded person and listened to what she had to say. Sure, my son struggles and gets frustrated easily with school work. But does that mean he requires Ritalin? I decided to give it a shot. We went to the doctor and even he was reluctant to prescribe anything as my son did well on his last report card. I explained then that even though he did just fine, it was … Continue reading →

Preparing For A Puppy

Puppies are so soft and adorable, aren’t they? I remember when we first got ours I rarely kept my hands off of her. They have that little puppy smell and all you want to do is love on them. Watching them waddle around, getting use to their new environment is such a joy. They tire so easily and when they do, your lap is the best bed ever. The weeks go by. The cute little puppy is now bigger and a little terror! The house has become a disaster area – newspapers are shredded, torn into little pieces ands strewn … Continue reading →

Preparing to Become a Caregiver

Are you prepared to be a caregiver? Several years ago, my grandmother moved in with us. She has since passed away and I will always remember her with fond memories, however there were times when I wondered if I had taken on too much. I know now that at the time I was not properly prepared to care for her and my family at the same time. At least not without pulling my hair out! It took months for me to catch on and to figure out what I should have done differently in the beginning. Her move into our … Continue reading →

Preparing for the Big Test

It’s the night before the big test and I mean BIG. Not only am I anxious, but my son is as well. I have to wonder if he is well prepared for what will be on this extensive Social Studies test. I have to admit that part of me is a bit perturbed at the teacher for having such a lengthy outline of what the students may expect on the test. These kids are only in fourth grade and already have to know so much information and in so little time. However, I do realize that teachers have guidelines to … Continue reading →

Preparedness: When Mom Is Sick

Personally I find that being prepared in case of an emergency is very important in my household. What kind of emergency? The day I woke up with a terrible stomach virus! Ugh! Not a good day. To make matters worse, I was unable to perform my daily morning routine and that was considered an emergency in my family. At the time, I didn’t care a thing about what needed to be done or how it would be accomplished. However, my husband… well, that was a different story. He was a bit lost. Ever since, I have made it a point … Continue reading →

Preparing the Adult for College

A few years ago at the age of 30, I decided it was time for me to finish my degree. Oh, why did I not do this sooner? It would have been so much easier if I had finished in my early twenties when I was single and didn’t have a child at home. But oh no, I had to do it now. For months I tossed the idea around. My dear husband supported me, but I could hear the hesitation in his voice. I didn’t blame him, as we both had other responsibilities to consider. Not only did we … Continue reading →

Hurricane Preparedness

As long as I live, I will never forget that feeling of helplessness when Hurricane Hugo hit home. Living in Charleston, SC, it was rare that we ever had to worry about tropical storms, let alone hurricanes. However, the day had arrived and we did have to worry. The weatherman predicted strong winds, heavy rain and high surges. It was going to be bad… real bad. How bad? We never expected it to be as bad as it was. I remember walking outside the next morning thinking it looked like a bomb had landed on my street. People were walking … Continue reading →