Ronni Estrada831 Summit View Court Corona, CA 92882Phone: 951-907-6300 E-Mail: estrada.ronni@gmail.com

ObjectiveTo use my diverse skills and abilities to gain an entry-level position in an area of communications and marketing.

ExperienceKaiser Permanente, Rancho Cucamonga, CA – Pharmacy Technician March 2011 - Presentn Inputting, filling and compounding prescription orders.n Medical chart verification.n Communicating with administrative personnel, nurses and physicians.n Assisting patients in prescription pick-up.n Working efficiently as a team with fellow pharmacy technicians and pharmacists.

Chic Little Devil Stylehouse and PR, Los Angeles, CA – Public Relations Intern August 2012 - Present

n Sent follow-ups and invites to clients n Assisted clients in wardrobe stylingn Assisted in fashion show preparationn Delivered products to clients houses n Contacted magazines for credits

Glen Eden Sun Club, Corona, CA - Server May 2011- September 2011n Assisted in preparation of breakfast, lunch and dinner.n Trained new employees.n Created new signs and advertisements for club use. n Served café patrons.n Assisted in coordination of special events.

Kaiser Permanente, Ontario, CA – Pharmacy Assistant February 2009 – March 2011n Extensive knowledge on Medi-Cal and Medi-Care billing systems.n Assisted in patient prescription pick-ups and check-in.n Managed a daily cash drawer. n Performed data entry and filing.

Sam’s Club, Corona, CA – Cake Decorator June 2006 – May 2009n Assisted customers in cake ordering.n Prepared and completed cake orders.n Ordered and managed inventory of decorating supplies.n Managed large volumes of work.

Home Depot, Corona, CA - Cashier May 2005 – June 2006n Managed a daily cash drawer.n Cross-trained in paint and garden department.n Participated in monthly inventory.n Assisted in customer service.

Color Me Mine, Corona, CA – Team Lead February 2004 – August 2006n Ordered and managed inventory.n Exhibited leadership skills.n Assisted in preparing monthly schedules and employee evaluations.n Taught private ceramic painting classes.

Target Express/LJE, Pomona, CA – Data Entry May 2005 – May 2006n Entered bills of lading.n Extensive 10-key entry.n Scanned and uploaded bills of lading to company’s website.n Assisted in dispatching.

EducationCal Baptist University - Riverside, CA 2012 – Present

Perusing a Bachelor’s of Arts in Communication Studies with a concentration in organizational communication and public relations.

Anticipated graduation December 2012

California State University, Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA 2011 – 2012 Studied Communications with a concentration in organizational communication and public

relations.

Riverside Community College – Norco, CA 2008- 2010

Awarded an Associate’s Degree of Applied Science in Social and Behavioral Studies.

Irvine Valley College - Irvine, CA 2007-2008

Completed coursework for Pharmacy Technician certification online.

California State licensed and registered Pharmacy Technician.

Completed retail externship through Walgreens drugstore.

Skills Proficient in Windows and Mac operating systems and programs.

Ability to efficiently type 73 wpm.

Extensive 10-key entry.

Six Tips for a Better Night’s Rest Are you getting enough sleep? Lack of sleep is a real problem that can cause real problems for people. Losing sleep can have undesirable effects on your body, mind and mood, but here are 6 ways to gain control and get a better night’s sleep.1. The bedroom is for sleeping only.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends using the bedroom for sleep and sex only. Using your bed only for sleep or sex helps to strengthen the association between bed and sleep. Do not take computers, books, work material, or televisions into the bedroom, your body will think that the bedroom is for being awake if you bring other activities in.

2. Set a bedtime and stick to it. Sticking to a bedtime can be difficult for people with varying schedules but is essential to create a routine. Creating a routine helps your body to achieve sleep easier naturally.

3. Exercise regularly.Exercise is not only good for our health but it also helps us to fall asleep easier and sleep more soundly.

4. Do not eat 2-3 hours before bedtime.  Eating too close to bedtime can cause you to stay awake. Some foods can cause heartburn and indigestion, which may keep you awake, while fluid intake can result in trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

5. Do not take troubles to bed. We all have a lot to think about and deal with in our lives, but the bedroom is not the place to bring those troubles. In order to decrease bedtime troubles it is suggested that you write down your thoughts to help get them out of your head.

6. See your doctor. If after adjusting your life to achieve better sleep isn’t working see a doctor. It is possible that you are suffering from a sleep disorder. The sooner you know what is wrong the sooner it can be fixed.

InStyleAttn: Editor- Erik JacksonTime, Inc.1271 Avenue of the Americas18th FloorNew York, NY 10020 Mr. Jackson – Did you know that the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will only be a 1 percent increase in jobs between 2008 and 2018 for aspiring fashion designers? As you know the fashion industry is a very competitive field where only the strong survive. I would like to introduce you and your readers to a brand that has made a name for themselves in this tough economy and competitive industry; a brand story that I think would be an excellent contribution to the Features section of InStye. In this 1,000-word feature your readers can relive the trials and tribulations of a shoe designer breaking out of the box the industry has placed him in to venture out on his own.  In this feature readers will learn about a new brand, as well as what it takes to be among the best designers in the industry. 

I am a freelance write and blogger, I also currently run the marketing department of ZzyxX Shoes and feel that a feature in your magazine about our brand would be beneficial to both of us. Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely,

Ronni Estrada

 

We all want them, but where to find them? Cheap College Textbooks

As a college student textbooks are a necessary evil. When you enroll in your courses your instructors will have already selected the textbooks that are needed to successfully complete the course. Sometimes the list of required textbooks is as long as your arm (okay well maybe not that long but you get the idea). When you are going to school full time and working a full time job that isn’t exactly paying you by the truckload you need to be able to find cheap textbooks.

But where can you find cheap college textbooks? Where is a place that a student

can go and get their monies worth? You have all been to the college bookstore and have seen the prices; clearly those are not cheap textbooks. You could also go online, find someone through Craigslist; but how do you know you aren’t being ripped off or that the person you are buying from isn’t some sort of creep? Or you could do a book rental, but then that seems like throwing away money because you can’t even sell the book back to get a portion of your money back. It seems like the publishers are trying to do their part by offering alternatives to the standard textbook; these days you are able to get eBooks for your iPad, Kindle, iPhone, etc. They have also come out with loose-leaf versions of textbooks that are supposed to save you money because they don’t have binding. While all of these alternatives seem like good options it is in your best interest to check out www.cheapbooks.com before deciding where to get your textbooks.

Cheap college textbooks are hard to come by, but at cheapbooks.com you are able to do book price comparisons and see which format is best priced for you and for the textbooks that you need. This website offers you the ability to buy, sell, or rent your textbooks on their safe and secure website.

Happy Dentist; Happy Teeth

If you are like most, you wait to see the dentist until it is already too late. Statistics show that last year 34% of Americans didn’t even see the dentist at all; not even for a simple cleaning. If you are putting off seeing the dentist you are actually doing yourself more harm than you are doing good. Skipping dental visits can lead to more serious problems in the long run; having your teeth cleaned and checked regularly is vitally important to your health. 

A lot of people do not like going to the dentist because they are afraid of the pain that they might feel from whatever procedure the dentist is performing on them. Would you believe that a new form of dentistry is on the rise? Gentle dentistry. Gentle dentistry was created to help make the experience of a trip to the dentist more pleasant and virtually pain-free trip. 

You read correctly; pain-free.

Pain-free dental work is possible with the use of today’s finest technologies. Dentists are able to put away their loud, metal drills and replace them with lasers that are able to get the same job done in less time and with less noise and pain. Pain-free dental work is no longer something of our dreams it is now a reality. 

Here at www.happydentist.com we match you up with a dentist that suits your needs; one that caters to you. If pain-free dental work is something that you would like to receive from your dentist please visit our site and let us match you up with a provider in your area to schedule your appointment today; your smile will thank you.  

Perfect Ending

We all know that Summer ended September 21st but the days and nights surely haven’t gotten the message; which I am perfectly content with at the time being. A couple of nights ago Chris and I went to a Wilco concert at the Hollywood Bowl (if you have never been to the Hollywood Bowl, you MUST go) and it was perfect. The Hollywood bowl offers outside seating under the stars, where you are free to bring in your own food and beverages to enjoy while you marvel at the amazing acoustics that the bowl has to offer.

When I bought the tickets to see Wilco I initially did it as a gift for Chris and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to appreciate the live performance that the band had to offer, to my surprise I really did have a good time. Although there were a few songs that tugged on my heart strings I can say that it was an experience I was glad to have.

Wilco was the perfect event to mark the end of our Summer; for me it was back to school and for Chris it was off to China for work.

It has been only 5 or so days since the concert and I cannot stop listening to Wilco, my mind goes back to that night and of the good times that I was able to have with my friend before having to get back to the real world. If you aren’t familiar with Wilco I suggest checking them out, Chris and I have dubbed them “Old Man Rock” if you see the band and listen to their tunes you will know why. I can’t think of any other band that sings about doing the laundry and mowing the lawn and does it so

well and makes it rock.

r

10/3/12

The Journey of Film; the   beginning

Since the day that I packed up and moved out I still find the occasion treasure or surprise; a few weeks ago I came across these two rolls of film. Immediately I wanted to get them developed I seriously stopped everything that I was doing, threw on some clothes and headed to Sam’s Club to get them developed at the one hour photo. To my horror, Sam’s Club (as well as Target, Wal-Mart, CVS, etc) no longer develops film!!! When I asked the girl behind the counter at the photo center where I could go, she said  ”I didn’t know anyone still used film, that’s so old school.” I was partially annoyed with her response but mostly didn’t give a shit if she thought it was “old school” what is wrong with using film?  What is wrong with film? Seriously. I do not understand why is it becoming obsolete. Because digital is better? but it is really? Is it really better that digital takes away all the raw elements that film gives us?

Personally digital is not my thing, sure it is convenient for instant pictures and sharing but there is something about being able to have the negatives in your hand, raw and unaltered. I have this theory (don’t jump all over me) that people who have never developed their own roll of film cannot appreciate it as much as someone who has. There is a certain amount of love and dedication that goes into developing your first roll of film, that same passion translates into the images that are printed, ESPECIALLY when you can print them yourself. There is no place that I would rather be than in a darkroom. I haven’t been in a darkroom in ages and I miss it, the musty smell that hangs in the air, the cold darkness, something about it makes me really happy inside.

I am getting off topic… I love film. I love developing it. I love negatives. I love tangible evidence of my memories.

So after having my mind literally blown that no one develops film anymore I decided to get on trusty google (where would we be without google? That’s a topic for another day, surely) When I would drive down to Long Beach a couple times a week on 2nd street I always passed this shop: Fromex Photo & Digital. I initially was excited upon seeing it and thinking that of course downtown Belmont Shore would house this awesomeness but never ventured further into it until a few weeks ago. So after my google search I found out that Fromex offer film developing services, you mail in your film (with their FREE shipping label) and the corresponding paperwork and they get it develop it, print it, scan it to a CD, or what have you, charge your card, and mail it back.

AMAZING!

So these little babies will make the journey to Long Beach tomorrow and hopefully be back to me in a week’s time or so. I cannot wait to see the memories that have been locked away in these tiny canisters. I am beyond overjoyed that Fromex exists and that they are not letting film and film developing die.   I will make sure to share the images when they come back. My guess is that the images on those rolls are easily 6 years old. Hopefully time hasn’t stolen my memories.

until next time

r

p.s. please check out all of the awesome things that Fromex has to offer www.Fromex.com

The Journey of Film; the end

So my film took the trip from Fromex in Long Beach all the way back to my happy

little hands this last week I anxiously awaited its arrival and when it finally came I could hardly wait to tear open the package, it took all of me to not demolish the packaging before I took a picture.

Fromex offers a variety of services and thankfully they offered film developing. The process was ridiculously simple, I printed out a form to tell them what I wanted, then printed out the packing slip (Fromex so kindly paid the shipping to them), threw my film in the package and mailed it off.

When they got my film they called me immediately because I didn’t fill out the form to the fullest and I was a bit confused as to what my film actually needed (keep in mind my film was easily 5+ years old) the girl who called was super helpful explaining to me exactly what they could do for me. Once we got all of that settled I just had to wait for my film to come back.

So one roll came back with images on it and to my surprise those images were easily from 2004-2005; 7 years old, way older than I had initially thought that they were, I was actually a little bit amazed that it was they were that old. The images were nothing as exciting as I had hoped for but it was a nice blast from the past.

The second roll sadly was blank, I actually had higher hopes for that roll because it was a roll of black and white and I really have a deep love for black and whites photos. There is something classic and simple about black and white photos and I think that a lot of people just don’t understand or appreciate it.

I really wanted to keep this entry short and sweet and let you all know how mailing my film in went, if you cannot find a place to do I say mail it to Fromex

Now for some images from the roll of film that was able to processed…

When I was living at home I had these little star string lights over my bedroom window, and apparently I took this picture in some attempt to be artsy

The thing that I loved about this film that I used is that it was grainy and kind of washed out, the pictures have an older feel; an almost midsummer day feel to all of the images regardless of where and when they were taken. This picture was taken up the street from my parent’s house where they were doing construction.

And last but not least is a picture of my ex beloved hamster Leland.. he was a fat, fat long haired teddy bear hamster that; he was the one that got away, or out I should say, and my mom made me get rid of him. I kind of forgot about him until I saw the pictures, so much for beloved…

til next time

r

I came across this little clipping when I was looking for crafty stuff for Chris and I to use to make business cards for his shoe company; www.zzyxxshoes.wordpress.com and it made me realize that the things I love were no longer being my escape. They were become just another obligation that I had to do during the day. I am all about having a routine in order to keep same but when the things that bring me peace have to be penciled in is when things need to be changed. I love to paint and I love to go running and I love to bake. There are so many things that I love to do that I find I don’t have the time for anymore. So I decided that has to end and I will do the things I love because I need an escape just as much as anyone else. What do you love? And what is stopping you from doing it? Nothing should stop us from doing what we want and what makes us happy. So make some time this weekend to do something you haven’t done in a while, something that makes your heart happy. I know I will. And I will start off by blogging on a regular basis.

Freelance assignment #1

For this assignment I made a profile with Elance. I had no idea these sort of outlets existed; I am surprised but then again not entirely.

The person that I placed a proposal to is the owner of a website for surfers and paddle boarders (www.surfpaddlezone.com) On Elance you post a proposal to the person that has posted work available for hire. When you place your proposal it costs coins, so it seems that you must be selective in who you decide to propose to because your coins are limited within a free account. You are able to buy more coins if needs. Most of the jobs that I looked at wanted the person proposing to find them outside of elance, maybe so that they do not have to pay for more coins, or pay elance for the services that they are looking for. That seemed a little bit unprofessional and strange to me. I understand that a lot of people do that to avoid unnecessary costs but I feel that it makes the company/person come off as cheap or sketchy in their business relations. Proposing to the jobs was a little intimidating, if your profile isn’t stellar who knows if you will get a message back, the person could look at your profile and portfolio and dismiss your work with the slightest of ease.

From this experience I learned that there are people out there looking for freelancers. Whenever I read about freelancing I always am under the impression that jobs are few and far between and that only the best of the best get hired. I think that this experience has boosted my confidence in finding work and being able to build a better portfolio.

Shortly after proposing to the surfpaddlezone.com I received a reply, they are looking for a long-term poster to be paid per 20 posts, we are currently in negotiation on pay per 20 posts. I must admit that I have no idea how much the average rate per post is. I don’t want to short myself but at the same time I have no idea what the scale is on this sort of job. I wish that there were a set of industry-recognized guidelines for this sort of thing like there are for hourly work or rate per words.

Included below is a screenshot of the posters request for work and my proposal.

Freelance Assignment #2

As I mentioned last week I made an account on elance.com, I bid on a job for a guy

who just started a discussion forum on surfing and paddle boarding. He was looking for someone to go in and post on the board to keep it active and to help bring new people into the discussion. I bid for the job and was offered the job. Over the past week I have been posting on the discussion forum at www.surfpaddlezone.com on the board I interact with the other users and I also post reviews on surf shops, gear, locations, etc. that I think that people of his community might be interested in. Currently the forum is very, very small there are only about 20 members but the forum has also only been live for about a week. When I was offered the job I was asked if I would be willing to commit to something long term. I agreed to do it because I am always on the computer and I love discussion boards, it seemed like an easy way to make a little bit of extra cash. Posting on the board is also nothing like what I expected a freelance gig to be like, it is vey laid back and at my own pace. I do however feel bad that I am being paid to talk to people of the surf and paddle board community when I do not regularly participate in these activities. I do however have a lot of friends who do surf all of the time and I do hang out with them and go check out surf related events and stores so I don’t feel too bad posting on the board. For last week’s assignment I mentioned that I was a little concerned about what the appropriate price point would be for something like this. I am pretty sure I went really low with the price but we agreed to 50 cents per post, I need to post 20 posts in a week’s time; that gives me an easy 10 dollars each week with the option to earn more. Tonight I was emailed by the owner of the site and he asked if I would be interested in writing an article for him about an upcoming paddle board event that will be taking place this week, as well as an article announcing the opening of the website that he is going to have his networking connections post on their websites, blogs, facebook pages, etc. We are currently talking about pricing for that and I am trying to figure out where to fit it in with my crazy schedule. I clearly have not mastered the rejecting portion of freelancing. I feel like with this project I can’t help but say yes because I love when people have a dream or a goal and they actually set out to do it, I want to help him succeed and that is why I can’t say no. I haven’t decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing, time will tell. Overall this has been an interesting experience over the past week, I never actually thought that anything I bid on would amount to anything. I am excited to see where this goes and to see what kind of connections that I can make through this experience