Yummy Mummies Back to Work!

Motherhood may be the hardest job of all, and the rewards can be priceless—but they sure don’t pay the rent.  Whether you’re planning your return to work after maternity leave, you’ve been out of the paid workforce for years and are thinking about a new career, or you’re just curious, this event is a forum to address the emotional, professional, and logistical aspects of combining motherhood and career.  Get inspired, get some advice, and get a little time to focus on yourself.  All women welcome. 

Date: 16th September 2008

Time: Start 10:00am – 2:00pm Finish 

Please note: Your punctuality will be greatly appreciated

Venue: Room Manhattan I, Tokyo American Club, Shinagawa 

Address: 4-25-46 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo , 108-0074

Directions to the venue If taking the train and walking - it’s a 15 minute walk to the venue.  If taking this option, first, go to Shinagawa station (approachable via both JR and Metro Lines) and exit via Exit West. Cross on the pelican crossing, in front of West Wing Takanawa West department Store. You are now facing a well known American steakhouse and fish restaurant. Take the road (leading up hill) on your right (Zakuro Zaka). Pass the department store on your left. Continue on the road for 10 minutes until you reach the first set of traffic light and road on your left. If you look up the road you will see the UNICEF building. Take the road on your left and continue on the road for about 10 minutes – you will pass the Epsom Aqua Stadium, on your left along the way. Continue on the road until you see an old Japanese-style brick wall, on it you should see TAC sign on the wall. You’re here!

The club provides a shuttle bus service between Shinagawa Station and the Club on a 10-15 minute basis.

For a map or more detailed directions please go to: http://www.tokyoamericanclub.org/informationNews/directions/index.cfm

Contact details For more details on TAC please call/visit the website: http://www.tokyoamericanclub.org/

Tel:(03)4588-0381       

Fax: (03)4588-0703

E-mail: tac@tac-club.org

Tickets Tickets are 5,000 JPY per person on the day OR 4,000 JPY in advance

Sorry, no children. Non-walking babies and breast-feeding mums are welcome to attend.

Places are limited. To guarentee your place we highly recommend you sign up for advanced tickets. Non-registeration of sufficient attendees may result in the event being cancelled at short notice. 

Sign up for advanced tickets Send a quick e-mail to Pippa Griffiths at pippa@top-notch-group.com  stating the number of attendees and you will receive an e-mail confirmation.

Please pay for your ticket in advance via post or bank transfer.

If you wish to make a balance transfer please send an e-mail request to Top Notch  and mark the e-mail "balance transfer details please." You will recieve the bank details via return mail.

If you wish to pay via  registered post, through the post office, please send the signed and sealed envelope to the following address;106 Fine Court Jiyugaoka 4-14-3 Oksawa Setagaya-ku,Tokyo,158-0083.

Content and Agenda We hope to provide a place where mums can meet, chat and learn a thing or two about getting their careers back on track or finding work to fulfill them. 

Highlights include;

-Our keynote speaker, Elizabeth Handover, will get you thinking about what it is you really want to do and what’s right for you!

-Visa expert Yoko Majima is on hand to help you with all the ins and outs of working visas and setting up your own company

-Practical tips from Jennifer Shinkai, Wall Street Associates, on job search resources and how to use them to your advantage

-Learn the benefits of having the guidance and emotional support of an experienced life coach, with Anne Good

-Personal stories from mums that have been there and done it !

-Win fabulous prizes with your complimentary raffle tickets!

Our Agenda for the event is as follows;

Please check Agenda for updates. 

A bit about our keynote speech and speaker... Elizabeth Handover, president of Insights Japan, is a renowned speaker, workshop leader and successful business owner and has worked with many high profile companies to improve their client and workforce interpersonal communication.  

For more information please visit Elizabeth’s website at www.intrapersona.com . Or for a personal consultation please call           03 5368 0617  or e-mail ehandover@intrapersona.com

Workshop synopsis: “Know yourself; know your strengths – keys to success in the workforce”

When you are thinking about heading back to work, what should you be focussing on? Extensive research over the past ten years shows that communication, teamwork and adaptability are at the top of the list for success in the 21st century workplace. 

This workshop will provide support in understanding your strengths and challenges and your approach to communication, teamwork and adaptability.

Off-site child care available We are encouraging all mums attending to take a break and come along without the kids.

We have two child care practitioners which are providing attendees with off-site child care. Here, we would like to give you a little bit of detail on each;

Chez Vous - Chez Vous can provide you with a professional babysitter at your home for the duration of the event. Chez Vous are providing all attendees to the Yummy Mummies Back to Work with a special promotional discount offer.

For more information, please inquire online quoting Yummy Mummies: https://www.chezvous.co.jp/english/contact/, or call 0120-699-100. To guarantee a sitter, please reserve as soon as possible and at least 4 working days before the event. 

Child's Play International Pre-school -  Child's Play runs a drop off service for busy mums called "Mommy's Day Out" on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays most weeks, at a cost of 13,00 Yen per hour, per child.

To reserve your child's place To reserve a place please get in contact with Naomi at childs-p@rc5.so-net.ne.jp or Tel:               090-2495-8471        

An e-mail/fax registration form will be sent to you. Fill in the form and send it back (via e-mail or fax) to Child's Play. You will be contacted by Child's Play with instruction as what to do next.

Important: Places at Child's Play are limited. Child's Play will only be accepting children aged between 18 months and 3 years of age.

Address: Child's Play is situated at 18-8 Motoyoyogi, Shibuya-ku,Tokyo. Please see link to map http://childs-play.org/location

Contact details For more details on Child's Play please call/visit

Tel:               03-3460-8841               

Website: http://childs-play.org

Refreshments Drinks and a light lunch are included in the ticket price and will be served in the room.

If you are a member of TAC you will be able to enjoy the full restaurant and bar amenities. Non-members are not permitted to use these facilities.

Raffle prizes Enter the free draw for the following fabulous prizes;

- A necklace from The Naked Neck

- A 20% off discount voucher for any image consulting service from The Top Notch Group

- Gift certificate/s for free basket/s of muffins from Nottinghill Cakes and Gifts

- A book on returning to work entitled "Back on the Career Track - a guide for stay-at-home mums who want to return to work" by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin

- A ticket from Furla Yoga which allows the winner to attend one free class. This free pass can be used for any class, taught in English, Japanese, and bilingually. For more information, please see Furla's website at www.furla.co.jp/yoga.

- Free 1 hour personal training session from Michael Geary personal training

Special door prize from Michael Geary personal training - 10% discount on  a package of 6 or 12 personal training sessions, for all attendees. For more details please see http://www.michael-geary.com

Sponsors / Presenters:

-Intrapersona - interpersonal communication training (www.intrapersona.com)

-Chez Vous – housekeeping & babysitting (http://www.chezvous.co.jp/english/)

-Naked Neck jewellery (http://nakedneck.com/)

-Notting Hill Cakes and Gifts (http://www.nottinghillcakes.com/)

-Yoko Majima - immigration laywer (http://www.juridique.jp/)

- Foreign Executive Women - a group for career-minded ladies(http://www.fewjapan.com/links/index.html )

- Wall Street Associates - headhunting agency (http://www.wallstreetjapan.com)

- Eureka!  - eye-opening life coaching (http://www.eurekamoments.net/)

- Child Play’s Mommy's Day Out - an international day nursery (http://childs-play.org)

- iRelaunch.Com - get the widely acclaimed book "Back on the Career Track" by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin or read practical tips and true life stories from women who have returned to work with great success (http://www.iRelaunch.com or http://www.backonthecareertrack.com)

- 7 Seas - personnel training (http://www.7seas.co.jp/english/)

- Amapro – translation, web design, editing and desk-top publishing company (www.amapro.jp) Here’s a recent article on Amapro's special business concept and forward-thinking working ethos.C:\Documents and Settings\FrankJason\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\SLI7OLAZ\C__DOCUME~1_FRANKJ~1_LOCALS~1_Temp_~WRD4052_BUSINE~1[1].HTM

- GEWEL - leadership training for international women (www.gewel.org or www.ImpactLeadershipSymposium.org for forthcoming symposium details)

- FURLA Yoga - a yoga studio which specialises in yoga for mums, babies and working women ( http://www.furla.co.jp/yoga/)

- Michael Geary - personal training in your home or outdoors in Tokyo (http://www.michael-geary.com)

TNG at TAC...

In April Top Notch presented a talk entitled "Dressing your Best for Spring 08" at Tokyo's American Club, Shinagawa.

The aim of the talk was to give international women in the Metropolis, real advice on shopping in Tokyo and demonstrate how wearing clothes that suit your shape will give you the best results!

Here are some photos of the preceedings. 

Above: Podium Girl; Pippa takes the stage to divulge her expertise 

Above: The short and tall of it; Shape matters, but so does height

Above: Model behaviour; Adriana and Yvonne help out with a little elegant modelling 

Other Top Notch Events...

Yummy Mummies Cooking School postponed until the new year

Eighteen lucky yummy mummies will get the chance to try their hand at creating Japanese cuisine with master chef Suzuki.

Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to learn from a master of Japanese culinary arts and hear his first-hand thoughts on the beauty of creating, presenting, and partaking of Japan’s native dishes.

E-mail pippa@top-notch-group.com to reserve your spot.  For more information on this event please go to the "Yummy Mummies Forum" page on this site.

Swop Shop

Does exactly what it says on the tin! A place to swop unwanted clothes and accessories for pieces that really suit you!

Since April we have had a rush of appointments for wardrobe workouts from clients. Many of the ladies who have enjoyed the service have an extensive collection of garments that don’t fit or don’t suit their body shape or colouring.With this in mind, we have designed an event to help you rid your wardrobe of those unwanted clothes in a fun and entertaining atmosphere.

Consultants will be on-hand to help you decide what should stay and what should go and help/referee your swop with other ladies! 

The event will take place on October 4^th 2008 (a revised date than previously advertised to help both working and non-working women attend) at 8pm and the venue is to be announced shortly.

Entrance is 3,500 per person (a new revised price than previously advertised to cover the cost of the venue.) Places are limited to 30 people. Please register by  e-mailing info@top-notch-group.com .

A night out for the Ladies ...Don't you know!