How to kick off your post-baby job hunt in style

The prospect of looking for a job after months - or even years - at home raising your children can be scary. You may feel like you've completely lost touch with the old 'work' you, and even a glimpse of your former office wardrobe can trigger a growing sense of dread (partly because you suspect little of it will still fit...).

But it's not all bad news. Relaunching your career is not just a chance to pick up where you left off - it's an opportunity to re-evaluate what work means to you, and actively choose a position that fulfills and excites you.

To ease yourself into a new job hunt properly, it's important to consider what you want from a job, and exactly what you have to offer. And as luck would have it, we've put together a helpful article helping you do just that. Learn the three key questions you should ask yourself before you start sending out your CV to all and sundry.

If you need a little morale boost when considering a return to the workplace, why not find out why working mums actually perform better, too?

And just to show you how we think of everything, here's some advice on what to wear when relaunching your career after maternity leave!

Thank Primal Detox it's Friday

Finally it's Friday. Night of guilt-free wine, homemade pizza and Coronation Street double bill. And given that between Kary and I we have only managed five and a half hours of sleep in the last 24 hours, hopefully it'll also be the night of eight hours of blissful rest.

But no one has looked forward to this day quite as much as our freelance writer Lucy Mason. In the past seven days she has voluntarily given up alcohol, fruit, chocolate, caffeine - basically pretty much anything pleasurable - in the name of Primal Detox. 

And given how grumpy Lucy can be when deprived of life's essentials (wine, chocolate and tea) it's not been the best week to plan a big career relaunch. Find out why in the latest installment of her diary of a mum returning to work. 

How we found the time to create Talented Ladies Club

If there's one thing every mum on the planet probably needs more of, it's time. Let's face it, most of us barely have time to dress in the morning (or in my case yesterday remember to put on makeup).

So we thought we'd share some of our top time-saving and time-making tips. Some of these are tactics we ourselves depended on to put Talented Ladies Club together. I personally banned myself from Facebook (which saved me several hours a week!) and woke up at 4am every day for several months on end to work on the website.

In fact it's amazing at how much extra time you can find in a day if you really try - and how much you can accomplish in it. Don't believe us? Read our time-saving advice and try it for yourself!

Why starting a business can put a smile on your face (even in this weather)!

On a May day when snow is possibly forecast for parts of the UK, and the rest of us are warned to expect a month's rain in a day, we need some good news to cheer us up.

One little ray of sunshine - especially if you're not in the job of your dreams right now - is a survey of female entrepreneurs by RBS. The survey found that women who ran their own businesses felt more confident and contented with their lives. (Apparently when it comes to setting up our businesses we're also quicker off the mark than men.)

So if you've been dreaming of escaping full or part time work and starting your own business, our news story should put a smile on your face! You'll also find plenty of good advice to help you make that dream a reality on Talented Ladies Club. Shame we can't do anything about the weather though...

Where DID she get that glow?

Our fashion editor always looks glam and glowing (or at least she does to us in our 'throw it all together two mins before the school run' way). And last week we finally cracked and asked her what her secret was. After all she claims to have two anti-sleep children and no time for an elaborate beauty regime. It turns out, her fabulously smooth complexion is down to a quick, six step morning make-up routine. 

Being kind people we couldn't keep this kind of gem to ourselves. So, for the benefit of all other harassed, time-and-sleep-poor working mums, here is the secret to a glowing complexion in just minutes!

Adventures of a single working mum

Saturday afternoon - the perfect excuse to sit down with a nice cup of tea (kids allowing!) and catch up on the first installment of our brilliant diarist and freelance copywriter, Annie Corbett. Adventures of a single working mum charts the worries and joys of being a working mum and possible owner of an inherited greyhound. 

So if you haven't had chance to read Annie's first installment, check it out now while we get part two ready to go!

Follow the ups and downs of a mum returning to freelance work

One of the purposes of Talented Ladies Club is to inspire women to continue to pursue their ambitions once they have children - and find flexible work, freelance opportunities or new business ideas that can fit in with their family's needs and commitments.

So we're very excited that one such mum - former freelance writer Lucy Mason - has agreed to share the ups and downs of jumping back into the world of work after having three children.

You can read the first installment of her diary here, as well as lots of other inspiring real life stories of mums who are already running successful businesses and managing thriving freelance careers. Who knows what their stories may inspire you to achieve??