With only 75 days until the most important presidential election in history and with five states holding primaries before then, voting, politics, and the future of our democracy are top of mind for many of us. When we cast our ballots over the next few weeks and months, Simona Grace wants us thinking about moms—about electing them and about voting for policies that support families. In 2019, Simona founded Moms in Office for this reason—to help progressive moms get elected at all levels of government through formal endorsements and campaign contributions.

The idea emerged in 2018 when Simona—an immigrant from Hungary and single mother to son Luke, 10—noticed a lack of representation of mothers in Congress after the mid-term elections. At that time, only 25 out of 535 members of Congress were women with children under 18, and only one of them (Katie Porter) was a single mother. Today, Grace is doing everything in her power to shift these numbers.

You can check out Moms in Office’s latest endorsements and advocacy work by following along on Instagram. And you can peep the “Mother Essentials” of the busy mom—of an almost-fifth-grader!—right here.

Moms Are Essential Masks. “Moms in Office created these masks to help endorsed candidates who had to suspend canvassing and meeting voters face-to-face. All proceeds go directly to the candidates’ campaigns. Also: each Los Angeles sewer that assembles the mask receives fair wages, and the masks are sourced with 100% American-made cotton, they are super soft, washable, and reusable!” Moms Are Essential Mask via Moms In Office.

Magic Eye Cream. “I use this eye treatment every night because these days I get most of my work done past 10 p.m. and, as a result, I often don’t look exactly well rested in the morning. This treatment compliments my night rest.” Kypris Ad Astra Nighttime Eye Cream Emulsion, $150, Nordstrom.

Go-To Concealer. “This is a great concealer. For the days that I don’t have time to do my makeup, I use this, mascara, and lip balm.” BarePro 16-Hour Coverage Concealer, $24, BareMinerals.

Economic Dignity. “I am currently reading this book by Gene Sperling, former director of the National Economic Council in the administrations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Sperling makes a case for the kind of reforms that our country needs right now, reforms that would allow people to take care of their families and pursue their potential. It’s a timely and important book to read about the path our country should take toward recovery during times of uncertainty. This book is as much about compassion and morality as it is about economic policy.” Economy Dignity by Gene Sperling, $25.76, Bookshop or Amazon.

Dressing Up With Nowhere To Go. “I am working from home, homeschooling my son, and dealing with twice as much housework as usually. On most days, it is leggings or sweatpants for me. Once a week, I try to dress up anyways because it gives me a sense of normalcy and boosts my mood. This Veronica Beard dress is one my favorites.” Alvaro Dress, $195, Veronica Beard.

Echo Dot For Kids. “My son really enjoys listening to bedtime stories at night and the Echo Dot has tons of kid-friendly content. It also gives me peace of mind because parental controls are built in. We use it to remind my son that he has a Zoom lesson coming up.” Echo Dot Kids Edition, $39.99, Amazon.

Becoming on Netflix. “I really enjoyed this documentary, it gives a glimpse into Michelle Obama’s life after the White House. I don’t know if I should admit how many times I watched the scene when Barack Obama walks on stage during Michelle’s book tour to surprise her with a bouquet of flowers.” Becoming by Michelle Obama on Netflix.

Dry Shampoo. “One of the benefits of working from home is not having to wash my hair that often. It’s also nice giving my hair a break from the curling iron. This dry shampoo is my favorite for so many reasons. It is affordable, smells amazing, and it really revives my hair.” SGX NYC Dry Touch Volumizing Dry Shampoo, $6.99, Target.

Aspiration Plus Debit Card. “I changed the way I bank because I wanted to make sure that my actions and spending align with my values. Aspiration is a socially conscious online bank and they never use my deposits to fund fossil fuel projects. My Aspiration Plus Debit Card also has a Plant Your Change feature, which means that I can plant a tree with purchases on my debit card by rounding up the purchase to the nearest dollar. The feature that I appreciate the most these days is my digital card—I can make in-person payments without contact with another person.” Aspiration Card, $0 to $7/month, Aspiration.

Anytime Moisturizer. “I look forward to my skincare ritual everyday because this face cream smells amazing and it can be used anytime of the day. It is infused with botanicals and it gives my skin a nice glow.” Kypris Beauty Puff of Love Anytime Moisturizer, $165, Nordstrom.

Tea Time. “I enjoy a cup of hot herbal tea at night while I am catching up on reading.” Organic Chamomile Tea, $11.99, Groundwork.

FDR on Democracy. “Now more than ever we need to remind ourselves of who we are and what we need to do to make America more equal. I find the words of FDR really inspiring and this collection is expertly curated by writer and scholar Harvey Kaye.” FDR on Democracy: The Greatest Speeches and Writings of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Harvey Kaye, $22.99, Bookshop and Amazon.

Movie Night. “My son and I love movie night once a week and sometimes he lets me pick the movie. We recently saw Onward and we both loved it.” Onward, $2.99, Amazon.

Voluspa Candle. “This really makes my home smell amazing and I love the glass bowl.” Voluspa Yashioka Gardenia Candle, $33, Amazon.

Running. “It feels nice to be outside and disconnect, even if it is just 20 minutes. I think it makes a big difference.” 

For more Mother Essentials, peep our past columns with Weelicious and One Potato founder Catherine McCord, mega-influencer Chriselle Lim, Matana Organics founder Gabriela Babila, interior designer Susan Work, author Tiffany Dufu, Les Gamins founder Veronique Nguyen, Lonny editor Angela Tafoya, Wiley Body founder Vanessa Wade, DockATot’s Roma Patel, designers Anna Wallack, Cynthia Rowley, Rebecca Atwood, and Dana Haim, Olympian Alysia Montano, cookbook author Hetal Vasavada, model and muse Slick Woods, children’s author Serena Minott, clean living expert Kristian Henderson, Oakland retail queen Sherri McMullen, wellness influencer Joanne Encarnacion, author LaTonya Yvette, and many, many more!