Today’s Mother Essentials star, Tiffany Dufu, is the mama we need right now. While it might look like she is doing ALL the things, she is actually an advocate for doing less of the things, and instead just focusing on the ones that matter most. She’s a mother of two and the author of Drop the Ball: Achieving More By Doing Less, a memoir and manifesto that shows women how to cultivate the single skill they really need in order to thrive: the ability to let go (Gloria Steinem penned the forward, NBD). Dufu has basically made a career out of supporting women and girls—she  helped launch a girls’ middle school, ran a national women’s leadership organization, and was an exec at a tech company built to boost the professional skills of millennial women—and her latest project is the The Cru, a peer-coaching company for women that uses an algorithm to match circles of ten women to collaborate to meet their life goals (applications are open now!). Tiffany lives in Harlem with her husband and two kids—Kofi, 14, and  Ekua, 11—and below, she shares the 12 Mother Essentials of the moment.

Tea From Home. “I live in Harlem but grew up in the Pacific Northwest and this Pike Place Market signature tea always takes me back home to Seattle.” MarketSpice Cinnamon Orange Tea, $7.49, Amazon. 

Virtual Yoga. “I still can’t touch my toes after two years of downward dogging with her but I feel better after every namaste.” Yoga With Adriene.

Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less. “Yes, I had to re-read my own book. Sometimes your own advice is the best medicine.” Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less, by Tiffany Dufu, $7.55, Amazon. 

Dessert for Breakfast. “You can get this gluten free goodness in the oven in less than 8 minutes. I use less sugar and eat them for breakfast and afternoon snacking.” Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal, Chocolate Covered Katie.

EOD Anthem. “This song goes off daily at midnight to remind me to close my laptop and take my butt to bed.” Tina Turner’s We Don’t Need Another Hero, YouTube. 

Super Soul. “To remind me what I know for sure: I’ll get through this.” Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations, Apple Podcasts.

Must-Have Hair Product. “Some people have a fear of public speaking or dying. My worst fear is that Paul Mitchell will discontinue this product that I’ve used to keep my twists in check for over two decades. There was a one-year stash in my closet even before the pandemic hit.” Paul Mitchell Foaming Pommade, $22.67, Amazon. 

Essential Concealer. “This brightens up my face, even if I ditch all of my other makeup.” Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit, $39, Sephora. 

Lavender Essential Oil. “Whenever I’m feeling anxiety I rub it on my wrists and take ten deep breaths.” L’Occitane Lavender Essential Oil, $14, Amazon.

Gummy Sleep Supplements. “What mama hasn’t had some sleepless nights these days? It’s possible a glass of wine could do the trick but I don’t drink alcohol so I’m left with fruity gummies.” Olly Extra Strength Sleep Gummy, $22.24, Amazon. 

Heath Care 2.0. “The best membership to have during a global health crisis.” One Medical.

Fortnite. “Otherwise known as parenting when you’re quarantined with tweens.” Fortnite, Google Play.

For more Mother Essentials, peep our past columns with 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!