FUN. Be brave, be bold, be independent.

Independence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population. (I like to say it’s being in charge of yourself.) Independence also does not come without courage, spark and sometimes leaping before you actually look… (I just made that up.)

A few Fourth of Julys ago (when I was only one baby in) I promised to always light my own firework… independently. Now with two babes, I often have trouble even finding the damn firework, much less figuring out how the hell to light it with the matches that I seemed to misplace somewhere. But every so often, I’m internally motivated by that promise I made to myself and do something terribly-rash and wickedly-fun… until I’m required to report back home for my ongoing duties. My independence has been CURBED. I’m not complaining, but that’s the truth. Like so many of us, personal independence suddenly requires careful planning and a babysitter that often costs more than the actual ‘thing’ you’re looking to do. Lighting my own firework has gotten complicated.

So about a month ago, with Independence Day again looming, I decided to channel my neglected independence and do something bold, fearless and as close to fabulous as I could pull off without totally losing my head: I decided to do my very first charity event. In a swift decision I named it ‘Littles Who Lunch.’ 

The vision in my head: moms, their littles, outdoor lunch, summer fun and some kind of charity drive for a children’s non-profit organization… ‘Have fun and do good,’ I thought. Charity? Check. In recent years I’ve fallen in love with the children’s medical charity Operation Smile (my husband is a volunteer surgeon). And thanks to the FABULOUS team at Southern California’s Americana at Brand (in Glendale, CA), the details were wrangled. Done. My little firework was LIT.

But I won’t lie: I was PETRIFIED. Sure, the invitation was designed oh-so-darling, it was a great cause to support and was a fun and meaningful way for moms to kill a few hours with their tots on an otherwise mundane summer day, but…. WHAT IF NO ONE CAME? With bravery comes independence. I forged ahead. Be brave. (Afterall, one of Operation Smile’s spokespeople, Brooke Burke, makes it a habit to do things that scare her.)

Littles Who Lunch finally happened last week, and turned out just as I’d hoped (minus the intense LA heat). The Americana fountains were flowing, Deluca’s Italian Deli’s lunch spread was deeee-lish, the donation bins were FULL…

We ended up having about 25 moms (a mix of my TV friends, blog friends and supporters of this site) PLUS their kids… mostly toddlers. Okay yes, it was a zoo (but a fun zoo)… a worthwhile zoo. KTLA-5’s Ginger Chan (LA’s morning news traffic queen!) navigated her way through balloons and enjoyed a little lunch with her tot on a little bench.

Fellow blogger/TV personality Jill Cordes chased her son (who chased bouncy balls) around the property…

My friend and KTLA-5 Weekend News Anchor Courtney Friel relaxed on the grass with her two adorable toddlers and dodged giant bubbles in full makeup (since she was going to work right after)…

Fellow Right Start Mom Kate Wilkinson wowed us all by bringing her toddler AND baby boys – and handling them so gracefully – BY HERSELF. Miss Movies herself spoon-fed her new little guy baby food on a blanket. Yahoo’s Diane Mizota even dropped by without her “little” just to say hi and support. My own mom made sure LadyP didn’t jump into Americana’s fountain (even though LilMiss fell in one of the bubble-pools and had to get stripped down naked at the end).

Despite the sweat dripping down my back and my last few weeks of exhaustion (prompting me to do sketchy things in parking lots), I suddenly found myself content, purposeful, motivated and inexplicably refreshed that day – I felt like my old independent self. I believe it was because of the smiles. The smiles on the moms, on the kids, on the Operation Smile staff & former pint-sized patients that were there. All those smiles lit my firework that day. It’s said that doing something good also makes you feel good. I am not ashamed to admit that I sometimes forget those words, but I’m happy to say I remember them now. Thank you to the women and “littles” that opted to do something good with me that day. You are fabulous to the 100th degree. This Independence Day, do something good with your kids. BE A FIRE-STARTER. BE BRAVE. BE INDEPENDENT.

WHAT LIGHTS YOU UP?

A big thank you to Americana at Brand for providing the venue and fabulous food for this most special event. For a complete overview of shopping, restaurant and family fun options, visit AmericanaatBrand.com. Operation Smile is an international children’s medical charity that provides surgery for children and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities, as well as patients suffering from burns. To make a donation (of any amount), visit OperationSmile.org.