Rania Kfuri displays the travel system she created for her company Free Like Birdie. The system, available online, is geared toward traveling with young children. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay)
WESTFIELD – For Rania Kfuri and her husband Rony, traveling with their children is part of life.
The couple often travels overseas to visit relatives and Kfuri grew up traveling around the globe with her parents. Trips to Europe and the Middle East were a regular part of Kfuri’s childhood, and she treasures the memories made with her parents.
Kfuri, who calls Westfield home now, grew up in Baltimore and has lived abroad and in Chicago, and settled in Westfield to raise her two young daughters.
She and her husband continued Kfuri’s family tradition of traveling together and along the way, Kfuri realized the travel system she really wanted just didn’t exist.
“I used to take zip-loc bags with me everywhere,” Kfuri recalled.
Wanting a better solution for traveling with young children – especially children in diapers – and to be more environmentally friendly than the plastic bags that were a suitcase staple, Kfuri decided to create her own travel bags.
The result is Free Like Birdie, a company that offers a travel system diverse enough for globetrotting, or an overnight at Grandma and Grandpa’s.
Birdie is the nickname of Kfuri’s oldest daughter, and when creating her bags, Kfuri realized she wasn’t just making a suitcase, she was making it easier for people to provide adventures for their children. In essence, she wanted to help other families be free to explore, just like her Birdie.
“Travel is such a great educational tool,” Kfuri said. “Whether you are taking a trip on a plane or in a car, going overseas or around the block, the adventure starts when you walk out your door.”
A passionate traveler, Kfuri said being an efficient packer can make or break any trip with children. The Free Like Birdie Weekender bag is the largest of the three bags currently offered. It can fit several days worth of clothing for a child and has the exclusive Clean/Dirty options.
On one side – the “Clean” side – smooth grommets allow air to flow through the bag, which helps keep clothes fresh and allows the packer to squeeze out excess air and pack more items. The “Dirty” side is where, well, dirty clothing is packed once it is worn. This side has no airflow which means it keeps smells inside. This, said Kfuri, can be a lifesaver when traveling with children not yet potty trained.
The Quick Change Clothes bag features the same Clean and Dirty system on a smaller scale and can be used as a carry-on to keep an extra outfit or two handy when traveling on a plane, or it works just as well for a trip to the grocery store.
“I keep one in my car and I also send them to preschool and daycare with my kids so they can have an extra outfit in case they need it and the dirty outfit stays separate,” said Kfuri.
The smallest of the three bags is the Quick Change Diaper Pouch and Pad. This is exactly what it says and includes an extra large diaper pad that is a soft, Minky fabric on one side and a waterproof fabric on the other. Kfuri said the pouch is great for traditional diapers and cloth, and eliminates the need for a “wet bag” for cloth diapers.
Another unique feature of all the Free Like Birdie products is they are waterproof and smooth so little fingers will not get cut or scratched on any of the bags’ elements. The Weekender and Quick Change Clothes bags both feature a packing chart for babies so parents don’t forget the little things, such as footie pajamas and a brimmed hat.
Kfuri is proud of her products and said they are very well made. As a mom, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I wanted a high quality product so it would last,” she said.
All the bags can be machine washed and dried and come in a neutral emerald green. And while they are geared toward traveling with young children, the bags have use beyond the kindergarten set. Even adults can use them for weekend trips or a day at the beach – with the “dirty” side of the bags being the perfect spot to stash a wet bathing suit.
Free Like Birdie launched its brand last week at the New England Air Museum. While Kfuri probably could have made a bigger splash launching in a large metro area, she wanted to be close to home.
“I really love living in western Massachusetts,” she said. “We can be in Boston in about an hour and New York in two hours. We love to go to Rhode Island and Vermont – there is so much beautiful nature and history here. And it is a sophisticated area.”
Kfuri told her husband, a physician, that as long as they live in the United States she plans to stay in Westfield.
“I encourage everyone to take full advantage of our area – there is so much to do,” she said. “It is rich with history, and even going to Stanley Park can be an adventure and a learning experience. This is a beautiful, special place.”
Kfuri’s idea to create a system of travel bags for families has grown to include the Birdie Blog and travel tips. Free Like Birdie recently participated in People Magazine’s Royal Worthy Baby Gift Bag and gifted a travel system to Prince George.
For more information on Free Like Birdie or to purchase a bag, visit www.freelikebirdie.com.
