Some of you will be lucky enough to be having a holiday this festive season, not me I’m afraid… I’ll be very busy scooping homemade ice cream in my little store in Tirau, but when I do go away I am a pretty good packer.

Over the years with travelling, I have been able to simplify packing while still taking plenty of options, so I thought I’d share with you a few tips on how to pack for your holiday, wherever you maybe heading.

First you will need to consider where you are going. A beach holiday is quite different to a holiday in the city, so it’s important to pack for your destination. And then there’s the weather which is very changeable here in New Zealand so you still have to pack for the what if’s. However, you have to be careful about too many what if’s. I have a very dear friend and we often go away together and she packs for a lot of what if’s.

You do have to be practical when packing, and I think the best way to do that is to have a functioning wardrobe like I spoke about last week, then pack that in a smaller version. Basically you’re wanting to keep a small colour palette then you can take less shoes, maybe wearing one pair and possibly packing the other. This will work well for other additions like accessories and jackets as well.

A smaller colour palette also helps with mixing and matching, while still getting as many options as you can so that you don’t feel you’re wearing the same thing all the time.

This season, I am loving dresses as you can have a completely different look or colour and it’s one and you’re done... as long as it goes with the shoes! You don’t want to be packing extra shoes unless they are perhaps special ones. The best thing about dresses is that you can dress these up by simply changing the shoe and replacing a larger casual bag to a smaller one.

None of us are too keen on ironing on holiday so iron before you leave, or even better choose fabrics that are wash and wear. Pack all your other essentials depending on your destination, normally this includes a phone charger and glasses. I would also recommend a portable umbrella any time of the year.

Great holidays are so much better when you’re not lugging bags and bags of stuff around - just like the dress perhaps… one and you’re done. Let’s hope!