The date draws closer and closer - it's almost holiday time! You've bought a new summer dress and a pair of clean, shiny flip-flops and completed your pharmacy haul - sunscreen, etc, check. There is, however, a dark cloud hanging over your vacation excitement - packing.

I have honestly never met anyone who likes packing: it's almost guaranteed that a conversation with anyone before they go abroad will be about how much they truly loathe packing, accompanied by a universal collection of sighs and nods of agreement from anyone involved in the chat.

If you're like me, you wait until the night before the flight to zoom around your home as quickly as possible, piling all necessary (and unnecessary) items into your suitcase. I usually pack around three outfit changes per day - 'just in case' - when in reality I pretty much live in one bikini, one pair of sandals and a handful of outfits I wear on rotation for the entire duration of my holiday. Over-packing is usually my crime of choice - overestimating the amount of things I need and going way above that luggage weight limit, whilst simultaneously forgetting to pack something important (usually a phone charger and aforementioned sunscreen purposely bought for the trip.)

I have come to realise that there is usually a purpose for those sensible life lessons that have been drilled into us by our elders: making lists being one of them. It's true, a list written by hand does jog the memory for things perhaps forgotten, and itemising things and being able to cross them off one by one is pretty satisfying.

From the first holiday on which we took our daughter, I vowed to be a bit more organised about the whole chore of it all. I decided to write a list of things I needed to pack and it did, in fact, help the daunting challenge. From then on, I decided to tackle packing head-on to hone my skills. There are a few rules I use to simplify the whole experience - ways to make the unbearable task of packing slightly more bearable.

1. The Tried and the Tested. I have a pair of high-waisted 'repurposed' Levis shorts that I bought online and which I simply can't go wrong with. I have worn these babies for years: on top of a one-piece bathing suit for by the pool, throwing on a basic white tee during the day, or tucking in a sheer cami top for the evening. Bring items that you frequently use and feel comfortable in. Holiday wear is not about reinventing the (fashion) wheel.

2. Bejewelled. One or two pieces of jewellery go a long way in a holiday wardrobe. I love to take my Chopard Happy Diamond white gold necklace everywhere: it creates instant glam for the evenings. If you are an earrings girl, some summery hoops look great with floaty dresses and salty beach hair.

3. Footwear. You know the saying 'give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world' - well, it's pretty well spot on. All you need for any holiday is just two pairs of shoes...really! There is nothing worse than wasting valuable suitcase space on shoes you won't even wear once.

4. When you've narrowed down the shortlist of key players for your summer hol, lay them out on your bed and follow Coco Chanel's golden rule: remove one item! The more minimalist you go, the more room there is in your luggage for any holiday purchases...it's a win-win.