ARE you guilty of throwing everything into your suitcase at the last minute?
Or perhaps you are one of many Brits (32%) who likes to be prepared, and takes the day off before your holiday to pack.
Either way, pre-holiday prep can feel stressful, even for organisation guru and mum-of-three Jemma Solomon – who is the sister of Sort Your Life Out’s Stacey.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Jemma, who is famously known as the @label.lady.1 on social media, shares her top packing tips and how to tackle that dreaded post-holiday washing pile.
Jemma reveals: “I’m going on holiday in July, and I’m going for the first time without my husband – I’m going with my children and we’ve got to fit four people’s clothes into one suitcase.
“I’ve got to condense [how much stuff we can take] – otherwise I’m going to be carrying 18 suitcases around on my own!”
Jemma says: “I think we overpack out of fear, going on holiday you’re away from home, so you can’t just nip into a cupboard and get something out.
“We tell ourselves ‘just pack another few because then I’ve got them just in case’.
“But the reality is, if you’re on a holiday with no washing facilities, it’s all coming home in the same suitcase and you end up with mounds of extra washing, extra housework, extra stress.
“Swimwear is one we all overpack and probably evening outfits – the clothes we like to wear for dinner.”
New research from Google reveals over half of Brits (56%) admit they’ve over-packed their bags in the past and nearly a quarter (23%) confess to overpacking every single time they go on holiday.
“Don’t chuck it all in,” she adds. “It’s not going to help anyone, you’re going to end up with creased clothes and not knowing what exactly is in your suitcase.
Jemma, who says she will be calling on the help of a new app called Gemini AI to fix her packing dilemmas, adds:
“Do have a list – when I used the app for holiday packing, I really like how it gives you a list when it provides the answer – it doesn’t give in a paragraph, it lists each item under a section and this makes packing easy.
“Do try a packing hack,” she explains. “I think they all work, but for different reasons – and you’ve just got to pick the right one for your trip.
Rolling your clothes is really good to stop your clothes from getting creases.
Jemma Solomon
“And if you’re trying to get a lot of items into your case, it’s a space saver.
“Packing cubes are great – for example, I’m going on holiday with my three kids and we’re all using the same suitcase for our clothes.
“These handy compartments let you separate your clothes, toiletries and tech into designated cubes, maximising luggage space by keeping your items compressed and neatly stacked.
“I love taking them abroad with the family and it means my kids can easily take charge of their own items once we’ve arrived.”
When it comes to travel essentials, Jemma says it all “depends on what type of holiday you’re going on” but “definitely suncream”.
She adds: “Making sure you’ve got enough swimwear items too. I say minimal makeup – it’s an essential but minimal.
“But also because I’ve got children, I like to take things like games, as a mum it’s a travel essential. To have games round the pool is perfect.”
Google’s AI assistant now available on Android and iOS
Gemini aims to supercharge creativity and productivity by helping users write, plan, learn, research and more, all through typing prompts in its chat box.
This means holiday-goers can tell Gemini where they’re flying to and with what airline, and ask it what they need to bring with them.
It will then share recommendations based on their trip, the weather and the baggage allowance of their airline in seconds.
“Hope for the best!” Jemma jokes. “I always say to my children, we have our suitcase which we pack together.
“My girls are getting older, they’re 11 and nine, and they enjoy helping to pack. So I send them a list, and say ‘this is what you need’ and they follow the list.
“And then I give them a rucksack each – and say to them ‘you can have whatever you want in there as long as it’s not liquid’, and they can take that on the plane. And that’s their ‘home away from home’ items.”
Before you even step on the plane to return to Blighty, Jemma has a top tip. She says: “First of all, when you repack on holiday [before coming home], the trick is to separate clean from dirty clothes.
“Also pack it in some form of order – so lights, darks, colours for items that need washing, or if you wash your clothes by person in the household, piles for each person.
“Then you can put it straight into the washing machine. Do it straight away, don’t leave it.
“Do try Gemini – it’ll help you avoid overpacking and dodge airport fees for excess or heavy baggage.
“I simply tell it where and when I’m flying and with what airline, and it shares my baggage allowance, the weather forecast, and what sort of clothes I should bring to fit the climate.
“It’s that easy.”
To try it for yourself, visit gemini.google.com or download the new mobile app for free from Google’s Play Store or download the Google app on the iOS App Store.
