Peace Day

So, today is the International Day of Peace. Didn't know about it? No, neither did I until I saw it trending on Twitter. I wish there had been more knowledge of this and more information passed around because I think it's a lovely idea and something more people should have known about.

So what is the International Day of Peace? It was introduced in 1982, which is weird because this truly is the first time I'm ever hearing about it. The General Assembly of the UN declared it as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace. In 2001 the General Assembly voted unanimously on a resolution which states that the 21st of September would be a day of non-violence and cease-fire.

I did a bit of research and discovered that this years International Day of Peace focus is, 'Partnerships for Peace - Dignity For All' which aims for all segments of society to work together for peace.

Ok, now we know what it is, what can we do to be a part of this day?

• You could make a Youtube video and express your views on Peace. Maybe even get together with your friends and stand up for what you believe in. 
• You could join a peace group, there are lots of them about and you can meet like minded people. 
• You could do a meatless day. Showing peace towards our animal friends. 
• Write a letter, poem or use social network to let those who have the power know how you feel. Use this as your opportunity to get your voice heard. 
• One of my favourite ideas is to just simply make peace with someone in your life. Maybe a friend you fell out with or a family member you haven't spoken to in a while, today is the perfect day to put things right. 

Thank you for reading and let's get more people knowledgeable on this subject, spread the word!

Lottie x

Harsh Reality of Depression

So I said when I started this blog that I wanted it to be as open, honest and real as possible and I'm going to stick by that. However, that does mean that some of my posts won't be happy or particularly pleasant to read and for that reason I am warning you that the following post is not a happy one and feel free to skip it if it's not something you wish to read.

I live in a house with my boyfriend and two of our friends but I would much rather sit in my room on my own.
I am 22 years old however I may as well be an old lady because I pick sitting in and watching tv over going out any day of the week.
I can spend days in my pj's, watching youtube videos and barely eating.
I turn down exciting plans nearly every day and chose to stay in the house.
I rarely do my hair and make up, opting for comfy clothes and slippers over all the nice clothing that I own but never gets worn.


These, and many other things, make up my day-to-day existence. And I say existence because in order to have a life you need to live it and I definitely don't.

I write this post not to make anyone feel bad for me, or to be depressing. I write it because I think it is important for people to understand exactly what happens when someone is in a depression, It's important for us to break down the stigma that surrounds talking about and being open about these topics.

I don't really know what else to say other than this is me today.

Lottie x

Vegan Banana Pancakes

I want to be a vegetarian, better yet I would love to be vegan. However, every time I have tried to transition I have ended up failing miserably.

I came up with a plan to try and introduce new vegetarian/vegan meals into my diet slowly and eventually I should have enough ideas to cut out meat completely!

One of my all time favourite breakfasts is vegan and I want to share it with you today.
VEGAN BANANA PANCAKES. 

So the recipe could not be more simple:

• 1 Banana (Mashed)
• Flour
• Almond Milk (or any kind of dairy free milk)
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Sugar

And that's it! I don't have exact measurements as it really does depend on the size of your banana but you are just looking for a pancake batter consistency. 

Spray your pan with a little oil and cook gently over a low heat for a couple of minutes on each side and viola. Delicious, healthy breakfast. 

I usually serve mine with some chopped up fruit but it's delicious with dairy-free yoghurt too! 

I hope try this recipe and if you do, I hope you enjoy! 

Lottie x 

Bare Minerals for Eczema

I want this blog to be as honest and open as it can be and that's why I'm making this post. I know that Bare Minerals are a highly reputable company who do amazing products that are very gentle on the skin. However, recently I had a bad reaction to one of these products and I wanted to share it with you guys so that you are aware and can just be careful when purchasing them, especially if, like me, you suffer from eczema.

For my birthday my mum booked me in at Bare Minerals to have my make up done professionally. I had been wanting to try this company for a long time as I have quite bad eczema on my face and wanted some make up that could cover it without irritating it. Whilst there, the lady who was doing my make up asked if I would like to try some skin care and of course I said yes! The cream she used was called, 'Purely Nourishing Cream' and as soon as she placed it on my face I felt the heat leave my rash and the redness calmed down. It was such a lovely feeling and I was so excited to have finally found a product that worked! 

Sorry for the stock picture, I no longer have the cream so couldn't take my own. 

I purchased the cream and at £27 for a small tub it was not cheap however I felt that if it worked, it would be worth it. 

Unfortunately, after using the cream twice daily for about a day and a half, I started to get a severe reaction. My eyes swelled up, my lips cracked and my face looked as though it had been burnt. I stopped using the cream immediately however two weeks later my face still hasn't gone back to normal. 

I would definitely recommend that if you want to try this cream to ask for a sample tester first, particularly if you have very sensitive skin like me. This won't happen to everyone and I'm sure for many this moisutriser is a miracle worker, it's just a shame it didn't work for me. 

I did buy some of the Bare Minerals make up and that works wonders for covering up my face eczema and so I will do a blog post of that in the future because it really is wonderful. 

Thank you for reading and please just be careful when trying new products as they don't always work out!

Lottie x 

Sometimes It's Hard.. A Little Hello!

Sometimes it's hard isn't it? This little thing we call life. It can get on top of us and drag us down but we should never let it hold us there.

Welcome to my little space on the internet, 'Living As Lottie'. I wanted to make this to document my life, talk about my struggles and my triumphs, and to help you in any way I can along your journey. I want to talk about my experiences with eczema, mental health and just life in general and hopefully amongst all of that you may find something that interests you, helps you or makes you smile.

So stick around and let's get to know each other!

Lottie x