Category Archives: Neuro-Diveristy

Finding socks that fit your sensory needs

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Hello all,

A few weeks ago I decided I needed to get some new socks. This is something I was not particularly looking forward to as I cannot stand wearing socks. Being Autistic means ensuring you are not walking into a sensory nightmare when wearing anything.

An oblong box with the lid closed. Crew logo on the top. Colours white and blue.

Socks to me are too restrictive and the sensation on my feet is offensive. It is very much a sensory nightmare.

Looking online I decided I wanted some bamboo ones as the pair I had already were, surprisingly acceptable. I found that Crew were having a sale which extended to socks. They also had bamboo socks which was brilliant. The colour options I went for were blues and greens, with another pack of vibrant autumnal colours. 

When they arrived I was happy to see they were in little boxes, which we have kept so we can reuse them for other things. We’re not sure what yet, but we’ll find something.

An open oblong box with socks rolled up neatly inside.

After wearing a few pairs this last week I am very happy with the quality of them. They are not too overwhelming, they are keeping my feet warm (but I am wearing these and a pair of other socks- I have circulation issues). The bamboo is soft to touch and I love the colours.


I should point out I am not being endorsed to write this, its just I really struggle with finding socks which make my feet happy. I also believe bamboo is meant to be better for the environment. Please correct me of I am wrong.

Please be mindful that a lot of Autistic people will struggle with sensory issues and this makes choosing clothing, like socks to be a very difficult one indeed. So this has been a big win for me and my sensory needs. I can say I am happy with my sock choice. Thank you Crew!

Thank you for mooching over to my blog and reading my random musings. 

Until next time,
Philippa B. 

First blog of the year

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Hello all,

First blog post of 2023. I have taken a bit of time away from writing blogs as things were very busy over the past few months.

I wanted to write today about what I would like to do over the next year, not so much goals as I am not a fan of goal setting. But more building on what I enjoyed last year.

Last year my blog did better than the year before in that I got a lot more interaction with it which was lovely to see. It is nice to know what I am writing is helping others. I appreciate you taking the time to leave comments.

I would also like this year to continue with my audiobooks. I really enjoy listening to them, when I am just about the house or before bed. I don’t listen to them when I am out and about. That’s more music.

Last year I listened to a lot of audiobooks on Autism, I also listened to some biographies. Then I started listening to books on self compassion. So I am branching out on my reading.

The self compassion ones are nice as they can pair with the books around Autism. I will continue with these this year.

Do you have any thoughts on your year ahead?

Thank you for reading and Happy Musings. 

My Visit to Red Wings

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A while ago I really wanted a nice new pair of sturdy shoes. Th reason being I have had a pair of really good shoes for nearly ten years. These shoes have started to wear, but they are still useable. I just decided I should save up and look around for a replacement.

I know a few people who have Red Wings, they have told me they are ridiculously comfortable and have never had any problems. They work with all their outfits and they look amazing.
So acting on personal advice I looked online for their shoes. The prices, while expensive seemed like a good investment- if they last you the time people have assured me they will. Hear’s to ten years of RedWings.

The pair I saw online were a petrol shade of blue. The design is 6-INCH MOC TOE WOMEN’S BOOTS 3353. I sat and thought about it for a while and struggled to find places where they had them in stock for me to try on. When I am spending that much money on shoes I need it to be right.

When I went to London to visit my brother we went to the Red Wings shop.It was nice inside. All the shoes neatly on display with storage boxes stacked at the end of the room waiting for peoples new shoes to be taken home.

A PAIR OF pETROL blue shoes with white soles on a wooden floor.

I wandered around and I saw the shoes I was looking at online. The lady asked if we were ok and needed anything. I mentioned looking at this particular pair online and that I was considering buying them, but that I wanted to try them on.


She brought me over the size I would need and asked if I had owned Red Wings before. After explaining I hadn’t and that my brother and some friends owned them she told me how sturdy they are and long lasting. She also mentioned the women’s shoes are made from the leather of a cow because the female leather is a lot softer. Then she explained the insoles had a soft cushion.

I laced them up which was easy, my Dyspraxic fingers were ok with the laces. They felt really comfortable as I wandered around the shop. My toes didn’t touch the ends I felt really comfy. Taking them off I decided to buy them. They were the last pair in the shop and Red Wings were not making anymore of them. That was the universe telling me to buy them.

The shoes are placed in individual bags and then placed into their big box. The lady had to get more bags sent from the mens shop. Someone came round and we placed them in the bag. My brother carried the box as we wandered off to get some tea.

The shoes were amazing and I really enjoyed the customer service. She was not pushy, she chatted to us about the brand and made it feel like a great experience. This is what I want when I go shopping. Especially when I am spending that much on shoes.

I am also in no way being endorsed by Red Wings for this blog.

Moose Coffee

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Hello world,

How are we all?

At the moment I am rather tired. So having to work only one day this week is great.

Something which I have been trying to do lately to try and reduce my tiredness is going out and seeing friends a bit more.

Often I really am too tired to be able to do this. Due to sensory overload and the general overwhelmingness of life doing things can be very exhausting for me. So I am trying to go out and do more of the things I enjoy. Like seeing friends.

Last week I went to Moose Coffee and we had a lovely time. Normally I struggle trying new places, but I thought it might be nice to give it a go.

The menu looked interesting and I had seen a delicious stack of pancakes on there so that was a win. While waiting for my friend I checked she would like to go there and she said yes so I booked a table. 

When we got there it was quite quiet, this was perfect for me. Trying new places can be too intense, so the fact it was quiet was a plus.

The space was open and airy and the lighting wasn’t t too bright. We got a window seat so we didn’t have to worry about people passing us on both sides.

The menu was quite small so my friend read it aloud to me. We chose drinks and ordered some water too. When it came to ordering food I chose the pancakes with Nutella and bananas with some syrup. The pancakes  were huge! There were three of them! My friend laughed as I put the Nutella on and asked if I had enough.

They were very soft and fluffy. There was plenty of Nutella, so I caked the pancakes in that. Once I had arranged my bananas I was happy to drizzle the syrup all over the top, lifting some of the pancakes to ensure the syrup went on the ones below.

A stack if pancakes, covered in Nutella, bananas and syrup.
Soft and Fluffy


The service at Moose Cafe was very nice, they brought it all in a timely manner and I did not feel rushed. If you have never been I would highly recommend it. We are absolutely going back.

When choosing somewhere new I tend to like places which will be quiet, or we go at times when we expect it to be quiet.

Being Visually Impaired I tend to rely on others to read my menu. Or I will look at the menu before we go so I know what I want. I did that with Moose Coffee, I saw the pancakes and knew that’s what I wanted.

It was nice to catch up with my friend and spend some time with them. I need to try do this more because it makes me happy. Doing more of the things you love gives you energy. I enjoyed my day. It was great to catch up and we did some shopping as well.

If I have not said already, you should go.

This week I am just relaxing and I am off to London on Friday to visit my brother. I am really looking forward to it.

Anyway, I am off now because I am tired thinking about those pancakes.

See you soon.
Philippa B. 

First Blog of the Year

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Hello all,

So here we are a few weeks into 2022. It’s scary isn’t it?

Well I thought I’d take the time to stop and reflect a little on where I’m at after a busy 2021.

Last year I pushed myself out my comfort zone quite a bit with work and loved it. I’m aiming to do the same this year.

The other thing I really want to do more of this year is listen to more audio books. I know I said this last year. My brother got me another Audible Subscription. I recently finished Divergent Mind by Janera Nerenberg. This book was fabulous. It really resonated with me a lot of the things she was saying.

It can be very tough finding the answers you’ve been searching for for so long and never quite being able to understand. Books like Divergent Mind, Neurotribes By Steve Silberman and Odd Girl Out by Laura James are incurable reads. Which for me, really helped me to understand more of myself which I have never fully understood. But that’s not for this blog…

I don’t normally set a lot of goals for the year, I find when you do, you can get quite down when you don’t achieve them. But I would love to listen to more audiobooks. I want to go to London and visit my brother. I would also love to be able to see more of my friends.

We all know the last few years has been exceptionally hard. I’ve just had a few days off and the other day I got to see my friend who I haven’t seen in two years. We went for afternoon tea. It was lovely. We didn’t hug. Hopefully next time. Stupid Rona. I missed my friend. 

I hope you all have plans for 2022 which you manage to achieve.  Remember if you can’t achieve them all, It’s OK. Set a few loose ones you know you want to achieve. Then you can feel accomplished and feel better.

I’m off now, I have a few things to crack on with. But I’ll be back soon.

I’m on Twitter @PhilippaB