I've received two NodeMcu Lua WIFI Dev Boards to start playing around. To date I was able to get some Blynk code working with the built in LED's. I followed up by setting up a DHT22 sensor and building a small webserver on the esp8266, it stayed connected and reported temp/humidity on my LAN for 3 days straight before I re-programmed it. I've had fun troubleshooting the code and programming the modules, and I use that term loosely for now as programming for me is in it's infancy, it's more combining different sources of code from google searches and trying to make them work and compile in Arduino IDE haha.

Two nights ago I got the module to send emails using smtp, and last night I finally was able to combine the sending the temp and humidity in an email. That's exciting for me as it involves setting up WiFi, setting up the sensor, getting the temp and humidity and placing it in the body of an email, and sending the email. I haven't automated the process yet, that's my next step, it is manual right now by typing "e" in the serial monitor to send an email. I haven't found how to send emails in intervals or when certain events happen. Those are my next two goals.

Eventually, my first live sensor project will a laundry notification system. Our laundry machines are in the basement and the washing machine will turn off halfway through the cycle if it's uneven. We don't often hear the chime and by the time we check the laundry smells and needs to be re-washed. So I will build a sensor that reports to us when the washing machine stops running.

I have a few options:

1) using vibration or movement with an accelerometer

2) current sensors

3) using a photo resistor and some LED's on the washing machine.

I think the laundry locked LED will be my best bet since it unlock's when it's uneven or finished. I want to use an email notification to tell us it's done.