As a stay-at-home mom, sometimes I only get 15 minutes to myself in a day, but during nap times and other short opportunities I fully dive into my tech projects. Here’s what I did this month:
May was full of breakthroughs across multiple categories: Docker stacks, automation bots, n8n workflows, and even upgrading my deaktop GPU. I kept everything moving forward a little at a time. This is my full May 2025 build log.
I built a working script in Python using Undetected ChromeDriver and proxy rotation to automate grocery ordering from Giant. Telegram input triggers a webhook that creates a JSON list, which the bot reads to autofill carts online. Each list is unique to the week and will eventually automate for Wednesday at 1:00pm pickup.
I planned out a complete Docker-based content creation stack with:
The vision is to build a sovereign, modular creative system that replaces subscription services with locally-hosted open tools. This will eventually become part of a public repo.
After two years of dreaming about it, I finally launched Blender on my ancient MacBook using RustDesk for remote access. It’s slow, but it works. This unlocks future plans for cloud-based rendering and local 3D edits from my kitchen table.
shh...dont tell anyone...I started building a stealthy Instagram automation tool that loops follows, likes, comments, and hashtags with randomized intervals. Firefox + Selenium + InstaPy form the foundation. Future updates will include dynamic targeting via scraped Reddit lists.
I wrote a shell script that starts ProtonVPN, launches Tor, and opens secure email automatically. It runs on login or on `./start.sh`. I also explored saving VPN credentials securely and began planning next steps for firewall hardening.
sudo openvpn --config ~/vpn/proton_free.ovpn --daemonI'm planning a job tool that accepts 6–10 inputs, auto-generates resumes, scrapes job listings, and emails applications. It’s both a personal tool and a potential client service for people who struggle with applications.
All DevLogs now follow a consistent styled HTML format with hamburger nav. I improved excerpt handling and form integration with Netlify on Astro. My site now includes styled forms, DevLog archives, and dropdown nav that works on mobile.
I explored what to expect in school: AWS, firewalls, VPNs, digital forensics, and packet analysis. Started building projects that will evolve into my portfolio. Scripts like the VPN launcher will be tracked and versioned.
I upgraded my development machine with a new GPU and SSD, then performed a clean OS install to get a fresh, fast environment. I configured the terminal exactly how I like it:
oh-my-zsh with Powerlevel10k themezsh-syntax-highlighting and zsh-autosuggestionsfzf and autojump for fast navigationCTRL + R to history search (without fzf dependency)
Homebrew was installed at /usr/local/bin/brew (instead of /opt/homebrew) to match my macOS version and avoid slowdown. Everything runs smoothly now and feels like mine.
brew install fzf autojump
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting ~/.zsh-syntax-highlighting
The recurring theme of May was building sovereignty with every tool. I’m not building flashy demos—I’m creating a local-first, secure, resilient system to support creative work and family life.
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