I want to make an update, if anyone cares... I got most of the sensors I ordered, and getting ready to order a whole other slew of them. So far I have BH1750 digital light sensor, a photoresists module, HC501 PIR sensor, a Dallas 18b20 temperature sensor, and 4 neopixel rings.
I have been playing with some basic code, doing some testing and trying to figure out how to use the neopixles and all the cool effects that are possible with them. One of the issues I am running into is everything taking to long to animate or the delay(wait) stuff making everything else take to long.
I am also trying to design the power supply for the entire thing.
I started a thread on that already. link is here