You know how it goes – sometimes the simplest problems require the most complex (and fun!) solutions. Lately, I’ve been diving deep into a new personal project: building an automated chore chart for my kids. The goal? To make chore management smoother, more visible, and eventually, a whole lot smarter. And of course, to sneak in some cool tech along the way!
At the heart of this system is **MySQL**, a robust open-source relational database. Think of it as the brain of the operation, storing all the chore details, who needs to do what, and when. Paired with MySQL, I’m using **Flask**, a lightweight Python web framework, to create a simple backend. Flask’s job is to serve up an HTML page that dynamically pulls the latest chore information from the MySQL database and presents it beautifully. It’s perfect for whipping up quick web interfaces.
For easier data management, especially for those less technically inclined (or when I’m just feeling lazy!), I’m integrating **n8n** with **Google Sheets**. n8n is a fantastic open-source workflow automation tool that lets you connect different services. In this case, it acts as the bridge, allowing me to update chore lists and assignments directly in a Google Sheet, which then seamlessly pushes that data into my MySQL database. Finally, the finished HTML page, served by Flask, is designed to be displayed right within our **Home Assistant** dashboard, making it visible and accessible to everyone in the house.
Here’s a quick run-through of how I brought it all together. First, I set up a MySQL database with tables to hold chore names, descriptions, assigned kids, due dates, and completion status. Then, I developed a Flask application to query this database and generate a clean, responsive HTML page. This page dynamically shows which chores are active, who they’re assigned to, and their current status. The Flask app runs on a local server, making the HTML available for Home Assistant to embed as a webpage card.
To keep the database updated without me needing to write SQL commands every time, I created an n8n workflow. This workflow monitors a specific Google Sheet for changes. When I update a chore entry in the sheet, n8n triggers, processes the data, and sends the appropriate commands to my MySQL database, ensuring everything is always in sync. This setup means the chore chart displayed in Home Assistant is always up-to-date with minimal manual intervention. All this, from database to display, has been built by one person – me – with an invaluable team of bots (AI assistance, of course!) cheering me on.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about the next phases. I plan to implement a simple button or widget, perhaps on our phones or even a physical one, that the kids can press to confirm when a chore is completed. This will trigger another automation to update the database. Beyond that, the possibilities are endless! I’m particularly keen on exploring how AI could help us. Imagine AI scheduling chores based on our family’s routine, or even writing fun, personalized descriptions for each chore to make them a little less… chore-like! There’s a lot more to build, but having the core HTML, MySQL, and Flask backend up and running is a huge step.
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