I used the bigger NodeMCU but WeMos D1 Mini is awesome.  If you want to tinker and create a custom compact unit, consider buying a few copies of the &quot;ESP8266 WeMos shield&quot; from OSHPark:
<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;oshpark.com&#x2F;shared_projects&#x2F;rnk2lmmh" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;oshpark.com&#x2F;shared_projects&#x2F;rnk2lmmh</a><p>More info at:
<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;hallard&#x2F;WeMos-shield" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;hallard&#x2F;WeMos-shield</a>