diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 87d27d7..e439cde 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-name: Run tests
+name: Run Tests
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
   pull_request:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: "14 3 15 * *"  # Runs at 03:14 UTC on the 15th of every month
   push:
     branches:
       - main
@@ -27,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
         path: vcpkg_installed
         key: vcpkg-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('vcpkg.json') }}
 
-    - name: Set compile target
+    - name: Export vcpkg host triplet for compilation
       shell: bash
       run: |
         if [[ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Windows" ]]; then
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ jobs:
         export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${{ github.workspace }}/pybind11/pybind11/share/cmake
         export CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL=$(nproc)
 
-        uv pip install -v -e .
+        uv pip install -v -e ".[dev]"
 
         py.test
 
@@ -92,6 +94,6 @@ jobs:
         $env:CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="${{ github.workspace }}\pybind11\pybind11\share\cmake"
         $env:CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL = [Environment]::ProcessorCount
 
-        uv pip install -v -e .
+        uv pip install -v -e ".[dev]"
 
         py.test
diff --git a/.github/workflows/wheels.yml b/.github/workflows/wheels.yml
index 929e237..0e192a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/wheels.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/wheels.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-name: Build package wheels
+name: Build Python Wheels
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
   pull_request:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: "14 3 15 * *"  # Runs at 03:14 UTC on the 15th of every month
   push:
     branches:
      - main
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-    - name: Cache dependencies. # TODO - this may not work on linux b/c os is different than container?
+    - name: Cache dependencies
       id: cache-vcpkg-deps
       uses: actions/cache@v4
       with:
@@ -33,24 +35,16 @@ jobs:
         path: vcpkg
         ref: c9c17dcea3016bc241df0422e82b8aea212dcb93
 
-    - name: Install libraries with vcpkg.json (macOS/Linux)
+    - name: Export vcpkg host triplet for compilation
       shell: bash
       run: |
-        case "${RUNNER_OS}" in
-          "Windows")
-              VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET="x64-windows-static-md"
-              ;;
-          "Linux")
-              VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET="x64-linux"
-              ;;
-          "macOS")
-              VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET="arm64-osx"
-              ;;
-          *)
-              echo "Unsupported RUNNER_OS: ${RUNNER_OS}"
-              exit 1
-              ;;
-        esac
+        if [[ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Windows" ]]; then
+          VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET=x64-windows-static-md
+        elif [[ "$RUNNER_OS" == "Linux" ]]; then
+          VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET=x64-linux
+        elif [[ "$RUNNER_OS" == "macOS" ]]; then
+          VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET=arm64-osx
+        fi
         echo VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET="$VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET" >> $GITHUB_ENV
         echo $VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET
 
@@ -58,7 +52,10 @@ jobs:
       env:
         CIBW_BUILD: "cp313-*"
         CIBW_SKIP: "*musllinux* *win32*"
+        CIBW_TEST_COMMAND: pytest {project}/tests
+        CIBW_TEST_EXTRAS: dev
 
+        CIBW_BEFORE_BUILD: rm -rf {project}/build
         CIBW_BEFORE_ALL_WINDOWS: bash tools\cibw_before.sh
         CIBW_ENVIRONMENT_WINDOWS: "CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=D:/a/pycpp/pycpp/pybind11/pybind11/share/cmake"
 
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 34d1481..36d0b71 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.4...3.18)
 
+
+# required to find dependencies
+if(NOT DEFINED ENV{VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET})
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "Environment variable 'VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET' is not set")
+endif()
+
 project(cppcore)
 
 set(VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET $ENV{VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET})
@@ -27,9 +33,14 @@ find_library(NLOPT_LIB nlopt PATHS "${NLOPT_DIR_LIBRARY_DIR}")
 
 pybind11_add_module(cppcore src/cpp/main.cpp)
 
-include_directories(${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/cpp ${EIGEN_PATH} ${GSL_INCLUDE_DIR} ${NLOPT_DIR_INCLUDE_DIR})
-target_include_directories(cppcore PRIVATE ${GSL_INCLUDE_DIR} ${NLOPT_DIR_INCLUDE_DIR})
-target_link_libraries(cppcore PRIVATE  ${GSL_LIB} ${GSLCBLAS_LIB} ${NLOPT_LIB})
+target_include_directories(cppcore PRIVATE ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/cpp)
+target_include_directories(cppcore PRIVATE ${EIGEN_PATH})
+target_include_directories(cppcore PRIVATE ${GSL_INCLUDE_DIR})
+target_include_directories(cppcore PRIVATE ${NLOPT_DIR_INCLUDE_DIR})
+
+target_link_libraries(cppcore PRIVATE ${NLOPT_LIB})
+target_link_libraries(cppcore PRIVATE ${GSL_LIB})
+target_link_libraries(cppcore PRIVATE ${GSLCBLAS_LIB})
 
 target_compile_definitions(
     cppcore
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0f004f1..665c5bc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,8 +1,29 @@
-# cppcore for pybind11
+# A Python Package with a C++ extension
 
-MacOS installation:
+Explorations in how to use Python, C++, and bindings between the two systems. Build compiled code in multiple environments via GitHub Actions. Key technologies used include [pybind11](https://pybind11.readthedocs.io/en/stable/), [vcpkg](https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg), and [cibuildwheel](https://cibuildwheel.readthedocs.io/en/stable/).
+
+The project does the following:
+
+- Builds a simple C++ package
+- Includes third party C++ packages installed via the vcpkg package manager
+- Builds a python interface to the C++ package
+- Has some tests to ensure the C++ package works correctly from python
+- Automatically builds the packages on Mac, Linux, and Windows
+
+## Quickstart
+
+For this particular example, we install 3 scientific C++ packages: as dependencies for our library:
+
+* [Eigen3](https://vcpkg.io/en/package/eigen3.html) (headers only template library)
+* [GNU Scientific Library](https://vcpkg.io/en/package/gsl.html)
+* [NLopt](https://vcpkg.io/en/package/nlopt.html)
+
+Though you could customize this template as needed to install other packages from vcpkg.
+
+### MacOS/Linux:
 
 ```bash
+# check out a single commit from a git repository
 mkdir vcpkg
 cd vcpkg
 git init
@@ -11,14 +32,82 @@ git fetch --depth 1 origin c9c17dcea3016bc241df0422e82b8aea212dcb93
 git checkout FETCH_HEAD
 cd ..
 
-export VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET=arm64-osx-dynamic
+# build static dependencies; use the appropriate triplet (e.g., x64-linux, arm64-osx)
+export VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET="arm64-osx"
 ./vcpkg/bootstrap-vcpkg.sh
 ./vcpkg/vcpkg install --host-triplet=$VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET
 
-
+# install pybind11 at the root so for our build phase
 uv pip install pybind11==3.0.0 --target=./pybind11
-export VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET=arm64-osx-dynamic
-export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/Users/andyshapiro/dev/pycpp/pybind11/pybind11/share/cmake
+
+# set environment variables for building python extension
+export CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$(readlink -f ./pybind11/pybind11/share/cmake)"
 export CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL=$(nproc)
-uv pip install -e . && pytest
+
+echo "$VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET"
+echo "$CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH"
+echo "$CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL"
+
+# create a new python virtual environment
+uv venv --python=3.13
+source .venv/bin/activate
+
+# compile and install the package
+uv pip install -v -e ".[dev]"
+
+# generate typing stubs for C++ file
+stubgen -p demo.cppcore -o src
+
+# test
+pytest
 ```
+
+### Windows:
+
+On Windows, install Visual Studio (2019 or 2022) and the C++ build packages (this is not related to Visual Studio Code). All commands below must be run within a Developer PowerShell for VS environment in order to use the appropriate compiler toolchain.
+
+We'll build static dependencies ([x64-windows-static-md](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/vcpkg/users/platforms/windows)) for C++ to make them easier to add to our custom Python module.
+
+```ps1
+# check out a single commit from a git repository
+mkdir vcpkg
+cd vcpkg
+git init
+git remote add origin git@github.com:microsoft/vcpkg.git
+git fetch --depth 1 origin c9c17dcea3016bc241df0422e82b8aea212dcb93
+git checkout FETCH_HEAD
+cd ..
+
+# build static dependencies
+$env:VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET="x64-windows-static-md"
+.\vcpkg\bootstrap-vcpkg.bat
+.\vcpkg\vcpkg install --host-triplet="$env:VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET"
+
+# install pybind11 at the root so for our build phase
+uv pip install pybind11==3.0.0 --target=./pybind11
+
+# set environment variables for building python extension
+$env:CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=Resolve-Path "./pybind11/pybind11/share/cmake" | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Path
+$env:CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL=[Environment]::ProcessorCount
+
+echo "$env:VCPKG_HOST_TRIPLET"
+echo "$env:CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH"
+echo "$env:CMAKE_BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL"
+
+# create a new python virtual environment
+uv venv --python=3.13
+.venv/Scripts/activate
+
+# compile and install the package
+uv pip install -v -e ".[dev]"
+
+# generate typing stubs for C++ file
+stubgen -p demo.cppcore -o src
+
+# test
+pytest
+```
+
+## Distributable Python Wheels
+
+See the GitHub Actions.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 5249c89..85e3a0a 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -8,7 +8,12 @@ authors = [
 requires-python = ">=3.13"
 dependencies = [
   "numpy",
-  "pytest",
+]
+
+[project.optional-dependencies]
+dev = [
+  "pytest~=8.4.1",
+  "mypy~=1.17.1",
 ]
 
 [tool.setuptools.dynamic]
@@ -20,18 +25,11 @@ include = ["demo*"]
 
 [build-system]
 requires = [
-    "setuptools",
-    "pybind11"
+  "setuptools",
+  "pybind11~=3.0.0"
 ]
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [tool.pytest.ini_options]
 testpaths = "tests"
 python_files = ["test_*.py"]
-
-[tool.cibuildwheel]
-test-command = "pytest {project}/tests"
-test-extras = ["test"]
-test-skip = ["*universal2:arm64"]
-# Setuptools bug causes collision between pypy and cpython artifacts
-before-build = "rm -rf {project}/build"
diff --git a/src/demo/cppcore.pyi b/src/demo/cppcore.pyi
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0dfa17d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/demo/cppcore.pyi
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import collections.abc
+import numpy
+import numpy.typing
+import typing
+
+def add(arg0: typing.SupportsInt, arg1: typing.SupportsInt) -> int: ...
+def eigen_matmul(
+    arg0: typing.Annotated[numpy.typing.ArrayLike, numpy.float64],
+    arg1: typing.Annotated[numpy.typing.ArrayLike, numpy.float64],
+) -> numpy.typing.NDArray[numpy.float64]: ...
+def gsl_bessel(arg0: typing.SupportsFloat) -> float: ...
+def nlopt_optimize(
+    lower_bounds: collections.abc.Sequence[typing.SupportsFloat],
+    upper_bounds: collections.abc.Sequence[typing.SupportsFloat],
+) -> list[float]: ...
+def subtract(arg0: typing.SupportsInt, arg1: typing.SupportsInt) -> int: ...