diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a833ad90..ab9c1a70 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,4 +2,6 @@
 *.sqlite3-shm
 *.sqlite3-wal
 certs/
-.DS_Store
\ No newline at end of file
+.DS_Store
+
+.byebug_history
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 12d4c023..27a29b9c 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ GEM
       activerecord (>= 4.1)
       sinatra (>= 1.0)
     sqlite3 (1.6.8-arm64-darwin)
+    sqlite3 (1.6.8-x86_64-linux)
     tilt (2.3.0)
     timeout (0.4.1)
     tzinfo (2.0.6)
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ GEM
 
 PLATFORMS
   arm64-darwin-22
+  x86_64-linux
 
 DEPENDENCIES
   bcrypt
diff --git a/app.rb b/app.rb
index e1cb56e8..99a4c64c 100644
--- a/app.rb
+++ b/app.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 require 'sinatra'
 require 'sinatra/activerecord'
 require 'securerandom'
+require 'byebug'
 
 require './app/models/user'
 require './app/models/area'
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ def url_without_tag
 end
 
 get '/inbox' do
-  @tasks = current_user.tasks.incomplete.where(project_id: nil).where(due_date: nil).order(:name)
+  @tasks = current_user.tasks.incomplete.where(project_id: nil, due_date: nil).order('tasks.created_at DESC')
 
   erb :inbox
 end
diff --git a/app/routes/tasks_routes.rb b/app/routes/tasks_routes.rb
index 88a01a80..9253bfc1 100644
--- a/app/routes/tasks_routes.rb
+++ b/app/routes/tasks_routes.rb
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def update_task_tags(task, tags_json)
         @tasks = @tasks.where(id: tagged_task_ids)
       end
 
-      @tasks = @tasks.distinct
+      @tasks = @tasks.joins(:tags).distinct
 
       erb :'tasks/index'
     end
diff --git a/app/views/projects/show.erb b/app/views/projects/show.erb
index 4fda1db1..9d2973f4 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/show.erb
+++ b/app/views/projects/show.erb
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 <% end %>
 <div class="mx-3 mb-2">
   <% if @project.tasks.incomplete.any? %>
-    <% @project.tasks.incomplete.each do |task| %>
+    <% @project.tasks.incomplete.order('created_at DESC').each do |task| %>
       <div id="edit_task_form_<%= task.id %>" class="d-none">
         <%= partial :'tasks/_form', locals: { task: task } %>
       </div>
@@ -48,13 +48,13 @@
       </div>
     <% end %>
   <% else %>
-    <div class="rounded px-4 py-2 mb-4 bg-secondary-subtle fw-light opacity-50">
+    <div class="rounded px-4 py-2 mb-4 bg-secondary-subtle fw-light blank-slate opacity-50">
       No tasks have been created yet for this project
     </div>
   <% end %>
 </div>
 <h4 class="mt-5 ms-4 fw-bold">Notes</h4>
-<div class="rounded py-2 px-3 mx-3 d-flex align-items-center border border-black" 
+<div class="rounded py-2 px-3 mx-3 d-flex align-items-center note-form-toggler" 
       data-bs-toggle="collapse" 
       data-bs-target="#newNoteForm" 
       aria-expanded="false" 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
       <%= partial :'notes/_note', locals: {note: note} %>
     <% end %>
   <% else %>
-    <div class="rounded px-4 py-2 mb-4 bg-secondary-subtle fw-light opacity-50">
+    <div class="rounded px-4 py-2 mb-4 bg-secondary-subtle fw-light blank-slate opacity-50">
       No notes have been created yet for this project
     </div>
   <% end %>
diff --git a/app/views/sidebar.erb b/app/views/sidebar.erb
index 6ac5308a..d94df308 100644
--- a/app/views/sidebar.erb
+++ b/app/views/sidebar.erb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
       </a>
     </li>
     <li class="nav-item">
-      <a href="/tasks?type=next" class="<%= nav_link('/tasks', 'type' => 'next') %>">
+      <a href="/tasks?type=next&order_by=created_at:desc" class="<%= nav_link('/tasks', 'type' => 'next') %>">
         <i class="bi bi-arrow-right-circle-fill me-1"></i> Next Actions
       </a>
     </li>
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     </li>
     <li class="border-top my-3"></li>
     <li class="nav-item d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center w-100 <%= nav_link('/projects') %>">
-      <a href="/projects" class="text-decoration-none flex-grow-1 <%= nav_link_active?('/projects') ? 'link-light' : 'link-dark' %>">
+      <a href="/projects" class="text-decoration-none flex-grow-1 <%= nav_link_active?('/projects') ? 'text-light' : 'link-dark' %>">
         <i class="bi bi-hexagon-fill me-1"></i> Areas & Projects
       </a>
       <button class="btn btn-link text-secondary p-0 ms-2" type="button" id="addNewDropdown" data-bs-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="false">
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
     </li>
     <li class="border-top my-3"></li>
     <li class="nav-item d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center <%= nav_link('/notes') %>">
-      <a href="/notes" class="text-decoration-none flex-grow-1 <%= nav_link_active?('/notes') ? 'link-light' : 'link-dark' %>">
+      <a href="/notes" class="text-decoration-none flex-grow-1 <%= nav_link_active?('/notes') ? 'text-light' : 'link-dark' %>">
         <i class="bi bi-journal-text me-1"></i> Notes
       </a>
       <a class="text-no-decoration link-secondary btn-outline-dark" href="#" data-bs-toggle="modal" data-bs-target="#newNoteModal">
diff --git a/app/views/tasks/_minimal_form.erb b/app/views/tasks/_minimal_form.erb
index 3b525d4b..e59e04d1 100644
--- a/app/views/tasks/_minimal_form.erb
+++ b/app/views/tasks/_minimal_form.erb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     <div class="row">
       <div class="col-md-12">
         <div class="input-group">
-          <input type="text" id="task_name_<%= task.id %>" name="name" value="<%= task.name %>" class="form-control mb-2 mx-3 px-3 py-2 new-task-input task-name-input " placeholder="+ Add New Task" required>
+          <input type="text" id="task_name_<%= task.id %>" name="name" value="<%= task.name %>" class="form-control mb-2 mx-3 px-3 py-2 new-task-input task-name-input rounded" placeholder="+ Add New Task" required>
           <% if @project %> 
             <input type="hidden" name="project_id" value="<%= @project.id %>">
           <% end %>
diff --git a/public/css/app.css b/public/css/app.css
index 35eb276f..cc5ea81a 100644
--- a/public/css/app.css
+++ b/public/css/app.css
@@ -124,7 +124,8 @@ h6 {
 
 /* tasks, notes */
 
-.task-item, .note-item {
+.task-item,
+.note-item {
   background: var(--bs-white);
 }
 
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@ a.project-card .card:hover {
 }
 
 .panel {
-  background-color: var(--bs-light);
+  background-color: #eee;
 }
 
 .dark-mode .panel {
@@ -257,4 +258,26 @@ a.project-card .card:hover {
 .dark-mode #newNoteForm .card {
   background-color: var(--bs-gray-dark) !important;
   color: var(--bs-light) !important;
+}
+
+.blank-slate {
+  background-color: #eee !important;
+  color: var(--bs-dark) !important;
+}
+
+.dark-mode .blank-slate {
+  background-color: var(--bs-gray-dark) !important;
+  color: var(--bs-light) !important;
+}
+
+.note-form-toggler {
+  border: 1px solid #ddd !important;
+  background-color: #f4f4f4 !important;
+  color: #ccc !important;
+}
+
+.dark-mode .note-form-toggler {
+  border: 1px solid #000 !important;
+  background-color: var(--bs-dark) !important;
+  color: var(--bs-light) !important;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..4d6b3bd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#! /bin/bash 
+
+export TUDUDI_SESSION_SECRET=7e9ca5868791e1e2da76b46deb760e7536967de380984ae30836433d212a94d362b500507e07f9c9f6e7e99cba0befd02925e378546565783de3c1648503aaf9
+puma -C app/config/puma.rb
\ No newline at end of file