The leaves are turning, theres a nip to the air, and the kids have settled into a routine. Kids are running around soccer fields, football teams are practicing every day after school, and marching bands are rehearsing their drills. On my bike rides through the Connecticut hills, I appreciate all too well the smack of brisk air against my face, the sight of deer taking their final ventures out of the woods, and the visual aesthetic feast of pumpkins and colorful mums lining walkways and front stoops. And one of my favorite Connecticut traditions continues to bring a smile to my face each and every time I see it: front doors topped with a row of miniature pumpkins. Scarecrows have taken their stands against lighting posts; wheelbarrows hold fresh-picked bounty; and roadside stands offer cider, caramel apples, and home-baked pumpkin pies.

Ahh!!! Fall is finally here!

And your home is waiting to be invigorated with its palette. Lets roll up our sleeves and take a good look around:

Arrange flowers with an autumn hue

Golds, rusts, deep reds, and yellows always read fall, with mums remaining the seasons flower of choice. Arrange them by your front walkway and your side door, keeping them in pots or actually planting them. And dont neglect silk flowers while youre at it. Long gone are the days when they served as atrocious substitutes for the real thing; recent advancements in manufacturing have produced gorgeous varieties, and they are being generously used by the most persnickety of designers and homemakers alike. I brought out several arrangements from my arts storage shed last week, and also purchased another few gorgeous bunches. Arranged in blue-and-white porcelain vases, cache pots, and antique watering cansthey make me happy every time I walk by one of these arrangements. (Check out Michaels and your local florists, too. They are already offering fall silk flowers at deep discounts. I bought silk sunflowers this weekend that looked like they were literally just pulled out of the dirtthey were even appropriately aged andwell, were just really quite wonderful. On sale for $5 a pop at my local florist.)

Add the soft glow of candles

Keep one burning at all times while youre in your home; make sure the kids walk into the house after school to the lovely aromaand colorof fall. My candle of choice: votivo. Hands down. Ive tried most of the wonderful, expensive brandsas well as the not-so-wonderful, inexpensive ones, tooand have become a loyal supporter of this hand-poured in the USA classic. Priced somewhere around $20 (depending on what part of the country you live in), they offer a nice value with burn times of up to 60 hours; their strong essential oils are available in the loveliest combinations. Try Red Currant, Mandarin, Fig, Cinnamon, or Forest for fall. And dont forget to change out your tapers while youre nesting. Try adding some in sage, pumpkin, or deep rust. Do a walk-through of your home and take note of candlesticks and sconces that need a good change.

Indulge in a few favorites from your own kitchen or from your local bakery or gourmet deli

Pumpkin scones, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin pie come but once a year. No guilt, okay? An occasional small piece of pie with a dollop of whipped cream never killed anyoneeven those on Atkins or the South Beach Diet. And if youve never tasted a pumpkin scone then you have no idea what Im talking about. I do limit my carbs, but if I could get my hands on a fresh scone right about nowwell, the diet would have to wait! Let your kids enjoy a few fall favorites, too. One caramel apple a year wont get the carb police out in full force. And get out that slow cooker and stock pot. Wonderful soups and stews simmering on your stove all day certainly lend a fabulous fall read.

Rotate your closets

If you need to put stuff in storage, this might be the time to do so. Rotate out summer clothing, take things to the dry cleaners, and get ready to winterize. Put your favorite sandals back into their boxes and organize them onto your high shelves; get out clogs, boots, and other heavy footwear. Make sure that before you put things into storage, theyre clean and stain-free. Those extra precautions taken now will yield big dividends for years to come. If you havent already done so, arrange things in your closet in color sequence, and use hangars that are visually appealing. And re-fold your folded stuff while youre at it. Folded edges out. Plant a few of your favorite sachets in between those cashmere sweater sets, too.

Get papers color-coded and organized for the rest of the school-year

If you havent yet read my article on Color-Coding Your Family, take a quick peek before it goes into Archives. (http://www.selfhelpcenters.com/family.asp#1) You need to make sure youve got your ducks in a row before the flurry of December hits with full force. So go through school papers, sports schedules, music folders, travel brochures, and miscellaneous junk that has cluttered up your work space. (I can hardly talk: my desk is at this very moment literally screaming for a quick fix.) Start thinking Holidays now! Place your orders for address labels, shipping labels, and Christmas or Hanukkah cards now. Dont wait until next month, but instead, allow yourself the dizzying liberation of having your ducks lined up in a serious row before you can say trick-or-treat.

Start buying Holiday gifts this month

Hopefully, youve been picking things up throughout the year. If not, dont panic. Just promise to start thinking about those on your gift list right now. For those of you who much prefer giving gifts made with your own two hands, you better get crackin. It takes a while to hook a rug, work up an original oil-painting, needlepoint a belt or pillow, or crop a perfect scrapbook. If you prefer the bright lights of the mall, shop now before the crowds hit. Could you think of a more perfect fall outing than a leisurely day at the mall?!? And dont forget your wrapping paper/ribbon/ gift tag scheme for this year. Design something special.

Carolina Fernandez

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. before working at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch. She left the corporate world to work as a full-time wife, mother, and homemaker.

Coming home to longer hours, harder work, and more demanding relationships left her feeling totally overwhelmed. Granted, she traded one investment field for another which has yielded immeasurable returns heretofore unimagined. Nonetheless, her frustration at her lack of ability in tackling all of motherhood?s inherently difficult challenges pushed her into a nearly twenty year labor of love. Her research in child development, child psychology, social psychology, nutrition, and exercise physiology, along with indispensable insights and experiences gained along the way, finally evolved into ROCKET MOM!

She re-invented herself in the process. She has dabbled in the domestic, performing, and visual arts, undertaking projects ranging from painting in oils to hooking rugs to singing onstage in Carnegie Hall. She has developed strong convictions about the role of the arts in child development; these convictions have shaped the specific strategies played out in the book.

She has a passion for inspiring creativity in people of all ages, from pre-schoolers to rocket grandmoms! Indeed, she receives particular joy in helping moms on the front line as they engage in what is arguably the most creative challenge ever invented: motherhood. To this end, she writes and speaks extensively, and is constantly developing teaching materials in her effort to share the crucial intervention of creative nurturing in developing children. She shares her message via radio and TV interviews; print media; and in speaking platforms via seminars and workshops, lectures and keynotes for pre-schools, women?s groups, retreats, civic organizations and adult education classes. Her soon-to-be-launched cable TV program, ROCKET MOM! will reach thousands of households in the Fairfield County area of Connecticut.

Her newly-formed Rocket Mom Society attempts to meet her mission head-on as she ?encourages, equips and empowers moms for excellence.?

She lives with her husband and their four children in Ridgefield, Connecticut.