How about outdoor fall decorating, like the porch? Include light fixtures, front door, porch railings/columns, fencing, containers, etc. If you need to buy stuff, check out thrift stores, they always have plenty. ;o)

Here is a link that might be useful: decorating

A Fall check list for home maintenance projects? Now is the time to....what ever topics you are interested in.
I like your idea about organizing for back to school. Even if it a few weeks later, you can say something like, "now that the rush of back to school is over, here are some things to keep you on track for the school year."

Pattycakes has a good idea about fall outdoor decorating. And I like Ellendi's check list idea. You could put in things that need to be done before winter gets here, etc. Or things to do ahead of time to get ready for the holidays.

tina

What about the upcomming holiday season? Maybe something on ideas to get your kitchen ready for all the cooking/baking that comes up. And about upgrading or installing sockets for more lighting as the days get shorter & darker. Talk about entryways and or mudrooms. We tend to forget the cold weather stuff when its over 90 degrees outside.

Late August is when I start thinking about fall maintenance. We get a lot of rain around the time the leaves start to fall so my list includes making sure the gutters are clean, the walkways free of cracks or obstacles, and the heat supply is ready (we have a pellet stove so I'm getting ready to start buying pellets next month since we'll need them in October)

Not exactly sure if you need decor, maintenance or improvement tips.

How about a bullet list of unusual recycling tips? For instance, what to do with those bales of straw and stalks of corn that decorated your porch for Halloween? Starting a compost pile--- what to put in and what not. What should be thrown away and what can safely (for the environment and the longevity of your disposal) go into the garbage disposal?

I really like your idea about "editing your space."
I tend to do a big fall clean-out rather than spring cleaning.
I guess I'd rather be outside planting in spring.
In the fall, it dawns on me that I have to make room for Christmas to happen!
I think fall is a great time to purge and donate winter clothes, blankets, and decor. Oh, and to find those gifts you never touched from last year and regift them. ;)

I know I am always looking for cute fall decorating ideas - especially centerpieces and mantles.

I think most people already know fall, or anytime really, is a good time to declutter. What I think would be helpful would be to list all the places that would take our unwanted items. We always think of the places like Goodwill, but there are a bunch of small charities that run thrift stores or get money for our castoffs. I just got a flyer in the mail today from Big Brothers and Big Sisters listing all the items they'll take. They'll even come and pick them up. Our local shelter for abused women also has a thrift shop that I didn't know about until I passed it on the road one day. Some of those drop boxes we see along the roadside don't support a charity but the owners of the boxes sell the clothing in bulk overseas. It would be nice to know where the legitimate charities have their boxes. There are places that will take old TVs and computers. Most charities only want flat screen TVs these days. There are places that will buy old metal items for scrap. My husband has been cleaning out our barn and he sold an old unusable iron stove that the previous owners left to a metal dealer. Our county has 4 days a year at different locations where they will collect hazardous waste materials. It would be good to know if your county does the same. Who's offering free paper shredding for unwanted files? What sort of large items will the local trash collectors pick up and do you need to notify them in advance? In the city where my daughter lives there's a tool library that locals subscribe to in order borrow tools that wouldn't pay to buy if it's just for a small project. They'll take donations of house and garden tools. Habitat for Humanity also has stores for building materials. Information of that sort, being specific, is what I would like to know about and an article I would save. It could also be printed on card stock as an insert.

Thanks for the ideas! I just sent the editor a list of ideas including the editing/purging/where to donate; decorating your entry (exterior and interior) for fall; fall decorating with natural elements (pumpkins, gourds, flowers, branches) and where to find them; "warming up" your home with color, texture, etc.; and a generic "how to choose paint colors" since I find that a lot of people do interior painting in the fall, before the holidays.

My article will be strictly decorating. They have someone else who's writing about gardening as well as another writer who's doing something about home improvement projects.

Thanks! I'll come back and let you know what topic I end up with.

I like the idea of getting a head start for the holidays. And I think you can tie decorating/entertaining in with budgeting in this economy. The spin would be that the usual situation is that you're looking for the decorations, servingware, glasses, etc. at the last minute and you either can't find everything, or can't take the time to look for it, so you rush out and buy more, wasting money. If you start now by pulling out those items, you can determine what still works, what needs to be replaced, and then get a better system in place for storing it all.