Question
Location;  New England

My plan for fall season lawn prep is application of pelletized lime this week and application of a Scott's brand feertilizer in 10 days or so.
2 Questions:
1 -- is there a better alternative to the above for the amateur gardner ?
2 -- how long after each application is it safe for kids and/or pets to play/lay in the grass?

Answer
Good evening Lou:
Do not put pelletized lime on your lawn unless a soil test shows that you need to.
Make sure that the fertilizer you apply now is a slow release type. If not it could burn the lawn. Around Thanksgiving day apply a fast release winterizer fertilizer (See below). Most problems in the lawn are in the spring due to neglect going into winter.
Usually the bag of weed killer or fertilizer will tell you how long before pets or children can play on the lawn. Generally it is a 24 hour period. What I do is treat my front lawn one day and the back lawn the next. This gives the rascals a place to play at all times.

Fall and winter Lawn Care:
In late September to early October:
Apply a slow release nitrogen fertilizer now  at a rate of one pound per 1000 square feet. To determine how much to apply to the lawn divide the rate of nitrogen desired by percent of "N" in the bag (first number on the bag, using decimal form). Multiply that answer by your square footage of lawn and divide by 1000.
Example: 15-5-10 fertilizer, 7,000 sq. ft. want to apply 1 lb. / 1000 sq. ft.
a. 1 lb. Divided by .15 = 6.66, round off to 6.7
b. 6.7 multiplied by 7,000 = 46,900 divided by 1,000 = 46.9 or 47 lbs..
Therefore you would need 47 pounds of 15-5-10 fertilizer to cover the entire lawn.
Most fertilizer manufacturers now indicate on the bag the square footage that the bag will cover at a rate of one pound per 1,000 sq. ft.
Aerate where needed to relieve compaction.
Rake or de-thatch if necessary.
Kill weed patches with appropriate herbicide.
Over seed thin spots if necessary.

October through November:
This is the best time to apply broadleaf herbicides.
Mow at regular heights (2 ?to 3 inches) until growth stops.
If you need to you may mulch tree leaves into turf.
Apply lime only if a soil test indicates that it is needed.
Fertilize in late November ( around Thanksgiving day) with a winterizer fertilizer applying 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet. Nutrients at this time will encourage root growth and thickening of turf. Soluble nitrogen fertilizers (containing urea, ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate) are used more efficiently by turf in late fall. Disease and weed problems are usually less severe when fall and late fall fertilization are used.  A good winterizer fertilizer would be a 24-3-12.
Keep leaves from packing and smothering grass.
Irrigate, if necessary, so that turf goes into winter with moist but not wet soil.
Don't forget to recondition the lawn mower and store with clean oil.
Use soluble fertilizer or calcium chloride instead of salt for melting winter ice.

Next spring:
As snows depart each spring, lawns often show damage that occurred during the winter. In particular, vole (mice) and snow mold (fungus disease) damage can be very destructive to lawns. There are preventative measures that can be taken to keep damage to a minimum.
Voles will make runways under the snow in lawns as they feed on grass blades and roots and are protected from predators. Voles, or meadow mice, are about 4 to 6 inches long and brownish-gray in color. Vole damage appears as runways or winding trails of damaged grass.
Lawns usually fill-in as conditions warm in spring. Severe damage may require some overseeding. Help prevent damage from occurring by continuing to mow lawns until grass is completely dormant in fall. Mow lawns at a final height of about 2 inches. Also clean up any excessive vegetation near lawns, as this provides cover for voles.
Snow mold damage can also be very visible on many lawns as snows recede in spring. Both gray and pink snow mold may occur. During the wet, cold weather of early spring, snow mold may be highly visible as matted, crusty looking areas. As conditions dry out, snow mold will gradually disappear but infected areas may remain in the form of weak or even dead turf.
Conditions which may contribute to snow mold include excessive use of fast-release nitrogen fertilizer in early to mid fall, excessive thatch, excessive shade, poor drainage, and excessive debris on the turf. Areas receiving drifting snow or piles of deposited snow are also prone to snow mold.
To avoid snow mold from becoming a severe problem follow sound fertilization programs, using fertilizers containing slow-release or controlled-release nitrogen except for the last application which may be a fast release type.  Manage thatch by aeration, or removal by vertical mowing (dethatching). Surface drainage should be adequate. Improve air circulation by pruning or removing dense vegetation bordering problem lawn areas. Mow lawns until completely dormant in fall.    
In summary I would apply the fertilizer above now and in late November.
Mow the grass to a height of two inches on your last mowing.
Make sure as you go into winter that all debris is removed from the lawn area.
Have a good lawn!
Floyd McMahon