Options for picking up leaves in the fall

You could mulch them into the lawn, but when I do lawns in the fall that have oak trees on them, I have to stop very often (like every half swipe at most) to empty the bagger on the mower. If you try to mulch them, there can be too many leaves under the deck (depending on how many leaves are on the ground), and they will not be properly mulched. This will definitely not maximize the curb appeal of your lawn. There will be leaves only half shredded throughout the lawn. This also can lead to having more leaves then your lawn can decompose, not allowing for proper photosynthesis, making the grass "malnourished".

Another option is to rake up/blow the leaves into piles, and subsequently remove them. When doing this, you could just get the majority of the leaves up, leaving a few of them on the lawn, which you can then go over easily with your lawn mower using a mulching blade or a bagger.