Natalie originally hails from Rosemount, Minnesota, and has called Rochester home for the past 8 years. She has been married to her husband Jason for 14 years, has 1 daughter, Gwen who is 6, and a kitty named Winnie who will be 3 this fall. When she is not being a mom and wife, she can be seen in the operating room as a circulating nurse for various specialties but primarily in orthopedics. She loves going off the beaten path and finding hidden gems in Rochester and beyond. She is always in search of a great cup of coffee (Moka cannot be beaten in Rochester) and an amazing book to snuggle up with. When not drinking coffee or reading, she and her family can be found adventuring the hiking paths, playing games, or watching everything Disney.
Have I met anyone famous?
A while ago, I won a radio contest to meet New Kids on The Block in Los Angeles when they reunited. It was an intimate concert and afterward, we got to meet the band. My five-year-old self fangirled the entire concert and when I met them, I went in for a big hug (I am NOT a hugger). I got to talk to all the members and then we did a sweet photo. Donnie Wahlberg had his arm around me and then planted the biggest kiss on my cheek. I about died and went to heaven! Jason was there as my plus one and witnessed said kiss. He had a good chuckle.
What’s the most random trivia I know?
First off, I LOVE TRIVIA! I often will play Jason in Trivial Pursuit on the Nintendo Switch just because I love trivia that much. Pre-pandemic, my co-workers and I would go to the trivia mafia events around town to do super hard trivia and we placed a couple of times (great way to get out, eat at local restaurants, and test that noggin). Trivia Mafia is back at Little Thistle Brewing Co. as we just reunited the trivia gang last week. Check it out on Wednesday nights at 6:30 at Little Thistle Brewery. I also do fun trivia facts with my surgical team.
The most random trivia I know is about the NBC chime. Now sing the NBC chime in your head. The notes on a piano are G, E, C. Back in the day, NBC was owned by the General Electric Company (GEC). Hence, the chime of the notes, GEC is the abbreviation for the company. Mind BLOWN.
Bonus: the unicorn is the official animal of Scotland.
What is something I would NEVER do again?
The Muddy Warrior. Hands down, the greatest challenge I have ever done and the craziest. I signed up on a whim with my co-workers and went out in the rain to crawl around in the mud, there was some barbed wire at one point, and a big jump from a platform into ice-cold water. I finished and will cross that one off the bucket list.
Do I collect anything?
I collect coffee mugs from places I have been to. I do the Starbucks collection when I travel to big cities and I also get coffee mugs from favorite places. I enjoy picking out a mug every morning and reminiscing on the fun travels I had to collect the coffee mug. A couple of my favorites are from Magnolia Farms (Chip and Joanna Gaines), Magic Kingdom (Disney World), and my first Starbucks mug from the original Starbucks location in Seattle, WA.
What’s my favorite Rochester hidden gem?
Salem Glen Winery in SW Rochester. I found Salem Glen on a whim about 5 years ago when looking for a fun and different date night. The winery is nestled perfectly within the cornfields and the vineyard with plenty of outdoor space as well as an inside area. My friends and family like to go for their Friday night wood fire pizzas! We bring our kids as there is plenty of places to run around and the food is quite delicious. Salem Glen hosts fun activities too! My friends and I have been known the be the rowdy ones at their BINGO and trivia nights. There is an annual Easter Egg hunt, 0.5 k where you learn about the wines and winery, monthly yoga and wine, and the art fair featuring local artists.
Fun Fact about Salem Glen: they have their own observatory which is also featured in their logo! Astronomy lovers unite!
Favorite Day of the year and why?
Hands down, Halloween. I love Halloween. LOVE. I start prepping for Halloween in August and take vacation the week of Halloween. We decorate the house from top to bottom with bats, spiders, witches, and ghouls. Our front yard has inflatables that we add to each year. We have even gotten the neighbors in on it. I watch “Hocus Pocus” year-round and we even named our cat, Winifred (Winnie for short). I took our family to Disney to enjoy their Halloween celebration and it was the best.
I love Halloween because to me it feels magical. Everyone gets to get dressed up and be silly. I enjoy seeing people coming to our house to trick or treat and the thought that goes behind their costumes. The community really gets together with trunk or treats and canned food drives. The laughter and giggles from all ages gets me when I am handing out our treats and to see the pure joy of little ones when they walk past Brutus the inflatable dragon, makes my ghoulish heart sing.
