Introducing Sherene Buffa: A Sterling Heights Mom

Introducing Sherene!

:: Down With Detroit ::

Hi there! My name is Sherene. I’m a Michigander, born and raised. I grew up in Warren and attended Oakland University and graduated with a degree in Communications in 2007. You could say 2007 was a big year for me. I started working downtown for the federal government in Human Resources and even got married to the love of my life (insert cheesy music). Our ceremony was at St. Lucy’s Catholic Church and the reception at Barrister Gardens, both located in St. Clair Shores.

I am a best described as a bit witty, sarcastic and pretty down-to-earth, and I love all things chocolate. I like to keep things simple and real, and need balance in my life to feel, well, balanced. I guess that comes with being a Libra.

:: My Life ::

My husband, Paolo, and I have always been somewhat of movie buffs, he is more than me, and nowadays we really don’t have much free time to watch movies. We also enjoy watching old TV shows. Believe it or not but we are now in the process of watching Dawson’s Creek for the first time. Eek! A very slow process. How interesting the style was in the late 90s.

BK (before kids) we always spent our weekend grabbing dinner and going to the movie theater, usually the AMC in Sterling Heights. My husband was a featured movie extra in the Lifetime movie, Prayers for Bobby – filmed in Royal Oak, and I was a paid movie extra in several films made in Detroit, including Gifted Hands, Kill the Irishman, Up in the Air, and Whip It. I would’ve liked to do more, but in 2011 we became pregnant with our first daughter.

:: Babies and Beyond ::

2011 was another big year for us, I self-published a romantic suspense novel and we had our daughter, Shayla, in December. Motherhood was a life-changing event for me. I have never been the same person since becoming a mother, I feel like I am so much more whole as a person. It truly has inspired me to be more, and to do more. In 2015, we were blessed with another beautiful baby girl, Charlotte, and we now consider our family complete.

I am excited to be part of the Detroit Moms Blog to learn from other mothers and also to share a piece of the motherhood pie. There is a plethora of information available to mothers online, and the DMB is a great resource for moms in the Metro Detroit area.

Since the summers are short here in Michigan, my family and I try to make the most of them. We really enjoy taking the girls to local festivals. Our favorites include Sterling Fest located in Sterling Heights in July, Stars and Stripes festival also in Sterling Heights, and the Romeo Peach Festival in Romeo, Labor Day weekend. There are others we attend, but those are the ones we look forward to each year.

Our vacation destination has been the western side of the state since it’s only a few hours drive, and with little ones, anything more than 3-hours can be somewhat daunting. We adore Oval Beach in Saugatuck and really like staying in Holland since it’s the closest nearby city and has Dutch Village.

And our summers are never complete without many trips to the Detroit Zoo. We always get a yearly membership because it just makes sense for us. Every year they have many great events for the kids, and with it being located in Royal Oak, it isn’t a far drive for us at all. And their soft pretzels are ah-mazing!

Our favorite park is Dodge Park in Sterling Heights and the best local pool is at the Troy Aquatic Center in Troy. They have a beach style pool, splash pad, and even slides. My daughters absolutely love it there.

We enjoy living in Sterling Heights. It has been named one of the safest largest cities in Michigan and there are always family activities throughout the year. It’s also a central location to many cities and we have several malls within twenty minutes from us. Every year, we see Santa at Lakeside Mall and Somerset Mall is fun because it has Build-a-Bear workshop for the kids, oh and the Disney store – which my oldest is mad about. She loves all the Disney princesses, but Elsa holds a special place in her heart. And speaking of my oldest, her favorite restaurant is Lakeside Grill at Oakland Mall – because it overlooks the mall, and they give kids a free cookie with their meal. Win, win!

Since I work downtown, I do enjoy walking or jogging the River Walk on my lunch hour (when it’s warm) with co-workers because it is a great way to break up the monotony of the day. I should probably mention that I also have a personal blog called Mama’s Doody. I started the blog in 2015 while on maternity leave with Charlotte. Blogging is a liberating yet vulnerable experience. I find it therapeutic to share some of my stories and also hope it makes other moms feel they aren’t alone in this crazy journey we call motherhood.