My Weekend Using Groupon

This past weekend, I had loads of fun with one of my best friends Adam! He is back in town for a few days from Washington D.C and naturally, I wanted us to do some fun things, but on a budget. That is why on a whim, I decided to download the Groupon app and see what they had to offer.

Turns out, Groupon has thousands of deals and I decided on two that I thought Adam and I would enjoy best. They include afternoon tea, and tickets to the Museum of Tolerance. Let’s get into my weekend, shall we?

Friday

On Friday, Adam and I decided to use our our afternoon tea Groupon from Mckenna’s Tea Cottage in Seal Beach. The Groupon cost $22 for the both of us and included a pot of tea for each, 5 sandwiches each, and 2 scones.

When we arrived, I gave the person at the front the voucher and we were quickly given a table. The cottage is adorable and looks more like a house (as is the case with most tea places) than a restaurant. The tea was amazing (I had a seasonal apple chai) and so were the scones and sandwiches!

Adam and I had a great and yummy time catching up while drinking tea. We are big tea drinkers, and so, this was the perfect thing for us to do. I also thought this was a really good deal. Adam and I only paid $11 each for this, when it’s usually $20.50 for each.

If you want to try out this Groupon, click here ! Prices on Groupon can fluctuate; right now it’s $25, but as I said, Adam and I only paid $22 total.

Some more tips on Mckenna’s Tea Cottage:

• McKenna's Tea Cottage is located at 237 Main St, Seal Beach. You can check their hours here.

• You have to make a reservation beforehand, but you can easily do this online using their website . I made a reservation two days before we went and had no trouble. Keep in mind that the Groupon states that you can make a reservation for any day at any time but, the exception is Saturday, where they only take Groupon reservations from 3-5 p.m.

• Parking is free but limited. However, theres plenty of parking, both free and paid around the downtown Seal Beach area, which is located down the street from Mckenna’s.

• Downtown Seal Beach is wonderful! We took a walk after we were done with our tea and there are so many cute shops and boutiques; Adam even did some Christmas shopping!

  Saturday

  Ok so there was no Groupon for Saturday, but I still want to tell ya’ll what I did! The day was pretty slow, but I did decide to do some shopping for myself (I know, I know), so I headed to Ulta and Nordstrom Rack.

  After a few purchases, I left and went home where I watched Tik Tok videos for an undisclosed amount of time and some TV. After a few hours, Adam asked if we could go to the mall, and off we went for the rest of the evening to finish Christmas shopping.

  As expected, the mall was wild, but we did have a pretty good time and Adam found everything he needed! After the mall, I went home and went to sleep.

  Sunday

  To end the weekend, we used our Groupon for the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Tickets are usually $11-$15 per person, but on Groupon, two tickets were $16 total, and so, Adam and I bought a pair, and my friends Brigitte and Penny bought another.

  If you guys don’t know, the Museum of Tolerance is a museum dedicated to educating people about the holocaust. Brigitte had mentioned she had never been and wanted to go, which is why I thought it was a good idea to buy the tickets.

  We met Penny at the museum and we were greeted by a very enthusiastic and sassy museum docent that informed us there was a holocaust survivor speaking and that we should go to that before heading to the interactive exhibit.

  We listened to the survivor, Elisabeth Mann, for over an hour. I did not pick up on her exact age, but she was a teenager when she was sent to Auschwitz. She spoke about the horrors she faced, and what she did after the war. I was truly shaken by her talk. She was the only one in her family that survived; she never saw her parents or brothers and sisters again.

  Elisabeth was sassy and witty, often making jokes even though she was talking about one of the darkest periods in humanity’s history and her life . She left us by saying to always have hope and that everything in the end, will be okay; words that will forever stay with me.

  After the talk, we went to the interactive exhibit. The exhibit, which is about an hour and a half long, walks you through a pre World War II Germany, and the things that lead to anti-semitism, and Hitler taking power.

  There is so much to say and so much information that comes from this exhibit, that I could not possibly touch on it all. However, I will say, that it is quite a heavy exhibit. Details are not spared or sugarcoated. You walk through a replica of Auschwitz, and even a replica of a gas chamber.

  If this is a topic or something that you feel uncomfortable with, then I don’t recommend it, but, I do feel like like it’s a very educational experience that really gets as close as it can in explaining why the holocaust happened and what it was like for those who were imprisoned and killed. I think this is important as to not repeat history, and to never forget the millions of people who were murdered.

  Some more tips on the Museum of Tolerance:

• The museum is located at 9786 West Pico Blvd.

• To buy the Groupon, click here . There are no restrictions on when you can visit the museum, just keep in mind that it is closed on Saturdays. You can see the rest of the museums hours here.

• Make sure to call in before you go with the date and number of people you are coming with. This is something that is required. I called a few days before and no one responded, but I left a message with my name and number. Later that day, I got a call back that Sunday was a good day to come in. The museum tends to get busy, and the exhibit is timed, which is why I think they ask for you to call first.

• Parking is free, and there is an underground lot that has plenty of spaces. Keep in mind, that due to extremists, deniers, and threats, the security guard at the lot asks you to see your drivers license and inspects your trunk.

• The same attitude is given when you walk into the museum; there is TSA like security, no joke. You have to walk through a metal detector and have your bag inspected. Brigitte had a vape in her bag and had to go back to the car to put it away.

• Most photography is not allowed in the museum, which is why I did not post photos.

  I hope this post inspires you to go on Groupon and find some fun things to do, or even try the Groupons I have shared with you guys today!

  Before I go, I just want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Thank you for reading and I will see you next week on The Leslie Life!