Because It’s Christmas - Group 5 gift unwrapped - Giant Panda from Xeko Pals GIVEAWAY

The next gift we are unwrapping in our Kids & Charity Giveaway is a Giant Panda plush from Xeko Pals. Xeko Pals are actually the plush line of characters from Xeko (pronounced zee-co - get it?;), the award winning eco-adventure game starring the wild animals of Earth’s endangered habitats. Remember my review? It is a very cool game!

Well, the 3 characters that make up the plush line from Xeko are some of the most endangered animals on earth - the Sumatran Flying Squirrel, the Hairy-Eared Dwarf Lemur, and of course, the Chinese Giant Panda. Xeko Pals is giving one Giant Panda plush pal away to one of YOU as a part of Group 5 and they are also donating one more Giant Panda plush pal to charity to the Household Pantry at the First United Methodist Church in Lowell, IN.

Xeko Pals fit in perfectly as a sponsor for our Because It’s Christmas Kids & Charity Giveaway. The mission of Xeko “is to foster sustainability by creating and marketing world-class products and media that entertain and inspire people to make a difference.” I just love that about them. Xeko Pals are made with soy and certified organic cotton “fur” and soy-based stuffing making them earth friendly in addition to soft and cuddly! They feel almost like velour, they are so soft. Also, 4% of Xeko Pals net sales are donated to Conservation International. Pretty cool, no?The Xeko Pals Giant Panda is designed to raise awareness over the decreasing panda population. When I was in China, I was lucky enough to see some of these beautiful but shy creatures and learned a lot about them. They are quite selective about their Bamboo diet and are much softer as a Xeko Pal than they are in real life. Next time I am in China, I really want to go to the Wolong Panda Reserve in Sichuan!

Each of the Panda Pals stands roughly 7 1/2 inches tall. Its tag contains “mission information” for the “Xeko Agent” about what they are to do with their giant panda. It also contains facts and information about the giant panda, making this a really educational critter as well. The tags also include a secret mission code that they can use to gain access to the online game. On the rear of the Panda, there is even the Xeko symbol embroidered on his cute little tush!

The Xeko Giant Panda is really soft and very cute. I love the expression on his little face. He is sure to charm most any child. The website is graphically delightful and you can really learn a ton just by visiting - child and adult alike. It is designed to look like a rainforest and there appears to be a ton of stuff kids can do on it. I can’t wait to see the game that the code on the panda unlocks! Because of our Chinese daughter, we have developed a real 'thing' for Pandas around here, and I think this one will be no exception. I cannot wait for my girls to read the message and the story behind the giant panda and learn more. It really ought to excite and interest them and the online game will be something I see being played again and again.

As a parent, I am completely enamored our new little friend here. The fact that the panda is made from organic cotton and soy-based materials is wonderful. I love Xeko's tagline - Play Xeko - Be a Force of Nature. I want my girls to BE a force of nature and a force to be reckoned with and the fact that a simple plush animal like this helps to raise the environmental awareness in my kids, can only be described (in the words of Martha) as a Good Thing. The fact that at face value it is a stuffed animal, but behind the scenes it allows kids to experience an interactive adventure that teaches them about the world we live in, makes him a wonderfully versatile little stuffed guy!

So....Play Xeko - Be a Force of Nature!

ENTER TO WIN A PLUSH GIANT PANDA FROM XEKO PALS

Note: by entering this giveaway, you are actually entering to win all the toys in Group 5. The more individual posts you enter, the more of a chance you have to win the Group prizes. The entries will be combined from all posts and a winner selected, so you have a chance to win the Group prizes even if you only enter on one post.

To enter to win the Xeko Pals Giant Panda:

• Visit the Xeko Store and check out all of the Xeko items.
• Come back here and leave a comment telling us what you liked the best.

That’s it!

To earn extra entries:

• Post our Because It’s Christmas button on your site (you can find the code for it on the middle right sidebar) - 5 EXTRA ENTRIES
• Blog about this giveaway and link back here and to Xeko Pals. (the links must be active/clickable) - 5 EXTRA ENTIRES
• Subscribe to our updates. - 1 EXTRA ENTRY
• Enter a Because It’s Christmas giveaway over at What's That Smell? and/or 3 P’s in a Pod and come back here and tell us which post/giveaway you entered on. - 1 EXTRA ENTRY PER POST/GIVEAWAY ENTERED

Please leave separate comments for each additional entry, ie: if you blog about this, leave 5 separate comments.


Giveaway will run through Nov. 30th at noon central time and is open to the USA.



Because It's Christmas began Nov. 10th on my blog, 3 P's in a Pod and you won't want to miss a minute!

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