Last weekend we were at our local mall-like-shopping-location. It isn’t really a mall, since it doesn’t have that old-school enclosed building thing going on. It’s one of those open-air places, where you walk outside between the pretty-people stores. Each of the past four locations we’ve lived has had one nearby. Most of you who live in suburban America know what I’m talking about, right?

We ventured into Williams-Sonoma — the lure of free samples usually attracts my boys. The thought of one day having a kitchen like in their catalogs attracts me. There was a lovely display of Star Wars-themed kitchen supplies. Of course we were attracted to the display like white on rice! The items were pretty neat, certain to make great gifts. There in the middle among the cookie cutters and pancake molds were these “cupcake decorating kits.”

My kids begged “Please? Please? Please?” for one of the kits, and since my youngest son is celebrating his sixth birthday this week and we had family in town, I caved in and let him choose the kit of his choice. I’m so glad he picked the Rebel Alliance kit instead of the Galactic Empire one. I thought the set was pretty cute, and at the time I didn’t think anything of paying $12 for it. How could I turn down classic Star Wars???

Tonight my mom and I made some cupcakes for dessert, using half of the baking cups and toothpicks.

That’s what this kit is: baking cups and toothpicks. Probably about $1 worth of product, to be honest.

We devoured the cupcakes and the used baking cups went right into the trash, but I made a point to insist that no one lick the toothpicks and I’m making sure to recycle them. The pictures on the toothpicks are made of a slightly-waxed paper. Not quite cardstock, but a little heavier than just plain paper.

My opinion? Twelve dollars for this kit is a considerable indulgence. My kids were smiling all evening from the cute toothpicks, and one could argue that doesn’t make this all a waste. If you aren’t picky about the baking cups — considering R2, C3PO and Chewie were all on the bottom of the finished cupcake where no one will really see them — you might be able to get away with making the toothpicks on your own.

Consider how many different characters you could glue to toothpicks and stick in cupcakes! Maybe this is what I’ll do for the Mario Brothers cake that’s been requested for the party next weekend.

Originally published on Wired.com’s GeekMom blog on 24 Jan 2011.