I am sure your kids did appreciate whatever you gave them.
My own family have never been ones for a big Christmas, but we always enjoy them. I think it even helps us to understand the verse" it is more blessed to give than to receive". This year I bought my younger sister a sisters necklace (its like a best friends necklace) hers says 'lil' sis' mine says 'big sis', the irony of it is she is seven inches taller than I am. It is like a big joke!
As far as Christmas traditions go my family watches the movie Scrooge every year, it is a musical based of course on the book A Christmas Carol. We also read passages of scripture about the Christmas story, and we like to listen to Handle's Messiah.
My mom (and dad) like to give us each a gift that we will really like (and one that will be a surprise), but you should never feel bad about a sparse Christmas some day when your children are grown they may remember things like making or eating Christmas cookies and lisening to carols, just as much or even more than gifts.