Dear LV: There's no reason for you to skip meals in order to dispatch your nieces an electric Ferrari or a big-screen TV. It's absolutely about the gesture. Keep doing what you have in the past but next time include a letter to each of the kids along with some fun blank stationary and a self addressed stamped envelope. This way you put the ability to respond in their hands. Say, "I'd love to have a letter from you to save in my scrapbook. I hope you enjoy this gift." Never apologize for your finances.