attitude of gratitude

So, most of you who know me know I have certain qualms about Christmas and gift giving. Not that I think gift giving is wrong but I don't think there should be an obligation to give just because at this family's gathering we get for these people (that we see maybe once a year who most of the time don't really need any gifts) because that's just what we do. Also the amount of gift giving in general has really gotten out of control in my opinion which only gets people away from the true meaning of Christmas. I'm all about giving to the less fortunate but after we meet all our obligations to give for us there is not much money left over to give to others which is sad to me and I am really at a loss about what to do about it.
This brings me to my point. At church last week our preacher talks about thanksgiving. Every year he does this for a few weeks and emphases the importance of it. He brought up the illustration of how kids get a huge stack of presents at family get togethers and rip through the packages without even knowing who they came from and then wonder if they got any more. While he was saying all that I was totally on board because I couldn't agree more and hate that. Then he  got me with comparing it to what we do with God. God blesses us in so many ways and we rip through all the blessings he gives us without thanking him and half the time even recognizing that they are blessings from God not something we have done or something we are entitled to and then we have the nerve to ask God for more or complain because we want something He hasn't given us yet. 
I don't know about you but it hit home to me. It's not that I am not  thankful and grateful person because I think I am and feel that way in my heart however I don't think I praise God for what he has done and is doing in my life like I need to however I am really quick to ask him to do things for me or others that I know that are going through something. He challenge was for us to praise more than or as much as we pray. Something I need to work on doing.
I see all the posts on Facebook where people post each day something they are thankful for. I have done it some in the past but some times it annoys me (doesn't take much these days) but now I am thinking at least they are taking time out of their day to voice something that they are thankful for rather gripe about what's going wrong in their lives. This is something I want to work on. Not just at Thanksgiving but year around to have an attitude to gratitude and to voice my thankfulness to God and others as much if not more than I voice my discontentment or need/want of things.