Adult coloring books have really been gaining traction lately because not only is coloring fun, but coloring is also considered a stress-relieving activity. According to this article from the Huffington Post, “coloring has a de-stressing effect because when we focus on a particular activity, we focus on it and not on our worries.”

I'm not particularly good at relaxing, so I was excited to try out The Mandala Coloring Book. I've had it for a few weeks now and I really like it because it gives me a way to multi-task while watching TV. ;) I am obviously TERRIBLE at just doing one thing at a time, so the fact that I can now create something pretty while vegging out is pretty awesome… however, I'm aware that the stress relieving benefits would probably be greater if I just devoted a few minutes a day to my coloring. Alas. At least I'm having fun!

I used to love coloring as a kid, so I love that adult coloring books are now readily available. The coloring books themselves tend to be much larger than those designed for children and the designs are more intricate. Most books tend to cost $12 or less, which makes this a fairly affordable hobby.

Adult coloring books have become so popular lately that some books are making it onto best sellers' lists! Interested in grabbing an adult coloring book? Here are some gorgeous best-selling adult coloring books that are currently on the market:

Secret New York: Color Your Way to Calm // Coloring Books for Grownups: Dia de Los Muertos // Creative Coloring Inspirations // Creative Cats Coloring Book // Outside the Lines // Enchanted Forest // Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns // Secret Garden // Coloring Books for Adults: Stress Relieving Stained Glass

This coloring book, Color Crush: An Adult Coloring Book for the Modern Girl, was just released and it looks fantastic! “It combines fun, motivational sayings with bold and trendy patterns. The book features your favorite sayings and phrases including “Don't forget to be awesome”, “She believed she could, so she did”, “Everyday I'm hustlin”, “Do more of what makes you happy” and so many more.”

If your'e curious about what to use to fill in your adult coloring books, I highly recommend checking out the Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils! I wasn't sure what to pick up when I went to the store. I wanted colored pencils but didn't want to get a sharpener, so these seemed like the perfect compromise. There aren't as many colors as you can get with traditional packs of colored pencils though but that hasn't really been a problem for me.